A splash of milk, a spoonful of sugar or a generous pour of flavored creamer. Everyone has their own way of enjoying coffee. And while Americans weren't necessarily drinking more of it, what they added to their cups was changing.
A new study from Tufts University found that between 2003 and 2018, the average number of calories Americans consumed from coffee and its additions rose from 43 to 60 per day. The biggest contributor to that increase wasn't sugar or milk, but nondairy creamer.
Published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the study examined dietary information from more than 30,000 U.S. adults. Researchers found that coffee consumption remained fairly steady, averaging about 13 ounces per day, even as the ingredients people added began to shift.
Nondairy creamer saw the biggest change. The amount people used more than doubled over the 15-year period, and by 2018, it contributed more calories to the average American's coffee than sugar or milk.
Sugar and syrups contributed about 16 calories per day, compared with approximately 19 from nondairy creamer and 11 from dairy milk.
Of course, these are averages across the adult population. Someone who drinks black coffee and someone who prefers a sweet, creamy drink may consume very different amounts.
It's also worth distinguishing nondairy creamers from plant-based milks. Researchers tracked them separately and found that consumption of both increased. Nondairy creamers often contain added fats and sweeteners, while products such as soy or almond milk vary in calories, added sugar and other nutrients depending on the brand and variety.
“Coffee is often accompanied by the addition of sugar and cream, which can contribute to an increased consumption of calories from added sugar and saturated fat,” said Fang Fang Zhang, senior author of the study and a professor at Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
Still, the overall increase was modest, averaging about 17 additional calories per day over 15 years. The study looked at coffee habits, not whether those extra calories affected people's weight or health.
And while the research was published in 2026, the dietary data only extend through 2018, so the findings don't necessarily reflect how Americans drink their coffee today. The study also relied on people recalling what they ate and drank, which isn't always perfectly accurate.
But the findings offer an interesting look at how a familiar daily ritual evolved. Americans weren't drinking much more coffee. They were simply changing what went into it.
The researchers reported no funding for the study.