Catch a waft of toffee and cinnamon as you walk down the High Street? It can only mean one thing; the Christmas coffees have landed.
Bedecked with mounds of whipped cream and lavish drizzles of sugary sauces, these sweet creations have become something of a festive staple.
Featuring infusions of everything from gingerbread to Terry’s Chocolate Orange, there’s plenty to get your tastebuds tingling.
But before you take a sip, you may want to pause. For with some of these festive creations containing more than ten teaspoons of sugar, you may be better off sticking to your regular latte.
Here, GIULIA CROUCH raises a coffee cup to see which are worth the calories . . .
COSTA
Quality Street Toffee Penny Latte
Giulia Crouch gives verdict on a selection of this year’s festive drinks – including Quality Street Toffee Penny Latte from Costa (pictured)
Price: £3.95
Calories: 330
Teaspoons of sugar: 9.6
Equivalent to: A bowl of trifle.
Toffee and coffee are natural friends, so this, a new addition for 2021, is hard to dislike. But owing to the intense toffee flavour, it’s difficult to drink a lot. Just as well, as it contains more sugar than a can of Coke. 2/5
Quality Street The Purple One Latte
Giulia said Quality Street The Purple One Latte (pictured) tastes only of spiced warm milk
Price: £3.95
Calories: 348
Teaspoons of sugar: 8.5
Equivalent to: Eight-and-a-half roast potatoes.
If you’re expecting this to taste like a purple Quality Street then prepare to be disappointed. It tastes only of spiced warm milk. To add insult to injury, you’re also given a purple Quality Street to prove just how unlike one it tastes. If anything I feel anti-festive now, and more so at the thought I could have had eight-and-a-half roasties instead. 0/5
After Eight Hot Chocolate
Giulia said After Eight Hot Chocolate (pictured) is super-indulgent and is literally a drinkable After Eight
Price: £3.95
Calories: 343
Teaspoons of sugar: 8.7
Equivalent to: A portion of cheese and biscuits.
Literally a drinkable After Eight. Super-indulgent, but who cares when it tastes this good? Saying that, after three big sips I’m done, as it’s so rich. 5/5
Terry’s Chocolate Orange® Hot Chocolate
Giulia said Terry’s Chocolate Orange® Hot Chocolate (pictured right) is for those who like Terry’s Chocolate Orange
Price: £3.95
Calories: 379
Teaspoons of sugar: 10.6
Equivalent to: A third of a whole Christmas dinner.
If you like Terry’s Chocolate Orange then you will like this. I, alas, do not. What sort of lunatic would want to ruin chocolate by adding orange? 3/5
Caffe Nero
Gingerbread Latte
Giulia said Gingerbread Latte (pictured) is very bitter and had a heap of cinnamon plonked on top of stodgy cream
Price: £3.85
Calories: 151
Teaspoons of sugar: 4.5
Equivalent to: Three pigs in blankets.
what’s not to like about a Gingerbread latte? It’s Christmas in a cup, right? Not if it’s very bitter, with a heap of cinnamon plonked on top of two inches of thick, stodgy cream. I’d far rather eat three pigs in blankets. 0/5
Mint Choc Chip Hot Chocolate
Giulia said Mint Choc Chip Hot Chocolate (pictured) is classic hot chocolate with a wonderful minty hint
Price: £3.95
Calories: 279
Teaspoons of sugar: 10.3
Equivalent to: A slice of Christmas cake.
Classic hot chocolate with a wonderful minty hint, whipped cream and chocolate dusting. These can easily taste synthetic if the barista is heavy-handed with the syrup, but this was well balanced. 4/5
Salted Caramel Latte
Giulia said Salted Caramel Latte (pictured) has a good hit of coffee, but lacks memorable wow-factor
Price: £3.85
Calories: 167
Teaspoons of sugar: 5.4
Equivalent to: Three rashers of bacon.
This offers a good hit of coffee with a smoky, sweetness. The big swirl of salted caramel sauce on top of the whipped cream was also welcome. But, overall, it lacks memorable wow-factor. 2/5
Hazelnut Hot Chocolate
Giulia said beyond the generous swirl of whipped cream, Hazelnut Hot Chocolate (pictured) had no hazelnut flavour whatsoever
Price: £3.95
Calories: 262
Teaspoons of sugar: 9.6
Equivalent to: A portion of stuffing.
I had high hopes for this, I was imagining Nutella in a cup. Perhaps the barista just forgot to add the syrup, but beyond the generous swirl of whipped cream, this had no hazelnut flavour whatsoever. 1/5
Starbucks
Fudge Brownie Hot Chocolate
Giulia said Fudge Brownie Hot Chocolate (pictured) is way too sweet and not very chocolatey
Price: £3.45
Calories: 297
Teaspoons of sugar: 9.7
Equivalent to: Two portions of roast turkey.
I don’t really understand how a fudge brownie is Christmasy, but this year Starbucks has deemed it so. For me, it’s way too sweet and not very chocolatey. It also presents a logistical challenge — there’s such a huge amount of chocolatey cream, it’s impossible to drink without getting it all over your face. 2/5
Toffee Nut Latte
Giulia said Toffee Nut Latte (pictured) has a delicious flavour of toasted nuts, wrapped up in a smooth, sweet toffee taste
Price: £3.45
Calories: 201
Teaspoons of sugar: 3.4
Equivalent to: Two portions of chocolate log.
Toasty, comforting with an excellent sugary crumb, this festive drink is a stalwart of the season for a reason. The flavour of toasted nuts is wrapped up in a smooth, sweet toffee taste. Delicious. 4/5
Gingerbread Latte
Giulia said Gingerbread Latte (pictured) has a nice spice and a creamy texture
Price: £3.45
Calories: 236
Teaspoons of sugar: 5.9
Equivalent to: Fourteen portions of gravy.
Far, far better than Caffe Nero’s, this one has a nice spice and a creamy texture. The best bit is the ginger- bread topping. 3/5
Eggnog Latte
Giulia said Eggnog Latte (pictured) is creamy and smooth with a warming backnote of nutmeg
Price: £3.45
Calories: 287
Teaspoons of sugar: 7.7
Equivalent to: A portion of Christmas pudding.
This has been on Starbucks’ menu for years, but I’ve never tried one. More fool me. It’s creamy and smooth with a warming backnote of nutmeg. And, weirdly, considering how much sugar it’s got in it, it doesn’t taste too sweet. It’s also in a glass mug that allows you to see the different, creamy layers with the foamed milk on top. 5/5
McDONALD’S
Choco Fudge Latte Large
Giulia said Choco Fudge Latte Large (pictured) is very bitter and super synthetic-tasting
Price: £2.09
Calories: 226
Teaspoons of sugar: 6.6
Equivalent to: One mince pie.
Very bitter and super synthetic-tasting, saved only by the whipped cream and fudge sauce. I would plump for eating the mince pie any day. 0/5
Hot Chocolate Deluxe
Giulia said Hot Chocolate Deluxe (pictured) tastes like petrol station hot chocolate
Price: £1.39
Calories: 201
Teaspoons of sugar: 6.6
Equivalent to: Portion of mashed potato.
There is nothing deluxe about this. It tastes like petrol station hot chocolate — way too sweet and watery. But it is one of the cheapest. 2/5