Naughty or nice? 24 holiday coffee drinks ranked from 'healthiest' to unhealthiest

The holiday season is the perfect time of year to enjoy a cup of coffee, whether you're settling into a coffee shop armchair and catching up with friends, or pulling into a drive-thru for a quick reprieve while running errands. 

Fast food restaurants have pulled out the stops when it comes to winter-inspired flavors this year. Hers looked at the largest U.S. fast-food chains with exclusive holiday drink menus and ranked them from "healthiest" to least healthy. 

There's quite a range when it comes to sugar and fat content, which can help you prioritize which drinks become your holiday go-tos and which ones you may want to reserve for a "treat yourself" moment.

We looked at four types of nutritional data to rank 24 different holiday drinks:

• Calories: Some holiday drinks definitely have calories that are "snack-sized," while others have as many as a full meal without many nutrients. 
• Sugar: Research shows that consuming excessive amounts of sugar can lead to health conditions like prediabetes, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and depression. Keeping an eye on your overall intake throughout the holidays could help you feel your best.
• Fat: Fats play an important role in absorbing certain vitamins, but moderation is key. For most adults, experts recommend getting 20% to 35% of your calories from fat.
• Trans fat: High consumption of trans fats has been linked to a higher risk of many adverse conditions like insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Key Findings

• Starbucks Refreshers are the lightest holiday drinks of the season. They're the lowest overall in calories, sugar, and fat. 
• Starbucks almond milk lattes contain less sugar and fat. Ordering straight off the menu with the Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte and Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte from Starbucks can help keep your calories in check. 
• Blended and cream-based drinks dominate the unhealthiest options. These options tend to have trans fat included, which places them at the bottom of our list. 

Ready to explore all 24 newly launched holiday coffee drinks? Here's our list ranked from "healthiest" to unhealthiest.

Holiday Coffee Drinks Ranked from Healthiest to Unhealthiest

1. Cran-Merry Orange Refresher (Starbucks)
2. Cran-Merry Drink (Starbucks)
3. Cran-Merry Orange Lemonade Refresher (Starbucks)
4. Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte (Starbucks)
5. Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte (Starbucks)
6. Cookie Butter Cold Brew (Dunkin')
7. White Hazelnut Bark Coffee (Dunkin')
8. Chestnut Praline Latte (Starbucks)
9. Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai (Starbucks)
10. Holiday Cookie Signature Latte (Dunkin')
11. Caramel Brulée Latte (Starbucks)
12. 1Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte (Dunkin')
13. Peppermint Mocha Signature Latte (Dunkin')
14. Chestnut Praline Frappuccino® (Starbucks)
15. Caramel Brulée Frappuccino® (Starbucks) 
16. Peppermint Mocha (Starbucks)
17. Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino® (Starbucks)
18. Iced Chestnut Praline Latte (Starbucks) 
19. Chestnut Praline Crème (Starbucks)
20. Chestnut Praline Crème Frappuccino® (Starbucks) 
21. Caramel Brulée Crème (Starbucks)
22. Iced Caramel Brulée Latte (Starbucks)
23. Iced Peppermint Mocha (Starbucks)
24. Dulce de Leche Frappé (McDonald's)

Get the data.

Holiday Coffee Drink Nutrition: Trends and Insights

Wondering which drinks are best and worst in specific nutrition categories? Hers broke down the data to help you make mindful choices based on your own personal health goals. 

Which Holiday Coffee Drinks Have the Most Calories?

Drinks With the Most Calories

1. Dulce de Leche Frappé from McDonald's (630 cal.)
2. Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks (440 cal.)
3. Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino® from Starbucks (430 cal.)

Drinks With the Least Calories

1. Cran-Merry Orange Refresher from Starbucks (100 cal.)
2. Cran-Merry Drink and Cran-Merry Orange Lemonade Refresher from Starbucks (140 cal. each)
3. Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte from Starbucks (150 cal.)

Which Holiday Coffee Drinks Have the Most Sugar?

Drinks With the Most Sugar

1. Dulce de Leche Frappé from McDonald's (97 g)
2. Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino® from Starbucks (63 g)
3. Caramel Brulée Frappuccino® from Starbucks (58 g)

Drinks With the Least Sugar

1. Cran-Merry Orange Refresher from Starbucks (20 g)
2. Cran-Merry Drink from Starbucks (23 g)
3. Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte from Starbucks (25 g)

Which Holiday Coffee Drinks Have the Most Fat?

Drinks With the Most Fat

1. Dulce de Leche Frappé from McDonald's (20 g)
2. Iced Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks (17 g)
3. Chestnut Praline Crème Frappuccino®, Iced Caramel Brulée Latte, Peppermint Mocha, and Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino® from Starbucks (16 g each)

Drinks With the Least Fat

1. Cran-Merry Orange Refresher and Cran-Merry Orange Lemonade Refresher from Starbucks (0g each)
2. Cran-Merry Drink from Starbucks (2.5 g)
3. Cookie Butter Cold Brew from Dunkin' and Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte from Starbucks (3.5 g each)

Methodology: How Scores Were Calculated

Hers looked at the three largest fast-food chains by revenue in the U.S. that launched exclusive holiday drinks as of November 15, 2024: Dunkin', McDonald's, and Starbucks. 

Using a standard medium size (which is 16 ounces for Starbucks and McDonald's, and 14 ounces for Dunkin'), Hers analyzed the nutritional data based on a standard order with no substitutions or additions. The four nutrition label categories examined were:

• Calories
• Sugar
• Total fat
• Trans fat

The healthiest drinks on the list have the lowest averages of calories, sugar, fat, and trans fat. We used a 2x multiplier for trans fat because of the direct links to the multiple health conditions listed above.  

Also note that Hers did not include nutrition for any holiday cold foam add-ons at Starbucks, as the information was not published online.  

Tips to Feel Your Best This Holiday Season

The holiday season can be a stressful time of year for many people. In fact, 89% of American adults report some type of concerns during the holidays, such as money issues, missing loved ones, or anticipating family conflict. 

No matter what your schedule looks like through the new year, follow these tips to feel as good as possible, both emotionally and physically. 

1. Set boundaries: Whether it's for your time or money, create clear boundaries with friends, families, and co-workers. It helps to be specific on what you feel comfortable with—and what you need to say no to. 
2. Remember self-care: It's more than OK to take time for yourself throughout the holidays. Simple self-care strategies include things like getting enough sleep and scheduling in some alone time (maybe while enjoying your favorite holiday coffee drink!).
3. Go for a walk: Taking a leisurely walk has been found to be associated with better mental health. Plus, walking is a great way to help meet or maintain any health and weight goals, especially if you're looking to increase your total daily energy expenditure.

This story was produced by Hers and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.