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A standard Vietnamese iced coffee, ca phe sua da, made with 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk runs about 115 to 130 calories and 22 to 26 grams of sugar. Almost all of it comes from the milk. The brewed coffee itself is close to zero calories. Caffeine is the part that surprises people, because the traditional grind is robusta, which carries far more caffeine per gram than the arabica in your average cafe. Per the Nestle condensed milk label, 2 tablespoons is 115 calories and 26 grams of sugar, and per Caffeine Informer, robusta runs roughly 83 percent more caffeine than arabica.
The condensed milk is the whole calorie count
Black coffee is the easy part. A phin brew is just water through ground coffee, so the coffee contributes only a couple of calories. Everything you taste and everything you count comes from the sweetened condensed milk sitting at the bottom of the glass.
That milk is dense. The Nestle label lists a 2 tablespoon serving (30 grams) at 115 calories, 26 grams of total carbohydrate, and 26 grams of sugar. Break it down per tablespoon and you get roughly 58 calories and 13 grams of sugar. So the amount you pour is the only lever that moves the number. A light hand at 1 tablespoon keeps the drink near 60 calories. A candy-sweet 3 tablespoon pour pushes it past 170 calories and close to 40 grams of sugar, which is more added sugar than a full day's suggested limit for many adults.
Order it out and portions vary by shop, so the safest way to know your number is to build it yourself and count the tablespoons. If you want to compare that sugar load against a chain drink, our breakdown of sugar in Starbucks drinks puts it in context.
Calories, sugar, and caffeine by build
Calorie and sugar figures below are scaled from the Nestle condensed milk label. Caffeine figures are the robusta reference numbers from Caffeine Informer for the noted brew method, since a phin uses robusta grounds.
| Component | Serving | Calories | Sugar | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brewed coffee (black, robusta) | ~1 phin, brewed 8 fl oz basis | ~5 | 0 g | 198 mg |
| Condensed milk, light pour | 1 tbsp (15 g) | 58 | 13 g | 0 mg |
| Condensed milk, standard pour | 2 tbsp (30 g) | 115 | 26 g | 0 mg |
| Condensed milk, sweet pour | 3 tbsp (45 g) | ~173 | ~39 g | 0 mg |
| Robusta, drip reference | 8 fl oz | ~5 | 0 g | 265 mg |
| Robusta, espresso reference | 1 shot | ~2 | 0 g | 141 mg |
Read the table this way. The calories and sugar are set almost entirely by how much condensed milk goes in. A typical drink lands around 115 to 130 calories and roughly 22 to 26 grams of sugar at a 2 tablespoon pour. The caffeine sits in the robusta range, which is the reason this drink hits harder than a same-size arabica coffee. Robusta beans are about 2.2 percent caffeine by weight versus roughly 1.2 percent for arabica, per Caffeine Informer, so a single strong phin serving realistically lands somewhere between the espresso shot and brewed-cup numbers above depending on your dose and pour volume.
For context, the FDA cites 400mg of caffeine a day as an amount generally not associated with negative effects in healthy adults. How caffeine affects you depends on your own tolerance and health, so treat these numbers as information, not advice.
Want to build one at home the traditional way? You need two cheap things: a stainless Vietnamese phin filter and a can of sweetened condensed milk. Coarse robusta grind, milk in the glass first, drip on top, then ice.
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Related reading
- Cold brew caffeine content, if you want a low-acid iced option and its real numbers.
- Latte caffeine content, for how an arabica espresso drink compares shot for shot.
- The Barista Life caffeine database, our full hub of verified caffeine numbers by drink.
FAQ
How many calories are in a Vietnamese iced coffee?
A standard build with 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk is about 115 to 130 calories, with the milk accounting for nearly all of it. Drop to 1 tablespoon and it falls to roughly 60 calories. Push to 3 tablespoons and it climbs past 170.
How much sugar is in ca phe sua da?
Roughly 22 to 26 grams at a 2 tablespoon pour, based on the condensed milk label at about 13 grams of sugar per tablespoon. The coffee adds none, so the sugar total tracks directly with how much milk you use.
Does Vietnamese coffee have more caffeine than regular coffee?
Usually yes, because it is brewed from robusta, which runs about 83 percent more caffeine than arabica per Caffeine Informer. A strong phin serving lands in the robusta range shown above, higher than a same-size arabica cup. If you want a decaf comparison, see does decaf have caffeine.