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Double-Double Coffee: Meaning, Home Recipe & Calories

A double-double is brewed coffee with two portions of cream and two portions of sugar, a Canadian order closely associated with Tim Hortons. The name counts additions; this home recipe gives repeatable portions.

By Mara EllisonReviewed by Online Coffee Guide editorial teamPublished 5 min read
Creamy double-double style coffee in a ceramic mug beside cream, sugar and a teaspoon
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Drink Snapshot

Caffeine
95 mg reference240 g (8.5 oz) brewed coffee; generic USDA compositionGeneric brewed-coffee estimate; use the café’s own information for a Tim Hortons order.
Calories
Estimated 95 kcalDefined home recipe with Dairyland 18% creamCalculated from the cream label and USDA coffee/sugar references.
Serving, sugar and sources
Serving
1 home drink: 240 g (8.5 oz) prepared coffee, 30 ml (1 US fl oz) 18% cream and 8 g (2 US tsp) granulated sugar
Made with
Brewed coffee, unwhipped coffee cream and granulated sugar
Sugar
Estimated 10 g total. 8 g added sugar plus 2 g naturally occurring sugar from the cream label.
Preparation
About 2 minutes after the coffee is brewed

Home-serving estimates use the Dairyland cream label and USDA composition records checked 26 September 2026. See the full calculation or label comparison.

Key Takeaways
  • A double-double suits someone who wants a sweet, creamy brewed coffee with little ordering fuss.
  • At home, a nutty or cocoa-led coffee makes a mellow partner for the cream and sugar.
  • Ask for the cup size and the café’s cream and sugar portions when ordering; the name alone does not set their amounts.
On This Page8 Sections

What Does Double-Double Coffee Mean?

Two cream portions and two sugar portions in brewed coffee. Tim Hortons' own Double Double description gives that combination and calls it a Canadian classic. It is sweetened coffee with cream; it does not require two espresso shots, steamed milk or a layer of foam.

To order, give the size and then say “double-double.” If the phrase is unfamiliar, say “brewed coffee with two creams and two sugars.” Request milk or an alternative explicitly if that is what you want, because cream is the usual meaning here.

A café portion depends on the cup size and dispensing system. For repeatable home coffee, the recipe below specifies the cream in milliliters and sugar in grams.

Double-double coffee means brewed coffee with two cream portions and two sugar portions.
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Double-double means two cream portions and two sugar portions in brewed coffee.

The Canadian shorthand has a life beyond the order itself. The Dictionary of Canadianisms traces double-double to Tim Hortons usage; its earliest cited example, from 1985, already uses the coffee order as a person’s nickname.

How Do You Make Double-Double Coffee at Home?

Start with prepared hot coffee. The 240 g (8.5 oz) below is coffee collected from the brewer, not water poured onto the grounds; brewing time is separate from assembly.

Recipe

Double-Double Style Home Coffee

Makes:
1 drink
Time:
About 2 minutes; coffee already brewed

Ingredients

  • 240 g (8.5 oz) hot prepared brewed coffee
  • 30 ml (1 US fl oz) 18% coffee cream; two measured 15 ml (1 US tbsp) portions
  • 8 g (2 US tsp) granulated sugar; two weighed 4 g (1 US tsp) portions

Equipment

  • Heatproof mug of at least 330 ml (11.2 US fl oz)
  • Scale
  • Measuring tablespoon or small graduated jug
  • Teaspoon for stirring

Method

  1. Measure. Have hot brewed coffee ready. Weigh 240 g (8.5 oz) into a heatproof mug of at least 330 ml (11.2 US fl oz) capacity, leaving room for the additions.
  2. Sweeten. Add the two 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar portions, 8 g (2 US tsp) total. Stir until dissolved.
  3. Add cream. Measure and stir in two 15 ml (1 US tbsp) portions of 18% coffee cream, 30 ml (1 US fl oz) total. Serve while comfortably hot.

Estimated nutrition: 95 kcal · 10 g total sugar. Per drink, with Dairyland 18% cream and 8 g sugar.

Recipe notes

These are home portion choices, not Tim Hortons dispensing measurements. Brewing time is separate. Contains milk.

Our nutrition example uses Dairyland 18% Coffee Cream. “18%” describes the cream's milk-fat percentage, not the percentage of cream in the finished drink.

For the base, follow the drip-coffee guide or pour-over guide, then weigh the collected coffee. A Keurig coffee-only K-Cup is another route; use its product-specific caffeine information.

At home, I measure the additions once and taste before making a larger batch. It gives me a cup I can return to, with a clear idea of whether I want less cream or a different amount of sugar next time.

You do not need to whip or steam the cream. If you have half-and-half or milk, use it as a deliberate variation and expect a different richness. Sweetened flavored creamer already supplies sugar, so it is not a like-for-like substitution for unsweetened cream plus separately measured sugar.

What Does Double-Double Coffee Taste Like?

The home double-double is sweet and noticeably creamy, with a soft, slightly coating mouthfeel from the cream. Coffee still gives it a roasted backbone, but the first impression is gentler than the same brew served black. This is cream stirred into brewed coffee, so there is no layer of steamed-milk foam.

A nutty medium roast can keep the cup mellow, while a darker coffee gives a firmer toasted or bittersweet finish.

I prefer a nutty or cocoa-led coffee for a double-double, because cream carries those flavors well while the sugar softens the roasted edge.

Double-Double Coffee Calories, Sugar and Caffeine

This home drink has an estimated 95 kcal and 10 g total sugar. Its 240 g (8.5 oz) brewed-coffee portion carries a generic 95 mg caffeine reference. Adding cream and sugar leaves the coffee’s caffeine amount essentially unchanged.

The table keeps the same 240 g (8.5 oz) coffee and shows what happens when one addition changes.

Adjusting the additions in this home recipeScrollable table
Adjusting the additions in this home recipe
Home versionCream and sugarEstimated caloriesEstimated total sugar
Main recipe30 ml (1 US fl oz) cream + 8 g (2 US tsp) sugar95 kcal10 g
Half the added sugar30 ml (1 US fl oz) cream + 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar80 kcal6 g
Half the cream15 ml (1 US tbsp) cream + 8 g (2 US tsp) sugar65 kcal9 g
Ingredient calculation and sources

Dairyland's 18% cream label gives 30 kcal and 1 g sugar per 15 ml. The 30 ml portion therefore supplies 60 kcal and 2 g sugar. USDA's SR28 brewed-coffee entry, NDB 14209, supplies 1 kcal and 40 mg caffeine per 100 g; granulated sugar, NDB 19335, supplies 387 kcal and 99.8 g sugar per 100 g. Energy is (240 × 0.01) + (30 ÷ 15 × 30) + (8 × 3.87) = 93.36 kcal. Total sugar is 2 + (8 × 0.998) = 9.984 g. Caffeine is 240 × 0.40 = 96 mg. Headlines round to 95 kcal, 10 g sugar and 95 mg caffeine. Cream-label rounding and variation in the brew limit precision.

The drink contains milk. A dairy alternative may introduce other allergens and changes the nutrition. Decaf coffee has a little residual caffeine. If reducing sweetness is the goal, lowering the sugar directly is easier to judge than changing the coffee, cream and serving size together.

What About Tim Hortons Double-Double Calories?

Use the current menu for your country, cup size and selected additions. The Tim Hortons help center directs customers to nutrition and ingredient information in its app and website. Our 95 kcal home drink is not the value for a small, medium, large or extra-large Tim Hortons order.

When comparing a menu figure with a recipe online, first check whether the number includes both cream and sugar or only the black-coffee base. Then check the serving size.

Double-Double vs. Other Coffee Orders

Double-Double vs Other Coffee OrdersScrollable table
Double-Double vs Other Coffee Orders
DrinkCoffee and additionsUseful distinction
Double-doubleBrewed coffee, cream and sugarTwo cream portions and two sugar portions
Black coffeeCoffee without milk or creamSpecify unsweetened if you also want no sugar
Café au laitBrewed coffee with hot milkMilk is the main addition; sugar is optional
Caffè mistoBrewed coffee with steamed milkA milk-coffee preparation, not a two-cream/two-sugar order
Breve coffeeEspresso with half-and-halfDifferent coffee base and dairy preparation

These distinctions are more useful than judging the drinks by color. A pale cup may contain a little rich cream or much more lower-fat milk.

Common Questions

Is double-double two shots of espresso?
No. The two doubles refer to two cream portions and two sugar portions. The coffee base is brewed coffee unless you specifically order something else.
Is double-double coffee made with milk or cream?
Cream is the usual meaning. Ask for milk or your preferred alternative explicitly; that changes richness and nutrition.
Can I use two teaspoons of sugar in double-double coffee?
Yes. This home recipe uses 8 g (2 US tsp), split into two 4 g (1 US tsp) portions. Café dispensing amounts depend on the serving size and system.
What cream should I use for homemade double-double coffee?
This recipe uses unwhipped 18% coffee cream. Half-and-half, milk and other cream percentages make different versions; use their actual labels for nutrition.
Can I make an iced double-double?
Yes. Dissolve 8 g (2 US tsp) sugar in 240 g (8.5 oz) warm brewed coffee, then cool it. Stir in 30 ml (1 US fl oz) cream and serve over ice in a glass with room for the additions. Serve promptly as melting ice dilutes the coffee.
Does double-double creamer replace the cream and sugar?
Some bottled products combine dairy and sweetener. Follow that product's ingredients and serving label; adding the full separate sugar amount as well may make the drink much sweeter than intended.

Editor's Take

Sources and Further Reading

View 5 references