Calories in Cherries: Per Cup, Per Cherry and 100 g
How many calories are in cherries – per cup, per cherry and per 100 g – plus sugar, fiber, glycemic index, tart cherry juice, maraschino cherries and pie.
Cherries are one of summer’s favorite snacks: sweet, juicy and perfect to eat by the handful. Since they’re so easy to keep eating, people who count calories often wonder how many calories cherries have.
The short answer: a cup of pitted sweet cherries (154 g) has about 97 calories, and one cherry has about 5 calories. 100 g has about 63 calories. Cherries have fiber, potassium and antioxidants, and a low glycemic index. The calories climb in cherry pie, dried cherries and juice.
Calories in cherries by portion
Values are for fresh sweet cherries, from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA FoodData Central):
| Portion | Weight | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cherry | 8 g | 5 kcal |
| 10 cherries | 82 g | 52 kcal |
| 100 g | 100 g | 63 kcal |
| 1 cup, with pits (yields) | 138 g | 87 kcal |
| 1 cup, pitted | 154 g | 97 kcal |
| 1 pound | 454 g | 286 kcal |
Tip: about 20 cherries make a cup – a nice portion for a snack. Spitting out pits slows you down, which helps you notice when you’re full.
Cherry nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per cup (154 g) |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 63 kcal | 97 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 16.0 g | 24.6 g |
| – of which sugars | 12.8 g | 19.7 g |
| Fiber | 2.1 g | 3.2 g |
| Protein | 1.1 g | 1.6 g |
| Fat | 0.2 g | 0.3 g |
| Vitamin C | 7 mg | 11 mg |
| Potassium | 222 mg | 342 mg |
Cherries get their deep red color from anthocyanins, plant pigments that work as antioxidants. They also give you fiber and potassium. Tart cherries (sour cherries) have even more of these pigments and a little natural melatonin, the sleep hormone.
Calories in cherry foods
| Food | Portion | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Frozen cherries, unsweetened | 1 cup | about 90 kcal |
| Dried cherries, sweetened | ¼ cup (40 g) | about 130–140 kcal |
| Tart cherry juice, unsweetened | 1 cup (8 fl oz) | about 120–140 kcal |
| Maraschino cherries | 5 cherries | about 35–40 kcal |
| Cherry yogurt (flavored) | 1 cup | about 150–220 kcal |
| Cherry pie | 1 slice | about 300–400 kcal |
| Black Forest cake | 1 slice | about 350–450 kcal |
Dried cherries usually get added sugar – a quarter cup has more calories than a cup of fresh cherries. Maraschino cherries are bleached, soaked in sugar syrup and often dyed with Red 40 – they have little in common with fresh cherries. Read the label on cherry yogurts and juices too: many have added sugar.
Are cherries good for weight loss?
Yes, in normal portions. Cherries are sweet, juicy and filling, and a cup has less than 100 calories. They’re a great swap for candy or dessert.
How to enjoy them:
- Eat a cup at a time – put them in a bowl rather than eating from the bag.
- Pair them with protein: Greek yogurt, cottage cheese or a few almonds.
- Freeze them for a cold summer snack.
- Choose fresh or frozen over dried cherries, juice and pie.
Remember that you lose weight only when you eat fewer calories than you burn. Read more about the calorie deficit and find your number with our calorie calculator.
Cherries and blood sugar
Sweet cherries have a low glycemic index of about 22–25, one of the lowest of any fruit. A normal portion raises blood sugar only a little, so cherries are a good fruit for people with diabetes. See our list of low glycemic fruits. On a keto diet, a cup has about 21 g of net carbs, so it doesn’t fit well.
Count the calories in your cherries without guesswork. With NutriSmart, you snap a photo of what you eat, and the app counts your calories, protein, carbs and fat and shows how much you have left for the day. For dried cherries or maraschino cherries, scan the barcode to see the added sugar, the colorings and a health score out of 100.Get the app free
You can also read how many calories are in strawberries and in grapes.
The bottom line
A cup of pitted cherries has about 97 calories and one cherry about 5. Cherries are rich in antioxidants, have fiber and potassium, and one of the lowest glycemic indexes of any fruit. They’re a great snack for weight loss – eat them fresh or frozen, and treat pie, dried cherries and maraschino cherries as occasional sweets.
FAQ
How many calories are in a cup of cherries?
A cup of pitted sweet cherries (154 g) has about 97 calories, 25 g of carbs, 20 g of sugar and 3.2 g of fiber.
How many calories are in one cherry?
About 5 calories. 10 cherries (82 g) have about 52 calories.
How many calories are in 100 g of cherries?
About 63 calories. 100 g of sweet cherries has 16 g of carbs, 12.8 g of sugar, 2.1 g of fiber and 1 g of protein.
Are cherries good for weight loss?
Yes, in normal portions. A cup is a sweet, filling snack for under 100 calories, and pitting them slows you down. Watch cherry pie, dried cherries and juice, which have much more sugar.
Do cherries help you sleep?
Tart (sour) cherries contain a little melatonin. A few small studies found that tart cherry juice helped people sleep a bit longer, but the effect is modest and more research is needed.
Are maraschino cherries healthy?
Not really. They're bleached, soaked in sugar syrup and often dyed bright red with Red 40. They have about twice the calories of fresh cherries and almost none of the benefits.
