How many calories are in cherries?
A cup of pitted sweet cherries is 97 calories, and cherries run 63 calories per 100 grams. One cherry is 5. That puts them in the light half of the fruit aisle, close to oranges and pears, and far below anything dried, canned in syrup or turned into a cocktail garnish.
You'd need to walk about 19 minutes to burn the 97 calories in a 1-cup pitted serving (154 g).
How long does it take to burn off cherries?
A 1-cup pitted serving (154 g) is 97 kcal. Enter your weight and the amount you ate to see how long it takes you to burn that off:
lb
| Activity | Time to burn 97 kcal |
|---|---|
| Walking, brisk | 19 min |
| Cycling, moderate | 12 min |
| Swimming, moderate | 14 min |
| Jogging | 11 min |
| Weight training, moderate | 22 min |
Times are for a 155 lb adult at a steady pace; change the weight to see yours. The amount is set to the portion in the text (154 g); change it to what you actually ate. BodyPal works this out from your steps automatically.
On this page
- Cherry quick facts
- US servings, from one cherry to a full cup
- Sweet, tart and frozen cherries
- Canned, dried and maraschino cherries
- Fiber and potassium do the quiet work
- How do cherries compare?
- Most popular cherries brands
- FAQ
Cherry quick facts
The row behind every number on this page is SR Legacy 171719, "Cherries, sweet, raw". It is the only complete record for the fruit you actually hold in your hand: a full nutrient profile plus household measures for a cup with pits, a cup without pits, and a single cherry. A newer Foundation record (2346399) exists for the same dark red sweet cherry and lands at 70.5 calories per 100 grams, but its energy is Atwater-calculated and it carries no fiber, no sugars and no saturated fat, so it cannot fill a label table. The Survey record 2709231 simply inherits those Foundation figures.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per 1 cup, pitted (154 g) | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 63 | 97 | — |
| Total fat | 0.2 g | 0.3 g | 0% |
| Saturated fat | 0.04 g | 0.1 g | 0% |
| Carbohydrate | 16.01 g | 24.7 g | 9% |
| Dietary fiber | 2.1 g | 3.2 g | 12% |
| Total sugars | 12.82 g | 19.7 g | — |
| Protein | 1.06 g | 1.6 g | 3% |
| Sodium | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0% |
% Daily Value is based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food composition database, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified September 2026. How we verify our data →
There is no added sugars row here, because the SR Legacy edition does not publish added sugars for this record, and raw fruit has none by definition. Cholesterol is 0 mg, as it is in every plant food. Potassium is the number worth borrowing: 222 mg per 100 grams, which works out to 342 mg in a cup, or 7% of the Daily Value the FDA sets for the label.
US servings, from one cherry to a full cup
| Serving | Weight | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cherry | 8.2 g | 5 kcal |
| 1 oz | 28 g | 18 kcal |
| 1 cup with pits, yields | 138 g | 87 kcal |
| 1 NLEA serving | 140 g | 88 kcal |
| 1 cup, pitted | 154 g | 97 kcal |
| Per 100 g | 100 g | 63 kcal |
Four of these are USDA household measures, straight from the record: the single cherry, both cups and the NLEA serving that food companies use for labels. Only the ounce is our own arithmetic from the USDA 100 gram figure, not a USDA serving.
The two cups are the interesting part, and almost nobody explains them. Fill a measuring cup with whole cherries, pits in, and you end up with 138 grams of edible fruit and 87 calories. Pit them first and the same cup packs down to 154 grams and 97 calories. Same cherries, same density, a 10-calorie gap created purely by what you did before you measured. If you log a cup from a market carton without pitting anything, the lower number is the honest one.
Counting cherries is the more accurate route anyway. At 5 calories apiece, twenty cherries is about 100 calories, and a handful of ten costs you 50. Few foods let you keep a running total that easily.
Sweet, tart and frozen cherries
| Version | Per 100 g | Typical serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet cherries, raw | 63 kcal | 1 cup, pitted (154 g) | 97 kcal |
| Tart red cherries, raw | 50 kcal | 1 cup without pits (155 g) | 78 kcal |
| Frozen tart cherries, unsweetened | 46 kcal | 1 cup unthawed (155 g) | 71 kcal |
Tart cherries, the sour red kind that goes into pie filling and juice, are 50 calories per 100 grams against 63 for sweet Bing-style fruit. Almost the whole gap is sugar: 8.49 grams per 100 grams in tart cherries, 12.82 in sweet. At nearly identical cup weights, 155 grams versus 154, that is 78 calories against 97 — a 19-calorie difference for a fruit that tastes twice as sharp.
Frozen unsweetened tart cherries come in a shade lower still, 46 calories per 100 grams and 71 for a cup measured unthawed. Freezing adds no calories of its own. Read the bag, though: anything labeled sweetened is a different food, and the sugar goes on the ingredient list.
Canned, dried and maraschino cherries
| Version | Per 100 g | Typical serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canned sweet cherries, heavy syrup, drained | 83 kcal | 1 cup (179 g) | 149 kcal |
| Canned sweet cherries, water pack | 46 kcal | — | — |
| Dried tart cherries, sweetened | 333 kcal | 1 oz (28 g) | 93 kcal |
| Maraschino cherries, drained | 165 kcal | 1 oz (28 g) | 46 kcal |
Draining the syrup off canned cherries helps less than people assume. The drained fruit still measures 83 calories per 100 grams against 63 raw, because syrup soaks into the flesh rather than sitting beside it, and a cup runs 149 calories. The water-pack version goes the other way, 46 calories per 100 grams with solids and liquids counted together, since the packing water dilutes the whole can.
Dried cherries are where the math turns on you. Sweetened dried tart cherries are 333 calories per 100 grams, 67.15 grams of it sugars, so a single ounce is 93 calories — practically the same as an entire cup of fresh cherries. That ounce figure is our own arithmetic from the USDA 100 gram value, not a USDA serving. Drying strips water and adds sweetener, and the fruit shrinks to the point where a small scoop disappears in one distracted minute.
Retail bags vary. Trader Joe's unsweetened unsulfured dried Bing cherries list 275 calories per 100 grams, or 110 for a 40-gram (1.4 oz) serving, lower than the sweetened USDA record but still four times fresh fruit by weight. At the other end, Tillen Farms Bada Bing cherries are 200 calories per 100 grams and 10 calories for one 5-gram cherry, which is what a garnish costs. Plain maraschino cherries, drained, are 165 calories per 100 grams and 46 per ounce, again our arithmetic from the 100 gram figure, with 38.77 grams of sugars per 100 grams — a candied cocktail fruit, not produce.
Fiber and potassium do the quiet work
For a food this light, cherries carry real numbers in two rows. A pitted cup gives 3.2 grams of fiber, 12% of the 28-gram Daily Value, which is more than most people expect from something that eats like candy. It also gives 342 mg of potassium, 7% of the Daily Value, and 0 mg of sodium — a rare zero on a nutrition table.
The sugars row looks alarming next to those: 19.7 grams in a cup. It is worth being precise about what that means. Total sugars have no Daily Value on the FDA label, and the 50-gram limit you may have in mind applies to added sugars only. Cherries have none. MyPlate counts them toward your daily fruit cups exactly as it counts an apple.
Protein is the row that does nothing: 1.6 grams a cup, 3% of the Daily Value. Cherries are not part of a protein target, so pair them with yogurt or cottage cheese if the snack has to hold you.
How do cherries compare?
| Fruit | Per 100 g | US serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherries, sweet, raw | 63 kcal | 1 oz (28 g) | 18 kcal |
| Oranges, raw, with peel | 63 kcal | 1 oz (28 g) | 18 kcal |
| Black currants, raw | 63 kcal | 1 oz (28 g) | 18 kcal |
| Pears, raw, bartlett | 63 kcal | 1 oz (28 g) | 18 kcal |
All four sit at exactly 63 calories per 100 grams, which is an unusually clean tie and a useful anchor: at the produce counter, cherries, pears, oranges and black currants cost the same per gram. The ounce serving is used across the table so the comparison is like for like; it is our own arithmetic from each USDA 100 gram figure.
Our take: buy the fresh fruit and stop optimizing between them. Where the choice actually moves your day is upstream of the variety — a cup of fresh cherries at 97 calories against an ounce of dried at 93 is a fivefold difference in how much fruit you get for the same number. If you want the sweetness with the lowest number, tart cherries at 78 a cup win. If you want the snack that lasts longest, count fresh sweet cherries one at a time at 5 apiece.
Most popular cherries brands in the United States
Ranked by how widely each product appears among foods sold in the United States, from the BodyPal food database of over 3.3 million products. Calories are the figures printed on each Nutrition Facts label, checked against USDA FoodData Central.
| Product | Calories (per 100 g) |
|---|---|
| Trader Joe's Unsweetened Dried Bing Cherries | 275 cal |
| Tillen Farms Bada Bing Cherries | 200 cal |
| Tillen Farms Bourbon Bada Bing Cherries | 200 cal |
Brand popularity: BodyPal food database. Nutrition: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Cherry FAQs
How many calories are in a cup of cherries?
A cup of pitted sweet cherries weighs 154 grams and carries 97 calories. If you fill the cup with cherries that still have their pits, you get 138 grams of usable fruit and 87 calories. Same fruit, same 63 calories per 100 grams, two different cup weights.
How many calories are in one cherry?
One sweet cherry averages 8.2 grams and 5 calories, so ten cherries cost about 50. Cherries are small enough that most people eat them in handfuls, and twenty of them lands near 100 calories, which is roughly what a full pitted cup gives you at 97.
Do sweet and tart cherries have the same calories?
No — sweet cherries are 63 calories per 100 grams and tart red cherries 50. Cup for cup the gap stays modest: 97 calories for 154 grams of sweet against 78 for 155 grams of tart. The difference is sugar, 12.82 grams per 100 grams versus 8.49.
How much sugar is in cherries?
A pitted cup holds 19.7 grams of total sugars, all naturally occurring, since raw fruit carries no added sugars. Per 100 grams that is 12.82 grams. Tart cherries are lower at 8.49 grams per 100 grams, which is exactly why they taste sour enough for pie filling.
How many carbs are in cherries?
A cup of pitted sweet cherries holds 24.7 grams of carbohydrate, 9% of the Daily Value, and 3.2 grams of that is fiber. Per 100 grams cherries are 16.01 grams of carbohydrate. Dried cherries are a different food entirely at 80.45 grams per 100 grams.
Are cherries good for weight loss?
At 63 calories per 100 grams, cherries sit among the lighter fruits, and a cup gives 3.2 grams of fiber, 12% of the Daily Value, with zero sodium. If you are watching calories, keep the fresh fruit and skip the dried bag, where one ounce matches a whole fresh cup.
How many calories are in dried cherries?
Sweetened dried tart cherries run 333 calories per 100 grams, so a 1-ounce portion is 93 calories, our own arithmetic from the USDA figure. Trader Joe's unsweetened dried Bing cherries list 110 calories for a 40-gram serving. Drying removes water and concentrates everything left behind.
Are frozen cherries the same as fresh?
Close — unsweetened frozen tart cherries are 46 calories per 100 grams against 50 for the same fruit raw, and a cup measured unthawed at 155 grams is 71 calories. Freezing adds no calories of its own. Sweetened frozen bags are another matter, so check the ingredient list.
Similar foods
- Bartlett Pear — 112 cal per medium pear
- Bing Cherries — 97 cal per cup without pits
- Kiwi — 42 cal per medium kiwi
- Mango — 99 cal per cup pieces
- Fruit cup — 89 cal per cup
- Gala Apple — 98 cal per medium apple
Count it without the math
Point the camera at the bowl and BodyPal counts the cherries for you, pits or no pits.
