Corn syrup calories come to 62 for one tablespoon (22 g) of light corn syrup, or 283 per 100 g. Almost every one of those calories is sugar: 16.9 g per tablespoon, with no protein, no fiber and essentially no fat. The bigger swing is volume, because recipes measure it by the cup, and a cup holds 965 calories.
62kcal
1 tablespoon · 22 g, light corn syrup
0%protein
0 gProtein
17 gCarbs
0 gFat
How to burn off 62 kcal
—Walking, brisk
—Jogging
—Cycling, moderate
—Swimming
Skip the math. BodyPal counts these calories from your steps and workouts automatically.
Nutrition facts
Light corn syrup · per 22 g
Calories
62 kcal
Protein
0 g
Carbohydrate
16.9 g
Fat
0 g
Saturated fat
0 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
14 mg
Potassium
0 mg
Iron
0 mg
Source: USDA FoodData Central
🛡️
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 →
Corn syrup: calories, protein and sodium by serving
Percent of daily value uses the FDA reference of 2,000 kcal a day.
Serving
kcal
Protein
Carbs
Fat
Sodium
% DV kcal
1 tablespoon (22 g)
62
0 g
16.9 g
0 g
14 mg
3%
Dark, 1 tbsp (20 g)
57
0 g
15.5 g
0 g
31 mg
3%
1 cup (341 g)
965
0 g
261.9 g
0.7 g
211 mg
48%
100 g
283
0 g
76.8 g
0.2 g
62 mg
14%
3 × 1 tablespoon (22 g)
187
0 g
41 mg
5 × 1 tablespoon (22 g)
311
0 g
68 mg
A tablespoon is small, a cup is a third of a day's calories
One tablespoon of light corn syrup weighs 22 g and carries 62 calories, about 3% of the daily value. That is the amount you might stir into a glaze or drizzle over a single serving of something. On its own it barely registers.
The trouble starts when the spoon keeps going. Two tablespoons (44 g) come to 125 calories, three (66 g) reach 187, and five tablespoons (110 g) add up to 311. Each spoonful is the same 62-calorie step, so the total climbs in a straight line with nothing to slow it down.
Baking is where corn syrup really shows up. Pecan pie, candy, caramel and marshmallow recipes often ask for a full cup, and 1 cup (341 g) delivers 965 calories, or 48% of the daily value. Divided across a whole pie or a tray of candy that is spread thin, but it explains why those desserts run so dense. If you are logging a homemade dessert, count the syrup in the recipe total rather than guessing per slice.
Nearly every calorie is sugar
The calorie split is about as lopsided as food gets: 99% carbohydrate, 1% fat and 0% protein. Per 100 g, light corn syrup has 76.8 g of carbs, and all 76.8 g of them are listed as sugars. Fiber is 0 and fat is 0.2 g.
That makes corn syrup a pure energy ingredient. There is nothing in it that adds bulk or slows eating the way protein or fiber would, so 62 calories from a tablespoon do little to fill you up. Compare that with 62 calories from almost any whole food, which would bring at least some protein or fiber along.
The other rows are close to empty too. Cholesterol and saturated fat are 0, potassium is just 1 mg per 100 g, and protein stays at 0 at every serving size, from the tablespoon to the cup. Treat it in your log as what it is: added sugar in liquid form, and count it by measure rather than by feel.
Dark corn syrup is a little lighter per spoon but saltier
Most recipes call for light corn syrup, which is the default on this page. Dark corn syrup is a separate USDA row, and a tablespoon of it weighs 20 g with 57 calories and 15.5 g of sugar. Light corn syrup's tablespoon is 22 g with 62 calories and 16.9 g of sugar, so the difference comes mostly from the spoon weighing a bit less.
Sodium is where the two split more clearly. Light corn syrup has 14 mg per tablespoon, while dark has 31 mg, more than twice as much. Both still sit at about 1% of the daily value per tablespoon, so neither is a meaningful salt source unless you use it heavily.
In practice, choose by flavor. Dark corn syrup tastes deeper and more molasses-like, which suits pecan pie and baked beans. Light corn syrup is neutral and keeps candy and frosting clear. The calorie gap per tablespoon is too small to drive the decision.
Corn syrup works best as a measured ingredient
Because corn syrup brings sugar and almost nothing else, the smartest way to fit it into a day is to keep it inside a recipe and let other foods do the nutritional work. A tablespoon in a glaze over roasted vegetables or salmon adds shine and 62 calories while the main food supplies protein and fiber.
Watch the places where it hides in larger amounts. Homemade candy, pecan pie, caramel corn and sticky sauces can use a cup at a time, which is 965 calories before butter or nuts go in. Smaller slices and sharing a batch keep the per-person total sane.
Sodium is a non-issue at 62 mg per 100 g, about 3% of the daily value. Sugar is the row that matters. If you are tracking added sugar, every tablespoon of light corn syrup is 16.9 g of it. BodyPal can log the finished dish from a photo, but measuring the syrup going into the bowl is still the most accurate move.
How does corn syrup compare?
Here is how light corn syrup stacks up against chocolate syrup, maple syrup and pancake syrup, per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: For the fewest calories per spoon, pancake syrup wins at 47 per tablespoon and 234 per 100 g, while maple syrup sits at 260 per 100 g against corn syrup's 283. Chocolate syrup is nearly identical to corn syrup at 279 per 100 g, so pick between them for flavor, not calories.
Most popular corn syrup brands in the United States
Ranked by popularity in the BodyPal database
# Productkcal / 100 g
1Log Cabin Corn Syrup1/4 cup · 60 ml333 kcal
2Karo Light Corn Syrup41 g293 kcal
3Karo Light Corn Syrup, No HFCS41 g293 kcal
4Karo Light Corn Syrup With Real Vanilla2 Tbsp · 30 ml400 kcal
5Best Choice Dark Corn Syrup2 Tbsp · 30 ml433 kcal
6IGA Light Corn Syrup2 Tbsp · 30 ml400 kcal
Label servings are measured in millilitres and corn syrup weighs more than water, so the per 100 g figures on packs read higher than the numbers above. Source: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Corn syrup FAQs
How many calories are in a tablespoon of corn syrup?
One tablespoon of light corn syrup (22 g) is about 62 calories. A tablespoon of dark corn syrup (20 g) is about 57.
Is corn syrup good for weight loss?
Corn syrup is 283 calories per 100 g, of which 76.8 g is sugar, with 0 g protein and 0.2 g fat. A cup (341 g) adds 965 calories.
Corn syrup vs chocolate syrup: which has more calories?
Corn syrup has 283 calories per 100 g and chocolate syrup 279, so the two are within 4 calories of each other.
How much sugar is in corn syrup?
About 16.9 g of sugars in one tablespoon (22 g), and 76.8 g per 100 g. High-fructose corn syrup is close, at 75.7 g per 100 g.
What are the nutrition facts for corn syrup per 100 g?
Per 100 g, light corn syrup has 283 calories, 76.8 g of carbs (all sugars), 0.2 g of fat, 0 g of protein, 0 g of fiber and 62 mg of sodium. It is almost pure sugar.
What are the macros in corn syrup?
Corn syrup's calories are 99% carbohydrate, 1% fat and 0% protein. A tablespoon (22 g) has 16.9 g of carbs, 0 g of fat and 0 g of protein, so it supplies energy and little else.
How many calories are in a cup of corn syrup?
A cup of light corn syrup (341 g) has 965 calories, about 48% of the daily value, with 261.9 g of carbs. That is the amount many pecan pie and candy recipes call for.
Does dark corn syrup have fewer calories than light corn syrup?
Slightly, per spoon. A tablespoon of dark corn syrup (20 g) has 57 calories versus 62 for light (22 g). Dark has more sodium, though: 31 mg per tablespoon compared with 14 mg.
How many calories are in 2 tablespoons of corn syrup?
Two tablespoons of light corn syrup (44 g) have 125 calories and 27 mg of sodium. Three tablespoons rise to 187 calories, since each spoonful adds the same amount.
