Sugar and sweeteners are generally thought of as being high in calories – but which ones have the most calories per serving compared to others?
Some of the sugars and sweeteners with the most calories include:
- Barley malt syrup
- Brown rice syrup
- Corn syrup
- Date syrup
- Decorating sugar
- Honey
- Lucuma powder
- Maple syrup
- Molasses
We’ll review these sweeteners and compare their nutrition stats in this article!
Calories in sweeteners
The amount of calories in sweeteners varies a lot, from no-calorie artificial sweeteners to higher-calorie sweeteners that contain real sugar.
Sweeteners get the majority of their calories from sugars, which are a type of carbohydrate (carb). Carbs provide four calories per gram, so the amount of calories in a sweetener depends on the amount of carbs/sugars it contains.
It gets a little tricky to compare sweeteners across the board because they all have different serving sizes. Some have a serving size of one teaspoon, one tablespoon, two tablespoons, or even ¼ cup (powdered sugar).
(Don’t worry – we figured it all out so you don’t have to – we’ll review nine sugars and sweeteners with the most calories up next!)
9 sugars and sweeteners with the most calories
For reference, most “common” sweeteners like variations of cane sugar contain 15 calories per teaspoon, which would equate to 45 calories per tablespoon and 90 calories per two tablespoons. (There are three teaspoons in a tablespoon!)
We rounded up the highest-calorie sweeteners below!
- Barley malt syrup – 60 calories per tbsp.
One of the few sweeteners that isn’t gluten-free (barley, rye, and wheat contain gluten), barley malt syrup is made by converting barley grains into a toasted, caramel-like sweetener.
- Brown rice syrup – 150 calories per 2 tbsp.
Brown rice syrup is a popular sweetener on certain special diets for digestive issues. Unlike other sweeteners that can be high in fructose (a type of sugar found in fruit and sweeteners like corn syrup), brown rice syrup doesn’t contain any fructose.
Why is fructose a big deal? It can be poorly digested by some people, leading to stomach issues.
- Corn syrup – 120 calories per 2 tbsp.
Ahh, corn syrup. You’ve probably seen corn syrup on the list of ingredients in processed foods. Corn syrup is widely used by food manufacturers in place of regular sugar because it’s less expensive to use, and also offers more shelf stability in products because of its texture.
- Date syrup – 120 calories per 2 tbsp.
Date syrup is one of the more natural sweeteners on this list and is made by simmering dates in water, straining the mixture, and then reducing (heating until excess liquid is removed) the rest into a syrup.
- Decorating sugar – 25 calories per tsp.
What’s decorating sugar? It’s basically the same as granulated sugar but the pieces are more coarse. The coarser granules help it resist melting, so it’s used to decorate baked goods like cupcakes and cookies.
- Honey – 60 calories per tbsp.
Good ol’ honey. A very natural and unrefined sweetener, honey is one of the few sweeteners that isn’t vegan-friendly. Honey contains natural antimicrobial properties (fights bacteria) and also contains natural vitamins and minerals.
As you can see though, natural doesn’t necessarily mean low-calorie or low-sugar, and honey is still considered an added sugar.
- Lucuma powder – 60 calories per tbsp.
What the heck is lucuma powder? It’s a dried and milled (like flour) version of lucuma fruit, which is native to South America. It’s described as having a butterscotch-like flavor and contains natural antioxidants.
Despite it being higher in calories, lucuma powder is quite low in sugar compared to other sweeteners (check out the nutrition table at the end of this article)!
- Maple syrup – 110 calories per 2 tbsp.
Like honey and date syrup, maple syrup is considered one of the least refined sweeteners you can buy. It’s a good vegan alternative to honey with its syrupy, viscous consistency, too.
- Molasses- 60 calories per tbsp.
This dark sweetener with a distinct flavor is created as a byproduct of making regular sugar from sugar cane. If it’s boiled a third time, blackstrap molasses is the result, which is a great sweetener for vegans because it’s rich in iron.
Nutritional comparison of high-calorie sugars and sweeteners
| Sweetener | Calories | Total carbs | Sugars |
| Barley malt syrup (1 tbsp.) | 60 | 15 g | 8 g |
| Brown rice syrup (2 tbsp.) | 150 | 37 g | 17 g |
| Corn syrup (2 tbsp.) | 120 | 30 g | 10 g |
| Date syrup (2 tbsp.) | 120 | 29 g | 26 g |
| Decorating sugar (1 tsp.) | 25 | 6 g | 6 g |
| Honey (1 tbsp.) | 60 | 17 g | 17 g |
| Lucuma powder (1 tbsp.) | 60 | 13 g | 2 g |
| Maple syrup (2 tbsp.) | 110 | 26 g | 26 g |
| Molasses (1 tbsp.) | 60 | 16 g | 14 g |
FAQs:
Any caloric sweetener (not an artificial sweetener, no-calorie sugar substitute, or sugar alcohol) contributes some calories, primarily from carbs and sugar.
Refined sweeteners are thought to be the most “unhealthy” because they provide little nutrients and are high in calories and sugar. However, even unrefined and “natural” sweeteners are still high in sugar, and too much sugar (regardless of the source) can be detrimental to your health. Added sugar should be eaten in moderation, regardless of the source.
Leave a Comment