Calories in sugar

White, granulated. 387 kcal (1,619 kJ) per 100 g. Choose a portion below and every figure on the page updates.

White sugar is pure sucrose, with 387 kcal (1619 kJ) per 100 g and nothing else of nutritional note. All of its energy comes from carbohydrate: no protein, no fat, no fibre and only trace minerals. Sucrose is made of glucose and fructose joined together, and it provides roughly 4 kcal, or about 16 kJ, per gram.

Where the energy comes from

Share of total energy contributed by each macronutrient, using the standard 4/4/9 kcal per gram factors:

Things worth knowing

• One teaspoon (4.2 g) has about 16 kcal (68 kJ), a tablespoon (12.6 g) about 49 kcal (204 kJ), and a single sugar cube (2.3 g) about 9 kcal (37 kJ).
• Brown sugar is not meaningfully lighter: it has about 380 kcal per 100 g. The molasses adds colour and flavour, but its minerals are too small to matter in normal amounts.
• Honey has fewer calories per 100 g (about 304 kcal) because it contains water, but it is denser. A tablespoon of honey (21 g) has about 64 kcal, more than a tablespoon of sugar.
• Two teaspoons in a cup of tea or coffee add about 32 kcal (136 kJ). A full cup of sugar (200 g) holds about 774 kcal (3238 kJ).

Converting these figures

One 1 tsp of sugar is 16 kcal, which is 68 kJ. To convert any other figure, divide kilojoules by 4.184 for calories, or use the converter on the home page.

It takes 62 g of sugar to reach 1,000 kJ (239 kcal). See how that compares with other foods on the 1000 kJ to calories page.