One cup of fresh raspberries contains roughly 64 calories. That makes them one of the lowest-calorie fruits you can eat, comparable to strawberries and significantly lighter than bananas, grapes, or cherries. A single raspberry has about 1 calorie, so even a generous handful barely registers.
Calories by Serving Size
A standard US cup of raspberries (about 123 grams) comes in at 64 calories. Here’s how that scales:
- 10 raspberries (~20 g): roughly 10 calories
- Half cup (~62 g): roughly 32 calories
- One cup (~123 g): roughly 64 calories
- One pint (~250 g): roughly 130 calories
Because raspberries are hollow and light, a cup looks like a generous portion. You get a lot of volume for very few calories, which is one reason they show up so often in weight-loss meal plans.
Full Nutrition Breakdown
Raspberries pack a surprising amount of nutrition into those 64 calories per cup. You get about 15 grams of carbohydrates, but 8 grams of that is fiber, leaving only 7 grams of net carbs. That fiber content is unusually high for a fruit and puts raspberries among the most fiber-dense foods by calorie. Protein is minimal at about 1.5 grams, and fat is negligible.
The micronutrient profile is where raspberries really stand out. A single cup delivers 32 milligrams of vitamin C, covering 36% of your daily value. You also get 0.8 milligrams of manganese, which handles 35% of your daily value. Manganese plays a role in bone health and metabolism, and most people don’t think about it, so getting over a third of your needs from a cup of berries is a nice bonus. Raspberries also supply smaller but meaningful amounts of vitamin K, vitamin E, and several B vitamins.
Why Raspberries Are So Low in Calories
Raspberries are about 86% water by weight. The combination of high water content and high fiber means they fill you up without delivering much energy. Their sugar content is also low compared to most fruits. A cup contains roughly 5 grams of sugar, less than half of what you’d find in a cup of blueberries or a medium apple. The sugars present are mostly glucose, with a small amount of sucrose, typically ranging from about 1.4 to 2.5 grams of glucose and under 1.1 grams of sucrose per 100 grams.
Fresh vs. Frozen Raspberries
Calorie-wise, fresh and frozen unsweetened raspberries are essentially identical. Freezing doesn’t change the macronutrient content. On the vitamin side, commercially frozen raspberries are flash-frozen shortly after harvest, which locks in nutrients at their peak. Fresh raspberries that were shipped long distances and sat on store shelves for days may actually have fewer vitamins than their frozen counterparts. The practical takeaway: buy whichever is more convenient or affordable, and you’re getting the same nutritional value.
Watch out for frozen raspberries with added sugar, though. Sweetened frozen varieties can easily double or triple the calorie count. Check the ingredients list for anything beyond “raspberries.”
Red vs. Black Raspberries
Most raspberries at the grocery store are red, but black raspberries exist too (they’re different from blackberries). Calorie counts are similar between the two, but black raspberries contain notably higher levels of polyphenols and flavonoids, the plant compounds responsible for deep pigmentation. One comparison found polyphenol levels ranging from 100 to over 300 milligrams per 100 grams across raspberry types, with black raspberries at the higher end. Black raspberries also tend to have more calcium and magnesium. If you spot them at a farmers’ market, they’re worth trying for both flavor and nutritional density.
Raspberries on a Low-Carb Diet
With only 7 grams of net carbs per cup, raspberries are one of the most keto-friendly fruits available. Most low-carb guidelines suggest staying under 20 to 50 grams of net carbs per day, so a full cup of raspberries uses up a modest portion of that budget while delivering significant fiber and vitamins. By comparison, a medium banana has about 24 grams of net carbs, and a cup of grapes comes in around 25 grams. Raspberries give you the experience of eating fruit without the carb load.
Antioxidant Content
Raspberries get their red color from anthocyanins, a class of water-soluble plant pigments that double as powerful antioxidants. These compounds have been studied for their effects on inflammation, cardiovascular health, and cellular protection against oxidative stress. Raspberries also contain ellagitannins, another group of antioxidants less common in the fruit world. Together, these give raspberries one of the highest antioxidant concentrations among common fruits, especially relative to their calorie count. You’re getting a lot of protective plant chemistry for 64 calories.