One cup of cooked sticky rice contains about 169 calories. Per 100 grams cooked, that drops to roughly 97 calories, with 21 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of protein, and almost no fat. These numbers are similar to regular white rice, though sticky rice behaves differently in your body because of its unique starch makeup.
Calories by Serving Size
Sticky rice (also called glutinous rice) is usually served in mounds, balls, or small baskets rather than measured with cups, so it helps to know the calorie count at several scales:
- 100 grams cooked: 97 calories, 21g carbs, 2g protein, 0.2g fat
- 1 cup cooked (about 174g): 169 calories
- 1 tablespoon cooked: roughly 10 calories
If you’re eating sticky rice at a Thai or Lao restaurant, a typical side portion is around half a cup to one cup, putting you in the 85 to 169 calorie range before any sauces, coconut milk, or mango are added. Sticky rice used in desserts like mango sticky rice picks up significant calories from coconut cream and sugar, often doubling or tripling the calorie count of the rice alone.
White vs. Black Sticky Rice
Black (or purple) sticky rice is nutritionally close to white sticky rice in terms of raw calories: about 356 calories per 100 grams dry compared to roughly 365 for white. The real difference is in what comes along with those calories. Black sticky rice delivers more fiber and protein per serving, plus antioxidant pigments called anthocyanins, the same compounds that give blueberries their color. Those pigments are linked to reduced inflammation and better blood sugar regulation.
If you’re choosing between the two purely for calorie control, they’re nearly interchangeable. If you want more nutritional value per bite, black sticky rice has the edge.
Why Sticky Rice Feels Different Than Regular Rice
Sticky rice gets its distinctive chewy, clumping texture from its starch. Nearly all the starch in glutinous rice, about 98%, is amylopectin, a highly branched molecule. Regular long-grain white rice, by contrast, contains a much higher proportion of amylose, a straighter starch chain. This is purely a structural difference, not a calorie difference, but it affects how you experience the food in two important ways.
First, amylopectin-heavy starches tend to raise blood sugar faster than amylose-heavy ones. Sticky rice has a higher glycemic index than jasmine or basmati rice, meaning it delivers its glucose to your bloodstream more quickly. If you’re managing blood sugar, pairing sticky rice with protein, vegetables, or healthy fats slows that spike considerably.
Second, cooked sticky rice stays soft longer. The branched amylopectin structure resists retrogradation, the process that makes leftover regular rice turn hard in the fridge. This is why sticky rice still tastes good at room temperature hours after cooking, and why it works so well in portable dishes and street food.
How Sticky Rice Compares to Other Grains
Per cup of cooked grain, sticky rice sits in the middle of the pack calorically:
- Sticky rice: ~169 calories
- Long-grain white rice: ~205 calories
- Brown rice: ~215 calories
- Quinoa: ~222 calories
Sticky rice actually comes in lower per cup than most common grains, partly because its sticky texture makes it denser and heavier when packed, so a “cup” contains slightly less dry grain by weight. Don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s a low-calorie food, though. Because it’s so easy to eat and pairs with rich flavors, portion sizes can creep up quickly. A generous restaurant portion might be closer to two cups.
Keeping Calories in Check
The rice itself is lean. What changes the calorie math is everything around it. Sticky rice served with grilled meats and fresh vegetables stays relatively light. Sticky rice soaked in sweetened coconut cream for dessert can easily hit 400 to 500 calories per serving. Fried sticky rice balls or stuffed sticky rice wraps add oil and fillings that push the numbers higher still.
If you’re tracking intake, weigh your portion rather than eyeballing it. Sticky rice clumps together, making visual estimates unreliable. A kitchen scale and the 97-calories-per-100-grams baseline will give you a much more accurate count than trying to measure by cup after cooking.