A cup of fresh sweet black cherries (about 138 grams) contains roughly 87 calories. Per 100 grams, that works out to 63 calories, with 16 grams of carbohydrates and 2.2 grams of fiber. These numbers apply to raw sweet cherries, which is what most people mean when they search for “black cherries,” since the dark-skinned varieties sold fresh in grocery stores are sweet cherries.
Calories by Serving Size
The easiest way to think about black cherry calories is by the handful. Ten cherries weigh roughly 70 grams and contain about 44 calories. A full cup with pits comes in around 87 calories, and a cup of pitted cherries is slightly more because you fit more fruit in the cup. For a quick snack, you’re looking at calorie counts comparable to an apple or a small banana.
Most of those calories come from natural sugar. Out of the 16 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams, the majority is simple sugar (primarily glucose and fructose), with fiber making up about 2.2 grams. That fiber content is moderate for a fruit and helps slow sugar absorption.
Fresh vs. Canned Cherries
Canned black cherries are a different story. A half-cup serving of dark sweet cherries packed in heavy syrup contains about 100 calories and 24 grams of carbohydrates. That’s nearly double the carbohydrate load of the same amount of fresh cherries. The added sugar in the syrup is the main driver. If you buy canned cherries packed in water or juice instead, the calorie count drops closer to the fresh fruit range, though it will still be slightly higher than eating them straight off the stem.
Dried black cherries concentrate the sugars even further. A quarter-cup of dried cherries can contain 130 or more calories, so portion awareness matters if you’re adding them to trail mix or oatmeal.
Sweet Black Cherries vs. Tart Cherries
Tart (sour) cherries are noticeably lower in calories: 50 calories per 100 grams compared to 63 for sweet varieties. They also carry fewer carbohydrates (12 grams vs. 16 grams) and less fiber (1.6 grams vs. 2.2 grams). You’re unlikely to snack on tart cherries raw because they’re quite sour, but they show up in juice concentrates, supplements, and pie filling. Keep in mind that tart cherry juice products often have added sugar, which erases the calorie advantage.
Blood Sugar and Glycemic Impact
Despite their sweetness, fresh cherries rank low on the glycemic index, with a GI of about 20 and a glycemic load of roughly 5 per serving. For context, any GI below 55 is considered low, so cherries sit well within that range. This means they raise blood sugar gradually rather than causing a sharp spike, making them one of the more blood-sugar-friendly fruits you can choose, as long as you watch your portion size.
Key Nutrients Beyond Calories
Black cherries are a good source of potassium, providing about 222 milligrams per 100 grams. That’s roughly 5% of the daily recommended intake and comparable to what you’d get from a small banana. Potassium plays a central role in muscle function and blood pressure regulation.
The deep purple-red color of black cherries comes from anthocyanins, plant pigments that act as antioxidants. Darker cherries contain more of these compounds than lighter varieties. Anthocyanin levels vary widely depending on the cultivar and ripeness, but they’re one reason cherries are often highlighted in discussions about anti-inflammatory foods. Sweet cherries also contain small amounts of melatonin, the compound your body uses to regulate sleep cycles, though concentrations in the ripe fruit are modest.
Sodium is low at 13 milligrams per 100 grams, and phosphorus is negligible in sweet varieties. This nutritional profile makes fresh sweet cherries a reasonable choice for people managing kidney health or watching their sodium intake.
Practical Portion Guide
- 10 cherries (~70 g): about 44 calories
- 1 cup with pits (~138 g): about 87 calories
- 1 cup pitted (~155 g): about 97 calories
- ½ cup canned in heavy syrup (~120 g): about 100 calories
Fresh black cherries are a relatively low-calorie fruit with a gentle effect on blood sugar. The biggest calorie jumps happen when sugar is added through canning syrup or the drying process, so sticking with fresh or frozen unsweetened cherries keeps the numbers closest to what you’d expect from whole fruit.