Calories in 60 Popular Desserts and Bakery Items: The Complete List (2026)

A single cookie or small pastry runs about 70 to 270 calories, while a bakery slice of cake or cheesecake reaches 300 to 450 and a large muffin or cinnamon roll about 420 to 430. A macaron is the lightest at around 70 calories, and a slice of cheesecake or a large bakery muffin is among the heaviest. Portion size, fat, and sugar, not the type of dessert alone, drive the calorie count.

Dessert calories are driven by portion size, fat, and sugar rather than the category alone. This list covers 60 items across cakes, cookies, pastries, pies, ice cream, and candy, with figures anchored to USDA FoodData Central and typical bakery and restaurant servings.

How Many Calories Are in Cake and Cheesecake?

A bakery slice of cake or cheesecake is about 300 to 450 calories. Frosting and cream cheese add sugar and fat, making cheesecake the densest option due to its cream cheese base.

Cake or cheesecake	Serving	Calories	Sugar (g)
Angel food cake	1 slice	130	22
Pound cake	1 slice	290	22
Vanilla cake with frosting	1 slice	300	33
Tiramisu	1 serving	340	28
Carrot cake with frosting	1 slice	340	35
Chocolate cake with frosting	1 slice	350	38
Red velvet cake	1 slice	350	39
Cupcake with frosting	1 cupcake	300	30
Cheesecake (plain)	1 slice	400	30
Chocolate lava cake	1	410	34

A slice of cheesecake (about 400 calories) is heavier than most frosted cakes because of its cream cheese base, while angel food cake (about 130) is the lightest.

How Many Calories Are in Cookies, Brownies, and Bars?

Single cookies are mostly 70 to 160 calories, while brownies and bars are larger at 230 to 290. A macaron is a small almond-meringue sandwich cookie and is among the lightest options.

Cookie, brownie, or bar	Serving	Calories	Sugar (g)
Macaron	1	70	9
Vanilla wafer	3	80	6
Shortbread cookie	1	80	4
Gingerbread cookie	1	110	11
Oatmeal raisin cookie	1	110	9
Sugar cookie	1	120	11
Chocolate chip cookie	1	150	12
Peanut butter cookie	1	150	9
Rice crispy treat	1 bar	160	14
Brownie	1	230	20
Lemon bar	1	250	24
Blondie	1	290	27
Chocolate chunk cookie (bakery)	1	300	28

A single chocolate chip cookie is about 150 calories, but a brownie (about 230) and a blondie (about 290) are larger and denser.

How Many Calories Are in Pastries?

Pastries range widely, from a churro (about 120) to a bear claw (about 470). Bakery muffins and cinnamon rolls are far higher than they look; a cinnamon roll is a sweet yeast pastry with cinnamon and icing.

Pastry	Serving	Calories	Sugar (g)
Biscotti	1	100	8
Churro	1	120	5
Glazed doughnut	1	240	12
Croissant (plain)	1	270	6
Cake doughnut	1	270	14
Danish	1	280	16
Chocolate croissant	1	310	12
Scone	1	350	12
Cinnamon roll	1	430	32
Blueberry muffin (large)	1	420	38
Chocolate chip muffin (large)	1	440	39
Bear claw	1	470	20

A large blueberry muffin (about 420 calories) and a cinnamon roll (about 430) rival a slice of cake, far more than a glazed doughnut (about 240).

How Many Calories Are in Pies and Ice Cream?

A slice of pie is about 280 to 500 calories, and a half-cup of ice cream is about 110 to 280. Pecan pie is the densest pie because of its nuts and corn syrup, while ice cream calories rise with fat content.

Pie or ice cream	Serving	Calories	Sugar (g)
Vanilla ice cream	1/2 cup	140	14
Sorbet	1/2 cup	130	26
Ice cream sandwich	1	160	16
Frozen yogurt	1/2 cup	110	17
Gelato	1/2 cup	160	18
Chocolate ice cream	1/2 cup	150	16
Premium ice cream	1/2 cup	280	24
Pumpkin pie	1 slice	280	28
Apple pie	1 slice	300	24
Cherry pie	1 slice	320	29
Key lime pie	1 slice	360	38
Pecan pie	1 slice	500	32

Pecan pie (about 500 calories per slice) is the densest dessert in this list, while frozen yogurt (about 110 per half-cup) is one of the lightest frozen options.

How Many Calories Are in Chocolate and Candy?

A 1-ounce portion of chocolate is about 150 to 160 calories, and small candies are 60 to 100. Fat makes chocolate denser than sugar-only candy like gummy bears or hard candy.

Chocolate or candy	Serving	Calories	Sugar (g)
Hard candy	3 pieces	60	11
Gummy bears	10	90	14
Caramel	2 pieces	90	14
Jelly beans	15	100	20
Milk chocolate	1 oz	150	15
Dark chocolate	1 oz	160	9
Peanut butter cup	2 cups	210	21
Fudge	1 oz	110	18
Chocolate-covered almonds	1 oz	160	12
Chocolate truffle	2	150	14
Chocolate bar with nuts	1 bar (1.8 oz)	250	22

An ounce of chocolate (about 150 to 160 calories) has more calories than the same weight of gummy bears or hard candy, because chocolate contains fat.

Which Desserts Have the Fewest Calories?

The lowest-calorie desserts include options like hard candy and macarons.

1. Hard candy (3 pieces): 60 kcal
2. Macaron (1): 70 kcal
3. Shortbread cookie (1): 80 kcal
4. Gummy bears (10): 90 kcal
5. Biscotti (1): 100 kcal

Which Desserts Have the Most Calories?

The highest-calorie desserts feature items like pecan pie and rich ice cream.

1. Pecan pie (1 slice): 500 kcal
2. Bear claw (1): 470 kcal
3. Chocolate chip muffin, large (1): 440 kcal
4. Cinnamon roll (1): 430 kcal
5. Blueberry muffin, large (1): 420 kcal

How to Track Dessert Calories Accurately

Desserts are easy to underestimate, because a bakery muffin can be three times the size of a packaged one and a "slice" of cheesecake is rarely measured. Nutrola is an AI nutrition tracking app that identifies a dessert from a photo, estimates its size, and returns calories and sugar from a database of more than 1.8 million verified foods. It also supports voice logging for quick entries like "one chocolate chip cookie." Nutrola is available from €2.50 per month and shows no ads on any tier.

For related references, see the most calorie-dense foods and every soft drink ranked by calories and sugar.

How We Calculated These Numbers

Each row lists the serving size it refers to, because a dessert's calories depend almost entirely on portion. Cake and pie values use a standard restaurant or bakery slice (roughly one eighth of a 9-inch cake or pie). Cookies are single bakery-size cookies, and brownies and bars are one cut square. Pastry values use one whole item; muffins are the large bakery size, not a packaged mini. Ice cream is a half-cup scoop, with "premium" meaning a higher-fat style. Chocolate and candy use a 1-ounce portion or a common piece count. Figures are anchored to USDA FoodData Central and typical bakery and restaurant servings, and rounded to sensible whole numbers. Homemade and chain versions vary, so treat each value as a well-sourced midpoint rather than an exact label.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the lowest-calorie dessert?

The lowest-calorie desserts include hard candy (about 60 calories for three pieces), a macaron (about 70 calories), and shortbread cookies (about 80 calories for one). Frozen yogurt (about 110 calories per half-cup) is also a lighter frozen choice.

How many calories are in a slice of cheesecake?

A slice of cheesecake typically contains about 400 calories. This calorie count reflects the dense nature of cheesecake, primarily due to its cream cheese base, which adds both fat and sugar.

How many calories are in a bakery muffin?

A bakery muffin, such as a large blueberry muffin, can contain about 420 calories. This is significantly higher than packaged muffins, which are often smaller in size and lower in calories.

Which dessert has the most calories?

Pecan pie is the dessert with the most calories, containing about 500 calories per slice. This high calorie count is attributed to its rich ingredients, including nuts and corn syrup.

How many calories are in a croissant?

A plain croissant typically contains about 270 calories, while a chocolate croissant can have around 310 calories. The additional chocolate contributes to the higher calorie count in the chocolate version.

What makes some desserts so much higher in calories?

Desserts are higher in calories primarily due to portion size, plus the content of fat and sugar. Fat provides 9 calories per gram, while sugar provides 4 calories per gram; thus, high-fat items like pecan pie and premium ice cream tend to be the densest.

Key Takeaways

• Portion size, fat, and sugar drive dessert calories.
• Bakery muffins and cinnamon rolls (about 420 to 430 calories) are far higher than they look.
• Single cookies and macarons are modest at 70 to 150 calories.
• A slice of cheesecake (about 400 calories) or pecan pie (about 500 calories) is among the heaviest desserts.
• Ice cream ranges from 110 to 280 calories per half-cup, depending on richness.
• Because bakery portions vary so much, logging a dessert from a photo beats guessing (Nutrola can help with this).