Nutrition facts · Herbs and spices
Calories in Basil (fresh)
Fresh basil has 23 calories per 100 g, and a typical 2 tbsp of chopped leaves (5.3 g) has about 1 calorie. Per 100 g it has 3.2 g protein, 2.7 g carbs and 0.6 g fat, so its small calorie count comes mostly from protein and carbs. In the amounts people actually use, basil adds very little to a meal's total.
Calories come from: Carbs 37% · Fat 19% · Protein 44%
Common servings
| Serving | Weight | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per 100 g | 100 g | 23 kcal | 3.2 g | 2.7 g | 0.6 g |
| 2 tbsp, chopped | 5.3 g | 1 kcal | 0.2 g | 0.1 g | 0 g |
| 5 leaves | 2.5 g | 1 kcal | 0.1 g | 0.1 g | 0 g |
| 1/4 cup whole leaves | 6 g | 1 kcal | 0.2 g | 0.2 g | 0 g |
Full nutrition (Per 100 g)
| Calories | 23 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 3.2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2.7 g |
| of which sugars | 0.3 g |
| Fiber | 1.6 g |
| Fat | 0.6 g |
| of which saturated | 0 g |
| Sodium | 4 mg |
What changes the calories
- Basil is used in such small amounts that a handful of leaves barely changes a dish's calories.
- Pesto and basil oils get most of their calories from the oil, cheese and nuts, not from the basil itself.
- Dried basil is much more concentrated by weight because the water is removed, so it has more calories per gram than fresh.
- Cooking basil into a sauce doesn't add calories on its own, but any oil or butter used alongside it does.
Tips for logging it accurately
- Log fresh basil by serving, such as 5 leaves or 2 tbsp chopped, since weighing a few grams on a kitchen scale is often impractical.
- If you're making pesto or a basil dressing, log the oil, cheese and nuts separately because they carry nearly all the calories.
- Choose the fresh basil entry when logging leaves, and a dried basil entry only if you're using the dried herb from a jar.
Log Basil (fresh) in seconds
Snap a photo of your meal or search for Basil (fresh) in BerryFit to track calories and macros against your own daily target.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories are in 5 basil leaves?
Five fresh basil leaves (2.5 g) have about 1 calorie, with 0.1 g protein and 0.1 g carbs.
Is basil high in carbs?
No. Fresh basil has 2.7 g carbs per 100 g, including 1.6 g fiber and 0.3 g sugar, and a 2 tbsp serving has only 0.1 g carbs.
Does basil have protein?
Fresh basil has 3.2 g protein per 100 g, but a typical 1/4 cup of whole leaves provides just 0.2 g, so it's not a meaningful protein source in normal amounts.
How does basil compare to other fresh herbs?
Fresh basil has 23 calories per 100 g, the same as Thai basil and cilantro, slightly less than chives at 30 and parsley at 36, and less than fresh dill at 43.
Similar foods
Calories in common foodsValues per 100 g from USDA FoodData Central (Basil, fresh, FDC ID 172232); servings use USDA portion weights. Real foods vary by variety, ripeness and preparation.
The text on this page was written with the help of AI (Anthropic's Claude) and checked against the numbers in a separate review. The numbers themselves come only from USDA.
