Nutrition facts · Sweets and baking
Calories in Vanilla extract
Vanilla extract has 288 calories per 100 g, and a 1 tsp serving (4.2 g) has 12 calories. With only 12.7 g of carbs, 0.1 g of protein and 0.1 g of fat per 100 g, those macros account for only a small share of the calories; most of the rest comes from the alcohol used to make the extract.
Calories come from: Carbs 98% · Fat 2% · Protein 0%
Common servings
| Serving | Weight | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per 100 g | 100 g | 288 kcal | 0.1 g | 12.7 g | 0.1 g |
| 1 tsp | 4.2 g | 12 kcal | 0 g | 0.5 g | 0 g |
| 1 tbsp | 13 g | 37 kcal | 0 g | 1.6 g | 0 g |
Full nutrition (Per 100 g)
| Calories | 288 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 0.1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 12.7 g |
| of which sugars | 12.7 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Fat | 0.1 g |
| of which saturated | 0 g |
| Sodium | 9 mg |
What changes the calories
- Imitation vanilla and alcohol-free vanilla flavorings are made differently, so their calories can differ from pure extract.
- Some vanilla products, like vanilla syrups or pastes, contain added sugar and carry more calories per spoonful than extract.
- When vanilla is baked or simmered, some of the alcohol evaporates, so the extract may add slightly fewer calories to the finished dish than the raw measurement suggests.
- Portion habits matter most: a splash poured straight from the bottle can easily be more than the teaspoon a recipe calls for.
Tips for logging it accurately
- Use measuring spoons rather than pouring freely, since 1 tsp and 1 tbsp differ noticeably (12 vs 37 calories).
- Check the label and log the matching product: pure extract, imitation flavoring or a sweetened vanilla syrup are not interchangeable.
- In BerryFit, add vanilla extract as part of a recipe and divide by servings, so a baked batch is logged accurately per slice or cookie.
Log Vanilla extract in seconds
Snap a photo of your meal or search for Vanilla extract in BerryFit to track calories and macros against your own daily target.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories are in a teaspoon of vanilla extract?
One teaspoon (4.2 g) of vanilla extract has 12 calories, with 0.5 g of carbs and essentially no protein or fat.
How many calories are in a tablespoon of vanilla extract?
A tablespoon (13 g) of vanilla extract has 37 calories and 1.6 g of carbs.
Does vanilla extract have sugar?
Per 100 g, vanilla extract has 12.7 g of sugar, which makes up all of its 12.7 g of carbs. In a typical teaspoon that amounts to only 0.5 g.
Why is vanilla extract so high in calories per 100 g?
At 288 calories per 100 g, it is close to honey (304) and maple syrup (260), but much of its energy comes from alcohol rather than sugar. Because recipes use it by the teaspoon, it usually adds little to a dish.
Similar foods
Calories in common foodsValues per 100 g from USDA FoodData Central (Vanilla extract, FDC ID 173471); 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.
