Nuts and Seeds Highest in Calories

Written by Daisy Whitbread
BSc (Hons) MSc DipION

Last Updated: May 29th, 2023

For those looking to gain weight and eat more calories, nuts and seeds can be a great option. In addition to being high in protein and fiber, nuts and seeds can add a real boost to your overall caloric intake.

A one-ounce portion of nuts (about a handful) provides between 128-204 calories. Assuming a daily goal of 2000 calories (DV) this is between 6-10% DV for a handful of nuts. Nuts and seeds high in calories include macadamia nuts, pecans, dried coconut, Brazil nuts, walnuts, pine nuts, almonds, peanuts, and sunflower seeds.

Even though peanuts are technically legumes, they are included in this list since they are commonly consumed as nuts.

Below are 12 nuts and seeds highest in calories. For more, see the list of high calorie nut and seed butters, and the complete ranking of all nuts and seeds high in calories.

Table of Contents

Introduction
List of High Calorie Nuts
Nut and Seed Butter with the Most Calories
About the Daily Value (%DV) Target
About the Data
Lists By Food Group
Related
References
Feedback

List of High Calorie Nuts

1 Macadamia Nuts

Calories per 1 Oz Handful	Calories per 100g
204 calories	718 calories

Nutrition Facts for Macadamia Nuts. (Source)

2 Pecans

Calories per Oz	Calories per 100g
196 calories	691 calories

Nutrition Facts for Pecans. (Source)

3 Dried Coconut

Calories per Oz	Calories per 100g
187 calories	660 calories

Nutrition Facts for Dried Coconut (Unsweetened). (Source)

4 Brazil Nuts

Calories per 1 Oz Handful	Calories per 100g
187 calories	659 calories

Nutrition Facts for Brazilnuts. (Source)

5 Walnuts

Calories per Oz	Calories per 100g
186 calories	654 calories

Nutrition Facts for Walnuts. (Source)

6 Pine Nuts

Calories per 1 Oz Handful	Calories per 100g
179 calories	629 calories

Nutrition Facts for Dried Pine Nuts. (Source)

7 Almonds

Calories per 1oz Handful	Calories per 100g
170 calories	598 calories

Nutrition Facts for Dry Roasted Almonds. (Source)

8 Peanuts (Dry Roasted)

Calories per Oz	Calories per 100g
167 calories	587 calories

Nutrition Facts for Dry Roasted Peanuts. (Source)

9 Sunflower Seeds

Calories per 1 Oz Handful	Calories per 100g
164 calories	584 calories

Nutrition Facts for Dried Sunflower Seeds. (Source)

10 Cashews (Dry Roasted)

Calories per 1 Oz Handful	Calories per 100g
163 calories	574 calories

Nutrition Facts for Dry-Roasted Cashews. (Source)

11 Seeds (Squash and Pumpkin Seeds)

Calories per 1oz Handful	Calories per 100g
163 calories	574 calories

Nutrition Facts for Roasted Squash And Pumpkin Seeds (Unsalted). (Source)

12 Pistachios (Dry Roasted)

Calories per 1 Oz Handful	Calories per 100g
162 calories	572 calories

Nutrition Facts for Dry Roasted Pistachio Nuts. (Source)

See All 61 Nuts and Seeds High in Calories Next ➞

Nut and Seed Butter with the Most Calories

Food	Serving	Calories
1 Sunflower Seed Butter View (Source)	1 tblsp	5% DV (99)
2 Almond Butter View (Source)	1 tblsp	5% DV (98)
3 Peanut Butter View (Source)	1 tblsp	5% DV (94)
4 Cashew Butter View (Source)	1 tblsp	5% DV (94)
5 Sesame Butter (Tahini) View (Source)	1 tblsp	4% DV (86)

About the Data

Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.

You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.

Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.

About Nutrient Targets

Setting targets can provide a guide to healthy eating.

Some of the most popular targets include:

Daily Value (%DV) - The daily value (%DV) is a general guideline for consumption that will prevent deficiency of a particular nutrient in most people. The %DV refers to the percentage of an amount that's found in a single serving of a food. It also accounts for absorption factors. It is set by the U.S. FDA.
Recommended Dietary Allowance (%RDA) - The RDA sets an average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97.5%) healthy individuals. It's more specific than the daily value, and varies by age and gender. The RDA is set by the US National Instutites of Health.
Reference Dietary Intake (%RDI) -The reference dietary intake is similar to the recommended daily allowance, but is specific to age and gender. The RDI for amino acids is set by the U.N. World Health Organization.
Adequate Intake (%AI) - This value is primarily used in reference to omega-3 and omega-6 fats. The Adequate Intake is set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. Because there is less evidence to determine the ideal targets for consumption of these nutrients, the specific amount is considered to be less reliable. Using the term Adequate Intake, rather than one of the other terms, helps to emphasize that the ideal intake of that particular nutrient has not yet been scientifically determined.

See the Guide to Recommended Daily Intakes for more information.

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From the Nutrient Ranking Tool

Use the ranking tool links below to select foods and create your own food list to share or print.

View more nutrients with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

Data Sources and References

U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central

MyFoodData provides free nutrition data tools and articles to help you organize and understand the foods you eat.

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