Cashew calories
Cashews are calorie-dense — about 9 calories per kernel, 155 per ounce, 553 per 100g. But "calorie-dense" and "fattening" aren't the same thing. Here's a clear breakdown of cashew calories at every scale, plus what the research actually shows about cashews and body weight.
1 kernel
~9 kcal
Varies by grade (W180 bigger, W500 smaller)
5 cashews
~45 kcal
Light snack
1 oz (28g, ~16)
155 kcal
Standard serving
100g
553 kcal
USDA reference
Where the calories come from
Of the 553 kcal per 100g, the breakdown is:
- Fat (~395 kcal, 71%) — 43.9g × 9 kcal/g
- Protein (~73 kcal, 13%) — 18.2g × 4 kcal/g
- Carbohydrate (~107 kcal, 19%) — 30.2g × 4 kcal/g (incl. fiber)
Fat is the dominant calorie source — which is why cashews feel calorie-heavy. But two-thirds of that fat is monounsaturated (the heart-healthy kind found in olive oil), and a meaningful portion of the fat is incompletely absorbed because the cashew cell walls trap some of it during digestion.
Calorie comparison to other nuts (per ounce)
| Nut | Calories per 28g | Calories per 100g |
|---|---|---|
| Cashew | 155 | 553 |
| Almond | 162 | 579 |
| Pistachio | 156 | 560 |
| Walnut | 183 | 654 |
| Hazelnut | 176 | 628 |
| Brazil nut | 183 | 656 |
| Macadamia | 201 | 718 |
| Pecan | 196 | 700 |
| Peanut (legume) | 158 | 567 |
Cashews sit at the lower end of the nut calorie range — only pistachios and peanuts are similar; almonds are slightly higher; walnuts, macadamias, and pecans are substantially higher.
Calories by cashew grade
Calories per kernel vary slightly by grade since bigger kernels are heavier:
- W180 (King of Cashews) — ~13 kcal per kernel (170-180 per pound = 2.5g per kernel)
- W240 (Premium) — ~10 kcal per kernel (~1.9g per kernel)
- W320 (Standard) — ~7-8 kcal per kernel (~1.4g per kernel)
- W450 (Small) — ~5-6 kcal per kernel (~1g per kernel)
Are cashews fattening?
Despite calorie density, multiple long-term observational studies consistently find that regular nut consumption — including cashews — is associated with neutral or slightly negative changes in body weight, even when controlling for total calorie intake. The proposed mechanisms:
- Satiety — fat + protein + fiber promote fullness, reducing intake of other foods
- Incomplete fat absorption — cell walls trap 5-15% of the fat from digestion (you literally don't absorb all the calories)
- Compensatory adjustment — adding nuts to a diet typically displaces less-nutritious snacks rather than adding total calories
- Increased thermogenesis — the metabolic cost of processing protein and fat is higher than processing carbs
Caveat: this is moderation-dependent. 28-42g daily is the studied range. Eating an entire 250g pack in one sitting will deliver the full 1,400 kcal — same as any food.
Salted, honey-glazed, oil-roasted varieties
- Dry-roasted, unsalted: same calories as raw (slight moisture loss makes per-gram count slightly higher, but per-kernel count is unchanged)
- Oil-roasted: add ~10-20 kcal per ounce from absorbed oil
- Salted: calorie count unchanged, but sodium adds (70-180mg per ounce)
- Honey-glazed or candied: add 30-80 kcal per ounce from sugar
- Spice-coated (chili, BBQ): usually adds 5-20 kcal per ounce