How many calories are in popcorn?
1 oz (28 g) of popcorn has 110 calories. Per 3.5 oz (100 g): 387 calories.
Numbers are for the USDA entry Snacks, popcorn, air-popped. Other forms are compared below.
Calories in popcorn by size and measure
| Measure | Weight | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 8 g | 31 calories | 1 g | 6.2 g | 0.36 g |
| 1/2 cup | 4 g | 15 calories | 0.52 g | 3.1 g | 0.18 g |
| 1 oz | 28 g | 110 calories | 3.7 g | 22.1 g | 1.3 g |
| 100 g | 3.5 oz | 387 calories | 12.9 g | 77.8 g | 4.5 g |
Weights are the household measures USDA lists for this exact food.
Where the calories come from
1 oz (28 g) of popcorn has:
- Protein: 3.7 g per serving, about 13% of calories
- Carbs: 22.1 g per serving, about 77% of calories
- Fat: 1.3 g per serving, about 10% of calories
Shares use 4 calories per gram of protein and carbs and 9 per gram of fat. USDA calculates total calories with factors specific to each food, so shares are approximate.
Raw, cooked and other forms
Per 100 g, the 9 USDA entries below range from 385 calories in popcorn, air-popped, no butter added to 535 calories in popcorn, microwave (butter) flavor, made with palm oil.
| USDA entry | Per 100 g | Per serving | Water |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snacks, popcorn, air-popped | 387 calories | 110 calories per 1 oz | 3.3% |
| Popcorn, microwave, low fat and sodium | 429 calories | 122 calories per 1 oz | 2.8% |
| Popcorn, microwave (butter) flavor, made with palm oil | 535 calories | 152 calories per 1 oz | 0.9% |
| Popcorn, air-popped, with added butter | 430 calories | 122 calories per 1 oz | 6.2% |
| Popcorn, NFS | 518 calories | 147 calories per 1 oz | 2.4% |
| Popcorn, air-popped, no butter added | 385 calories | 109 calories per 1 oz | 3.3% |
| Popcorn, ready-to-eat, NFS | 530 calories | 150 calories per 1 oz | 2.3% |
| Popcorn, caramel coated | 428 calories | 121 calories per 1 oz | 2.8% |
| Popcorn, chocolate coated | 407 calories | 115 calories per 1 oz | 2.8% |
Each row is a separate USDA entry with its own household measure. A dash means USDA lists no comparable measure for that entry.
How popcorn compares with other snacks
Among the 30 snacks people look up most, popcorn ranks 24th for calories per 3.5 oz (100 g) and 20th per typical serving.
| # | Food | Serving | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corn chips | 1 cup, 45 g | 241 calories | 535 calories |
| 2 | Potato chips | 1 cup, 25 g | 133 calories | 532 calories |
| 3 | Plantain chips | 1 cup, 38 g | 202 calories | 531 calories |
| … | ||||
| 12 | Tortilla chips | 1 cup, 30 g | 142 calories | 472 calories |
| … | ||||
| 22 | Melba toast | 1 cracker, 5 g | 20 calories | 390 calories |
| 23 | Snack bar | 1 bar, 60 g | 233 calories | 389 calories |
| 24 | Popcorn | 1 oz, 28.3 g | 110 calories | 387 calories |
| 25 | Rice cakes | 1 cake, 9 g | 35 calories | 387 calories |
| 26 | Soy chips | 1 cup, 30 g | 116 calories | 385 calories |
| … | ||||
| 30 | Rice paper | 1 medium paper, 15 g | 48 calories | 323 calories |
The list is the 30 snacks most asked about in US searches for protein, calories, carbs, sugar and fiber, each as one USDA entry with its usual serving. Rows in between are skipped (…).
Keep exploring
Sources
Nutrients and household measures: USDA FoodData Central, April 2026 release (accessed 2026-10-15)
- Snacks, popcorn, air-popped: Snacks, popcorn, air-popped, FDC ID 167959 (SR Legacy, published 2019-04-01)
- Popcorn, microwave, low fat and sodium: Popcorn, microwave, low fat and sodium, FDC ID 168139 (SR Legacy, published 2019-04-01) · full nutrition facts
- Popcorn, microwave (butter) flavor, made with palm oil: Popcorn, microwave, regular (butter) flavor, made with palm oil, FDC ID 173141 (SR Legacy, published 2019-04-01) · full nutrition facts
- Popcorn, air-popped, with added butter: Popcorn, air-popped, with added butter, FDC ID 2708220 (FoodData Central survey (FNDDS) 2024-10-31)
- Popcorn, NFS: Popcorn, NFS, FDC ID 2708216 (FoodData Central survey (FNDDS) 2024-10-31)
- Popcorn, air-popped, no butter added: Popcorn, air-popped, no butter added, FDC ID 2708219 (FoodData Central survey (FNDDS) 2024-10-31)
- Popcorn, ready-to-eat, NFS: Popcorn, ready-to-eat, NFS, FDC ID 2708231 (FoodData Central survey (FNDDS) 2024-10-31)
- Popcorn, caramel coated: Popcorn, caramel coated, FDC ID 2708239 (FoodData Central survey (FNDDS) 2024-10-31)
- Popcorn, chocolate coated: Popcorn, chocolate coated, FDC ID 2708241 (FoodData Central survey (FNDDS) 2024-10-31)
Comparison foods:
- Corn chips: Corn chips, plain, FDC ID 2708196
- Potato chips: Potato chips, plain, FDC ID 2709422
- Plantain chips: Plantain chips, FDC ID 2709563
- Tortilla chips: Tortilla chips, plain, FDC ID 2708202
- Melba toast: Melba toast, FDC ID 2707702
- Snack bar: Snack bar, oatmeal, FDC ID 2708100
- Rice cakes: Snacks, rice cakes, brown rice, plain, unsalted, FDC ID 170250
- Soy chips: Soy chips, FDC ID 2707434
- Rice paper: Rice paper, FDC ID 2708166
How we calculate: every amount is the USDA value per 3.5 oz (100 g) scaled to the gram weight USDA lists for that measure. 1 oz = 28.35 g and 1 lb = 453.6 g. A dash (—) means USDA reports no value. How we verify.