A level 5 mL teaspoon of honey, estimated at 7 g, provides about 21 calories using the reference values in this guide. An Australian 20 mL tablespoon, estimated at 28 g, provides about 85 calories. The weight in your spoon and the nutrition values on your jar may differ. (1) (2)
The distinction matters because many overseas nutrition pages use a smaller tablespoon. Looking up "calories in a tablespoon of honey" without checking the spoon size can produce an answer that does not match an Australian recipe.
This guide explains the estimates, the difference between calories and kilojoules, and how to calculate a serving from your own jar.
For practical portion measurements, use our honey weight and spoon conversion guide. The 250 g jar serving guide shows how those portions affect the number of serves.
Honey calories by serving size
The calculations below use generic USDA SR Legacy honey data: 304 calories, 1,272 kJ, 82.4 g carbohydrate and 82.12 g sugars per 100 g. These are reference values, not a product-specific nutrition panel. (1)
For the spoon estimates, we assume approximately 7 g of honey per 5 mL. Actual weight varies with the honey and how the spoon is filled. A kitchen scale is the better option when precision matters.
| Honey amount | Estimated weight | Calories | Kilojoules | Carbohydrate | Sugars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 level teaspoon, 5 mL | 7 g | 21 | 89 kJ | 5.8 g | 5.7 g |
| 2 level teaspoons, 10 mL | 14 g | 43 | 178 kJ | 11.5 g | 11.5 g |
| Smaller tablespoon measure, 15 mL | 21 g | 64 | 267 kJ | 17.3 g | 17.2 g |
| Australian tablespoon, 20 mL | 28 g | 85 | 356 kJ | 23.1 g | 23.0 g |
| Weighed portion | 10 g | 30 | 127 kJ | 8.2 g | 8.2 g |
| Reference amount | 100 g | 304 | 1,272 kJ | 82.4 g | 82.1 g |
Calculated from the reference data above. Values are rounded independently, so multiplying a rounded row may produce a slightly different result. (1)
Why an Australian tablespoon is different
Australian recipe measures commonly use a 5 mL teaspoon and a 20 mL tablespoon. SBS Food specifies those measures in its recipe notes. Many overseas recipes use approximately 15 mL for a tablespoon. (2)
In this guide, the Australian tablespoon holds four 5 mL teaspoons. A 15 mL tablespoon holds three. With the same honey and filling technique, the 20 mL measure contains one-third more honey than the 15 mL measure.
Check the marking on your measuring spoon rather than assuming every spoon sold locally is the same. A dining spoon is not a reliable measuring tool, and "one heaped spoon" does not have a standard weight.
Are calories and kilojoules different things?
They are different units for the same thing: energy. In food writing, a "calorie" usually means a kilocalorie, abbreviated kcal. Australian labels commonly display energy in kilojoules, abbreviated kJ. One kilocalorie is approximately 4.184 kJ. (3)
To convert calories to kilojoules, multiply by 4.184. To convert kilojoules to calories, divide by 4.184.
For example, a label showing 420 kJ for a particular serve represents approximately 100 calories. That is a conversion example, not the declared serving value for any honey sold by Australian Honey Company.
How to calculate the amount in your own serving
Use the nutrition information on your jar when it differs from a generic database. Nutrition panels commonly give amounts per serving and per 100 g; the per-100-g column helps compare products on the same basis. (4)
The calculation is:
Amount in your serving = amount per 100 g x serving weight in grams / 100.
Suppose an example honey label lists 1,400 kJ per 100 g, and you weigh out 8 g. That serve provides 1,400 x 8 / 100 = 112 kJ, or about 27 calories. These label figures are hypothetical and demonstrate the method only.
To weigh a drizzle, place the bowl on a kitchen scale, set the scale to zero, then add the honey. This avoids guessing how much remained on a spoon.
Why calorie estimates differ between websites
First check the serving weight, then the spoon volume, then the source. Two pages can both be arithmetically correct while describing different amounts of honey.
A generic database entry also should not be mistaken for the label on every product. For day-to-day tracking, use one consistent method: your product's label and the weight you actually eat. Do not switch between a 15 mL spoon entry and an Australian 20 mL spoon entry without adjusting the amount.
The same principle applies when calculating a recipe. Add the energy from the honey used in the whole recipe, then divide by the number of actual portions. Cutting a cake into eight pieces rather than twelve changes the energy per piece even though the recipe is unchanged.
What about Manuka honey and Jarrah honey?
Use the nutrition panel for the particular jar. MGO and TA ratings are not calorie counts, and a premium price does not tell you the energy content of a serving.
For the same reason, do not assume that raw honey is a low-calorie alternative. Compare the actual declared values and the amount used. Our honey vs sugar guide explains why comparing equal weights and comparing spoonfuls are different exercises.
Frequently asked questions
Does putting honey in hot water remove its calories?
No. Adding water changes the concentration of the drink, not the amount of honey added. If you drink the whole cup, you consume the honey used to make it.
How many calories are in two teaspoons of honey?
Using this guide's assumptions, two level 5 mL teaspoons weigh about 14 g and provide about 43 calories. Weigh the serving for a closer estimate.
Is a tablespoon always about 64 calories?
No. That estimate corresponds here to approximately 21 g, or a 15 mL measure. Our estimated Australian 20 mL tablespoon contains about 85 calories.
Do I need to count the sugars separately from carbohydrate?
Do not add the sugars number to the carbohydrate number. Sugars are already included within carbohydrate. (5)
The takeaway
Remember about 21 calories per estimated 7 g teaspoon, then check your own jar. For accurate portions or recipe calculations, grams are more useful than an unmeasured drizzle.
General nutrition information only. Do not give honey to babies under 12 months. (6)
Sources and further reading
- USDA SR Legacy data, reproduced by Vitahoy - Honey: reference nutrition values, NDB 19296 / FDC 169640
- SBS Food - Australian recipe measures: cook's notes, Finger lime scampi salad
- healthdirect Australia - Kilojoules
- healthdirect Australia - Sugar
- Diabetes Australia - Sugar, oh honey, honey
- healthdirect Australia - Botulism