What is the world's highest calorie food?

November 19, 2025 •

4 min read

Gram for gram, fat is the most calorie-dense macronutrient, containing approximately nine calories per gram, which is more than double the energy of protein or carbohydrates. This simple scientific fact holds the key to understanding what is the world's highest calorie food, which can vary depending on whether you are measuring by density or total serving size.

Quick Summary

The most calorie-dense substance is pure fat, such as oils or lard, providing around nine calories per gram. However, the highest-calorie prepared meal is often a complex, high-fat dish that includes large portions of calorie-rich ingredients like cheese, fatty meat, and oil. The healthiest high-calorie options are typically whole foods like nuts and avocados.

Key Points

Highest Calorie Substance: Pure fat, like cooking oils and lard, has the highest calorie density at molecular level, delivering 9 kcal per gram.
Whole Foods: Nuts (macadamia, pecans) and seeds (pumpkin, sunflower) are among the most calorie-dense whole foods due to their high healthy fat content.
Nutrient vs. Calorie Density: Not all high-calorie foods are unhealthy; nutrient-dense options like avocados and nuts offer high energy plus essential vitamins and minerals.
Impact of Preparation: Cooking methods can dramatically increase calorie content, such as frying a potato in oil to make high-calorie french fries.
Prepared Meals: The highest calorie 'food' often refers to complex, processed, and oversized dishes, not single natural ingredients.

Understanding the Science of Calories

To identify the highest-calorie food, it's essential to understand what a calorie is and where it comes from. A calorie is a unit of energy, and in nutrition, it refers to the energy your body gets from food. The three primary sources of calories, or macronutrients, have different energy values per gram:

Fat: 9 calories per gram
Protein: 4 calories per gram
Carbohydrates: 4 calories per gram

Because fat provides more than twice the energy per gram compared to protein or carbs, the most calorie-dense foods are those with the highest fat content. This distinction is crucial and explains why a tablespoon of olive oil has far more calories than a tablespoon of sugar.

The Most Calorie-Dense Substances

When we look for the highest calorie food on a gram-for-gram basis, the clear winners are pure fats and oils. These substances are almost entirely composed of fat, leading to an extremely high energy density. Some prime examples include:

Beef Tallow: A rendered animal fat, beef tallow provides around 902 kcal per 100g, making it one of the most concentrated sources of calories.
Lard: Similar to tallow, lard is rendered pork fat and offers a comparable energy density at approximately 892 kcal per 100g.
Cooking Oils: Olive oil, avocado oil, and canola oil are all liquid fats, delivering about 884-895 kcal per 100g.
Butter and Margarine: While containing some water, these spreads are still incredibly high in calories, with butter coming in at roughly 717-726 kcal per 100g.

Calorie Density in Whole Foods

Beyond pure fats, several whole foods are naturally very high in calories, driven by their healthy fat content. These are often considered nutrient-dense as well, offering vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial compounds.

Macadamia Nuts: These nuts are among the highest-calorie varieties, packing about 725 kcal per 100g.
Pecans: Another high-fat nut, pecans contain roughly 750 calories per 100g.
Seeds: Pumpkin and sunflower seeds are also high-calorie, with values around 555-609 kcal per 100g.
Avocados: Known for their healthy monounsaturated fats, avocados provide about 145 kcal per 100g.
Full-Fat Cheeses: Harder cheeses have lower moisture content and higher fat, making them more calorie-dense. Parmesan, for example, is around 392 kcal per 100g.

Calorie-Dense Meals vs. Raw Foods

While pure fat is the most calorie-dense substance by weight, the highest-calorie food is often a complex, prepared dish. These meals combine large quantities of calorie-dense ingredients, resulting in an astronomical total calorie count for a single serving. For instance, a decadent dessert like a cheesecake or a multi-patty burger loaded with cheese and bacon can contain thousands of calories. These foods are often considered 'empty-calorie' items because their high energy content is not matched by a proportional level of nutritional value.

Calorie Density Comparison Table

To put the calorie counts in perspective, here is a comparison of various foods based on their energy density per 100 grams.


Food Item	Calories per 100g (Approx.)	Type	Notes
Lard / Tallow	892–902 kcal	Pure Fat	Highest calorie density
Olive Oil	884 kcal	Pure Fat	Standard cooking oil
Macadamia Nuts	725 kcal	Whole Food	High in healthy fats
Butter	717 kcal	Dairy Fat	Includes some water
Dark Chocolate	535 kcal	Processed	High fat and sugar content
Cheddar Cheese	403 kcal	Dairy	High fat, lower water content
Red Meat (fatty)	250–300 kcal	Whole Food	Higher fat cuts
Avocado	145 kcal	Whole Food	Healthy fats
White Bread	265 kcal	Carbohydrate	Denser carbs
Broccoli	~30 kcal	Whole Food	High in nutrients, low energy density

How Preparation Affects Calorie Count

The way a food is prepared can dramatically increase its final calorie count. Consider a potato, a relatively low-calorie starchy vegetable. When fried in oil and salted to become French fries, its calorie density skyrockets. The same principle applies to many processed items, where fats and sugars are added to enhance flavor and shelf life. For example, a basic granola has a moderate calorie count, but with added sweeteners and fats, it can become a high-calorie item.

Conclusion: The Nuanced Answer

So, what is the world's highest calorie food? The single, most calorie-dense substance is pure fat, typically in the form of oil or lard, at around 9 calories per gram. However, when considering entire meals, the record goes to outrageously large and greasy dishes created for novelty, often combining multiple high-fat ingredients. For practical nutritional purposes, foods like macadamia nuts, certain cheeses, and fatty meats are among the highest in natural calorie density. The key takeaway is to distinguish between high-calorie foods that are also nutrient-dense, like nuts and avocados, and those with 'empty' calories, like processed sweets and fried foods. Making informed choices means considering both the calorie count and the nutritional value of your food. For more information on making balanced dietary choices, see the guidelines from the USDA.

Note: While some novelty dishes claim to hold the title, they often lack official verification. The scientific answer remains that pure fat holds the highest calorie density per gram.

A List of High-Calorie Foods

Here is a list of foods generally considered high in calories due to their fat content:

Nuts and Seeds: Including macadamia nuts, pecans, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.
Nut Butters: Such as peanut butter, almond butter, and cashew butter.
Oils and Animal Fats: Olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, butter, and lard.
Full-Fat Dairy: Certain cheeses, whole milk, and full-fat yogurt.
Dried Fruits: Concentrated sugar and fiber, with less water than fresh fruit.
Fatty Meats and Fish: Higher fat cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and oily fish like salmon and mackerel.
Avocados: Rich in monounsaturated fats.
Pastries and Cakes: Often high in both fat and sugar.
Processed Snacks: Chips, candy, and other foods high in fat and added sugars.

Conclusion

In summary, the title of "world's highest calorie food" is complex. Scientifically, pure fat is the most calorie-dense substance. In a culinary context, it can refer to record-breaking, multi-ingredient meals. For healthy eating, focus on incorporating nutrient-dense, high-calorie foods like nuts and avocados for energy, rather than empty-calorie options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Fat molecules are more complex and store more energy in their chemical bonds. When the body breaks them down, they release approximately 9 calories per gram, while carbohydrates and protein release about 4 calories per gram.

No. Many high-calorie foods, such as nuts, seeds, and avocados, are also nutrient-dense, meaning they offer significant vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. Unhealthy, high-calorie foods are those with 'empty' calories, like processed snacks and sugary desserts, that offer little nutritional value.

Calorie density, or energy density, is the number of calories in a food relative to its weight. Foods high in water and fiber, like vegetables, have a low calorie density, while those high in fat and low in water, like oil, have a high calorie density.

Good options include nuts and nut butters, avocados, fatty fish (like salmon), dried fruits, and full-fat dairy products. These provide not only energy but also essential nutrients to support healthy weight gain.

Look at the ingredients. Healthy high-calorie foods are typically whole, unprocessed, or minimally processed, like nuts, seeds, and oils. Unhealthy options are often highly processed with added sugars, unhealthy fats, and preservatives, such as many cakes, candies, and fast food items.

It depends on your goal. For weight loss, eating more low-calorie-density foods (like fruits and vegetables) can help you feel full on fewer calories. For weight gain or for athletes needing energy, including high-calorie-density foods is important.

No. While fats are the most calorie-dense per gram, foods can also be high-calorie due to a combination of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, especially in large portions. Processed foods, pastries, and fried items are examples of this.