How Many Calories in Rose Hips? Nutrition Facts & Macros

Fresh rose hips have 162 calories per 100 g. However, rose hips are rarely eaten in large quantities — a typical serving is 1-2 tablespoons of dried rose hip powder (5-10 g, 8-16 kcal) or a cup of rose hip tea (virtually zero calories from the steeped fruit). Rose hip jam has about 200-250 kcal per 100 g due to added sugar. The high calorie count per 100 g is misleading because of the extremely high fiber content (24.1 g) — net carbs are only 14.1 g.

Rose hips have 14.1 g net carbs per 100 g (38.2 g total - 24.1 g fiber), which is moderate. However, you rarely eat 100 g of rose hips at once. Rose hip tea has essentially zero carbs. Rose hip powder (1 tablespoon, ~5 g) has only 0.7 g net carbs — perfectly keto. Avoid rose hip jam or syrup on keto (high sugar). For a keto-friendly vitamin C boost, rose hip powder or tea is an excellent choice.

Rose hips contain an extraordinary 426 mg of vitamin C per 100 g — that is 474% of the daily value, roughly 28 times more than an orange (15 mg per 100 g). Even a single tablespoon of rose hip powder (5 g) provides 21 mg of vitamin C (23% DV). This makes rose hips one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C, surpassed only by kakadu plum, camu camu, and acerola cherry. Note that cooking and drying reduces vitamin C content significantly.

For fresh rose hips: halve 2-3 tablespoons of rose hips, remove seeds and fine hairs, steep in 250 ml hot water (not boiling — 80°C preserves more vitamin C) for 10-15 minutes. For dried rose hips: use 1-2 teaspoons per cup, steep 10-15 minutes. For rose hip powder: stir 1 teaspoon into warm water or smoothie. Strain well — the tiny hairs inside rose hips can irritate the throat. Rose hip tea has a mild, tangy, slightly fruity flavor.

Yes, you can eat the flesh of ripe rose hips raw — they have a tangy, apple-like flavor. However, you must remove the seeds and the fine hairs (trichomes) inside, as they can cause irritation. Most people prefer rose hips processed: dried for tea or powder, cooked into jam or syrup, or made into soup (nyponsoppa in Sweden). The vitamin C content is highest in fresh, uncooked rose hips.

Rose hips contain 426 mg of vitamin C per 100 g vs only 53 mg in oranges — about 8 times more. Even compared to lemons (53 mg), kiwi (93 mg), or strawberries (59 mg), rose hips are in a different league. However, you typically consume much less rose hip (5-10 g powder) than orange (150 g fruit), so a whole orange still provides more total vitamin C per serving. For maximum vitamin C density in minimal volume, rose hip powder is unbeatable.