Black Pepper Calories & Nutrition Calculator

Ground black pepper contains 12.75mg manganese per 100g — 554% of the daily value and among the highest concentrations of commonly used kitchen spices. Cloves (60.1mg, 2614% DV), cardamom (28.0mg, 1217% DV), and cinnamon (17.5mg, 761% DV) rank higher, but black pepper far outpaces mace (1.5mg), nutmeg (2.9mg), and allspice (2.9mg) ^[1][2].

Per teaspoon (2.3g): 0.29mg manganese (12.7% DV). Per tablespoon (6.9g): 0.88mg manganese (38.3% DV). The teaspoon contribution — nearly 13% DV — is genuinely meaningful for food journaling. Black pepper is arguably the most frequently used spice globally, and its manganese delivery is consistent and cumulative ^[1].

For food journaling, black pepper's manganese is an overlooked daily micronutrient contribution. If you add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of black pepper to multiple meals throughout the day, the cumulative manganese reaches 6–13% DV from pepper alone — a non-trivial amount from a 'background' seasoning.

Black pepper provides 163.7mcg vitamin K (phylloquinone) per 100g — 136% of the daily value and one of the highest vitamin K concentrations among common spices. Cloves have 141.8mcg, basil has 414mcg, and parsley has 1,640mcg — but among non-herb spices, black pepper's vitamin K stands out ^[1][3].

Per teaspoon (2.3g): 3.77mcg vitamin K (3.1% DV). This is small but notable — few people realize that their daily black pepper adds vitamin K. Per tablespoon (6.9g): 11.3mcg (9.4% DV). The vitamin K in black pepper is phylloquinone (K1), the plant-derived form ^[1].

For food journaling, vitamin K in black pepper is a micro-contribution that becomes meaningful over the course of a day's meals. If you consistently use black pepper at every meal (as many people do), the cumulative daily vitamin K from pepper alone could reach 5–10mcg (4–8% DV).

Piperine — a piperidine alkaloid — constitutes 5–9% of black pepper's pericarp by dry weight (typically 2–7.4% of the whole peppercorn). It is the compound solely responsible for pepper's characteristic sharp, biting pungency. Chemically, piperine is trans-trans-N-piperidyl-piperic acid amide — a distinct structure from capsaicin (the compound in chillies) despite both creating sensations of 'heat' ^[2][3].

A single peppercorn (0.05g) contains approximately 1–3.7mg of piperine. One teaspoon of ground pepper (2.3g) delivers roughly 46–170mg piperine. Black pepper's cousin, pippali (Piper longum), contains similar piperine concentrations but adds the unique alkaloid piplartine, which black pepper lacks ^[2][4].

For food journaling, piperine is completely absent from USDA FoodData Central, IFCT, and all standard nutrition databases. The compound that makes black pepper the world's most traded spice — accounting for roughly 20% of global spice trade — is invisible to every nutrition tracking system.

Black pepper contains 443mg calcium per 100g (34% DV) and 9.71mg iron (54% DV) — mineral levels comparable to many dedicated 'mineral-rich' foods. The calcium content matches pippali (446mg) and exceeds spinach (99mg), kale (254mg), and milk (125mg) per 100g. The iron exceeds beef (2.6mg) and chicken (1.0mg) per 100g ^[1][2].

But per 100g comparisons are misleading for pepper: nobody eats 100g of black pepper. Per teaspoon (2.3g): 10.2mg calcium (0.8% DV) and 0.22mg iron (1.2% DV). Per tablespoon (6.9g): 30.6mg calcium (2.4% DV) and 0.67mg iron (3.7% DV). These are small but real contributions ^[1].

For food journaling, black pepper's minerals are a consistent daily addition for most people. If you use 1–2 teaspoons of black pepper total across a day's meals (very common in Indian and many other cuisines), you accumulate 10–20mg calcium and 0.22–0.45mg iron from pepper alone — a background mineral contribution that compounds over time.

The smallest practical unit is a single peppercorn (0.05g): 0.13 kcal, 0.005g protein, 0.002g fat, 0.013g fiber, 0.22mg calcium, 0.005mg iron, and 0.006mg manganese. At this scale, pepper is nutritionally invisible ^[1].

At the other end: 1 tablespoon ground (6.9g) delivers 17 kcal, 0.72g protein, 4.41g carbs, 0.22g fat, 1.75g fiber, 30.6mg calcium (2.4% DV), 0.67mg iron (3.7% DV), 0.88mg manganese (38.3% DV), and 11.3mcg vitamin K (9.4% DV). Heavy pepper users — those who generously season multiple dishes daily — can accumulate meaningful micronutrient contributions ^[1].

For food journaling, the logging decision depends on your pepper usage pattern. A light dash over one meal: skip logging. A teaspoon or more across multiple meals daily: worth tracking, especially for manganese and vitamin K. Restaurant-style pepper service (freshly cracked, generous portions) can easily exceed 1 tsp per meal.