Apricots: Nutrition, Benefits, Dried Apricots and Kernel Safety

Apricots are small stone fruits with velvety orange skin and sweet, slightly tart flesh. One fresh apricot is small, about 17 calories in USDA data, and a cup of halves gives roughly 11% of the Daily Value for fiber and about 17% each for vitamin A and vitamin C. Drying concentrates everything, including sugar, so dried apricots and fresh ones are very different foods per bite. Below are the USDA apricot nutrition facts for fresh, canned and dried fruit, an honest look at apricot benefits research, the sulfite labeling rule for dried apricots, and why the kernel inside the pit is not a snack.

Peptide Labs does not sell apricots or apricot products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

Fresh apricots: nutrition per fruit and per cup

The table uses the USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entry for raw apricots (FDC 171697), converted to USDA’s portion weights for one apricot (35 grams) and one cup of halves (155 grams). The percent Daily Value (%DV) uses the FDA Daily Values printed on Nutrition Facts labels.

Vitamin A is the standout. Apricots get their orange color largely from carotenoids, and USDA lists about 1,094 micrograms of beta-carotene per 100 grams of raw apricot, roughly seven times the amount in yellow peaches or nectarines. The body converts beta-carotene to vitamin A as needed, a process our beta-carotene guide explains. Fresh apricots also add vitamin C, covered in our guide to vitamin C sources, and modest potassium and fiber. Because one fruit is so small, most of these numbers only add up when you eat several.

Dried apricots vs fresh and canned

Drying removes most of the water, so the same nutrients and sugars are packed into a much smaller piece of fruit. Canning keeps the water but may add syrup. The table compares common forms by the portions USDA lists.

A quarter cup of dried apricots has about the calories of a full cup of fresh halves but more sugar and almost no vitamin C, which is lost during drying. Per 100 grams, USDA lists dried apricots at 7.3 grams of fiber (26% DV), 1,162 milligrams of potassium (25% DV) and 2.66 milligrams of iron (15% DV), which is why they show up in our guides to potassium in foods, iron in foods and fiber-rich foods. The iron is the non-heme kind found in plants. Small pieces are easy to eat by the handful, so the serving size on the label matters.

Canned apricots in heavy syrup carry roughly twice the sugar of the juice pack per cup, and apricot nectar keeps very little fiber; its vitamin C comes mostly from added ascorbic acid. For other dried fruits, compare our prunes guide and raisins guide, and our guide to fruit sugar levels ranks fresh fruits.

Apricot benefits: what the research shows

Apricot benefits are most honestly described through the nutrients USDA data show, not through big health promises:

• Carotenoids and vitamin A: fresh and dried apricots supply beta-carotene, which the body can turn into vitamin A. MedlinePlus notes that vitamin A promotes good eyesight, especially in low light.
• Fiber: fresh apricots eaten with the skin, and especially dried apricots, add fiber; our guide to daily fiber intake explains the reference values.
• Potassium: dried apricots are among the more potassium-dense fruits per serving in USDA data.
• Plant pigments: a 2026 review in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research described the carotenoids, flavonoids and anthocyanins that color apricot skin. Their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity comes from lab work, which does not show effects from eating the fruit.

We did not find human trials of whole apricots strong enough to support claims about disease, skin, or weight. Apricots fit in a varied diet like other fruits. People managing diabetes can include fruit, but should ask their clinician or dietitian how dried fruit fits their plan; our low glycemic foods guide explains why whole fruit behaves differently from juice and syrup-packed fruit.

Sulfites in dried apricots

USDA’s dried apricot entries are labeled “sulfured” because sulfur dioxide or related sulfiting agents are commonly used on dried fruit. Some people are sensitive to sulfites; in a January 2025 recall notice for golden raisins, the FDA warned that people with severe sulfite sensitivity risk serious or life-threatening reactions. Under FDA regulation 21 CFR 101.100(a)(4), a sulfiting agent that remains in a finished food at 10 parts per million or more counts as a detectable amount, so it cannot count as an incidental, unlabeled ingredient and must appear in the ingredient list. If you react to sulfites, look for sulfur dioxide, sodium bisulfite, sodium metabisulfite or similar names on dried apricot packages, and ask your clinician or an allergist about what to avoid.

Apricot kernels: why the seed is not a snack

Inside the hard apricot pit is a seed called the kernel, sometimes sold online as “apricot seeds”. In 2016 the European Food Safety Authority warned that apricot kernels pose a risk of cyanide poisoning, because a natural compound called amygdalin in the kernels converts to cyanide after eating. EFSA listed symptoms such as nausea, fever, headaches, thirst, lethargy, nervousness, aches and falling blood pressure. Its scientific panel set a safety reference value for cyanide that later assessments applied to all foods.

• Marketing claims: EFSA noted that raw kernels are marketed as a cancer-fighting food. The National Cancer Institute notes that laetrile, a drug form related to amygdalin, is not approved for use in the United States.
• Accidental swallowing: Poison Control says small, unintentional swallowing of intact stone fruit pits generally does not cause harm, but crushing or chewing pits can release cyanide. Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or use webPOISONCONTROL with any concern.
• Plain rule: do not eat apricot kernels, grind them into foods or give them to children. Get emergency care for trouble breathing, fainting or seizures.

Allergy and other cautions

• Stone fruit allergy: a 1994 study of 23 people with oral allergy syndrome to peach found wide cross-reactivity with other stone fruits, including apricot, cherry and plum. Apricot is not one of the nine major food allergens that US labels must declare, so read ingredient lists. Hives, swelling or breathing trouble needs urgent care; for unclear symptoms, see an allergist, and our elimination diet guide explains why testing should be supervised.
• Kidney disease: the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements notes that people with chronic kidney disease can develop high blood potassium, so anyone on a potassium-restricted diet should ask their care team about dried apricots.
• Fiber: large handfuls of dried fruit can cause gas or loose stools in people not used to fiber; add it gradually and drink fluids.

For a closely related stone fruit, see our sibling guide to nectarines, which also compares nectarines with peaches. For a tropical fruit even richer in vitamin C, see our mango guide, and if you eat smaller portions on a GLP-1 medicine, our GLP-1 diet guide covers fruit choices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant, have kidney disease or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Nectarine: Nutrition, Nectarine vs Peach and How to Enjoy It, Beta-Carotene: Foods, Vitamin A Conversion and the Smoker Trials, High Fiber Foods: USDA List of Fruits, Vegetables, Beans and Grains.