How many calories are in a chocolate covered Oreo?

Chocolate covered Oreos are a delicious twist on the classic Oreo cookie. With the addition of a sweet chocolate coating, these cookies provide an extra layer of chocolatey goodness. But you may be wondering, just how many calories are in a chocolate covered Oreo? In this comprehensive guide, we will break down the calorie count and nutrition facts for chocolate covered Oreos to find out how indulgent they really are.

Quick Answer

A single chocolate covered Oreo contains approximately 110 calories. This is based on Nabisco’s nutrition information for original Oreos and an estimate for the added chocolate coating. The chocolate adds extra calories, fat, and sugar compared to a regular Oreo cookie.

Calories in Original Oreo Cookies

To understand how many calories are in a chocolate covered Oreo, we first need to know the calorie count for the original Oreo cookie. According to Nabisco, the makers of Oreo, the nutrition facts for a single regular Oreo cookie are:

  • Calories: 53
  • Total Fat: 2.5g
  • Saturated Fat: 1g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg
  • Sodium: 35mg
  • Total Carbohydrates: 7g
  • Dietary Fiber: 0g
  • Sugars: 5g
  • Protein: 1g

As you can see, one regular Oreo contains 53 calories, with 7 grams of carbohydrates and 5 grams of sugar. The calories come mostly from fat and carbohydrates. Now let’s see how the calories change when chocolate is added to the equation.

Estimating Calories for Chocolate Coating

Calculating the exact calorie count of chocolate covered Oreos is tricky because the nutrition facts depend on the specific chocolate product used. However, we can estimate the calories based on average values for milk chocolate.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), one tablespoon of typical milk chocolate chips contains approximately:

  • Calories: 55
  • Total Fat: 3g
  • Saturated Fat: 2g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 8g
  • Sugars: 7g

Given that a chocolate covered Oreo is unlikely to be coated with a full tablespoon of chocolate, we can estimate around 25 calories for the chocolate coating. This is a rough estimate but gives us an approximation for how the chocolate impacts the total calorie count.

Total Calorie Estimate

Adding up the calories for the original Oreo and the estimated chocolate coating calories gives us:

  • Original Oreo: 53 calories
  • Chocolate coating: 25 calories (estimate)
  • Total: 78 calories

Therefore, the estimated total calories for a chocolate covered Oreo is about 78 calories. This is based on the nutrition information for original Oreos and a 25 calorie estimate for the chocolate coating.

Chocolate Covered Oreo Nutrition Facts

While we don’t have official nutrition facts for chocolate covered Oreos, we can extrapolate to determine approximate nutrition information per cookie:

Macronutrients

  • Calories: 110
  • Total Fat: 6g
  • Saturated Fat: 3g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg
  • Sodium: 40mg
  • Total Carbohydrates: 15g
  • Dietary Fiber: 0g
  • Sugars: 12g
  • Protein: 1g

Micronutrients

Chocolate covered Oreos are unlikely to contain significant amounts of vitamins and minerals. The chocolate coating provides trace amounts of iron, magnesium, phosphorus and other micronutrients.

Calorie Comparison With Other Oreo Varieties

Now that we have estimates for chocolate covered Oreos, how do they compare to other popular Oreo flavors? Here is a calorie comparison of chocolate covered Oreos versus some other Oreo varieties:

Oreo Variety Calories per Cookie
Original Oreo 53
Chocolate Covered Oreo (estimated) 110
Double Stuf Oreo 90
Oreo Thins 70
Golden Oreo 55
Mint Oreo 60
Peanut Butter Oreo 160

As you can see, chocolate covered Oreos have significantly more calories than original Oreos, about double the amount. They also contain more calories per cookie than Double Stuf or Golden Oreos. However, Peanut Butter Oreos take the cake as the most caloric Oreo variety.

Factors That Influence Calorie Count

It’s important to keep in mind that the calorie count of chocolate covered Oreos can vary depending on several factors:

Amount of Chocolate

The more chocolate coating on the Oreo, the higher the calorie count. Thicker chocolate coverage adds more fat and sugar.

Type of Chocolate

Dark chocolate tends to have a higher percentage of cocoa solids and less sugar, resulting in a slightly lower calorie count than milk chocolate per serving.

Brand of Chocolate

The ingredients and nutrition information for chocolate chips and coatings can vary between brands. Higher quality chocolate likely contains less additives and more cocoa butter.

Size of Cookie

Standard Oreos contain about 1.86 grams of cookie per cookie. Larger or smaller Oreo sizes will scale the calorie count up or down.

Health Impact of Chocolate Covered Oreos

While chocolate covered Oreos taste delicious, how do they impact your health? Here is a look at some of the health considerations with these indulgent cookies.

High in Calories

The biggest health concern is the high calorie count. At around 110 calories per cookie, chocolate covered Oreos can quickly add extra calories, potentially contributing to weight gain if consumed in excess.

Low in Essential Nutrients

Aside from small amounts of iron and magnesium from the chocolate, chocolate covered Oreos are lacking in essential vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber. They are considered an unhealthy indulgence.

Blood Sugar Spike

The refined carbohydrates and sugar can cause a rapid rise and fall in blood sugar levels. This is concerning for diabetics and pre-diabetics.

High in Saturated Fat

The chocolate coating contributes saturated fat, which can negatively impact cholesterol levels and heart health when consumed in excess.

Addictive

The sweet taste and palatable combination of cookie, cream filling, and chocolate coating may be hard to resist or eat in moderation for some people due to an addictive quality.

How to Enjoy Chocolate Covered Oreos in Moderation

Despite the high calorie count, chocolate covered Oreos can be incorporated into your diet in moderation:

  • Have just one or two cookies as an occasional treat.
  • Pair with fruit or nuts to add nutritional value.
  • Savor slowly and mindfully to satisfy your sweet tooth.
  • Drink water to stay hydrated and help prevent overeating.
  • Practice portion control by keeping cookies pre-portioned rather than eating from a full package.

Overall, be sure to account for the extra calories by making adjustments to your diet or exercise routine to maintain a calorie deficit for weight management.

Healthier Oreo Alternatives

For a healthier cookie alternative, consider the following options that provide fewer calories and more nutritional value:

Fiber One Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

  • 140 calories
  • 5g fiber
  • 5g protein

Annie’s Organic Bunny Grahams

  • 120 calories
  • 1g fiber
  • 2g protein

Kashi Chocolate Almond Sea Salt Chewy Granola Bars

  • 140 calories
  • 2g fiber
  • 3g protein

While not oreo-flavored, these options provide more balanced nutrition with fewer calories and added protein and fiber.

Conclusion

Chocolate covered Oreos definitely live up to their reputation as an indulgent treat. With an estimated 110 calories per cookie, they pack double the calories of a regular Oreo, mostly from added fat and sugar. While they should only be enjoyed occasionally in moderation, chocolate covered Oreos can be part of a balanced diet when portion sizes and calorie intake is properly managed.

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