Pizza Hut’s cinnamon sticks are a popular appetizer or dessert item found on many of their menus. But like most tasty treats, cinnamon sticks do come with a cost in terms of calories. For those watching their calorie intake or who simply want to make informed menu choices, knowing the calorie count of Pizza Hut cinnamon sticks is important.
In this comprehensive guide, we will analyze exactly how many calories are in a Pizza Hut cinnamon stick. We will look at the cinnamon stick’s nutritional information, size, ingredients, and how it compares to similar menu items. Read on for the definitive answer on how many calories you can expect to consume from devouring one of Pizza Hut’s sweet and doughy cinnamon sticks.
Nutritional Information for Pizza Hut Cinnamon Sticks
According to Pizza Hut’s online nutrition calculator, one Pizza Hut Cinnamon Stick contains the following nutritional information:
| Calories | 310 |
| Total Fat | 11g |
| Saturated Fat | 2g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Sodium | 370mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 53g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2g |
| Sugars | 8g |
| Protein | 5g |
So a single Pizza Hut Cinnamon Stick contains 310 calories. This provides a useful baseline number for the calorie count, but to better understand how Pizza Hut arrived at this number, we need to look at the cinnamon stick’s size and ingredients more closely.
Size of a Pizza Hut Cinnamon Stick
Pizza Hut cinnamon sticks consist of a sweet dough that is rolled up with cinnamon and sugar and then fried until golden brown. But exactly how big is this tasty treat?
One Pizza Hut Cinnamon Stick weighs approximately 95 grams or 3.4 ounces. The cinnamon sticks are also about 8 inches long when served.
Knowing these size dimensions helps explain why the calorie count comes in at 310 calories. That is a considerable amount of dough, cinnamon, and sugar packed into one appetizer.
Ingredients in Pizza Hut Cinnamon Sticks
To truly grasp where all those calories come from in a Pizza Hut Cinnamon Stick, we need to examine the ingredient list:
- Enriched bleached wheat flour (bleached flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)
- Water
- Soybean oil
- Sugar
- Brown sugar
- Leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda, monocalcium phosphate)
- Salt
- Soy lecithin
- Natural and artificial flavor
- Cinnamon
The main sources of calories in a Pizza Hut Cinnamon Stick come from the enriched bleached wheat flour, soybean oil, and sugars. Let’s take a closer look at each key ingredient:
Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour
This flour gives the cinnamon stick its soft, pillowy dough. All purpose flour contains approximately 400 calories per cup, contributing a significant amount of calories to the cinnamon stick.
Soybean Oil
The soybean oil is used to fry the cinnamon stick to give it its signature golden brown crispiness. Oil is very calorie dense, with one tablespoon containing around 120 calories. The cinnamon stick likely contains a few tablespoons worth of oil.
Sugars
The combination of regular sugar and brown sugar coats the cinnamon stick with sweetness. One teaspoon of granulated white sugar has about 16 calories, while brown sugar has slightly more at around 17 calories per teaspoon. With liberal use of both sugars, this adds additional calories.
When all the calorie-rich ingredients come together through the frying process, it results in the finished product packing 310 calories into one appetizer.
How the Calories Compare to Other Pizza Hut Appetizers
Now that we know a Pizza Hut Cinnamon Stick contains 310 calories, how does it compare to other appetizer options on their menu?
Here is a calorie comparison of Pizza Hut Cinnamon Sticks versus some other popular appetizers:
| Appetizer | Calories |
|---|---|
| Cinnamon Sticks (order of 5) | 310 |
| Cheese Sticks (order of 10) | 510 |
| Chicken Strips (order of 3) | 420 |
| Garlic Knots (order of 5) | 370 |
| Breadsticks (order of 5) | 500 |
As you can see, the Cinnamon Sticks have slightly less calories than most other appetizers, besides the Garlic Knots. The Cheesy Breadsticks pack the biggest calorie punch with 500 calories for 5 sticks.
So while 310 calories is still quite high, by appetizer standards the Cinnamon Sticks are a mid-range option if you want to indulge while not going completely overboard on calories.
Tips for Reducing the Calories in Your Cinnamon Stick
While it’s hard to significantly alter the calories in an already prepared Pizza Hut Cinnamon Stick, there are some tips to shave off a few calories if you want to lighten it up:
- Ask for 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks instead of the standard order of 5. This limits the total calories you will consume.
- Request light on the icing drizzle or skip it altogether. The icing adds extra sugar and therefore unnecessary calories.
- Only eat half of 1 cinnamon stick and take the rest to-go. This cuts the calories in half to around 155 per serving.
- Dip the cinnamon stick lightly in the icing instead of drizzling the icing directly on it.
- Pair your cinnamon sticks with lower calorie menu items like a side salad instead of fries or cheesy bread.
Employing one or more of these tweaks can help reduce the calorie intake from your Pizza Hut cinnamon stick if you are looking to watch your calorie consumption.
Conclusion
So how many calories are in a Pizza Hut cinnamon stick after all? According to the nutritional information, one cinnamon stick contains 310 calories. This is due to the dough, oil, and sugar that make up the indulgent appetizer.
In comparison to other Pizza Hut appetizers, the cinnamon stick is mid-range in terms of calorie density. While certainly a treat, there are ways to reduce the calories such as ordering fewer sticks, limiting the icing, or pairing it with lighter sides.
Overall, while not the healthiest appetizer choice, cinnamon sticks can be worked into an occasional treat meal. Just be mindful of portion sizes as the calories can quickly climb with multiple servings. But when enjoyed responsibly, Pizza Hut’s cinnamon sticks provide a delicious hit of cinnamon sweetness.
