How many carbs are in an apple?

A medium apple has 25g of carbs, 21g net. Comparison by variety (Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Gala) and size.

Written by

Carb Lens Editorial

Nutrition writers & product team

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Alicia Nguyen, RD, CDCES

Registered Dietitian · Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialist · 12+ years clinical experience

Published June 1, 2026 3 min readEditorial policy

A medium apple (about 182g) has 25g of carbs, with 4.4g of fiber, giving ~21g net carbs. The variety changes the sweetness perception but barely changes the total.

By size

Size	Weight	Carbs
Small	149g	21g
Medium	182g	25g
Large	223g	31g
Extra large	282g	39g

By variety (medium apple)

Variety	Carbs	Sugar
Honeycrisp	27g	20g
Gala	25g	19g
Fuji	28g	22g
Granny Smith	22g	16g
Red Delicious	25g	19g
Pink Lady	26g	20g

Granny Smith is the lowest-carb mainstream apple because it's less ripe.

Glycemic impact

Despite the sugar, whole apples have a glycemic index of ~36 — low. The fiber, especially the skin's pectin, slows absorption substantially. Apple juice, by contrast, has a GI of 41 and lacks fiber, hitting blood sugar twice as fast.

Apple comparisons

Medium apple ≈ 1 slice of bread in total carbs
Apple sauce (½ cup, unsweetened): 14g
Dried apple rings (¼ cup): 17g (concentrated sugar)

About the author

Carb Lens Editorial — Nutrition writers & product team. The Carb Lens editorial team writes practical, source-checked guides on carbs, blood sugar, and everyday nutrition. Every article is drafted by our writers and cross-referenced against USDA FoodData Central and peer-reviewed clinical guidelines.

How we source and review this article

Nutrition figures come from the USDA FoodData Central database. Blood-sugar and glycemic-load framing follows guidance from the American Diabetes Association and World Health Organization healthy-diet recommendations. Every article is medically reviewed by Dr. Alicia Nguyen, RD, CDCES before publishing and re-checked on a rolling basis. See our full editorial & medical review policy.

This article is for general information and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you're managing diabetes or another condition, always defer to your care team.