Snacks & Kuih · Hong Kong

How Many Calories in Pineapple Bun (Bo Lo Bao)?

Also known as 菠蘿包, Bo Lo Baau, Polo Bun, Hong Kong Pineapple Bun.

The bo lo bao is a soft sweet bun with a cracked sugar-and-lard crust on top that looks like pineapple skin. Every Hong Kong bakery and cha chaan teng sells them, usually for HK$5 to HK$12.

310kcal / 1 bun
One standard pineapple bun (about 80g) is around 310 calories. Roughly 200 of that is the sweet bread itself and the other 95 or so is the crunchy topping, which is basically sugar, flour and lard baked into a shell.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 bun (80g)AmountPer 100g
Calories310 kcal388 kcal
Protein7 g9 g
Carbs48 g60 g
Fat10 g13 g

Where the calories come from

Sweet bun dough (flour, milk, sugar, egg)65g
200 kcal
Pineapple crust topping (sugar, flour, lard)15g
95 kcal
Egg wash5g
15 kcal

The real talk

There is no fruit in this thing. The name comes from the way the crust cracks in the oven. What you are actually eating is 48g of carbs, most of it refined flour and sugar, packed into something you finish in four bites. A bun at 310 calories is more than a bowl of rice, which sits around 260, and it comes with far less staying power. Most people who buy one at 3pm are hungry again by 5.

The topping is where the fat hides. That 15g crust adds around 95 calories on its own because it is made with lard or shortening plus a big hit of sugar. The Centre for Food Safety tested pineapple buns in its bread survey and found them low in sodium and moderate in fat compared to cocktail buns and croissants, so among Hong Kong bakery items this is actually one of the tamer choices at roughly 10g of fat.

Size varies a lot between shops. A small bakery bun can be 65g and closer to 250 calories. The big fluffy ones from the famous cha chaan tengs in Mong Kok and Central push 100g and land near 380 calories. If the bun is warm and the crust is thick and glossy, assume the high end. Add a slab of butter (bo lo yau) and you are looking at around 390 calories before your milk tea arrives.

How many calories in 2, 3 or 4 buns?

How manyCaloriesProtein
1 bun310 kcal7 g
2 buns620 kcal14 g
3 buns930 kcal21 g
4 buns1240 kcal28 g
5 buns1550 kcal35 g
6 buns1860 kcal42 g

How the portions compare

250 kcal
Small bakery bun (65g)
310 kcal
Standard bun (80g)
380 kcal
Large cha chaan teng bun (100g)

Pineapple Bun (Bo Lo Bao) variants, ranked by calories

VariantCaloriesNotes
Plain pineapple bun310 kcalStandard 80g bun
Bo lo yau (with butter)390 kcalAdds a 10g cold butter slab
Pineapple bun with custard filling400 kcalCustard adds about 90 calories
Pineapple bun with pork chop620 kcalFried bone-in chop inside the bun

How to eat it lighter

Common questions

Is there pineapple in a pineapple bun?
No. The name refers to the cracked golden crust, which looks like pineapple skin. The bun is plain sweet bread with a sugar and lard topping, about 310 calories.
How many calories in a pineapple bun with butter?
A bo lo yau with a 10g butter slab is roughly 390 calories. The butter alone is about 75 calories and doubles the fat content of the bun.
Is a pineapple bun a healthy breakfast?
It is 310 calories with about 7g of protein and 48g of refined carbs, so it will not keep you full for long. It is fine as an occasional breakfast but pair it with something with protein, like an egg or a glass of milk.

Related foods

See all Snacks & Kuih calories, ranked ›

Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical cha chaan teng, dai pai dong or dim sum serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.

Calorie figure based on am730 HK dietitian bread ranking (310 kcal per bun); CFS Hong Kong bread survey for fat and sodium context. Macros estimated from the ingredients.

How many calories do you actually need?

Free TDEE calculator. Thirty seconds, no sign up.

Use the calculator