Hemp Hearts vs Hemp Seeds: What Is the Difference?

What is the difference between hemp hearts and hemp seeds?

Hemp hearts are hemp seeds with the outer hull removed. The whole seed has a hard shell around a soft kernel. Take the shell off and the kernel is what shops sell as hemp hearts.

The same product goes by several names. USDA calls it “hemp seed, hulled”. FDA’s GRAS notice calls it “dehulled hemp seed”. Researchers also write “shelled”. All mean the same thing.

“Hemp seeds” is the loose term. On a pack it can mean whole seeds or hulled ones. Bob’s Red Mill, a US grain and seed company, notes that most hemp seeds on shelves are hulled before they are packaged. Look for “whole”, “unhulled” or “hulled” on the label.

Sources for each number are in the sections below.

What is the hull?

The hull is the hard outer shell of the seed. Manitoba Harvest, a hemp food brand, describes the whole seed as having a “hard, nut-like exterior” and a “soft chewy inside”.

Botanically the description fits. Callaway (2004), writing in the journal Euphytica, notes that hempseed is technically a nut.

The hull is edible. Bob’s Red Mill states that hemp seeds are safe to eat with their shells intact. Hulling is a choice about texture and composition, not safety.

Fiber: the biggest difference

Whole hemp seeds have roughly seven times the fiber of hemp hearts by weight. Most of the seed’s fiber sits in the hull, so it leaves with the hull.

For hemp hearts, USDA FoodData Central lists 4 g of fiber per 100 g. A 30 g serving (3 tablespoons) has 1.2 g. That is 4% of FDA’s 28 g Daily Value, which FDA classes as low.

USDA has no SR Legacy record for whole hemp seeds, so the whole-seed figure comes from Callaway’s 2004 paper. Its Table 1 gives the typical content of whole hempseed of the Finola variety:

In that table, fiber and carbohydrate are the same number: the carbohydrate in the whole seed is counted as dietary fiber. Most of it, 22.2 of 27.6 points, is the non-digestible kind.

At 27.6%, a 30 g portion of whole seed would hold about 8.3 g of fiber, or 30% of the Daily Value. That is this site’s arithmetic from one variety in one paper. Treat it as an order of magnitude, not a label value.

Protein and fat: hulling concentrates both

Hemp hearts have more protein and more fat per gram than whole seeds. The hull is mostly fiber, so removing it raises the share of everything else.

Three sources report the gap. They used different samples and methods, so the figures do not match exactly.

More fat means more calories. USDA lists 553 kcal per 100 g for hemp hearts. Callaway’s 2,200 kJ per 100 g for whole seed converts to about 526 kcal.

Protein quality also changes

Hulled seed scored higher on protein quality than whole seed in the House study. The team used the PDCAAS method, which combines amino acid content with digestibility measured in rats.

The authors concluded that removing the hull improved protein digestibility and the resulting PDCAAS. Mierlita (2026) found the same direction in a lab test: in vitro protein digestibility of 86.73% for hulled seeds against 78.34% for whole. Details are on the hemp seeds protein page.

Texture and taste

Whole seeds are crunchy and hemp hearts are soft. Bob’s Red Mill says some people prefer the crunch of the whole seed, and describes hearts as much more delicate and somewhat squishy.

Manitoba Harvest describes hemp hearts as the soft, chewy center of the seed, with a subtle nutty flavor. These are makers’ descriptions, not measurements.

How each one is used

Hemp hearts go into food as they are. Manitoba Harvest says they can be eaten raw or cooked, and suggests smoothies and desserts. Bob’s Red Mill suggests baking them into cookies.

Whole seeds suit dishes where crunch is welcome. Bob’s Red Mill points out that the shell does not fit the texture of every dish. It also suggests grinding seeds into a powder for smoothies, sauces and soups.

FDA’s 2018 GRAS review covered hulled hemp seed as an ingredient in foods such as beverages, soups, baked goods, cereals, snacks and nutrition bars. It did not cover whole seeds as a separate ingredient. Recipe ideas are on the hemp seed recipes page.

What about THC?

Neither form naturally contains THC in the seed itself, according to FDA. In its December 2018 statement on hemp seed ingredients, FDA says the seeds can pick up trace amounts of THC and CBD from other plant parts during harvesting and processing.

This site found no sourced comparison of trace levels in whole versus hulled seeds, so it gives none. The legal background is on hemp vs marijuana.

Which should you buy?

Pick by fiber and texture. The sourced differences come down to three points.

• Choose whole seeds for fiber and crunch. Expect less protein and fat per gram.
• Choose hemp hearts for a soft texture, more protein per spoonful and a product with full USDA data. Expect very little fiber.
• Price: this site has no sourced price comparison, so it does not give one.

For the complete numbers on hemp hearts, see hemp hearts nutrition. To compare hemp hearts with chia, flax and three other seeds, use the seed nutrition comparison.