How Much Sugar Is in a Medjool Date?
A single Medjool date has about 16 g of natural sugar — dried fruit is one of the most sugar-dense foods by weight.
in 1 Medjool date (24 g) · about 3.8 teaspoons
- Per serving
- 16 g
- Per 100 g
- 66 g
- Type
- Natural sugar
- In teaspoons
- ≈ 3.8 tsp
A big chunk of a day's sugar in one serving.
One Medjool date packs roughly 16 g of sugar into a two-bite package — about 66 g per 100 g, making dried dates one of the most sugar-dense whole foods there is. Drying removes the water and leaves the sugar concentrated.
That density is exactly why dates work so well as a natural sweetener: one or two, with their fibre intact, can replace refined sugar in energy balls or baking. Whole and in moderation they're fine; the trap is eating them like popcorn.
Lower-sugar swaps
- Use one chopped date to sweeten oatmeal instead of sugar or syrup
- Pair a date with a few nuts so the fat and protein slow the sugar
Frequently asked questions
- Are dates a healthy sugar?
- They're whole fruit with fibre, potassium, and antioxidants, so they're better than refined sugar — but they're extremely sugar-dense, so one or two is a portion.
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Sugar values from USDA FoodData Central; actual amounts vary by brand, ripeness, and recipe. Last updated 2026-07-21.