How Much Sugar Is in Prunes?
Five prunes have about 16 g of natural sugar — dried plums, so the sugar is concentrated the same way it is in raisins.
in 5 prunes (42 g) · about 3.8 teaspoons
- Per serving
- 16 g
- Per 100 g
- 38 g
- Type
- Natural sugar
- In teaspoons
- ≈ 3.8 tsp
A big chunk of a day's sugar in one serving.
Five prunes — a typical serving — carry about 16 g of sugar. Prunes are simply dried plums, so like raisins, the drying process removes water and leaves the sugar behind at a much higher concentration per bite than the fresh fruit ever had.
Prunes do bring real fibre and are well known for supporting digestion, which sets them apart from a plain sugary snack. Still, it's easy to eat well past five when they're soft and sitting on the counter, so treating the serving size as a real limit matters here.
How prunes compares
Out of 114 everyday foods and drinks we track, prunes ranks #51 for sugar per serving — more than 56% of them.
- Pineapple16g
- Medjool dates16g
- Prunes (this page)16g
- Pop-Tart16g
- Blueberries15g
Bars show sugar per serving. Tap any food to see its full breakdown.
Lower-sugar swaps
- A few fresh plums instead of dried, when they're in season
- Pair prunes with a handful of nuts to slow down the sugar
Frequently asked questions
- Do prunes have more sugar than fresh plums?
- Yes, by weight — drying concentrates the natural sugar, so a small handful of prunes carries the sugar of several fresh plums.
- Are prunes good for cutting back on sugar?
- In a measured portion they're fine, and the fibre helps. The mistake is snacking on them freely, since they're far more sugar-dense than they taste.
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Sugar values from USDA FoodData Central; actual amounts vary by brand, ripeness, and recipe. Last updated 2026-08-28.