A single pitted Medjool date contains about 18 grams of carbohydrates, with nearly 16 grams of that coming from natural sugars. Smaller Deglet Noor dates have roughly 6 grams of carbs each. The exact count depends on the variety, size, and ripeness of the date, but by any measure, dates are one of the most carbohydrate-dense fruits you can eat.
Carbs by Variety and Serving Size
The two most common varieties sold in grocery stores are Medjool and Deglet Noor, and they differ significantly in size and carb content. Medjool dates are the large, soft, caramel-like ones often sold in clamshell containers. A single pitted Medjool weighs about 24 grams and packs roughly 18 grams of total carbs, 16 grams of sugar, and 1.6 grams of fiber. Two Medjool dates give you 36 grams of carbs, which is comparable to eating two slices of bread.
Deglet Noor dates are smaller, firmer, and a bit less sweet. One pitted Deglet Noor weighs around 7 to 8 grams and contains about 6 grams of total carbs, 5.3 grams of sugar, and 0.7 grams of fiber. You’d need to eat three Deglet Noor dates to match the carbs in a single Medjool.
Per 100 grams (roughly four Medjool dates or a dozen Deglet Noor), dates provide about 75 grams of carbohydrates and 63 grams of sugar. That makes them denser in sugar than most other dried fruits.
How Dates Compare to Other Dried Fruits
Dates sit near the top of the carbohydrate scale among dried fruits. Per 100 grams, dates have about 75 grams of carbs and 63 grams of sugar. Dried figs come in at 64 grams of carbs and 48 grams of sugar for the same weight. That means dates pack over 30% more sugar than figs, gram for gram. Raisins fall somewhere in between, with roughly 79 grams of carbs per 100 grams but a lower sugar concentration than dates.
The practical difference is that dates are extremely easy to over-consume because they’re soft, sticky, and intensely sweet. A handful of Medjool dates can deliver 50 or 60 grams of carbs before you realize it.
Net Carbs and Keto Compatibility
If you subtract fiber from total carbs to get net carbs (the number most low-carb dieters track), a Medjool date has about 16.4 grams of net carbs. A Deglet Noor has about 5.3 grams. Most ketogenic diets cap daily net carbs at 20 to 50 grams, so even a single Medjool date could eat up a third to nearly all of a day’s carb budget. Dates are not considered keto-friendly by any practical definition.
If you’re following a low-carb plan but not strict keto, a single Deglet Noor date can work as a sweetener in a smoothie or energy bite without derailing your macros. But portion control matters more with dates than with almost any other whole fruit.
How Dates Affect Blood Sugar
Given all that sugar, you might expect dates to spike your blood sugar dramatically. They actually don’t, at least not as much as their sugar content suggests. Medjool dates have a glycemic index of about 37, which falls squarely in the low category (under 55). The glycemic load of a typical serving of one and a half dates comes out to around 15, placing it in the medium range.
Across date varieties more broadly, the glycemic index ranges from about 35 to 75 depending on ripeness and variety. Semi-ripe dates tend to score higher (around 47), while commercially dried, fully ripe dates score lower (around 35). The fiber, along with small amounts of fat and protein in dates, slows digestion enough to moderate the blood sugar response.
Clinical research on dates and blood sugar has been reassuring. A narrative review published in Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome looked at multiple studies, including randomized controlled trials, and found no significant worsening of blood sugar control in people who ate dates regularly, including people with type 2 diabetes. The studies were small and short-term, so they’re not the final word, but they do suggest that moderate date consumption (one to three dates per day) doesn’t cause the glucose spike you’d expect from eating the equivalent amount of table sugar.
Practical Portion Guidelines
For most people, the sweet spot is one to three dates as a snack or natural sweetener. Here’s what that looks like in carb terms:
- 1 Medjool date: 18 g carbs, 16 g sugar
- 2 Medjool dates: 36 g carbs, 32 g sugar
- 3 Deglet Noor dates: 19 g carbs, 16 g sugar
- 6 Deglet Noor dates: 37 g carbs, 32 g sugar
Pairing dates with a source of protein or fat (a handful of almonds, a spoonful of peanut butter) helps slow glucose absorption further and makes them more satisfying. Many people use dates as a base for homemade energy bars or as a one-to-one sugar substitute in baking, which works well for sweetness but does not reduce the carb count. Date paste and date syrup contain the same carbs as whole dates, just in a different form.
If you’re counting carbs for diabetes management or weight loss, weigh your dates rather than counting them. Medjool dates in particular vary a lot in size, from 15 grams on the small end to over 30 grams for jumbo fruit. Two large Medjool dates could have nearly twice the carbs of two small ones.