Calories in Dates: Medjool, Deglet Noor and Per 100 g

Dates taste like caramel, but they’re a whole fruit. They’re popular as a natural sweetener, in energy balls and smoothies, and to break the fast during Ramadan. But they’re also very sweet and dense – so how many calories do dates have, and how many should you eat?

The short answer: one Medjool date has about 66 calories, and one smaller Deglet Noor date about 20. 100 g of dates has about 280 calories and about 65 g of sugar. Dates are rich in fiber and potassium, but they’re calorie-dense: a handful adds up quickly.

Calories in dates by portion

Values are for pitted dates, from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA FoodData Central):

Portion	Weight	Calories
1 Deglet Noor date	7 g	20 kcal
5 Deglet Noor dates	36 g	100 kcal
1 Medjool date	24 g	66 kcal
3 Medjool dates	72 g	199 kcal
¼ cup chopped dates	37 g	104 kcal
100 g Medjool	100 g	277 kcal
100 g Deglet Noor	100 g	282 kcal

Tip: Medjool dates are about three times bigger than Deglet Noor dates. Check which kind you have before you count – “one date” can mean 20 or 66 calories.

Date nutrition facts

Nutrient	Per 100 g, Medjool	Per Medjool date (24 g)
Calories	277 kcal	66 kcal
Carbohydrates	75 g	18 g
– of which sugars	66.5 g	16 g
Fiber	6.7 g	1.6 g
Protein	1.8 g	0.4 g
Fat	0.2 g	0 g
Potassium	696 mg	167 mg
Magnesium	about 54 mg	about 13 mg

Dates are mostly natural sugar – one Medjool date has about 16 g, as much as four teaspoons of sugar. But unlike candy, they also bring fiber, potassium, magnesium and plant antioxidants. 100 g of dates has more potassium than a banana.

Calories in stuffed dates and date snacks

Food	Portion	Calories
Medjool date + 1 tsp peanut butter	1 date	about 100 kcal
Medjool date + 1 almond	1 date	about 73 kcal
Bacon-wrapped date	1 piece	about 70⁠–⁠90 kcal
Date and nut energy ball	1 ball (25 g)	about 90⁠–⁠110 kcal
Date syrup	1 tbsp (20 g)	about 60 kcal
Chopped dates in oatmeal	2 tbsp	about 55 kcal
Sticky toffee pudding	1 portion	about 400⁠–⁠550 kcal

Stuffed dates make a great sweet snack, but nut butters add calories fast. Energy balls made with dates and nuts are healthier than candy bars, but they’re still calorie-dense – one or two is a portion.

Are dates good for weight loss?

In small amounts, yes. Dates are a whole-food way to satisfy a sweet tooth, and their fiber helps you feel full. They’re a smart swap for candy, cookies or chocolate bars.

The catch is portion size:

• Count them: 2–3 Medjool dates (about 130–200 calories) is a good portion.
• Pair them with protein or fat: a few nuts, Greek yogurt or a little cheese.
• Use them to sweeten smoothies, oatmeal or baking instead of sugar – and count them.
• Don’t eat from the box – a handful of Medjool dates can be 300–400 calories.

Remember that you lose weight only when you eat fewer calories than you burn. Read more about the calorie deficit and find your number with our calorie calculator.

Dates and blood sugar

Even though they’re very sweet, dates have a low to medium glycemic index of about 40–55 in most studies, thanks to their fiber. A portion of 1–2 dates doesn’t spike blood sugar much for most people. If you have diabetes, eat them with a meal or with nuts or yogurt, and count them as carbs. See our guide to low glycemic fruits. On a keto diet, dates don’t fit: one Medjool date has about 16 g of net carbs.

Count the calories in your dates without guesswork. With NutriSmart, you snap a photo of what you eat, and the app counts your calories, protein, carbs and fat and shows how much you have left for the day. In the food library, you can also see the glycemic index of each food.Get the app free

You can also read how many calories are in a banana and our list of low calorie snacks.

The bottom line

A Medjool date has about 66 calories and a Deglet Noor date about 20; 100 g has about 280 calories and 65 g of sugar. Dates are rich in fiber and potassium and have a lower glycemic index than you’d expect. They’re a healthy sweet – just count them, because the calories add up quickly.