Fruit · Glycemic index

Do dates spike blood sugar?

Moderately. Dates have a low GI of 54, and a 48 g serving (2 Medjool dates, pitted) has a medium glycemic load of 18. Dates have a low-to-medium GI, but their sugar is very concentrated — two Medjool dates carry more carbohydrate than a medium banana — so the count matters more than the GI.

Key numbers

Glycemic index: 54; Low GI
Glycemic load: 18; Medium GL
Available carbs: 33 g; 3.2 g fiber
Serving: 2 Medjool dates, pitted; 48 g · dried

GI vs GL for dates

The glycemic index (GI) compares how fast the carbohydrate in a food raises blood sugar against pure glucose (100), using a fixed amount of carbohydrate. The glycemic load (GL) adds the other half of the story — how much carbohydrate a normal serving actually contains: GI × available carbs ÷ 100. For dates: 54 × 33 g ÷ 100 ≈ 18.

That figure is an average reported in the 2021 international GI tables (“Dates, dried, mean of 19 foods”). Varieties differ: 19 dried dates averaged 54, with individual cultivars from 36 to 75, and the Medjool variety tested 55. Another group of 11 date samples averaged 52.

Eating a different amount? Work out the glycemic load of your portion.

How to eat dates with less of a spike

Stick to one or two dates and pair them with a handful of nuts or a spoon of nut butter.
Chop a date into oatmeal or yogurt to sweeten the whole bowl instead of using sugar.
Smaller Deglet Noor dates (about 7 g each) make portions easier to control than Medjool dates (about 24 g each).

Lower-GI swaps

Compare with

See all 67 foods in the glycemic index table

Frequently asked questions

What is the glycemic index of dates?

Dates have a glycemic index of 54, which is low. That figure is an average reported in the 2021 international GI tables (“Dates, dried, mean of 19 foods”). A 48 g serving (2 Medjool dates, pitted) contains about 33 g of available carbohydrate, giving a glycemic load of 18 (medium).

Is dates good for prediabetes?

Dates can fit in small numbers — one or two at a time, ideally with nuts or yogurt — but they are not a free snack. Several dates add up quickly.

Do Medjool dates spike blood sugar more than other dates?

Not especially. In the 2021 tables, Medjool dates tested 55, close to the average of 54 for 19 dried dates. Medjool dates are large, though, so each one carries more carbohydrate than a smaller variety.

Sources

GI values come from the international GI tables; carbohydrate and fiber per serving are calculated from USDA FoodData Central.

Data last checked September 30, 2026.