My diet:

Dates

No E-numberSweetenersOrigin: Plant
Get a personal answer

Pick your family’s diets in the bar above.

Every diet

VeganYes

Dates are a fruit.

Gluten-freeDepends

The fruit is gluten-free. Chopped dates are sometimes dusted with wheat or oat flour.

HalalYes
KosherYes
KetoNo

Dates are a high-sugar fruit.

Low-FODMAPNo

Fructans are why a low-FODMAP diet leaves dates out.

The short answer
Dates are a vegan whole-fruit sweetener. They are not keto and they are not low-FODMAP, because they are rich in fructans. They are gluten-free. They bring fiber that juice concentrates leave behind.
Use in moderation

Safe in small amounts; may bother some people or raise blood sugar.

E-numberNone
Comes fromPlant
What it doesSweeteners
Glycemic index—
Daily limitNot set
Also calledDates, Dried dates

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDANot evaluated as an additive
🇪🇺 European UnionNot evaluated as an additive
🇨🇦 Health CanadaNot evaluated as an additive
CaliforniaNo extra rules

Dates are a fruit, not an E-number. They are a concentrated sugar with fiber, potassium and a distinct flavor. A bar that is sweetened only with dates is still a high-sugar bar.

Daily limit: Experts haven’t set a number because normal food amounts are far below any level of concern.

What is it?

The fruit dries on the palm or in a dehydrator. Paste is pitted dates ground smooth, sometimes with a little water. Chopped dates in a bakery mix are the same fruit, often dusted with oat or rice flour to keep the pieces apart.

Where it comes from: Dates are the fruit of the date palm, sold whole, chopped or as a paste. Deglet Noor dates are firmer. Medjool dates are softer and sweeter. Date paste on a label is those fruits, pitted and mashed.

Why it’s in food

  • Binds an energy bar
  • Sweetens a smoothie
  • Fills a cookie
  • Replaces some sugar in a batter

Often found in

Energy barsSmoothiesDate pasteStuffed datesGranolaBaked oatmeal

Also listed as: Dates, Dried dates, Date paste, Medjool dates, Deglet Noor dates, Chopped dates

Health & gut impact

FructansConcern

Fructans are why a low-FODMAP diet leaves dates out. A low-FODMAP elimination leaves them out, even though they are a whole fruit.

Monash FODMAP classification of dates

Fiber with the sugarBenefit

Unlike a syrup, a whole date or a paste keeps the fruit's fiber. That does not cancel the sugar. It does change how the ingredient compares with apple juice concentrate.

Composition of dried dates

What can I use instead?

Date syrup

Ratio: The boiled syrup of the same fruit, with less fiber

Best for: Drinks and glazes

Apple juice concentrate

Ratio: A pourable fruit sweetener

Best for: Gummies

Related

More sweeteners:

Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K) E950Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K, E950) is a zero-calorie sweetener approved in the US, EU and Canada. EFSA re-checked it in 2025 and raised its daily limit. It's usually paired with sucralose or aspartame to hide a slightly bitter aftertaste.Use in moderationAdvantame E969Advantame (E969) is an extremely intense sweetener related to aspartame. Regulators approve it, and the amount in a food is tiny next to the daily limit. It does not carry aspartame's phenylalanine warning at normal use.Generally safeAgave syrup (Agave nectar)Agave syrup is a plant sweetener that is mostly fructose. It barely moves blood sugar, and it is still sugar: skip it on keto and in a low-FODMAP elimination.Use in moderationAlluloseAllulose is a "rare sugar" that tastes like sugar but has almost no calories and doesn't raise blood sugar. It's keto-friendly and browns like real sugar in baking.Generally safe

Common questions

Are dates vegan?

Yes. They are a fruit. Honey is the bee product people sometimes mix them up with in a sweetener aisle.

Why are chopped dates dusty?

Packers dust them with a little flour or starch so they do not weld into a brick. That dusting can be oat or wheat, so a gluten-free buyer should read it.

Is Dates safe?

Use in moderation (66/100). Dates are a fruit, not an E-number. They are a concentrated sugar with fiber, potassium and a distinct flavor. A bar that is sweetened only with dates is still a high-sugar bar.

Is Dates vegan?

Yes. Dates are a fruit.

Is Dates gluten-free?

Depends. The fruit is gluten-free. Chopped dates are sometimes dusted with wheat or oat flour.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
  • Monash FODMAP classification of dates
  • Composition of dried dates