Date Sales on the Rise in the U.S. as People Fall Back in Love With the Fruit

In a time when scientists and experts are warning against the rise in consumption of ultra-processed foods — and the health concerns that come along with a diet rich in these artificial items — people are turning to new and creative places to satisfy their hunger. And while many people are opting to make their own items from scratch (hello, sourdough bread), others are turning to a surprising place when it comes to grabbing a quick snack that can also satisfy your sweet tooth: Dates.

If you've never heard of them before, date fruits are a tropical stone fruit that is traditionally found in hot and arid climates, where they are grown on date palm trees.

These naturally sweet treats are nutrient-dense and make a great option for those on the go. In fact, they've gotten so popular that the U.S. date fruit sales growth exploded across the country in 2025, highlighting just how many people are reaching for the oldest-cultivated foods in the world.

According to Food52, date sales across the country is up 33 percent, year-over-year. The publication says that the fruit saw a rise in popularity in 2019, when a company selling Medjool dates called Joolies out of California started seeing some national attention.

It sounds like America's appetite for the fruit only grew from there (pun intended), and other companies quickly started seeing their own date explosion, which includes everything from plain dates to those that have been dressed up.

Items like chocolate-covered dates, cookie dough dates, and even peanut butter-stuffed dates have all been popping up in stores around the country.

Even TikTok has hopped on the trend, and there are some influencers who are using dates as the staple in all kinds of different recipes, turning these fruits into sweet treats that the whole family can enjoy... sometimes blending them up into smoothies, or even whipping them into caramel candies.

There's a reason why so many people are now reaching for these fruits. According to Healthline, they are high in fiber, chock full of antioxidants, can boost iron levels, and may even help pregnant people go into labor on their own.

All you have to do is look at the nutrition content of a 40-gram serving of dates to see what they have going for them, including:

• Fiber
• Protein
• Potassium
• Magnesium
• Copper
• Iron
• Vitamin B6

However, Healthline also warns that there are some other things to consider.

Dates are calorie-dense, which means they contain more calories per serving than some other fruits.

Of course, the standard serving size is a bit smaller, so in the end you'll end up with a similar calorie count when eating a standard serving of the food. However, if you find yourself going a bit overboard while noshing on these new American favorites, you could consume more calories than you intended to, so it's important to keep that in mind when eating them.