What Dried Fruit Has No Added Sugar?

The Short Answer

Most commercial dried berries and tropical fruits are pumped full of added sugar to balance their natural tartness. Finding unsweetened dried fruit means sticking to naturally sweet varieties like dates, raisins, apples, and apricots.

Cranberries, tart cherries, and commercial mangoes are the worst offenders. A standard serving of Ocean Spray Craisins contains 29 grams of sugar—more than the daily limit recommended by the American Heart Association. If you want truly clean dried fruit, the ingredient label should literally just be the name of the fruit.

Why This Matters

Dried fruit has had its water removed, meaning the natural sugars and calories are already highly concentrated. Adding cane sugar to this mix turns a healthy, fiber-rich snack into literal candy. Is Dried Fruit Healthy

Brands don't just add sugar for flavor. Sugar syrup is a cheap bulking agent that adds heavy weight to dried fruit, instantly increasing the manufacturer's profit margins. This is especially common in dried tropical fruits like pineapple, papaya, and mango.

Marketing labels are intentionally deceptive. Brands love to slap "No Added Cane Sugar" on the front of the bag while sweetening the fruit with apple juice concentrate. Your body processes fruit juice concentrate exactly like refined sugar, leading to the same blood sugar spikes and crashes. Fresh Vs Dried Fruit

What's Actually In Dried Fruit

• Naturally Occurring Fructose — The natural sugar found in all fruit. While highly concentrated in dried fruit, it comes packaged with natural fiber that slows digestion.
• Added Cane Sugar — The cheap sweetener used to bulk up cranberries, blueberries, and commercial trail mix additions. It provides empty calories and promotes inflammation. Is Trail Mix Healthy
• Fruit Juice Concentrate — Usually apple or pineapple juice used to sweeten "healthier" brands. It is stripped of its fiber and acts as free sugar in the bloodstream.
• Sulfites (Sulfur Dioxide) — A preservative used to keep fruits like apricots bright orange instead of turning naturally brown. Sulfites can trigger severe asthma-like allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Sulfites In Dried Fruit
• Sunflower Oil — Often lightly sprayed on sticky fruits like cranberries or raisins. It prevents the fruit from clumping together in the bag.

What to Look For

Green Flags:

• "One Ingredient" label — The ingredient list should just say "organic mango" or "organic figs."
• Naturally brown coloring — Brown apricots might look less appealing, but they prove the product is sulfite-free.
• Naturally sweet varieties — Dates, raisins, prunes, and figs almost never require added sugar.

Red Flags:

• "Juice Sweetened" marketing — Apple juice concentrate is just a sneaky way to add sugar without calling it sugar.
• Tart berries — Cranberries, blueberries, and cherries are naturally very bitter and almost always contain added sugar to make them palatable. Is Craisins Healthy
• Crystallized coatings — If your dried pineapple or ginger has a white, sugary dust on the outside, it's heavily candied.

The Best Options

Finding clean dried fruit requires reading the ingredient list, not the marketing claims on the front of the bag. Here are the best options for unsweetened snacking.

The Bottom Line

1. Check the ingredient list. It should just say the name of the fruit and absolutely nothing else.

2. Skip the cranberries and cherries. Unless you are buying them 100% raw for baking, commercially dried berries are almost always sugar bombs.

3. Watch your portions. Even unsweetened dried fruit is incredibly calorie-dense. Stick to a small handful instead of eating straight from the bag.

FAQ

Is "sweetened with apple juice" better than cane sugar?

Not really. Your body processes fruit juice concentrate almost exactly like refined sugar. Because the juice has been stripped of its natural fiber, it will still cause a rapid spike in your blood sugar.

Why do they add sugar to dried mango and pineapple?

Sugar acts as both a preservative and a cheap bulking agent. Soaking tropical fruit in heavy sugar syrup makes the fruit weigh more, increasing profits for the manufacturer.

Are raisins considered added sugar?

No. Traditional raisins are just dried grapes and contain only naturally occurring sugars. However, some brands spray them with vegetable oils to prevent sticking, so you should always check the ingredient panel.

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