Sweetest Fruits — Complete Guide With Chart

In a day and age when nutritionists are advising we cut back on added sugars, many of us are turning to fruit as a delicious source of natural sweetness instead.

Swapping candy bars for sweet, juicy fruit is one of the healthiest choices we can make!

But why is fruit so sweet? 

Fruits differ in levels of sweetness according to the amount of natural sugar they contain, and also the type of sugar.

For example, if a fruit contains a high proportion of fructose, it will taste sweeter than one that is mostly sucrose.

The levels of acidity of fruit can also affect the amount of sugar we can taste. This is particularly true of citrus fruits, which contain a lot of natural sweetness that is counterbalanced by the acidity of the juice.

If you want to guarantee that your fruit bowl is filled with the sweetest fruits, we’ve got some top tips to help you pick the very best fruit.

Firstly, try to only buy fruits that are in season. This means that they have been grown and harvested during their natural growing season, without any reliance on artificial light and heat.

A few years ago none of us had heard of jackfruit, and now it seems to be everywhere!

However, jackfruit is more commonly used in savory dishes than sweet — which is a surprise considering its high sugar content!

The reason for the rise in popularity of jackfruit is that it can be used as a meat replacement for a range of different vegan dishes. If you haven’t tried the jackfruit version of pulled pork, you really should!

When used as a meat substitute, jackfruit is normally eaten when it is underripe, before the starches have been turned into sugar. However, ripe jackfruit is far sweeter and tastes like a blend of mango and pineapple.

You know when you’ve got a bunch of grapes in the fruit bowl and you just can’t stop snacking on them — well, it is probably due to their intense sweetness!

The level of sugars in grapes varies according to the variety, but top-quality table grapes are one of the sweetest fruits out there.

Grapes have a soft, juicy texture inside a thin edible skin, and they are small enough to pop a whole grape or two into your mouth at once.

Red grapes are generally sweeter than green ones, and they also contain higher levels of antioxidants and other nutritional benefits. Grapes are also low in calories and are a great replacement for sugary snacks.

It may surprise you that figs come so high on the list of the sweetest fruits — these little delights are so sweet that they are like eating honey or fruit jam!

In fact, figs were used as a sweetener in ancient times before sugar became more commonplace.

The reason that figs taste so sweet is that the sugars come in the form of fructose, which tastes very sweet to our palate. They are also very low in acidic flavors, allowing the sweetness of the fruit to truly shine.

The flesh of a mango is dense, juicy, and packed full of natural sugars.

These tropical fruits have an intense floral flavor and aroma, like a combination of peach, pineapple, and papaya.

To get the maximum sweetness from a mango, ensure that the fruit is fully ripe before cutting into it. To test it, give the skin a press with your thumb — it should yield slightly.

Luckily, mangos ripen well in a fruit bowl, so if your fruit is not quite ready it is worth leaving it for another day or two.

Who’d have thought that those jewel-like seeds in pomegranates were so high in sugar?

Pomegranates require quite a lot of effort to eat, as picking out the tiny edible seeds can be quite time-consuming.

However, they are definitely worth the effort — each red seed tastes like a cross between cranberry and strawberry, with an intense sweetness. The seeds consist of a fleshy outer section and a tiny hard pip, all of which can be eaten.

Sweet cherries have an intense flavor and sweetness that is quite unlike any other fruit.

The flesh of cherries is soft and juicy, with a deep red color. This gives them a rich taste, similar to a mix of blackberries, raspberries, and plums.

Cherries are quite small and each fruit contains a small stone, so they can be fiddly to eat. However, the flavor and sweetness are definitely worth the effort!

They are also packed full of nutritional benefits including antioxidants and a range of different vitamins.

Your tastebuds may not tell you that bananas are one of the sweetest fruits, but that dense flesh is packed full of starch, which is converted to sugars as the fruit ripens.

Ripe bananas have a delicious flavor with notes of honey and vanilla. The texture is smooth and rich, and a single banana is large enough to provide a filling and nutritious snack.

Because of their high sugar content, bananas make the ideal snack to boost your energy levels after a workout or during that mid-afternoon slump in the office!

Passion fruits are small, avocado-sized fruits with a tough rind and a soft, seed-filled center.

These seeds are surrounded by a jelly-like substance that is intensely sweet and packed full of flavor.

This soft, seed-filled pulp is normally scooped out and eaten with a spoon — we also love putting it on vanilla ice cream!

Ripe passion fruit has a sweet and complex flavor with hints of citrus, pineapple, and melon. To test if a passion fruit is ripe, take a look at the skin — it should be slightly wrinkled and give slightly when pressed with a finger. 

As the saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away!

One apple constitutes a single portion of fruit, and the crunchy, juicy flesh of this crisp fruit is packed full of natural sugars.

There is some variation in sugar levels between different varieties of apples. Eating varieties, such as Pink Lady and Gala, are much sweeter than apples intended for cooking.

One of the benefits of apples is that they store well and are easy to transport, meaning we can enjoy them all year round!

Pears contain high levels of natural sugars, but these are normally only apparent when the fruit is perfectly ripe.

Underripe pears have a crunchy texture, but when they are ripe they turn softer and have an intense natural sweetness.

The flavor of pear is like an aromatic version of an apple, with floral taste notes. The skin and flesh of the fruit are both edible, but the tough central core and pips should be discarded.

Plums contain relatively low levels of sugar compared to the other stone fruits on our list.

These little purple fruits have soft flesh that has a subtle fruity flavor. The skin is firm yet easy to bite and has a slightly sour flavor that provides a pleasant contrast to the sweeter flesh.

The sweetest plums are those that are allowed to ripen on the tree until the flesh becomes soft and juicy. Underripe plums can be ripened at home, but they will not be quite as sweet and flavorsome.

Blueberries are small berries that are so full of nutritional benefits that they are considered to be a superfood!

They contain high levels of immune-boosting antioxidants and can help to maintain a healthy heart and regulate blood pressure.

Blueberries are not overly sweet and have a slightly sour acidic tang that balances well with the natural sugars. A handful of blueberries is a delicious and healthy snack that can be enjoyed either raw or cooked.

Kiwi fruit is another fruit that contains far higher levels of sugar than you might expect.

The dense, green flesh of kiwis has a zesty citrus flavor that perfectly balances the sugar content to create a zingy, refreshing flavor.

The outer skin of kiwi fruits is soft, but not at all pleasant to eat, so is normally peeled away from the flesh underneath. The center of the fruit contains tiny black seeds around a white core, all of which can be eaten.

Apricots are often overlooked when picking up fruit to fill our fruit bowls, but these little orange-colored fruits deserve more attention!

Apricots look like a smaller version of a peach, but the flesh is denser and has a slightly chewy texture.

The flavor of apricots is slightly tart and zingy, but they contain enough sugar to give your energy levels a little boost. Unfortunately, fresh apricots do not store well, so they are not always available to buy — this is one reason why dried apricots are so popular!

The first and sweetest citrus fruit on our list is, unsurprisingly, the much-loved orange.

Many citrus fruits are just too sharp and zingy to eat alone, but there is nothing quite like tucking into a juicy orange!

Oranges are a segmented fruit contained within a tough outer peel. Each segment is sweet and has a soft, juicy texture. Some oranges contain hard pips that should not be eaten.

As the name suggests, sour cherries contain less sugar than their sweet counterparts! However, they do contain far more sugar than many people realize.

The reason for the sour flavor of some cherries is not the lack of sugar, but the high acidity levels of this fruit.

When sour cherries are cooked, the acid and sugar blend together to create the intense flavor we know and love.

Peaches and nectarines are closely related and are very similar in terms of flavor, texture, and sugar levels.

Both are stone fruit, with a soft, fleshy outer layer surrounding a large, inedible central stone. Nectarines have smooth skin, while peaches tend to be slightly fuzzy.

Many peaches and nectarines are sold underripe when the flesh is still firm and crunch. To get the maximum sugar levels, they should be left to ripen until they are slightly soft and incredibly juicy.

There is nothing quite like a freshly-harvested, sun-ripened melon!

These large fruits are grown on vines, soaking up every ray of sunshine to give them a delicious sweet flavor.

The sugar levels of melon fruits will vary widely according to the variety of melon.

Cantaloupes and honeydew melons have dense white flesh with a high level of sugar, while watermelons are softer and contain less sugar.

Many of us struggle to eat grapefruit without adding extra sweetness in the form of sugar, syrup, or honey, so how did grapefruits make it onto a list of the sweetest fruits?

Grapefruit is a citrus fruit that, despite its sour taste, is actually packed full of sugar. The sour, tangy flavor comes from the high acidity levels.

This is why grilled or broiled grapefruit tastes sweeter, as the natural sugars are enhanced during the cooking process!

It might surprise you that strawberries are so low on this list. However, this is due to their low sugar content, not any lack of sweetness in their flavor!

You may have noticed that unripe strawberries taste quite different from ripe strawberries.

This is because strawberries are another fruit that becomes sweeter as it ripens — this is because as they ripen, their sugar content rises while their acidity level decreases!

This contrast between sugar and acidity levels is what sets strawberries apart and makes them such a deliciously sweet treat for health-conscious snackers.

Blackberries can be very hit-and-miss when it comes to sweetness, as they need a lot of natural sunshine to bring out their natural sugars.

Many blackberries sold in stores have been artificially ripened in glasshouses, and they don’t have the same sweetness as their farm-grown counterparts.

However, get your hands on some good quality blackberries, and you’ll be amazed at the sweet, juicy flavor! Blackberries taste like a cross between raspberries and plums, with an intense richness guaranteed to tickle your tastebuds.

Freshly-harvested raspberries are one of those fruits that taste like summer!

The very sweetest raspberries are those that are locally grown during the summer months, as they will have had the opportunity to ripen naturally in the sun.

Raspberries are small, soft fruits that can be eaten whole. They taste similar to strawberries, but with an even more floral aroma. 

The starfruit, or carambola, is a tropical fruit with a distinctive ridged appearance.

The yellow, oval-shaped fruit looks like a star when sliced, making this fruit popular as decoration or garnish.

The whole fruit can be eaten, including the waxy skin!

The flesh of the starfruit is juicy and firm, similar to a grape. It tastes like a mix of green grape, pear, and orange, with slightly sour undertones.