General Dates
Do Dates Have Caffeine?
A quick, source-checked answer for the date fruit and its seeds – and why some “date coffee” products are a different story.
No. The date fruit does not naturally contain caffeine. USDA Standard Reference nutrient data list caffeine as 0 mg for dates. Date seeds are also reported to be naturally caffeine-free. Products that mix date seed powder with coffee, however, will contain caffeine from the coffee.
Date Fruit
The USDA Standard Reference entry for dates lists caffeine at 0 mg per 100 g. Caffeine occurs naturally in the leaves of tea, the seeds of coffee and the fruit of cocoa and kola trees. Dates are not on that list.
Date Seeds
- A 2024 Egyptian study describes date seeds as naturally caffeine-free and made a caffeine-free coffee alternative from roasted Saidi date seed powder.
- A qualitative test in an Indonesian study of date seed coffee reported no caffeine.
- A study of date seed brews reported negligible amounts, 0.26 to 3.1 mg/100 ml, depending on variety and brewing method. For comparison, a measurement in another study found regular coffee at 36.02 mg/g against 2.99 mg/g for its lowest date-pit blend.
Findings vary between studies, so a result of “none” or “negligible” depends on the method used and the specific product tested – it is not a single fixed figure that applies to every date seed product.
Blends and Commercial Products
- In the Egyptian blending study, caffeine levels rose as the share of coffee increased, from 10% to 50% substitution.
- Some commercial “date coffee” products contain coffee. Check the ingredient list.
What This Means
Eating dates will not give you a caffeine lift. Pure roasted date seed drinks are described as caffeine-free. If you avoid caffeine for medical reasons, read labels carefully on any blended “date coffee” product.
Common Questions
Do Ajwa dates contain caffeine?
We found no source reporting caffeine in Ajwa or any other date fruit.
Is date seed coffee a coffee substitute?
See date seed coffee and caffeine for a full answer.
Do dates give energy?
Dates provide energy as calories from sugars, not from caffeine. See dates guide for more on nutrition and composition.
Sources
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (Release April 2018), Dates, Phoenix dactylifera (caffeine 0 mg); copy available at growables.org.
- Dyab AS, El Kady AT, Amira AA. “Evaluation of caffeine-free and low-caffeine coffee alternatives prepared from Saidi date seeds.” Food Technology Research Journal 2024;6(2):149-165.
- Agustin AD et al. “Analysis of flavonoids and antioxidant activity in caffeine-free coffee from date seeds.” Journal of Local Therapy 2024;3(2):71-80.
- Impact of variety and brewing method on date seed brew (foodresearch.tabrizu.ac.ir, article 15589).
- “A comparative study between different additives for date pits coffee beverage.” Egyptian Journal of Chemistry 2020;63(3):777-790.
Amira Noor writes about Ajwa dates, their origin in Madinah, nutrition and heritage, with clear, practical guides for readers.