Highest-Potassium Fruits: 6 of the Richest
Short answer: For potassium, dried dates and plantain lead the pack among widely eaten fruits at roughly 500–700 mg per 100 g, well above a banana's ~360 mg. Avocado, jackfruit, durian and tamarind are all strong too, from about 430 to 630 mg. The compare table below lists each fruit's real potassium figure side by side.
| 🌴 Date | 🍌 Plantain | 🥑 Avocado | 🍈 Jackfruit | 🫚 Durian | 🫘 Tamarind | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taste | Deeply sweet — caramel, brown butter, honey, and hints of cinnamon — with flesh from fudge-soft (Medjool) to firm-chewy (Deglet Noor). Fresh yellow Barhi dates are crisp and lightly astringent, a different fruit entirely. | Green plantain is starchy and neutral (potato territory); yellow turns tangy-sweet with body; black-ripe is dessert-sweet with banana perfume and caramel edges when fried. One fruit, a whole ripening menu. | Rich, buttery, and grassy-nutty with almost no sweetness — closer to an ingredient than a dessert. Hass is creamy and concentrated; larger green-skinned types are lighter and more watery. | Ripe pods are intensely aromatic and sweet — banana, pineapple, and bubblegum in one bite, with a satisfying chew. Unripe "green" jackfruit is neutral and fibrous, a texture chameleon for savory cooking. | Rich, sweet custard with notes of caramel, roasted garlic, almond, and cream cheese; the aroma is powerful and sulfurous. Texture ranges from silky to fudgy depending on variety and ripeness. | Intensely sour with dark fruity depth — dried apricot, molasses, and citrus in one. Sweet varieties dial the acid down to a tangy date-like snack eaten straight from the pod. |
| Type | Tropical & subtropical | Tropical & subtropical | Tropical & subtropical | Tropical & subtropical | Tropical & subtropical | Tropical & subtropical |
| Peak season | Autumn, Year-round | Year-round | Year-round, Summer | Spring, Summer | Summer, Autumn | Spring, Summer |
| Origin | Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf; cultivated 6,000+ years — possibly the oldest orchard crop | Southeast Asia and New Guinea (like all bananas); Africa and the Americas made it a staple | South-central Mexico and Central America, cultivated for ~10,000 years | Western Ghats of India | Borneo and Sumatra rainforests | Tropical Africa (Sudan region); naturalized in India so long it named itself there ("tamr hindi" — Indian date) |
| Calories (per 100 g) | 277 | 122 | 160 | 95 | 147 | 239 |
| Sugar (per 100 g) | 66.5 g | 15 g | 0.7 g | 19.1 g | 15 g | 57.4 g |
| Vitamin C (per 100 g) | — | 18.4 mg | 10 mg | 13.8 mg | 19.7 mg | 3.5 mg |
| Fiber (per 100 g) | 6.7 g | 2.3 g | 6.7 g | 1.5 g | 3.8 g | 5.1 g |
| Potassium (per 100 g) | 696 mg | 499 mg | 485 mg | 448 mg | 436 mg | 628 mg |
| Typical price | Mid | Budget | Mid | Budget | Premium | Budget |
Potassium is the mineral that balances sodium, supports healthy blood pressure and keeps nerves and muscles firing — and while the banana gets all the credit, several fruits carry far more. These six are among the richest, and the table below shows each one’s real potassium figure per 100 g.
Leading the group are dates (around 700 mg) and tamarind (about 630 mg) — both eaten dried, which concentrates their minerals — followed by plantain at roughly 500 mg. All three comfortably outrank a banana’s ~360 mg.
Close behind, avocado, jackfruit and durian all land in the 430–490 mg range, so they’re excellent whole-food potassium sources with the bonus of healthy fats (avocado) or filling carbohydrate (jackfruit, durian). Anyone managing kidney disease should treat high-potassium fruits with medical guidance; for everyone else, they’re an easy way to top up a mineral most people fall short on.
Frequently asked questions
Which fruit has the most potassium?
Among common fruits, dried dates are near the top at roughly 700 mg per 100 g, with tamarind around 630 mg and plantain about 500 mg. All beat the famous banana (~360 mg). Because dates and tamarind are eaten dried and concentrated, their per-100-g figures run especially high.
Isn't the banana the highest-potassium fruit?
Bananas are a good, convenient source (~360 mg per 100 g), but they're not the richest. Dates, plantain, avocado, jackfruit, durian and tamarind all carry more potassium per 100 g. The banana just gets the reputation because it's so widely eaten.
Why does potassium matter?
Potassium helps regulate fluid balance, nerve signals and muscle function, and it works against sodium to support healthy blood pressure. Most people fall short of the recommended intake, so potassium-rich fruits are an easy way to top up — though anyone with kidney issues should follow medical advice on potassium.