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"path": "/blog/2026-the-year-of-the-date",
"publishedAt": "2026-02-10T19:46:34.000Z",
"site": "https://startupcpg.com",
"tags": [
"Blog",
"Brand Feature",
"Opinion",
"All posts",
"Dates",
"Fiber",
"No Added Sugar",
"Startup CPG",
"Trends",
"Founder Feature series",
"Slack channel",
"Caitlin",
"Amza Superfoods",
"Ancient Sun",
"AyurSome Wellness",
"B.T.R. Nation",
"Bake Me Healthy",
"Best Date Ever",
"BOD Bar",
"Brause",
"Bread SRSLY",
"CW Dressings",
"D’Vash",
"Daramel",
"Darious Snack Co",
"Date Better",
"Date Smarter",
"Datefix",
"Dateworthy",
"Day Out Snacks",
"Desert Dust",
"EveryDate",
"Figa Foods",
"Fresh Fizz",
"Gato Dates",
"Goodburn Sauce Co.",
"Good Dirt",
"Granolaful",
"Harken Sweets",
"Hellava Foods",
"HOL Health Club",
"Hot Date Kitchen",
"Good Girl Snacks",
"Joolies",
"Jools",
"Just Date",
"Kailo",
"Kindly Caramel",
"Let Me Snack",
"Magicdates",
"Mild Addictions",
"Mojave Mallows",
"Patterbar",
"Plonty",
"PurelyB",
"Purposefuel",
"RJ Naturals",
"Rootsy",
"SATTVA VIDA",
"Smood Sweets",
"Spring and Mulberry",
"Sukari Sweets",
"Sunabloom",
"Tamar Date Coffee",
"The Conscious Bar",
"Unicorn Bites",
"Urthy Eats",
"Vesucre",
"Wild West Chocolate"
],
"textContent": "#### 2026: The Year of the Date\n\n**I ’m calling it: 2026 is the year of the date.** I’ve been watching this trend closely for the past few years, and it seems date-focused and date-sweetened brands are popping up left and right. Would it surprise you to learn that a good portion of the brands I interviewed for the Founder Feature series in 2025 and early 2026 were date-sweetened or date-focused? (Look for !) If you’ve tuned into any of my episodes or followed me on social media, you’d know: I am a date freak, and this list should come as no surprise.\n\nWith many consumers looking to cut down their consumption of added sugar or eliminate it altogether, dates are a perfect replacement for that ever-growing sweet tooth that refuses to be silenced. Dates offer sweetness (of course), but they also offer fiber – a nutrient that’s gaining a lot of traction as of late – perhaps the next big thing like we saw with protein. I’m no physician or nutritionist, but having a source of sweetness that is paired with fiber is a great way to stabilize blood sugar and not succumb to a spike and eventual crash.\n\nWith Valentine’s Day right around the corner, consider getting your sweetie something sweet – without the BS. Or, if you’re a retailer, now is the perfect time to build out your date-focused product sets that will never get outdated (sorry, I had to). And if you need more options for the future, you know who to call – because I will surely have my finger on the date pulse.\n\nEnjoy this list of brands who are just as obsessed with dates as I am – we’ve got sips, snacks, spreads, supplements, and more!\n\nPS – Are you a brand incorporating dates into your products but don’t see your brand on this list? Get on my radar – join our Slack channel and send me a DM!\n\n– Caitlin (your date-obsessed CPG BFF)\n\n#### **BRANDS WHO LOVE DATES**\n\n#### Amza Superfoods\n\nDate-based savory superfood spreads.\n\n#### Ancient Sun\n\nDate-based RTD shakes.\n\n#### AyurSome Wellness\n\nDate-sweetend thin cookies – perfect for tea!\n\n#### B.T.R. Nation\n\nDate-sweetened, stuffed nut butter hearts.\n\n#### Bake Me Healthy\n\nDate-sweetened chocolate chip cookies.\n\n#### Best Date Ever\n\nDate-sweetened chocolate hazelnut spread.\n\n#### BOD Bar\n\nDate-sweetened performance bars.\n\n#### Brause \n\nDate-sweetened German sodas.\n\n#### Bread SRSLY\n\nGluten-free, date-sweetened bread.\n\n#### CW Dressings\n\nDate-sweetened salad dressings and sauces.\n\n#### D’Vash\n\nDate-sweetened bars and syrups.\n\n#### Daramel\n\nDate-based caramel.\n\n#### Darious Snack Co\n\nVegan date swirls.\n\n#### Date Better\n\nStuffed and flavored chocolate dates.\n\n#### Date Smarter\n\nDate-sweetened chocolate caramels.\n\n#### Datefix \n\nPureed dates in a convenient pouch – perfect alternative to traditional energy gels.\n\n#### Dateworthy\n\nFrozen date treats.\n\n#### Day Out Snacks\n\nDate-based protein balls.\n\n#### Desert Dust\n\nDate-sweetened spices and spice blends.\n\n#### EveryDate\n\nChocolate-covered date desserts.\n\n#### Figa Foods \n\nDate-sweetened cupuaçu-based bars (chocolate’s cousin)!\n\n#### Fresh Fizz\n\nDate-sweetened sodas – including date cola.\n\n#### Gato Dates\n\nLuxurious, chocolate-covered dates stuffed with nut butter and topped with sea salt.\n\n#### Goodburn Sauce Co.\n\nDate-sweetened, biodynamically grown hot sauces that support regenerative farms and local farmers in Texas.\n\n#### Good Dirt\n\nDate-sweetened prebiotic beverages.\n\n#### Granolaful\n\nDate-sweetened yet savory granola.\n\n#### Harken Sweets\n\nDate-sweetened, fiber-filled candy bars that are the perfect replacement for your childhood favorites.\n\n#### Hellava Foods\n\nDate-sweetened, sesame-based chocolate spreads (and more!).\n\n#### HOL Health Club\n\nDate-sweetened, bone broth fortified protein bars.\n\n#### Hot Date Kitchen\n\nSpicy, chocolate-covered, stuffed dates.\n\n#### Good Girl Snacks\n\nDate-sweetened pickles – think classic bread and butter with a twist.\n\n#### Joolies\n\nStraight up dates and chocolate-covered dates.\n\n#### Jools\n\nDate balls rolled in a variety of toppings.\n\n#### Just Date\n\nThe OG of date products: date syrups and chocolate chips.\n\n#### Kailo\n\nDate-sweetened protein bars.\n\n#### Kindly Caramel\n\nDate-based caramel spread.\n\n#### Let Me Snack\n\nDate-sweetened, cacao dusted popped water lily seeds.\n\n#### Magicdates\n\nChocolate-covered plant-based date bites.\n\n#### Mild Addictions\n\nDate-sweetened candy bars.\n\n#### Mojave Mallows\n\nMarshmallows with some date-based magic.\n\n#### Patterbar\n\nDate-based whole food energy bars.\n\n#### Plonty\n\nDate-sweetened plant-based protein powder.\n\n#### PurelyB \n\nDate-sweetened, Malaysian crafted superfood supplements.\n\n#### Purposefuel\n\nDate-based energy bites.\n\n#### RJ Naturals\n\nDate-based bars crafted with ingredients like grass fed butter.\n\n#### Rootsy\n\nCassava root waffles sweetened with dates.\n\n#### SATTVA VIDA\n\nDate-based energy bites rolled in a variety of toppings.\n\n#### Smood Sweets\n\nDate candies dressed up to mimic candy flavors.\n\n#### Spring and Mulberry\n\nDate-based, fruit and nut chocolate bars.\n\n#### Sukari Sweets\n\nDate-based small batch chocolates.\n\n#### Sunabloom\n\nDate-sweetened sunflower-based yogurt.\n\n#### Tamar Date Coffee \n\nCoffee blended with upcycled date seeds for conscious coffee drinkers.\n\n#### The Conscious Bar \n\nChocolate as medicine: clean, date-sweetened cacao bars flavored by nature.\n\n#### Unicorn Bites \n\nSoft-baked, date-sweetened, bite-sized cookies.\n\n#### Urthy Eats\n\nArtisanal date spreads and gourmet stuffed dates.\n\n#### Vesucre \n\nDate-sweetened, plant-based ice cream in perfect portions.\n\n#### Wild West Chocolate \n\nDate-sweetened chocolate bars rewilding shelves and giving back to nature.\n\n#### About Startup CPG\n\nStartup CPG is the biggest CPG community on the planet with over 30k members. We believe in the massive potential of small consumer brands — and have made it our mission to empower them along their journey. Startup CPG connects emerging brands to resources, industry partners, and the most supportive community in the industry.\n\nThrough our online community on Slack, our in-person events, and our media and resources — podcast, databases, webinars, and more — Startup CPG brings major opportunities to emerging brands at NO COST.",
"title": "2026: The Year of the Date"
}