Do you have a spooky Gothic heart that loves fruits that are black in color? Whether you’re looking for new varieties to try out, or you’re seeking out ingredients for a Halloween feast, you’ll find something cool, weird, and wonderful on this black fruits list.
1. Blackberries
Okay, so blackberries aren’t likely to be a big surprise here, as they’re among the most familiar and easily recognized berries out there. As a result, we’ll get them out of the way by acknowledging them first, reminding them that we love them, and then move along.
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2. Black Grapes
Did you know that black grapes have been cultivated by humans for over 8,000 years? That’s an excellent reason to have them high on this black fruits list, as well just appreciated in general. Apparently they’re also packed with beneficial nutrients that improve heart and brain health, and slow the aging process by protecting—and rebuilding—skin and bones.
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3. Black Huckleberries
These beautiful black berries grow wild all over the United States and Canada, so if you’re interested in foraging for wild foods, head out and try to find some! They’re delicious fresh, but get sweeter after they’ve been frozen. Huckleberries are also packed with iron, vitamin C, potassium, and several B vitamins, so adding them to smoothies and muffins adds a whole lot of nutrition as well as flavor.
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4. Black Diamond Watermelon
Most watermelons have green rinds, so you wouldn’t expect any of them to be found on a list of fruits that are black in color. Well, surprise! The Black Diamond watermelon, also referred to as the “Florida Giant” or “Cannonball” variety, has a glossy rind that’s deep purple-black in hue. The interior is a deep, rich red that apparently tastes incredible.
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5. Black Jamun Berries
These sweet-and-sour Indian berries are easily mistaken for olives, as they’re roughly the same size, shape, and color as kalamatas. They’re also known as “Java plums”, and people seem to enjoy eating them with a pinch of salt. Apparently this emphasizes their sweetness and enhances their overall flavor.
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6. Black Plums
If you’re looking for fruits that are black in color and incredibly rich in flavor, look no further than Black Splendor plums. They have deep beet-red flesh that’s sweeter than many other plum varieties, and are beautiful fresh as well as baked. They’re grown in both California and Vermont, so you can try to find them if you’re on either coast.
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7. Black Elderberries
If you love deep, rich flavors, then head out into the woods in late August or September and see if you can harvest some elderberries. The deep blue-black berries found on Sambucus nigra trees are amazing immune boosters, packed with vitamin C and tons of antioxidants. Just make sure to cook them and turn them into wine or jelly rather than eating them raw.
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8. Black Apples
It seems almost unfair to add black apples to this black fruits list, because it’s so unlikely that you’ll ever get a chance to try one. Also known as Hua Niu apples, these magical beauties are bred in Nepal and Tibet, and are crazy expensive. If you ever get a chance to visit either country, try to seek out some of these fruits! Their flesh is a creamy white beneath the glossy purple-black kin, and is said to be incredibly sweet and juicy.
Further Reading: Complete Citrus Fruit List: 33 Fruits That Are Considered Citrus
9. Blackcurrants
Also known as cassis berries, they’re among the darkest fruits that are black in color. Yes, all the black fruits on here fall under the same category, but anyone with a wardrobe full of black clothing knows that there’s a big spectrum, ranging from purple- and blue-black to greyish shades. Try these fresh on top of granola, frozen into smoothie bowls, or get yourself a bottle of cassis liqueur to drizzle on top of vanilla coconut yogurt.
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10. Black Cherries
There are many different cherry varieties available out there, from bright yellow to pink, red, and of course, deep purple-black. The ones on this black fruits list are likely very familiar to most people, as black Bing cherries are some of the most popular ones around. These gorgeous fruits were actually developed by—and named for—a Chinese horticulturist named Ah Bing, who worked on an Oregon cherry farm in the late 1800s.
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11. Black Tupelo Fruits
These species are also known as Black Gum trees, and are native to the northeastern United States and parts of Ontario, Canada. They produce edible currant-sized, oblong black fruits in the fall, which can be eaten raw or cooked. Their flesh is a combination of tangy and sweet, but their seeds are so large that it’s better to transform these berries into jelly instead.
12. Black Figs
Figs come in green, purple, and black varieties, and like many other fruits that are black in color, the darker the shade, the sweeter and more complex the flavor. Mission figs are the ones with the darkest skins, and as a result, they have the highest antioxidant content, according to this study by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
13. Black Raspberries
Some people mistake black raspberries for blackberries because they look quite similar, but they actually taste a bit different. Black raspberries have a flavor that’s reminiscent of wine gum candies, and are somewhat less acidic than the pink-red varieties.
14. Black Passionfruit
While most passion fruits have reddish or purple skins, the fruits that develop from the Passiflora edulis species have deep black skins instead. Their nutritional value is the same as other passionfruit varieties, but the flowers have a slightly different scent before developing into the seed-filled fruit bodies.
15. Black Hawthorn Berries
Most people are only familiar with red hawthorn berries, so they wouldn’t immediately associate them with a black fruits list. But guess what? There are over 40 hawthorn species that bear black fruits instead. The fruits of the Hungarian hawthorn (Crataegus nigra) are some of the darkest, and can be eaten raw or cooked.
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16. Black Tomatoes
Tomatoes come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors, including black! They also come in a wide range of sizes, from tiny black cherry types to big, juicy Black Beauty slicing tomatoes. In fact, this is one of the darkest species on this black fruits list, as the mature skin is a lustrous blue-black, even in direct sunlight.
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17. Black Goji Berries
Did you know that goji berries are also nightshade (Solanaceae) fruits? Yup, that makes them cousins to tomatoes, peppers, and tomatillos. Goji berries in general have spectacular antioxidant levels, but black gojis in particular have even higher concentrations of oligomeric proanthocyanidins. Try saying that three times fast.
In essence, they’re incredible for improving cardio health, improving blood flow all over the body, strengthening veins, and slowing the aging process. Huzzah!
18. Black Eggplant
Just like other members of the nightshade family, eggplants are classified as fruits. As a result, they’re perfect additions to this black fruits list, as well as to your dinner table! Check out Real Black eggplants if you’d like to grow your own. Otherwise, try scouring farmer’s markets to see if they have some available.
19. Black Gooseberries
Unlike the green or pink gooseberries that have been cultivated throughout Northern and Eastern Europe for centuries, coast black gooseberries are native to the Pacific Northwest—namely Oregon, Washington State, and parts of British Columbia. The tiny blue-black fruits are edible when fully ripe, and like other fruits that are black in color, they have high antioxidant levels.
20. Black Hungarian Peppers
Do you like jalapeno peppers? If so, try to get your hands on some of these exquisite black Hungarian peppers. They’re roughly the same size and shape of jalapenos, and their flavor is both sweet and hot. Try adding minced raw peppers to a black bean and blue corn salsa to keep things dark and kicky, or cram them full of your filling of choice for a new spin on classic jalapeno poppers.
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21. Black Avocados
There are several different avocado varieties out there, but the Haas, Frazer, and Maluma types are the ones with thick black skin. Their creamy innards are that gorgeous green-tinged yellow, of course, and all are packed with vitamin E and beneficial fatty acids. It’s probably best that you try out as many different varieties as possible to determine which you like most, of course. For science.
22. Black Olives
Just because these are briny and oily instead of sweet doesn’t mean they’re not fruits! Olives don’t always make it onto the average black fruits list because people associate fruit with sugary flavors. These black fruits have the same anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects as their sweeter neighbors, and also have the benefit of being rich in the fatty acids that contribute to better bone, skin, organ, and connective tissue health.
Not only are these black fruits incredibly tasty, they’re also seriously packed with antioxidants. This is because the anthocyanins that give these fruits their deep, dark hues have amazing anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and antiviral effects.
These aren’t present in bananas whose skins have turned black because you’ve forgotten them at the back of the cupboard, however. They don’t count on this list, but they’re still good for you, especially in smoothies and banana bread.
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