29 Healthy Purple Fruits To Try (With Photos!)

Blueberries, blackberries, plums, and black cherries are just a few of the 29 purple fruits we will cover in this in-depth guide to purple fruits.

Did your parents tell you to “Eat Your Vegetables”? Mine did, and I think that for many of us growing up, that was hard enough. But, now the advice from many dietitians is “Eat the Colors of the Rainbow”. They upped the ante on us.

This, however, is sound advice because by eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables we are pretty much assured to cover the spectrum of vitamins and minerals. Purple fruits are an important color for eating a nutritious diet.

Why Are Purple Fruits Healthy?

Let me put my nutritionist hat on for a second to explain. Purple fruits and vegetables are loaded with the antioxidant anthocyanin. It is a compound that protects plants from sunlight damage, cold temperatures, and insects.

For us humans, it is just about as impressive. Anthocyanin is proven to reduce inflammation, which is a contributor to many diseases such as diabetes, some cancers, arthritis, and heart disease. Anthocyanin also gives the fruits their aesthetic purple color, but more importantly, provides a host of health benefits.

Many of the purple fruits in this article are also low in calories, potassium-rich, and have a solid vitamin and micronutrient content. Adopting a healthy diet focusing on a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables can clearly aid in lowering blood pressure, amping up your immune system, and assisting in weight loss.

If you are also looking for a purple vegetable, we have a guide for that too.

Types Of Purple Fruits

Before we dive into the world of purple fruits, we need to clarify what is and isn’t a fruit. Technically peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants are all fruits, and there are purple varieties of all of these. We use them culinarily, however, as vegetables, so we didn’t include them here. 

But, if there are purple vegetables you want more information or a photo of, check out our 23 Types of Purple Vegetables. We also have an article on 15 Types of Purple Peppers and Types of Eggplants!

Acai Berry

Acai are small, round, dark-purple fruits that grow on the acai palm tree. Their unique flavor is mostly like wild berries, but with a hint of chocolate. They are about the size of blueberries, and are native to South America’s Amazon rainforest where the indigenous people have eaten them for centuries.

Acai are used to make smoothies, juices, sorbets, and ice cream. We did mention the hint of chocolate flavor. They are also found in powdered form in health supplements because of the antioxidants found in the berries.

Blackberry

Blackberries are dark purple-black, aggregate fruits. This simply means that they are a tightly formed group of small drupelets each of which contains a tiny seed. They have a nice sweet-tart flavor that most of us love. They are grown around the world but were once native to either Europe or North America. They are great, just eaten raw by the handful but also in a fruit salad or baked into pies, cobblers, pastries, and tarts. And finally, they are high in vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants.

Black Cherry

When they are ripe black cherries are small, round, and deep purple to almost black and have a wonderfully sweet flavor with a hint of tartness. They are a little juicier than their red cherry cousins and are native to North America, where they grow best in the Northern States and Canada.

Any cherry is great just eaten by the handful and spitting out their single seeds. For us the next best use is in cherry pies, tarts, or crisps. The thing is, black cherries aren’t just delicious; they are off the charts healthy because they contain anthocyanins, which are antioxidants with a variety of purported health benefits to include anti-inflammatory properties.

Black Currant

Black Currants are small, round, dark-purple fruits that are almost black when ripe. They have a tart and slightly sweet flavor with a hint of earthiness. Some people describe them as intense. They are native to Europe but have seen increased cultivation in the USA in recent decades.

Due to their tartness and high pectin content, black currants are used to make jams, jellies, and syrups. They are also used in baked goods, desserts, and beverages. Black currant liqueurs and cordials are popular beverage uses. Black currants are also a great source of vitamin C and antioxidants.

Black Mission Fig

These figs have a dark purple-black skin and vibrant pinkish-red flesh. They have a sweet, honey-like flavor with a hint of nuttiness and a chewy texture. They originated in Spain, but came to California brought by Spanish missionaries, and today California remains the USA’s leading grower.

Figs are a wonderful snack when eaten fresh. They are often dried, like so many other fruits, to extend their shelf life and make an equally as good snack as eating them fresh. They can be added to salads and cheese platters or used in baking desserts like fig bars and tarts. Figs are nutritious fruits high in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Black Raspberry

Black Raspberries are small, dark-purple to black berries that closely resemble blackberries. Both are native to North America and thrive in the northern regions. They are distinguishable by their cone-shaped appearance and distinct core that remains attached to the fruit when picked. Black raspberries have a sweet-tart flavor with a hint of earthiness, making them ideal for eating fresh by the handful.

They can also be mixed into green salads, fruit salads, eaten at breakfast with cereal or yogurt, or made into sorbets, ice cream, jam, pies, muffins, or smoothies. Try them in this decadent banana-based ice cream replacement. 

Blueberry

It seems unnecessary to describe blueberries, but they are small, round, and typically blue-black with flashes of purple. They have a sweet and slightly tangy flavor, making them a popular fruit for snacking, baking, and cooking. Blueberries have a thin skin and a juicy, soft interior that bursts with flavor when bitten into.

Blueberries are native to North America and were eaten by native people thousands of years ago. Today, they are widely grown in the United States, particularly in northern states like Maine, Michigan, and New Jersey. 

They are perfect for snacking, adding to cereals, smoothies, or yogurt, and incorporated into baked goods like muffins, pancakes, and pies.

These berries are rich in antioxidants and are a good source of vitamins C and K, as well as dietary fiber. Blueberries are also one of the richest sources of antioxidants among all fruits. 

Boysenberry

Boysenberries are a hybrid between blackberries, raspberries, and loganberries. When ripe they are large, dark-purple to black berries with a sweet and slightly tangy flavor.

Boysenberries make great jams, jellies, and preserves, as well as pies, muffins, and cobblers. They also make a good base for smoothies, syrups, and salad dressings. In addition, they are a good source of vitamins C and K and dietary fiber.

Chokeberry

Chokeberries are small, round fruits that come in red, black, and purple varieties. They have a tart astringent flavor, which can be pretty intense. This is what earned them the name “chokeberry.” Their flavor is similar to cranberries but with an earthy taste. They are native to North America and were used by Native American tribes for both culinary and medicinal purposes. 

Chokeberries are often used in making jams, jellies, and juices, in which their tartness is balanced with sweeteners. Chokeberry juice and extracts are also used to make health supplements, as they have purported health benefits. Like almost all blue and purple fruits, chokeberries have high levels of antioxidants, which are believed to offer various health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties.

Concord Grapes

These are a dark purple-black grape variety with a rich, sweet, and intensely grapey flavor. They are medium-sized, round, and have thick skins that make them popular for making grape juice, jams, and jellies.

Concord grapes were developed by Ephraim Bull of Concord, Massachusetts, in 1849. Today they are grown primarily in New York, Michigan, and Washington State. The United States produces over 400,000 tons of these grapes every year.

Concord grapes are best known for making grape juice and grape jelly. They are also used in baking, winemaking, and as table grapes. 

Damson Plum

Damson Plums are small, oval-shaped fruits with dark purple or blue-black skin and tart flesh. Their almost astringent, slightly sour flavor becomes sweeter as they ripen.

Damson Plums have a high pectin content, which makes them good for making jams, jellies, and preserves. They are also good in baking pies and tarts, as well as in savory dishes like chutneys and sauces. In some nations, damson plums are used to make alcoholic beverages like damson gin and fruit liqueurs.

Elderberry

Elderberries are small, dark purple-black berries that grow in clusters on the elder tree. They have a sweet-tart flavor with perhaps a slightly floral and musky undertone. They were made famous, at least among movie buffs, after the Monty Python quote “Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries”.

They are used to make elderberry syrup, jams, jellies, and elderberry wine. They are also used in traditional folk remedies and herbal medicines for their potential immune-boosting properties. 

Just a word of caution: eating raw elderberries can be toxic, so they are typically cooked or processed before consumption.

Huckleberry

Huckleberries are small, round berries that range in color from deep purple to red, and have a sweet-tart flavor reminiscent of blueberries but with a more intense, wild berry taste. They are native to North America and are primarily picked wild as they can be challenging to cultivate commercially. Most of us wouldn’t even know they existed but for Mark Twain’s fictional character Huckleberry Finn.

Huckleberries are used in pies, jams, syrups, and sauces and are often just eaten fresh by the people who pick them. 

Jaboticaba

The jaboticaba is a unique fruit native to Brazil. It grows directly on the trunk of the tree, giving it an unusual appearance. The fruit is small, round, and dark-purple to black when ripe. Jaboticaba has a sweet and tart flavor with a hint of muskiness.

Jaboticaba is often eaten fresh, but it is also used to make jellies, wines, liqueurs, and desserts. The fruit is also grown for its potential health benefits, as it is rich in antioxidants and vitamins.

Loganberry

The Loganberries is a hybrid fruit developed in California in the late 19th Century. They are a cross between blackberries and red raspberries. They are typically dark red to purplish-black, and have a slightly elongated shape and a sweet-tart flavor.

They are often used for making jams, jellies, pies, and desserts. They can also be used in smoothies, syrups, and as a topping for yogurt or ice cream. Loganberries are a lesser-known berry that you won’t find in most grocery stores, but perhaps at farmer’s markets in California where they are mostly grown. 

Maqui Berry

Maqui are small, dark purple-black berries native to South America. They are sweet-tart berries with an intense flavor, which is usual for berries. They are said to taste like blackberries with a hint of red wine flavor. In the name of full disclosure, we have not yet experimented with these exotic berries here at Live Eat Learn, but we are intrigued by the flavor description offered by other sources. 

Maqui berries are used to make juices, smoothies, and jams. Due to their antioxidant content, they can also be found in dietary supplements and health products.

Marionberry

Marionberries are a type of blackberry with a deep, dark purple-black color and a sweet-tart flavor. They are exceptionally juicy and plump with an elongated shape. Marionberries are often compared to other blackberries but have a unique flavor not easily described.

This berry was a man-made hybrid developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Oregon in the 1950s. Marionberries are a point of pride for some Oregonians, and they have an annual Marionberry Festival celebrating this unique berry.

They are excellent for making pies, jams, and preserves. They can also be used in desserts, cobblers, and as a topping for pancakes or ice cream.

Mulberries

Mulberries are small, sweet, and slightly tart. They look a bit like blackberries and can be red, white, or purple/black. Their flavor varies with ripeness, but they are generally sweet, mildly tart, and faintly nutty tasting.

Mulberries are a good berry to eat fresh by the handful, add to green or fruit salads, or use in desserts like pies, tarts, and cobblers. They are also dried to make snacks and teas. They are a great breakfast fruit added to cereal and yogurt. Like most berries, they are also a good source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. 

Muscadine Grape

These purple grapes have tough skins but a sweet fruity flavor with a hint of bitterness. They are mostly grown in the Southeast USA and used to make wine and jelly. Due to their tough skin and seeds, they aren’t the best grapes to eat fresh or in fruit salad.

Prune

Prunes are dried plums made mostly with European plums (the name of the variety, not just the region). They are wrinkled, dark purple or blackish-brown. Prunes have a sweet and somewhat tangy flavor with a sticky, chewy texture. 

They are often eaten as snacks but also used in juice, baking, and cooking. Try them in these no-bake energy bites, which will be ready in 10 minutes, or return them for…well, a full refund.

They are a high-fiber snack and a good source of vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin K and potassium. 

Purple Dragon Fruit

Dragon Fruit is a tropical fruit with vibrant purple, pink, or red skin and white or red flesh speckled with tiny black seeds. It has only a mildly sweet tropical flavor. It is a uniquely stunning fruit, but its taste is a little disappointing and almost bland. There is a dragon fruit subvariant known as the Purple Haze dragon fruit. It is largely the same fruit, just a very deep purple.

Dragon fruit is a great fruit to use with your fruit trays and charcuterie boards, more for its look than taste. Buy white-fleshed and purple-fleshed dragon fruit and use both on your trays for a nice presentation. It is also good in fruit salads. Cut the fruit in half and use it as a bowl to serve cubed dragon fruit for a stunning presentation. 

The flesh is not only visually striking but also packed with essential nutrients like vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. Oh, and dragon fruit are a bit tough to cut, so check out this guide with dragon fruit cutting tips.

Purple Guava

The purple guava is also known as the Brazilian guava or purple strawberry guava. It is a small fruit with greenish-purple skin and pinkish-purple flesh. It has a distinct, sweet-tart flavor often described as a combination of strawberry, pear, and passion fruit.

Guava is usually eaten fresh, either by cutting it in half and scooping out the flesh or slicing it. It is also used to make juices, jams, jellies, and desserts. We maintain that the superpower of guava is in POG juice. If you haven’t tried this Hawaiian favorite, you seriously have to give it a try.

Besides being awesome in POG juice, purple guava is high in vitamin C and rich in dietary fiber. What’s more, it contains antioxidants that may offer various health benefits. 

Purple Mangosteen

Mangosteen is sometimes referred to as the “queen of fruits.” The name comes from a legend that Queen Victoria offered a reward to anyone who could bring her fresh mangosteen. Remember, this was before air transportation or refrigeration. It is a tropical purple fruit with white flesh. It has a thick, purple rind and juicy, segmented flesh. The flesh is sweet, slightly tart, and incredibly aromatic. 

This fruit is usually eaten fresh, just cut through the thick rind and remove the segments. It can also be used in fruit salads and desserts. Mangosten has an impressively high antioxidant content providing a variety of potential health benefits.

Purple Passion Fruit

Passion fruit is a round or oval fruit with a tough, wrinkled purple or dark-purple skin. The interior contains aromatic, jelly-like seeds surrounded by a sweet-tart, tropical, and slightly floral juice. The name “passion fruit” is thought to originate from the flower’s resemblance to the crucifixion of Christ, with the petals representing the apostles, the corona filaments representing the crown of thorns, and the three stigmas representing the nails.

Passion fruit is often eaten fresh or used to make juices, smoothies, desserts, and sauces. Besides its delicious taste, it is known for its high vitamin C content and health benefits. 

Purple Star Apple

This tropical fruit has smooth, shiny, dark purple or almost black skin. The pulp is creamy, white, and sweet with a custard-like texture. The star apple gets its name from the star-shaped pattern formed when the fruit is cut in a cross-section.

They are mostly eaten fresh by scooping out the flesh with a spoon or by cutting it into slices. It can also be used in fruit salads or to make drinks and desserts.

Red Grape

This is another fruit we feel silly describing as it is so ubiquitous worldwide. Suffice it to say the flavor can vary from mildly sweet to very sweet, depending on the grape variety. Red grapes are one of the world’s oldest cultivated fruits, with origins dating back to the Middle East and Asia. Wine-making has been an art for thousands of years, so grapes spread worldwide quickly. 

The obvious superpower of these little sugar-packed gems is wine-making. Otherwise, they are also eaten fresh, dried into raisins, added to green or fruit salads, and used to make grape juice.

Saskatoon Berry

These are small, round, bluish-purple berries with a sweet, nutty flavor that combines hints of almond, blueberry, and cherry. Saskatoon can be used in pies, jams, jellies, and sauces. It can also be eaten fresh or added to fruit salads, cereal, yogurt, or smoothies. Saskatoon is also loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making it a healthy option no matter how you want to use it.

Sloe Berry

Sloe are small, dark-purple to black fruits that grow on the blackthorn bush. They have an intensely tart and astringent flavor, so they are not typically eaten fresh but are used for making beverages.

The most famous beverage, of course, is sloe gin. Their tartness mellows and infuses into the alcohol, giving the gin a unique flavor. They can also be used in jams and jellies, but let’s face it, without the gin we wouldn’t know they existed. You could eat them raw, but the first will dry your mouth out before you can get the second one down. 

Tayberry

Tayberries are a hybrid cross between a blackberry and a red raspberry. They are typically long, cylindrical, and reddish-purple with a sweet-tart flavor that combines the best of both parent fruits. The name “tayberry” is derived from the Tay River in Scotland, near where the berry was developed in the 1960s. 

Tayberries can be eaten fresh, or baked into pies, cobblers, crisps, or tarts. They are great in jams, jellies, and preserves. They have a natural pectin content that helps them set easily. They can be used to flavor yogurt, sorbet, or ice cream, or just put on top of cereal or oatmeal. We really have to hand it to the Scotts. They got this berry right.  It is just a bit difficult to find in the US.

This wraps up our look at purple fruits. We hope you found the one you were looking for, and if you want to get more purple into your diet also check out our purple vegetable guide. As always, happy cooking!