Which Beets Are the Sweetest?

December 6, 2025 •

4 min read

According to agricultural data, commercial sugar beets are specifically bred to contain a high sucrose content for table sugar production. If you're wondering which beets are the sweetest for culinary use, the answer depends on the variety and how you cook it, with golden beets often leading the pack for their milder taste.

Quick Summary

Golden and white beets are typically the sweetest and least earthy options, while roasting any beet variety concentrates its natural sugars. This guide details the sweetest beet types for cooking and eating raw, along with tips for selecting and preparing them to maximize flavor.

Key Points

Golden Beets are Sweetest: Golden and white beets, like 'Golden Detroit' and 'Avalanche,' are typically the sweetest varieties and have the mildest, least earthy flavor.
Roasting Boosts Sweetness: Cooking beets, especially roasting, caramelizes their natural sugars, intensifying their sweetness and mellowing out any strong earthy notes.
Red Beets Offer Earthy Sweetness: For a balance of classic earthy flavor and sweetness, choose red varieties like 'Merlin' or 'Detroit Dark Red,' which become particularly sweet when cooked.
Chioggia Beets for Raw Dishes: With their mild, sweet taste and striking stripes, Chioggia beets are ideal for salads and other raw dishes where their visual appeal is preserved.
Smaller Beets are Sweeter: Smaller, baby beets often have a more concentrated sweetness and a more tender texture than their mature counterparts.

The Sweetest Beet Varieties for Your Kitchen and Garden

When selecting beets, many people seek out the sweetest varieties to avoid the strong, earthy flavor that some find off-putting. The good news is that the level of sweetness and intensity of flavor varies considerably between different types of beets. By choosing the right variety and preparing it properly, you can enjoy a delightful, naturally sweet vegetable in your meals.

The Golden Standard: Golden Beets

For many, golden beets are the undisputed champion of sweetness and mildness. Their striking golden-yellow flesh offers a less earthy taste profile than their red counterparts, making them an excellent entry point for new beet enthusiasts. When roasted, their sugars caramelize beautifully, yielding a sweet, nutty, and buttery flavor that is less polarizing than traditional red beets. Popular golden beet cultivars include:

Golden Detroit: A classic, reliable heirloom known for its uniform roots and sweet flavor.
Boldor: An F1 hybrid that produces large, high-yielding beets with a particularly sweet taste, ideal for baking or roasting.
Burpee's Golden: Another well-regarded golden variety with a mildly sweet flavor that is intensified when cooked.

The Mild & Sweet Choice: White Beets

White beets, like the 'Avalanche' variety, are another excellent option for those prioritizing sweetness with virtually no earthy flavor. While they lack the vibrant pigments and certain antioxidants found in colored beets, their clean, mild, and sweet flavor makes them perfect for blending into soups or serving to picky eaters. They cook quickly and are a versatile addition to many dishes.

The Striking & Sweet: Chioggia Beets

Chioggia beets, also known as candy cane or candy-striped beets, are an heirloom variety treasured for their unique concentric rings of red and white flesh. They offer a milder, sweeter flavor than standard red beets and are especially delicious when eaten raw in salads to showcase their vibrant, beautiful pattern. When cooked, the colors tend to fade, but the delicate, sweet flavor remains.

Red Beets: Sweetness with a Classic Earthy Kick

While red beets are most commonly associated with a strong earthy taste, certain varieties offer a notable sweetness, especially when prepared correctly. The key to unlocking their sugary potential is roasting, which caramelizes their sugars and softens the intensity of the earthy notes.

Merlin: A variety bred for its high sugar content and tender flesh, making it one of the sweetest red beets for roasting.
Detroit Dark Red: A popular, multipurpose heirloom with a classic, sweet, and earthy flavor that intensifies with cooking.
Early Wonder: This fast-maturing variety offers a tender texture and a sweet, earthy flavor that can be enjoyed raw in salads or cooked.

Comparison Table: Beet Flavor Profiles


Variety	Color	Primary Flavor	Sweetness Level	Best For...
Golden Beet	Golden/Yellow	Mild, sweet, nutty	High	Roasting, mashing, salads
Avalanche (White Beet)	White	Very mild, clean, sweet	High	Soups, blending, low-earth salads
Chioggia	Red/White Striped	Mild, sweet, delicate	Medium-High	Raw salads, steaming
Merlin (Red)	Dark Red	Sweet, earthy, tender	Medium-High	Roasting, pickling
Detroit Dark Red	Deep Red	Rich, earthy, sweet	Medium	Roasting, pickling, storage

Tips for Enhancing Beet Sweetness

Even with the sweetest varieties, a few simple techniques can further amplify the flavor:

Cook for Sweetness: As mentioned, roasting beets is the most effective way to bring out their natural sweetness by caramelizing the sugars. High heat and a touch of olive oil can work wonders.
Harvest at the Right Time: Small to medium-sized beets are generally sweeter and more tender than very large ones, which can become tough and woody. Baby beets, in particular, are prized for their concentrated sweetness.
Consider Post-Frost Harvest: For garden-grown beets, harvesting after the first frost can increase their sugar content. The plant produces more sugar to lower its freezing point, resulting in sweeter roots.
Add a Sweet or Acidic Element: Pairing beets with complementary flavors can balance and enhance their taste. Citrus juice, balsamic vinegar, or a little honey can cut through earthiness and highlight sweetness.

Conclusion

When it comes to answering which beets are the sweetest, golden and white varieties stand out for their pure, mild, and high sugar content. However, red beets like 'Merlin' also offer significant sweetness, especially when roasted, while Chioggia beets provide a mild, sweet option for salads. Your best bet is to experiment with a few different types and cooking methods to discover your personal favorite. By understanding the unique characteristics of each variety, you can select the perfect beets to suit your palate and recipe. For additional details on growing and harvesting the best beets, check out resources like the Fine Gardening guide on the subject.

Can Golden Beets Be Eaten Raw?

Yes, golden beets can be eaten raw. Their mild and sweet flavor, along with a less earthy profile compared to red beets, makes them a great addition to salads or slaws, and they won't stain other ingredients.

Frequently Asked Questions

Golden beets are often considered the best for roasting because their natural sweetness caramelizes beautifully, and they develop a mild, buttery flavor without the earthiness of red beets.

Yes, baby beets are generally sweeter than their larger, more mature counterparts. They are harvested earlier in their growth cycle and have a more concentrated, tender sweetness.

The earthy flavor in beets comes from a compound called geosmin, which is absorbed from the soil. The concentration of this compound varies by beet variety and soil conditions.

Yes, cooking beets, especially roasting, concentrates and caramelizes their natural sugars, making their flavor much sweeter and milder than when raw.

Golden beets are typically sweeter and milder than red beets, with less earthy flavor. They also won't bleed color when cooked, making them a good option for mixed dishes.

Yes, you can. Planting sweet varieties like 'Golden Detroit' or 'Merlin' in rich, well-drained soil and harvesting them after a first frost can enhance their sweetness.

While sugar beets are technically edible, they are mostly grown commercially for sugar production and are not the same variety as table beets. Table beets like golden and red varieties are bred for flavor and texture suitable for cooking.