Recipes that are packed with fruit are not only delicious they’re homey and satisfying. Well that’s my opinion anyway! You will find that these Chewy Sultana Squares are definitely satisfying. They’re also kind of comforting; they strike me as something that my grandparents would have liked!
If you want a nice treat to have with a coffee (or any other drink) then a couple of these chewy squares will certainly fit the bill perfectly. You could also grab a couple of squares for breakfast if you were in a hurry.
This Chewy Sultana Squares recipe is also super easy to make. There are only 3 ingredients and one mixing bowl required!
This recipe is a modified version of one that I clipped out of the local newspaper a few years ago. The original recipe used mixed fruit but I chose to use just sultanas instead.
Once you have mixed all the ingredients together you just have to press it into a slice tin and bake for around 20 minutes.
You can also cut it up into different sized squares if you want. I got 36 squares (4cm in size) but you could cut it into bigger squares if you like. It’s not too bad if you are counting calories either. I found that there were 82 calories per square using My Fitness Pal.
These Chewy Sultana Squares are great if you want to make them ahead of time and freeze them. I have found that they keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. When thawed you would never know that they had ever been frozen!
- 375g (2¼ - 2½ cups) of sultanas
- 400g (14oz) tin of sweetened condensed milk
- 1¼ cups of self-raising flour
- Line a 20cm x 30cm rectangular slice tin with baking paper and preheat oven to 180 °C (350 °F).
- Combined all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
- Spoon mixture into prepared tin and spread out as evenly as possible (mixture is quite sticky).
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown (you can also test it with a cake tester (or toothpick) and make sure it comes out clean).
- Allow to cool in tin before slicing.
Just made these chewy sultana square oh boy so easy and yet so yummy great for the grandkids when visiting. Thank you for an easy bake Angie
You’re welcome Angie! I’m glad you and your grand kids liked them!
Made these chewy sultana squares, just for fun added some choc bits ,sorry didn’t measure ,2 or 3 ozs worked well ,mixing heavy for me so warmed in micro for 30 sec ,easier to handle ,came out well tasted great . thank you
Thanks Beverly, what a great tip to warm the mixture in the microwave – it is a little hard to work with! I also like the choc chips suggestion, I’ll have to try that myself next time!
I’ve just got them out of the oven, the mixing was a bit hard but I will definitely try warming in the microwave next time. They are so easy to make they taste a bit like a variable biscuit definitely make again x
Glad you liked them Jean!
This is now my quick go-to recipe. Thank you!
Glad you liked it!
What’s Sultana??? These look great, but I’ve never heard of Sultana (I live in Dallas, Texas, by the way).
Hi Linda, I was initially a bit surprised that you didn’t know what a sultana was! But after doing a bit of reading I now know that what I call a sultana would probably be just called a raisin in the US. Here in Australia we have sultanas and raisins, with the sultanas being just a specific type of dried grape which is the sultana grape. I have grown up with sultanas all my life so I never realised that they were not called that all over the world. Even the cereal that I grew up with, Sultana Bran, seems to be called Raisin Bran in your part of the world! Thanks for your comment I know now that I have to clarify that if I ever use sultanas in a recipe again!
Thanks for answering that sultanas were raisins. I also grew up in Dallas and was ready to Google the word
Hi Linda, I have just seen on another website that sultanas are called ‘golden raisins’ in the US! I hope this helps!
I believe Sultanas are a bit bigger & plumper than a Raisin. Here in the U.S.A. I’ve always used Raisins and they are fine.
Great recipe!
Actually sultanas are a bit smaller than a raisin Elaine, or at least they are here in Australia! 😉 Great to hear that raisins work just as well as sultanas – I’ll have to try using raisins next time I make these!
cant believe you are stil hanging here waiting for someone to reply….. Sultanas are big in Australia, as in popular. We introduce the kids to them at an early age here. But this is a simple google explanation.
In the US, sultanas are referred to as “golden raisins” or “sultana raisins.” These grapes are treated with a preservative called sulfur dioxide to retain the lighter color of the grape. Sultanas are typically smaller than raisins and are sweeter, juicer and lighter in color than both raisins and currants. We use them a lot in cakes, sweets, breakfast foods, curries, etc. very versatile, very popular in school lunch boxes.
Have made this slice a few times now and it tastes delicious and is so easy to make.
I have substituted the sultanas for Sultanas, Cranberries and walnuts to the same measurement as just the sultanas…awesome!!!!
Adding cranberries and walnuts sound delicious Robyn; I’ll have to give that a try next time I make it!
I took these to a bring a plate do where everything else looked very yummy.Guess what?These sultana chewies went first and several other folk asked for the recipe.Some of the alternative add ins sound nice.
Glad they were a hit Chuck! I like the sound of the other suggested add ins too, especially chocolate chips!
Could you use dates instead?
Hi Lani, I haven’t used dates in this recipe but I’m pretty sure that they would work okay. I have read comments on Pinterest where others have used different dried fruits and some have even added nuts, seeds, and chocolate chips! Let us know how you go if you do give it a try!
Just found your blog and it looks great. Going to start working through the archives! This receipe looks delicious but I need some help with the measurements. You have the weight shown for the sultanas and the tin of condensed milk in grams but then no weight for the flour. How many grams are in 1 and a quarter cups? I live in Scotland and we don’t use cups here as a measurement. Thanks.
Hi Olga, one and a quarter cups of self raising flour would be 190 grams. Thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoy these yummy sultana squares!
Wow love this how simple this recipe is and all the things we can do with it. I have a big box of lovely organic dates I haven’t touched yet so I’m thinking I’ll go bake some date and walnut squares. I was drooling at the sultana version but I don’t have any so best to use up what you have right?
I am now nibbling at the date and walnut version of this hot out of the oven and wowwwwwww! Wish I had some vanilla ice cream to pop on top too but it’s amazing as it is anyway. Thanks! It was so quick and easy, got to love that part.
So glad to hear that your date and walnut version turned out yummy Sue! Quick and easy recipes like this one are my favourite. Plus it’s a bonus that it can be adapted to suit what we have on hand!
Hi Kaylene. Can we add in some rolled oats too. If so approximately how much to keep the squares still chewy.
Thanks.
Hi Juliet, I haven’t tried adding rolled oats to this recipe so I’m not exactly sure how that would go. A small amount probably wouldn’t hurt – maybe try one third of a cup and see if they mix in without drying out the mixture too much. Others have added nuts, seeds, and chocolate chips to this recipe so a small quantity of oats might work okay too.
Let me know how you go if you do make this with added rolled oats!
Hi, can I have a question? How much grams of flour should i use? :-)) I am asking because I dont know what size of cup you used. Thanks for response :-))
Hi Nicci, a cup of flour is 150g here in Australia so I use 190g of flour for this recipe. I hope you enjoy these!
I tried this recipe but added two eggs and a teaspoon of vanilla…yum!
I’ll have to give that a try next time Nasrin, sounds good!
Can I use the caramel version of condensed milk for this recipe, it sounds so yummy
I haven’t tried it but I can’t see why you couldn’t use the caramel condensed milk. You can use it in other baking recipes so I’m pretty sure it would work in this one. It sound delicious, I might have to give it a try myself!
I’ve made these a few times once with sultanas and once with chopped dates and both were delish my hubby loves them
Glad you and your husband liked them Wendy. Great suggestion to use dates!
Do you think they would work with gluten free flour? Thanks
Hi Kim, I haven’t used gluten free flour myself but I’m pretty sure it would work. Let us know how you get on if you do try it!
Hello Kim,
I am going to try the scone recipe. Wondering if u have a clotted cream recipe?
SINCERELY,
NEVA BROOKS
Sorry Neva, I’ve never tried making clotted cream myself. There are lots of easy looking recipes online if you google ‘clotted cream recipe’.
Hi I made this but used the U S equivalent of 1 1/4 cups flour which was 155 g. Took about 45 mins to cook but was nice. I live in uk we don’t use cups. Thanks anyway
Hi Karen, our cups are slightly bigger here in Australia, I think they are the same as UK cups actually. I would use around 190g of flour in this recipe. Yours would have been a slightly wetter mix than mine which was probably why it took longer to bake. Glad you liked it though!
Hi Followed your recipe to the T and the fruit scones are great …I just took out the glace cherries before I mixed in the fruit! I don’t think I can freeze these scones due to the fruit content?
Hi Sonya, your comment seems to have appeared on my Chewy Sultana Squares recipe but I think you are talking about my Easy Fruit Scones?
If you are referring to the scones then you should have no worries freezing them. I make them all the time and put a few in the freezer. Around here they only last a couple of weeks in the freezer but I’m sure that they would be fine in the freezer for a couple of months!
Good morning from Down Under, I made the gorgeous squares 2 weeks ago, & oh my but they were yummy! Hubby helped mix & put it into the tray as it was quite sticky, but this morning hubby is at golf & I wanted to make them so that when he comes home he can have them with a cups for afternoon tea. What I did was to put on some food safe gloves, wet my hands & spread the mixture with my hands. It was so much easier than using a spatula/wooden spoon. Hope this helps those with weaker hands.
With kindest regards
Reet
I’m down under too Reet (in Victoria)! I’m so glad to hear that you liked these squares and thanks for the tip for spreading the sticky mixture. I will give it a try next time I make them!
your recipes are great , I have made the scones, your sultana squares ,
Thanks Maria, glad to hear that you enjoyed them!
I forgot I live in Victoria too
Can I use Regular milk and add sugar into the recipe?
Hi Caitlyn, I’ve never tried using regular milk and sugar in this recipe. It is the sweetened condensed milk in this recipe that makes the mixture very thick and sticky. Which in turn results in the chewiness of the squares. The texture would probably be different if you used milk and sugar instead of sweetened condensed milk. Let me know how you go if you do try it with milk and sugar!
Has anyone tried this with the low-fat sweetened condensed milk which is now available? If so, how did it turn out? Thanks.
Hi Colleen I use low fat sweetened condensed milk in recipes quite often and I’ve never noticed any difference. I’m not sure if I have made this recipe using low fat condensed milk but I am pretty sure it would turn out fine!
Do you need to sift the self raising flour first ?
Hi Zena, no it is not necessary to sift the flour. I hope you enjoy these squares!
RTFM (Read the Freaking Manual), I added the condensed milk from the beginning, just mixed all – and it turned out just fine. However, I´m trying to avoid sugar and will try this with xylitol and without condensed milk – any idea on this?
Hi Ginni, I’ve never tried to make a low sugar version of these squares but I have seen recipes online for sugar free sweetened condensed milk. If you type ‘homemade sugar free sweetened condensed milk’ into google you will see lots of recipes. If you made your own condensed milk it should work in this recipe. I’d love it if you’d let me know how it goes if you do try it!
Made these squares today as per your recipe…they are fantastic! Couldn’t believe they would turn out ok with only the 3 ingredients but they were perfect. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome Lynn, glad you enjoyed them!
I am in Toronto. How much flour should I use?
Hi Vaishali, your cup measurements should be similar to mine so you will need 190g of flour for this recipe.
Hi, I’ve just made this slice, turned out great and tastes like the English Garibaldi biscuits. Will definitely keep this recipe and substitute different things for the sultanas from time to time. Thank you.
You’re welcome Barbara, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I just made these. They are great and how easy were they to make!!
Made with gluten free s/r flour turned out ok, didn’t have quite enough sultanas but did the job, added 1egg and little butter (40gms).
Glad to hear that it turned out okay with gluten free flour Donna. Also thanks for sharing your recipe variation, often people ask about adding eggs etc! Adding an egg and some butter would also make it easier to spread the mixture too I image!
Hi going to make these ,they sound yummy!
Has anyone tried freezing them ?
Mgt
Hi Margaret, yes these will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. I hope you enjoy them!
Hello
Love your recipes but there are times I cannot convert your measurements to US, can you add the conversions?
Hi Barb, here in Australia we often use a mixture of grams and cups in our recipes, so I can sometimes forget that others don’t! In my more recent recipes I have tried to include measurement alternatives for those that don’t use grams – I’ll have to update this recipe!
Alternative measurements for this recipe are as follows: 375g of sultanas would be 2.5 cups, and the 400g tin of sweetened condensed milk is equal to a 14 ounce can. And of course you will need 1 and a quarter cups of self raising flour! I hope this helps Barb!
I just found these bars on Pinterest and decided to try them. With 3 ingredients I knew they would be a different bake and they were. I loved the taste but wondered if my family would eat them. They usually go for shortbread and such. Well, they were gone within a few days and my husband asked for more. I had actually thrown away the recipe because I thought no one would eat them!! It took a bit of time but I found the recipe again and made more. I think it will be a recipe I use a lot. Thanks for posting it!!
You’re welcome Karen, glad to hear that you and your family enjoyed them!
I don’t have self rising flour. How much baking powder should I add?
Hi Bonnie, you will need two and a half teaspoons of baking powder mixed with plain flour for this recipe if you don’t have any self raising flour. I hope you enjoy!