These buttery sultana cookies are my answer to Marks & Spencers All Butter Sultana cookies and after testing, these are the perfect copycat recipe.
If you’re hunting for recipes with sultanas, these have an absolutely winning combination of crispy edges, chewy middle and supreme buttery goodness. You won’t be disappointed.
A reader favourite on this blog, this cookie dough has gone on to inspire so many more including my Buttery White Chocolate Blueberry Cookies.
Table of contents
A little history
Living in Australia, we’d often have our UK relatives visit for long, wonderful holidays and the one thing mum and I would always request – M&S All Butter Sultana Cookies.
Marks & Spencers don’t have shops here in Australia and we craved these cookies like you wouldn’t believe. I mean, SO buttery and chewy, crispy edges – these things are addictive.
Anyway, once most of our relatives moved to Australia we no longer had access to these amazing fruity biscuits (biscuits, as they’re known here and in the UK).
Well, no more pining for lost loves because I did it. I recreated those sultanas cookies and they’re perfect.
I tested, tested, tested and when I thought I finally had them right, I gave a batch to mum for confirmation – she’s always very honest with her critiques on my recipes.
A confident, cheerful “Yes!” followed her first bite and I knew we would never need to go without again. So there, M&S (I’m poking my tongue out right now).
“Wow these are delicious and I agree they are better than the M&S ones.”
Ali
What makes these fruity cookies perfect?
There are a few keys to making these sultana cookies as great as they can be
- The colour – pale but golden on the edges (ensures the right flavour and texture)
- The shape – flat with cracked edges (those cracks give more surface area for crispy edges)
While I’m sure nostalgia plays a big part in my love for these delicious fruity biscuits, the base cookie dough recipe is probably my favourite, followed very closely by my Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Ingredients in sultana cookies
7 ingredients are all you need – flour, sugar, butter, sultanas, milk, baking soda and salt.
How to make them – step by step
The measurements in this recipe are not standard and you’ll need to break out your kitchen scales for this one but it’s worth it if you want these sultana cookies to taste exactly like the real deal.
- Cream together butter and sugar, add dry ingredients, a little milk and plenty of sultanas.
- I portion these out using a cookie scoop onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Here’s where it gets a little bit different – I have a shortcut for rolling them out. Lay another sheet of baking paper over the top of the cookies. Sit another baking tray on top and press down really hard, all over. This will flatten them out. You want to get them to about 5mm thick. If you can’t do that, by all means, use a rolling pin to roll them out individually.
- Now bake them and they’re done.
Some quick tips though;
- Make sure to bake them just until those edges start to get golden. Oven temperatures can vary, so even though you’ve set it to 180C / 350F, your thermostat may be incorrect and you could be baking them at a higher temp. The colour is key to the flavour.
- The easiest method to making (and hence baking) these fruity biscuits evenly is making sure each cookie is the same size. My best tip is to get yourself a cookie scoop. This will make all your cookies perfect.
- How to get those perfectly flat yet crinkle edged cookies. Once you have your cookie dough balls sitting on the cookie tray, lay a sheet of baking paper over the top, then another cookie tray on top. Now press down firmly all over until they are all even and about 5-6mm thick.
How to store sultana cookies
These sultana cookies should be stored in an airtight container in a cool place for up to a week.
They can also be frozen. For best results when freezing, wrap well in plastic wrap then into an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Yes, you can make these 1-2 days ahead for best results but they’ll last up to a week (more according to my mum).
PIN IT:
Click to PIN this recipe for later!
So my mum says these buttery sultana cookies are better than the M&S originals. Why are you still reading? Go make some, now! You won’t regret it.
Never Miss a Recipe!
Get the latest recipes straight to your inbox!
Buttery Sultana Cookies
Ingredients
- 360 g plain (all purp) flour (12.7oz)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (bicarb)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 250 g caster (superfine) sugar (8.8oz)
- 190 g unsalted butter, softened (6.7oz)
- 1 tablespoon milk (note 1)
- 170 g sultanas (or raisins) (6oz)
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- A couple of large cookie trays
- A stand mixer (easiest) but an electric handheld beater will work too
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C / 350F /160C fan forced. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and mix well to distribute evenly.
- In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until lightened and fluffy (a minute or two).
- Scrape down the side of the bowl and add half the flour mix. Beat until just combined. Add the milk and remainder of the flour and mix until it just starts to come together.
- Finally, add the sultanas and give the mix another beat until mixed through and the dough is clumping.
- Pull the dough together with your hands then take approximately 1½ to 2 tablespoons full of mixture, roll into a ball and place on a baking sheet 2 inches apart (or you can use a mini ice cream scoop and just scoop it onto the baking trays).
- Once you have filled a tray lay a sheet of baking paper over the top and use a second baking tray to press down all over to flatten the cookie out to about 5-6mm thick. (this will create rough, broken edges – this is a good thing).
- Bake for 6 minutes. Sprinkle with a little extra caster sugar, turn the trays and bake for a further 6-7 minutes. Make sure they are just starting to turn golden on the edges for the best flavour.
Video
Notes
- I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (4 teaspoons worldwide)
- For best results you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales like these are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).
- All ovens vary – always check your cookies 2-3 minutes before the recipe suggests.
This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission for my referral, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Sugar Salt Magic.
83 Comments on “Buttery Sultana Cookies”
These biscuits are absolutely delicious!! Having been born and raised in the UK, this M & S biscuit recipe was such a fabulous find. I totally agree, kitchen scales are a great tool when baking. I have made them four times now. The last time I made them I substituted lemon for the tablespoon of milk, and also added the zest of one lemon. YUM!!! Love you recipes 🙂
So happy you love them, Caroline and make them so often. This recipe is very close to my heart. Lemon would be wonderful in these too.
Absolute perfection! Exactly the cookie I was looking for and much nicer than other recipes that require you to roll the dough, spread raisin filling and put another layer of dough on top. These are much simpler and taste perfect.
** To make superfine sugar – I simply used my Ninja bullet to pulse regular sugar until it was a much finer texter (before making it into icing sugar)
So happy you love them, Jules.
I wish the ingredients were list regular measurements such as cups, tsps, etc
Hi B. I understand and I wish it could be too. I do regular measure for most of my recipes but this one is a copycat recipe for a much loved UK cookie and to get the right texture and flavour it had to be done this way. Also, just a hint – grab yourself some kitchen scales. Not only will your bakes be more accurate but it’s easier (you can measure directly into your mixing bowl) and less messy (no measuring cups to wash up) 🙂
Thank you for serving the British expat community 😉 over in Austria here! Perfect biscuits.
So happy you love them, Belinda 🙂
I’ve been looking for that perfect recipe since M&S closed their French shops… Tried them today, they’re perfect !!! Thank you !
Fred
I”m so happy you love them, Fred.
I just read through all the other comments and your replies and found the answer to the additional milk query- and yes it was ( is!) cold and when I make them again I will bear that in mind – they are utterly delicious and buttery biscuits: great recipe! Thank you
Hello Alice. Yes, this one is a unique dough but I’m so happy you love them!
I found I needed to add a total of four tablespoons of milk to pull the mixture together. And rolled the dough into small balls with damp hands. I used a melamine tea tray to flatten then biscuits
Great recipe!! A big hit with the older kids. Thanks!!
So happy you love them, Jade.
These are winners! Thank you 😊
So happy you love them, Morven.
Awesome biscuits & I hard to stop eating them. I Reduced sugar to 200gm &increased heat to 165c fan forced w same cooking time.
Made 3rd batch using dark choc chips no sultanas & they turned out fine.
So glad you enjoyed them Annie 🙂
So easy to make! I’ve made these many times and they are firm family favourites! I didn’t have any all purpose (plain) flour, so I used bread flour and they came out perfectly! A tiny bit chewier due to the extra protein in the flour – but delicious and I love the texture! I definitely will make them again using bread flour.
Great recipe, and as good as, or better than, M&S ones!!!
So happy you love them, Jane 🙂
OMG yes! Just made them and my quality control (husband) says they’re a hit/the best cookies yet!
I didn’t have unsalted butter so used salted – it works.
This recipe is a keeper – and yes they’re like the M&S ones here in the UK 👌🏽
So happy you and hubby loved them, Fi. I love the sound of using salted butter in these since I love a good sweet and salty combo.
I have made this recipe several times and the biscuits are SO more-ish! Today, I hadn’t any sultanas, so used coconut flakes and grated lemon zest instead. They are just as lovely!
So happy you love them, JG and yes it is such a great recipe for creating other flavours. This Blueberry White Chocolate cookie is the same base.
These are ah-ma-zing! I veganised with almond milk and plant-based butter and the only problem I’m going to have is finding a way to stop myself eating the lot in one sitting. I am usually rubbish when it comes to making sweet things – these are my first success! Great recipe, Marie – thank you.
I’m so happy you love these CeeCee. It’s such a favourite in our house too.
Wow these are delicious and I agree they are better than the M&S ones. Now how do I stop myself eating the whole lot. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Hi Ali, so happy you love them. Hmmm, stopping is harder haha.
Wow, Marie……….you said these were your favorite and so I HAD to try them. These are fantastic. Thank you for developing this one!! I see why it is a favority. Thanks again, Dezi
Thank you so much, Dezi. I’m thrilled you loved them
PS: Regarding my earlier post (question about fruit options), I thought you’d like to know how I even got here! I’m in the US & on a group Facebook page for recipes & tips for the wonderful Ninja Foodi. The recipe was for Chicken & Biscuits, a funny Aussie lady said she was “shocked” at the word biscuit & attached a photo of your Homemade Kingston Biscuits, thinking that’s what goes on top of the chicken! So of course, then people wanted to know WHAT in the world those yummy “cookies”’were, so she posted the link to your recipe-page. Hence, my visiting every single one of your cookie recipes, oops, I mean Biscuits. 😊
Haha! I love this story Daphne. I call them ‘biscuits’ and ‘cookies’ interchangeably simply because everyone knows what a cookie is but a biscuit can be different things as you’ve pointed out. Some classics I’ll always call biscuits though.
Hi there, came across this recipe (and then another, and another…you’re killing me with all these yummies! 😆) and cant wait to make it! Since hubby isn’t too fond of raisins in cookies, would you think currants could work? Or have you tried another fruit? I hate to destroy a traditional biscuit and mean no disrespect at all! As a matter of fact, I admire and applaud your reply regarding the “request” to convert grams to cups, well handled! 😉 Thank you very much for sharing, I think you have a new *cookie-groupie* in California, ha!
Hi there Daphne, I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes. Absolutely, you can swap out the sultanas for any dried fruit. I’ve used chopped dried apricots before and even dried blueberries (like in this version of the recipe).
Hi Marie, thank you for sharing this recipe! I just made them with my family and they are delicious. Many thanks, Sinéad
Thank you Sinead 🙂
I’m in the UK and I have a pack of the M&S biscuits in my cupboard and made these to compare, I think these taste better!
When I made them they were more crumbly than yours, still turned out lovely but I couldn’t use a scoop to get them on the oven tray. Should I be adding more milk?
Thank you Adrienne, so happy to hear that. There are 2 ways around this. 1. Just beat it a little longer before scooping and it will generally soften a little more and then come together better. 2. yes just add a touch more milk but only a little bit. It can be things like l the particular flour you’re using is more dry or that the butter wasn’t as soft as I have it.
This is a wonderful recipe with clear, precise instructions and great attention to detail. I like the fact that the neasurements are in imperial and metric.
I reduced the amount of sugar by 25% and added the zest of a large lemon.
They were a reward for my husband who has been hard at work decorating ,and he said : “Exceptionally delicious , crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle!”
Thank you.
Excellent! I’m so happy you love them Annie and I’m going to try them with some lemon myself now 🙂
Cut sugar by 50g still sweet. Will cut more next time. My husband loves these!
So happy your hubby loves them 🙂
These went down a treat. Added an extra tbsp milk and a touch of vanilla but quite true to the M&S version. They freeze really well too so I can ration myself by baking just a couple at a time – hooray! Thanks so much for the recipe!
So happy you enjoyed them Rachel 🙂
Hi Marie I’m not what you’d call a baker, Ann, I’m more of a trier. I’ve been wanting to make some biscuits for a while and decided on your recipe, they were delicious and so easy to make, thank you it won’t be the last time I make them, Love Ann xx😊😊
Great to hear, I’m so happy you loved them Ann
I’ve made this recipe many times for my mum, she absolutely loves them! She has coeliac disease though so I would like to try to make a gluten free version. Would it be possible to sub the plain flour with coconut flour or rice flour?
Hi Lauren, so glad you’d mum loves them. A regular gluten free plain flour should do the trick.
Thank you!
Second bake has just come out of the oven…a little less sugar in the recipe and a little more on top this time..this is a great recipe.Appropo cups, Jim Lahey’s revised no knead bread recipe now has measurements in weights- even the water!
Thank you so much.
Thanks so much Andrew. So happy you love them 🙂
Hi Marie,
Made them using SR flour as per my last e-mail and they turned out brilliantly – so much so that I have been asked to make more tomorrow.
Thank you for your wonderful recipes
Joanne
Thanks so much Joanne, great news.
Hi!
I am going to make these for the 100th time, but all I could get my hands on was coconut flour! Any tips on how to get the right amount as I know it works a bit differently !
Thanks 🙂
Hi Lilly, I’m so sorry I’ve never tried them with coconut flour and I believe it can be tricky to work with so I can’t tell you exactly how much to use. I found this informative post which may be able to help you. If you do come up with a way to make it work, I’d love to hear about it 🙂
These cookies are amazing i absolutely love them i made them with corn flakes and they were delicious
Thanks so much Deborah. I’m so glad you love them and I’m so intrigued to try them with cornflakes next time.
Amazing I made these and shortbread but wish I had made a double bath of these, they are delicious. Your mum was right they are better than M&S. Hmmmm
Thanks so much, Michele. I’m so happy you loved them 🙂
M&S All butter sultana buiscuits have always been my favourite and only have them at christmas. Tried this recipe and cant believe that they have turned out virtually identical if not better. Thanks for this, have to think of something else for christmas now!!!
Thanks so so much Gary. I love that I can have these whenever I want now too 🙂
Convert grams to cups if you want anyone to use recipe.
Hi Sonj, I’m sorry you’re disappointed, however using cups in this recipe would be missing the point. It’s a copycat recipe meaning the exact measurements are required if you want it to taste like the ones you can buy in the shop. I did note this in the post and many readers have made this recipe without a problem.
I grew up using the metric measuring system but I go to lengths to make sure all my recipes have the measurements in cups where plausible or at the very least in ounces so that as many readers can use my recipes as possible. A cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 120g to 150g depending on where you are in the world and how you scoop it, and weighing ingredients will always give you a better result than using cups. Kitchen scales are seriously cheap, take very little time to use and I’ve had mine for years and years. Definitely worth investing in if you like to bake.
Finally, I think it’s worth being a little kinder to food bloggers who spend hours upon hours researching, developing and photographing a recipe before putting it out into the world at zero cost to their readers.
No pun intended, that’s a very fair and measured response. I won’t add any more to the conversation. But, wanted to say this is exactly the recipe I was after. UK expat living in China and I need these cookies. May well try today, will comment with results when I do. Many many thanks for this, in advance!
Thank you, Al. I’m sure they’ll be a very fond reminder. Enjoy 🙂
Whatever. More than Americans on the internet.
I LOVE the fact that this recipe uses grams – honestly if I see a recipe in cups I sigh and move on to the next one. Here in Europe I think most people would agree 😉 I’m waiting for them to come out of the oven, they look perfect, can’t wait ♡
Thanks so much Fuzzy. So happy you love this recipe 🙂
And when the cup measurement doesn’t work, you will blame HER recipe! Baking needs precision and Marie is correct. If you really need to use cups, there are plenty of websites offering this. You’ve been unnecessarily rude over a minor issue that you have and she doesn’t force anyone to use her recipes.
Thanks for the support, TTM.
Just made these with my kids. The recipe is great- Thank you!! Absolutely delicious. Now I can’t stop eating them!!
That’s so wonderful Jo. These cookies are very nostalgic for me. I’m so glad I was able to work out and share this recipe so other families can enjoy them too ?
Delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
I found approx 1.5 UK tablespoons of milk works fine…
Excellent! so glad you enjoyed them Sarah
Hi, really like the sound of these. Do you bake them with the second tray on top or do you just use this to flatten the cookies? Thanks
The second tray is just to flatten them. Then remove it before baking. Thanks for the question. I’ll update the recipe to be more clear.
PERFECT! Just what I was looking for – thank you
Excellent. Hope you enjoy them ?
Hi tried these and they are lovely..
I tied them with and without glucose and I agree with you, glucose doesn’t make them any better.
But I did tried them with honey and that dose make a different yummy different
thanks so much. I’m so glad you enjoyed them. I like the idea of honey. That sounds very interesting 🙂
We miss these biscuits too! Tried your recipe out and it works a treat. I have a rubbish oven and they came out a tad browner and crunchier but still delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much Tracy. I’m glad you loved them. Personally, I think the brownness (new word) is what makes them. Hey, not sure if you saw the Buttery White Chocolate Blueberry Cookies but they are based on the same recipe and are ah-mazing. I took the glucose out of the recipe too, to make it easier and it doesn’t affect the cookie at all.
Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂