Raisins / Sultanas
Fruits · Other Fruits
Drying a grape takes the water out and leaves the sugar behind, so a single tablespoon of raisins (15 g) already carries 0.12 g of excess fructose. That tablespoon rates green and is the portion to work with. A small handful, about 40 g, rates red. Sultanas sit under the same entry, so the answer covers both.
Last updated 3 September 2026Serving sizes for raisins / sultanas
One tablespoon, about 15 g, rates green. A small handful, about 40 g, rates red.
Tested serving sizes
| Serving | Amount | Main FODMAP | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon | 15 g | Fructose 0.12 g | |
| Small handful | 40 g | Fructose 0.32 g |
Breakdown for 1 tablespoon
Is raisins / sultanas low FODMAP?
Excess fructose does nearly all of the work, with only a trace of fructans alongside it. The green tablespoon holds 0.12 g of fructose, and the handful lifts that to 0.32 g, more than double the 0.15 g high threshold, which is what turns the rating red. The comparison worth carrying around is with fresh grapes: 15 grapes at 75 g hold 0.1 g of fructose, so one spoonful of raisins delivers slightly more of it at a fifth of the weight. Concentration, not chemistry, is what changes between the two.
Raisins / Sultanas and IBS: what to know
Raisins rarely arrive on their own. They come scattered through muesli, granola bars, scones, curries and lunchboxes, so a portion that would have been fine by itself stacks with whatever else is in the bowl. Being small and sweet, they are easy to overshoot without a moment of decision, unlike a piece of fruit you have to pick up and commit to. If reintroduction showed that excess fructose is one of your triggers, dried fruit is where it concentrates most, and this is the version most likely to be hiding in something you did not make yourself.
Gut-friendly ways to eat raisins / sultanas
Measure the spoonful before it goes in, not after. Stirred through oats or a bowl of Greek yoghurt, one tablespoon spreads much further than it does eaten from the packet. Where a recipe uses a cup of raisins across a whole tray of baking, the amount per slice may land near the green portion, so the arithmetic is worth doing rather than writing the recipe off. When you want a bigger handful of something dried, dried cranberries rate green in this guide, and fresh grapes give you volume for a similar sweetness.
Frequently asked questions
How many raisins can I eat with IBS?
One tablespoon, about 15 g, is the green serve, which is a scattering rather than a snack. At 40 g the rating is red. If you are eating them from a snack box or a shared bag, tip the spoonful into a bowl first, because the distance between the two portions is a couple of casual grabs.
Are sultanas and raisins the same for FODMAPs?
Yes. This entry covers raisins and sultanas together, and both tested portions apply to either: a tablespoon rates green, a small handful rates red. Currants belong to the same family of dried grapes. Variety changes the colour and the flavour, not the amount of fructose left behind once the water has gone.
Why are raisins higher FODMAP than grapes?
Because drying removes the water and leaves the sugars where they are. Fresh grapes rate green at 15 grapes, around 75 g, while raisins reach a red rating at 40 g, since the same fructose is packed into a fraction of the weight. That is why the sensible raisin portion is a spoonful while the sensible grape portion is a handful.
Which dried fruit is lowest FODMAP?
Dried cranberries rate green in this guide and allow a more generous portion than raisins do, which makes them the easier thing to keep in a trail mix. Dried apricots and prunes both rate amber, so neither is a free swap. Across the whole category the same rule holds: dried fruit is a garnish portion, not a snack portion.
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