Oat Flapjacks
- 10 min prep
- 95 min
- Bake
- Serves 12
- 270 kcal
- 3.5 g protein
The British oat bar, not the pancake. Four pantry ingredients, one tin, chewy in the middle with crisp caramel edges. Eggless, and it keeps for a week.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (170 g) golden syrup or honey
- ½ cup (100 g) soft brown sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3⅓ cups (300 g) rolled oats
- ½ tsp dry ginger powder or cinnamon (optional)
Method
- 1Heat the oven to 170°C. Line a 20 cm square tin with baking paper, leaving the paper hanging over two sides as handles. In an OTG, use both rods and the middle rack.
- 2Put the butter, syrup and sugar in a wide pan over low heat. Stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Keep it at a gentle shimmer; do not let it boil, or the bars will turn hard.
- 3Take the pan off the heat, stir in the salt and spice, then add the oats. Stir until every oat is coated and glossy.
- 4Tip into the tin and spread evenly. Press it down hard with the back of a steel bowl or a flat glass, especially at the corners. A firmly packed flapjack holds together; a loose one crumbles.
- 5Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the edges are deep golden and the centre is light gold. It will still be soft in the middle; it sets as it cools.
- 6While still hot, score the slab into 12 bars with a sharp knife, cutting about halfway through.
- 7Leave in the tin until completely cool, at least 1 hour. Lift out using the paper and cut along the score lines.
Notes from the Department
- For chewier bars take them out at 22 minutes; for crunchier bars leave them to 27.
- Do not cut down the butter or syrup much. They are the glue, and less of them means crumbs, not bars.
- Stir in 50 g of raisins, chopped dates or pumpkin seeds with the oats for a variation.
Nutrition per serving
- Energy
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 3.5 g
- Carbohydrate
- 37 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 2.6 g
- Sugars
- 20 g
What a flapjack is
In Britain, a flapjack is a dense baked bar of oats bound with butter, sugar and golden syrup. It is a lunchbox and bake-sale staple, and it has nothing to do with the American pancake of the same name. It is also naturally eggless, because the hot syrup does all the binding.
Why this works
Melted butter and syrup coat the oats; in the oven the sugars caramelise and, as the tin cools, set into a chewy toffee that holds the oats together. Packing the mixture tightly removes air pockets so the bar does not crumble. Scoring it while hot means you get clean edges later.
Golden syrup or honey
Golden syrup gives the classic flavour and a softer chew; you will find it in larger supermarkets and online. Honey works well too and tastes a little floral, but browns faster, so check at 20 minutes. Thick jaggery syrup gives a deeper, almost chikki-like flavour. Maple syrup tends to make a softer bar that crumbles.
Swaps and diet notes
Use rolled oats rather than quick oats; quick oats soak up too much butter and give a heavy, greasy bar. For a vegan version, use a firm plant butter with golden syrup or jaggery syrup. Oats are often processed alongside wheat, so for gluten-free bars use oats labelled certified gluten-free. The Department of Tiffins approves these for travel.
Storage
Keep in an airtight tin for up to a week, or wrap individually and freeze for up to 3 months. They thaw by lunchtime.
Questions people ask
- Why do my flapjacks fall apart?
- Usually the mixture was not pressed down hard enough, or the bars were cut while warm. Underbaking also leaves them too soft to hold. Pack the tin firmly and wait until fully cold before cutting.
- Why are my flapjacks hard?
- They were overbaked or the syrup boiled on the stove. Take them out when the centre is still pale and soft; they firm up a lot as they cool.
- Can I make flapjacks without golden syrup?
- Yes. Honey is the easiest swap, and thick jaggery syrup also works. Expect a slightly different flavour and keep an eye on browning.
Inspired by BBC Food. Method, notes and photograph by the Ministry of Oats.
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