Us Scots love some oats. Of course there’s porridge, everyone’s favourite winter warmer to set you up on a dreich day. And oatcakes which our youngest has recently found a fondness for; dry, with no butter, cheese or chutney – we’ll introduce him to that luxury in time. But when it comes to a sweet oat treat, there’s nothing that can top Flapjack.
The perfect Flapjack is something that can spark great debate. Crunchy or chewy? That is the question. And my answer? It’s got to be chewy. When I want a sweet filling treat, I want one that isn’t going to break my teeth and take the enjoyment of it’s entirety away from me.
For a real, proper Flapjack, golden syrup is a must. There’s no denying it. You could try your hands at a honey or maple syrup substitute but it just now the same. If our Golden Syrup Cake wasn’t enough for you to invest in a tin of the liquid gold, Flapjack should be!
The ingredients & recipe for the perfect chewy flapjack is of course of importance but the real secret is actually within the baking. Lucky for us though, Granny has already done all the hard work and come up with a fool-proof flapjack recipe which never fails to please (and induce a much needed sugar-high energy boost).
OMG! I’ve tried lots of different recipes inc Jamie and BBC (my go to recipe sites) and I have to say this is by far the best, thank you!
Ingredients:
Butter
When you think of flapjack, you think of a sweet, buttery flavour; that of course comes from a generous amount of butter. Salted or unsalted butter is fine; just whichever you have to hand.
Golden Syrup
There really is no compromise when it comes to golden syrup in flapjack. This sweet nectar can’t be replaced as there’s really nothing else quite like it.
Soft Light Brown Sugar
As if the golden syrup wasn’t sweetness enough, a (un)healthy dose of sugar for good measure too! Soft light brown sugar is preferable as it compliments the golden sugar but caster sugar can be used if it is all you have.
Porridge Oats
What makes a flapjack a flapjack! I usually just dip into my big bag of porridge oats but it’s worth experimenting with different oats to find your favourite texture.
Cinnamon
Technically an optional ingredient but one I wouldn’t personally skip. It adds just a little extra depth to this super simple recipe.
Granny’s Top Tips
• For the perfectly chewy flapjack, you bake it for less time than you’d think. It will come out the oven not looking ready but it will continue to firm up as it cools, leaving a lovely chewy finish. If you prefer a crunchy flapjack, simply bake for a little longer.
• We have experimented a lot with what is best to line your baking tray with and found foil which is generously greased to be the best but if it doesn’t work for you, try experimenting with greaseproof paper or silicone baking tins.
Flapjack
Ingredients
- 300 g Butter
- 180 g Golden Syrup
- 200 g Light Soft Brown Sugar
- 400 g Porridge Oats
- ¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 180°c (160°c for a fan-assisted oven or Gas Mark 4) and line a 11×7 inches tray bake tin with tin foil and grease generously with butter. Set aside.
- In a large pan, warm the butter, golden syrup and sugar – stirring regularly – until melted together. This can be done in the microwave, just use a microwave-proof dish and remove to stir frequently.
- In a large bowl, lightly mix the oats and cinnamon before adding the melted mixture and stirring until all the oats are covered.
- Transfer the mixture to your pre-lined/greased tray and smooth the mixture into the corners.
- Bake in your pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the middle still has a "slight wobble". The edges will have risen a little, so press back down with a cold spoon if desired.
- Leave to cool a little in the tray before removing, carefully peeling off the tin foil and cutting into your desired sized slices.
Free-from & Vegan
Gluten-free: Most oats are naturally gluten-free but it’s always worth double checking or opting for ones from a free-from range to be sure.
Vegan: Use a dairy-free margarine instead of butter.
A good chewy middle with crisp edges is my absolute flapjack fave, I don’t think there are many better sweet treats. This recipe looks blinkin lovely. I will have to bake some soon!
Thanks for commenting, Jenny. I’m a sucker for a crispy edge too! Can’t say I’m disappointed by the kids choosing the middle slices and leaving the edges for me :)
These flapjacks look fabulous, a brilliant after school treat. Commenting as BritMums Baking Round-up Editor. :)
Most definitely, Julie! I actually found myself making another tray this afternoon – at my 5 year old’s instructions(!) just so there was more for when he got home from school :)
Cooked well but foil stuck completely and tore all the flapjack and ruined it which was a shame bearing I left it for about 5 hours to cool
Can’t comment on the recipe as it’s still in the oven! But for mixtures like this with loads of syrup etc I always use baking parchment rather than foil – it just does not stick. Don’t confuse with greaseproof paper which doesn’t work.
That’s your fault not the recipie’s.
Use baking paper.
I have tried various recipes for flap Jack and this by far the best. I always use baking parchment and it never sticks to any tray bake
I have tried various recipes for flap Jack and this by far the best. I always use baking parchment and it never sticks to any tray bake
I have tried various recipes for flap Jack and this by far the best. I always use baking parchment and it never sticks to any tray bake
Definitely going to make these as my daughter has a wheat problem, can I add coconut or fruit to the mixture?
Do I need to cover overnight?
I grew up knowing this as “Bird Seed Pie” at primary school. For over 40 years I have asked people if they knew how to make it, but no-one had ever heard of “Bird Seed Pie”… until last week when an school friend said “Oh, you mean flapjack?”
All is right with the world again :)
It’s lovely but it’s would say don’t use tin foil. I used it and greased but still stuck a lot. Baking parchment a recommendation. But nice flapjacks
Absolutely agree. Flapjack was delicious, but the tin foil was a disaster.
Line the tin with FOIL!! Ridiculous, stuck horribly to underside, greased well also!! Gave up picking foil off, through away, wasted money & time. Stupid methodology. Baking paper should be used.
No need for the stress and aggression, Jay. Foil worked absolutely fine for me. I coated it with 1 cal spray. The best flapjack recipe I’ve had so far! Thanks, Baking with Granny x
i am currently trying to follow mary berry way from her cookbook guide. the first batch turned out well actually, except from they stuck but i didn’t have any baking paper so i just buttered the tin they were in, it wasn’t;t that bad, got 4 out of 9 and the others were still edible just crumbly and broken up. i am baking for a charity so i want them to be nicely presented. doing my second batch today with baking paper as i got some last night! fingers crossed. they are in the oven at the moment…
Does it work with greaseproof paper?
Yes x
Totally agree with the tin foil, it sticks and parchment isn’t much better. If you can get to ikea they sell silicone liners which are amazing, I think mine was about £1.80 and I use it for everything, perfect for flapjack! X
This is by far the best flapjack recipe ive found thankyou for sharing it xx
Omg! I’ve tried lots of different recipes inc Jamie and BBC ( my go to recipe sites) and I have to say this is by far the best thank you
Ps. Having read previous comments I used parchment paper. Perfect
Oh dear, I just greased a non stick baking tray. Hope it comes out of the tin ok
Top tip, do NOT line the tin with foil.
Any comments on freezing and how long they will last for?
I made this today and they were much too gooey and the tin foil was a disaster.
HELP!!!!!!
I’ve tried these twice and so far they have never stuck together in the middle, they’ve just crumbled. The edges were fine though but what am I doing wrong? I followed the recipe…
You could possibly try making the later thinner so the middle cooks quicker too? It worked for me
Yeah
Just made these flapjacks, and i have to say, i love them!! I’ll be keeping this recipe, thank you!!
This recipe is delicious! It is perhaps sacrilegious to say that my family are not huge flapjack fans — too hard, too soft, too sweet… However, with the huge number of bake sales that I seem to be saddled with lately I decided I needed an easy(ish) popular (with most) bake to take along, so needed to add flapjacks to my repertoire. My husband & daughter were jostling each other out of the way to get to the pan to get the last bits out.
I did not use foil — used parchment paper, and it worked perfect, no butter needed. I did not have light brown sugar on hand, so used a combination of dark brown & golden caster, both of which I did have on hand, about 50/50. I also doubled the recipe (not a problem with this recipe) and spread 1/2 of mixture out in pan, sprinkled over some (not a lot) chocolate chips, then spread the remainder of the mixture over that. Once it was all cooked and cooled a bit I melted some chocolate and drizzled over the top (not a lot). Was trying to achieve the same effect of the fancy flapjacks that I have bought now & then at M&S. These are better.
So, thanks for the delicious recipe, and I’m glad that I was very particular about which recipe I eventually decided to try. I looked at ingredients and reviews, and landed on yours — so glad that I did, as this recipe is a keeper.
Hi, did you double the length of time in rhe oven then if you doubled the mixture?
Today is the third time I’ve used this recipe and they are in the oven as I write. They smell lovely! I add a bit more syrup as we like them chewy. Tried non-stick greaseproof paper instead of tin foil as both lots done before stuck!
Can it be softened as mine is too hard ? Lol
Hi Barbara.
If you reduce your baking time a little you will get a chewier Flapjack. Don’t be afraid to take it out when it doesn’t look quite done and is a little wobbly in the middle – it will continue to set whilst it cools.
Can you confirm if you put the flapjacks in the middle of oven or the top?!
Thanks
Parchment paper is DEFINATELY better than foil! Tried and tested both ways.
Sticks to foil but not to parchment paper.
Hi wondering can you put fresh or dried fruit in the mixture?
I sometimes chop up some dried cranberries or apricots and mix through…..
Hi Sharon. Go for it! My favourite additions are dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds and sultanas. The kids love chocolate chips!
I make these almost every week with my son. He takes them to school for a mid morning snack and I use them for fuel on long bike rides.
We love them!
We don’t use foil and to be honest we keep pouring the oats in until we think the consistency is right. 9 times out of 10 they’re perfect, 1 time out of 10 I have to scoff them all myself
Must have done something wrong mine were way to soggy. Just fell apart as I tried to get out of the tin. Tasted good though
Hi Lynne. Sounds like they needed a little longer in the oven or the temperature to be a bit higher? Alternatively make sure they’ve completely cooled before removing from the tin.
Good basic recipe for flapjacks. I added chopped dried apricots, sultanas and grated orange zest to the mix.
Used baking parchment to line tin but didn’t grease this, just added the mixture and popped into the oven.
Ovens do have differences in temperature my new gas oven needs to be turned up a little compared to my old appliance,
this could be why some reviews are reporting underbaked.
I think I would use less butter next time, the top of the flapjack is good but the bottom still has liquid butter in it! Also, do not use a spring form tin, it’s the only thing I had but the butter leaked out of the bottom.
Overall, great recipe but I will tweak it next time.
Do you know what the Canadian equal of porridge oats are? We have steel cut, large flake , quick cooking, rolled… etc. Google isn’t being helpful.
Can this be made with steel cut oats?
Hi Robin. Oats are oats, to be honest! Any would be fine but I’d recommend experimenting to find your preference. Steel cut oats would be a great place to start however.
Hi can someone please confirm so we cook these in the middle of the oven or the top?
Hi Gemma. Rule of thumb is that if not stated otherwise, our recipes will be baked in the middle of the oven. :)
I only have a Pyrex dish, not a tin. Will this work as well?
Hi Hazel. A Pyrex dish should work fine but you may need to experiment with your baking times.
Added chopped dates and sultanas to the mix, family said they were the best flapjacks ever. High praise indeed. Thank you for the delicious recipe.
I have just made my second batch, absolutely delicious; the first time I got some dark soft sugar by mistake, but it was a good mistake !! I have used it again this time. Thank you for a great recipe; can you make flapjack with Maple Syrup ?
Yes, but I don’t think it will be as sticky as golden syrup. You could substitute some of the sugar for it I reckon
Is salted or unsalted butter used for this?
I would say either depending on your own taste, try baking one of each and make a comparison
Hi Zara.
I tend to use whatever I have to hand. Salted or unsalted won’t make a different to the overall baking but may produce a (very subtle!!) taste difference.
I made these yesterday but 300 grams of butter was far too much, the oats were swimming in fat I would halve the butter next time
I think I love this recipe. I’ve never had UK flapjacks before and my cousin suggested them so I’ve made a batch. It’s in the oven and is super liquid still. I must have made a mess. If they don’t work out I’ll comment again, but for now I’m hopeful.
Hi Jannie. Do let me know how you get on! During baking the ingredients first melt and it’s more during the setting process that they will firm again, so don’t be panicked if it appears to be liquid-like whilst baking.
Hi loved the recipe. But I used ordinary greaseproof paper, didn’t grease it and the flapjack came out perfectly. Only problem I had was with the cooking time, mine took 15 mins longer x
I just baked these with my seventy year old mum as she is now living with us and we found them extremely crumbly yet still delicious and moreish this is a thumbs up recipe for me
A five star rating for mmmmeeeeeeee
Hi mine are in the oven and it’s been 22 min – they rose at the edges but still super liquidy! I’m gonna leave them in for a bit longer but edges are going very dark – yikes! Is there a level of thickness you recommend?
Thanks
Tastes amazing but soooo much butter! It was swimming in it! I waited about 2 hours hoping it would dry up but it didn’t. Otherwise tasty and chewy as the recipe states
So I had a go at this recipe as I really wanted a chewy texture, baked for 20 minutes took out the oven still has a runny consistency however I will leave it to cool down and hopefully it’s what I want
Would like to try this recipe, however could I use granola instead of oats. Thank you
I have tried various recipes for flap Jack and this by far the best. I always use baking parchment and it never sticks to any tray bake
Absolutely delicious. But, I will tweak the butter, or add more oats next time, I like chewy but mine came out very gooey & with lots of butter at the bottom of the tin. So tasty though, I’ll definitely make again :)
I have used various flapjack recipes previously. Made these yesterday, using hard stork margarine, as my son is dairy intolerant. The family stated they were the best flapjacks I have made by along way (several slices have disappeared over night). I used a silicon tin an there was no issues with sticking. Will definitely make again.
As with all recipes, you have to play around with measurements to find what works for you.
I’d reduce the butter to 200/250g and i never use anything to line my tin. Other than a bit of butter if its an old baking tray.
Americans:
If you want to convert this recipe use:
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup syrup
4 cups oats – I used 2 cup quick oats and 2 cups old fashioned oats for a nice combo
Do not use all old fashioned oats however—too coarse.
Use parchment paper and under bake (maybe 18 mins total)
350 degrees
Disaster! The foil stuck and they were really sloppy
I love old fashioned food…Flap jacks I adore very much…will be making these soon..Thanks Querino
I made these and added frozen cherries and used oil instead of butter(needed dairy free).I also used foil to line my tray which i do when baking and run out of parchment.(I had no trouble with them sticking,)My sister in law and son who i purposely bake non dairy absolutely love them.They were crunchy on the outer edges and softer and chewy on the inside.
This is a very easy recipe and the best flapjacks I have ever made. I make them at least every other week and they are always a favourite. Very useful as they are gluten free when you use the oats packed in a separate environment and I put lots of different ingredients eg chopped dates or nuts and seeds just to vary them a little. Never had a failure yet. Thank you for sharing this recipe.