Traditionally quick, simple and inexpensive to make, this much-loved British classic sweet treat is so easy and utterly delicious.
The best flapjack recipe is the most simple in my book (albeit drizzled with a little extra chocolate, naturally), so here we have one that’s just 6 ingredients and 20 minutes in the oven.
Learning how to make flapjack, our family favourite sticky, chewy teatime treat, is a rite of passage and once you’ve found the right simple flapjack recipe for you, you’ll be showing off your yields for years to come.
Whether you want to serve up healthy flapjacks for a breakfast-on-the-go option or a packed lunch sweetener, or just because there’s a cup of tea going that needs an accompaniment, you can whip these homemade flapjacks up time and time again in next to no time.
This recipe will forever remind me of coming home from school and raiding the cake tin expectantly (and there is no hunger like that 3:30pm after-school hunger, is there?).
Now it’s time for you to make your own memories with this super delicious, super easy flapjack recipe. Hope you love it!
Why you’ll love this recipe
⭐️ Only 6 simple ingredients
⭐️ No faff or fancy equipment needed
⭐️ Energy-packed snack for busy kids (and grown-ups)
About this Flapjack recipe
A traditional Flapjack recipe originated in Great Britain and is made from butter, golden syrup, sugar, oats (my recipe has a touch of salt too and a chocolate topping to give it an edge).
There are a number of variations that have evolved over the years, and this humble tray bake can be eaten as a teatime treat (like a cake), or as a breakfast bar, or reimagined as a super-healthy snack filled with oats, nuts and fruit.
There are peanut butter flapjacks, honey flapjacks, fruity flapjacks and banana flapjacks. But, for me, nothing can top GOLDEN SYRUP FLAPJACKS.
To make the best homemade flapjacks, simply melt and mix your ingredients together and bake in a square tin until golden brown, then slice them into squares once everything is cool.
The melted chocolate is optional, but I’d highly recommend drizzling it over the flapjacks at the end.
Some of my favourite other easy tray bakes are:
What you’ll need
- Butter – Unsalted or salted is fine. If you use salted, reduce the salt in the recipe to ½ tsp
- Golden Syrup
- Sugar – Soft light brown sugar
- Oats – I use a mixture of jumbo whole oats and rolled oats for a good consistency of both light/crumbly and dense at the same time
- Salt – You can leave this out for small children but it does bring out the flavour and add something
- Milk chocolate – Melted to drizzle (any kind). I use this kind for baking.
How to make flapjack
1. Preheat your oven, line your baking tray and then melt your butter, sugar and golden syrup in a large pan and heat gently.
2. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and stir in the oats and salt.
3. Give everything a really good mix until coated well.
4. Put your mixture into your baking tin and pat down flat with a spoon. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
Hint: Leave to cool well before slicing and drizzling over the chocolate.
Substitutions
- Golden syrup – This gives the lovely sticky texture. You can replace it with honey if you prefer but it can be more unpredictable as honey is a natural product where the consistency varies. The flavour can also be quite strong.
- Brown sugar – Soft light brown sugar gives a good flavour but caster sugar will work too.
Leftovers
In my experience there’s no such thing, but if your family is resisting too much temptation, you can store the flapjacks in an airtight container for about 7 days.
In the freezer You can also freeze them in portions for up to a month.
Top tip
Which oats to use
I use a mixture of jumbo whole oats and rolled oats in this flapjack recipe. Either is fine, but I find that jumbo oats give a lighter, more crumbly texture. Rolled oats make a more dense texture.
FAQ
You need to leave them to cool! Make sure they’re completely cooled before cutting them into 16 squares. This will help them to keep their shape and means that you don’t need to overcook them.
No, they’re very different things! In America, a flapjack is a kind of thick pancake, whereas in the UK it’s a gooey, chewy, granola-style oat bar. Any USA readers – please tell all about your flapjacks!
For me the perfect flapjack is a chewy one, with slightly crunchy edges. If you’re a fan of more crunchy flapjack, just cook for slightly longer than the recipe says.
Sure. Just replace the butter with a dairy-free spread, and make sure you use vegan chocolate or omit it altogether.
This is almost always down to overbaking. In future, just turn your oven down by a fraction and cook them for 5 minutes less.
This is usually down to cutting them before they are completely cold. If you want neat slices, let them go totally cold before cutting. It can also be when they are slightly underbaked.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Quick Flapjack Recipe
Ingredients
- 225 g Butter See notes.
- 150 g Golden syrup See notes.
- 150 g Soft light brown sugar See notes.
- 450 g Oats See notes.
- 1 tsp Salt See notes.
For the topping:
- 100 g Milk chocolate Melted.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 170C (340F).
- Line a 20×20 cm baking tray with baking parchment.
- Melt your butter, sugar and golden syrup in a large pan over a low heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and stir in the oats and salt.
- Give the entire mixture a really good stir so that all of the oats are coated.
- Pour the mixture into your lined baking tin and pat down with the back of a spoon.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. (The edges should be starting to brown but the middle should still be soft and wobbly.)
- When the flapjack is cold, remove it from the tin and slice your flapjacks into 16 squares with a sharp knife.
- Drizzle over the melted chocolate and allow to set.
Judy says
What degree should the oven be according to the USA ovens? Also, can quick oats be used. I eat them at a friend’s home in England and LOVE the, So far I haven’t had any success, but need to use at least 5 cups of oats. I have used the big oats and don’t enjoy them as well. thanks.
Catie Gardner says
Easy to make and a big hit in this household!
annjameson says
Why are mine still syrupy and what can I do to make them firmer
Sarah Barnes says
Leave to cool!
Kay says
These are yummy! Doubled the ingredients and used a 20x30cm tin, they made lovely deep flapjacks.
Sue says
How long did you cook the double recipe for please
Emma Foreman says
I made these on Friday for some reason I have never made them before. We wanted a semi healthy snack for lockdown 3 for home school and work snacks for my 2 boys, hubby and me. I did half normal and added cranberry and coconut to the other half. I dropped some to my parents too. Everyone said they are the best flapjacks ever tasted. Thank you Sarah xx
Kim says
Oh my goodness. Saw this recipe today & thought I must try it! I followed the instructions exactly & have made the best flapjack ever. The only thing I changed was I used plain chocolate instead of milk. Another fabulous recipe! Thank you.
Beekite says
Thank you! I have made this for my family three times now and last time I successfully made it with no recipe. Everyone loves this and even the picky eaters. Thank you.
Sophie says
Amazing recipe!
Amanda says
Anazing! Big hit with the family and friends who thought they were shop bought. Thank you.
Sarah Barnes says
So glad they went down well Amanda!
Sue says
Lovely flavour but sadly ended up crumbly, still chewy but falling apart. Thought I’d done it exactly but maybe oven hotter than some, so I’ll maybe turn it down next time to 160, is yours a fan oven?
I will definitely be trying them again and eventually I will get them right 😊
Sharon says
In my area, golden syrup is difficult to find. Could I use corn syrup instead?
Sarah Barnes says
I haven’t tried that Sharon, sorry, you can’t get corn syrup here!
Claire says
Just made them for friends in the states and found Turkey Golden table syrup that worked along with one minute oats. Normal oats failed badly lol! They do also think a flapjack is a pancake!