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I am happy to say there IS a foolproof way to make Flapjacks that works every single time. In just 6 ingredients and 20 minutes in the oven, you have a chewy, sticky classic traybake treat – I’m letting you in on the secret to the ultimate recipe!
Learning how to make Flapjacks is a rite of passage and once you’ve found the right recipe, you’ll be turning to it again and again.
There are so many different ways to make them, but I am VERY happy to report that I have done the testing and experimenting on this classic snack so you don’t have to.
This is the ultimate FOOLPROOF flapjack recipe that works. Every. Single. Time. There’s a secret to it too… shhh (but it lies within the oats you use) 🤫
Why you’ll love this Simple Flapjack recipe
⭐️ Only 6 ingredients
⭐️ No faff or fancy equipment needed
⭐️ Energy-packed snack for busy kids (and grown-ups)
Which oats to use
After making this many batches of homemade flapjacks over the years, I noticed something about the oats I used. (No exaggeration – I can safely say the success of your baking lies in the type of oats you use!) Once I realised this, there was no going back for me.
💥 HERE IS THE SECRET 💥… I use half rolled oats and half jumbo oats.
Rolled oats are more likely to be used in porridge. They absorb moisture well and carry flavours. Jumbo oats tend to be bigger and crunchier, keep their shape more, and are more likely to be used for biscuits and cereal bars. Instant oats are more processed, are finer in texture and are mushier when cooked.
In summary:
🦴 You can use just rolled oats but the texture is chewy, without much crunch
🍂 You can use just jumbo oats but they will be very crunchy, a little dry, and to be honest? Not my favourite
🌟 HALF AND HALF (rolled and jumbo) are honestly the BEST combo – both crunchy and chewy – yum!
🚫 Instant oats (like Ready Brek) are a no-no for flapjack
IMAGE: See the photo below showing the different between using just rolled oats (the bottom one) and using this recipe with half rolled and half jumbo (the top one)…
Sarah’s Notes
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).
Of course, there are a number of variations of this recipes, with additions such as peanut butter, honey or banana. But for me, nothing can top the classic Golden Syrup version.
This recipe will forever remind me of coming home from school and raiding the cake tin expectantly. Now it’s time for you to make your own memories. Hope you love it!
More favourite traybakes
- Chocolate Orange Brownies
- Mini Egg Rocky Road
- Peanut Butter Brownies
- Easy Rolo Rocky Road
- Easter Rocky Road
- Peanut Butter Bars
- Classic Rocky Road
- Classic Honeycomb
Flapjack Ingredients
- 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 Flapjacks
1. Preheat your oven, line your baking tray and then add your butter, sugar and golden syrup in a large pan.
2. Heat gently, then once the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and stir in the oats and salt.
3. Put your mixture into your baking tin and pat down flat with a spoon. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
4. Leave to cool well before slicing and drizzling over the melted 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.
Storing
In my experience they don’t last long enough to be stored, but if your family is resisting too much temptation, you can store them in an airtight container for about 7 days.
In the freezer You can also freeze them in portions for up to a month.
FAQs
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).
Easy Flapjacks {Foolproof Recipe!}
Ingredients
- 225 g (1 cups) Butter, See notes
- 150 g (1/2 cups) Golden Syrup, See notes
- 150 g (3/4 cups) Soft light brown sugar, See notes
- 450 g (5 1/2 cups) Oats, See notes
- 1 tsp Salt, See notes
For the topping:
- 100 g (2/3 cups) Milk chocolate, Melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 170℃ fan/190℃/Gas Mark 5 (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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published on March 2, 2021 and updated later to make improvements.
I made this yesterday. Just made a half batch and reduced the golden syrup and sugar by a third. Used hard block butter and replaced some of the oats with various seeds. Definitely need to cool. Was rather wonderful!