British Flapjack Recipe - TipBuzz (2024)

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These flapjacks are oat bars just like the ones found in the UK! While flapjack typically means pancake in the U.S., this authentic British recipe uses oats, butter, golden syrup and sugar. They’re so tasty with just a slight crunch to them!

What’s not to like about a flapjack? This satisfying, uncomplicated treat is full of wholesome flavor. Plus, they are gluten-free and easy to make vegan as well.

You can enjoy one for breakfast or simply a snack on-the-go. You can also customize the texture to be more chewy or crunchy as you like!

There are only four ingredients: quick oats, butter, sugar and golden syrup. Let’s get started!

What is a Flapjack?

A flapjack is a baked oat bar that’s long been part of British culture. In fact, Shakespeare mentioned flapjacks in a play in the early 1600s! A mixture of oats, butter, sugar and golden syrup is baked in a large flat rectangle and cut into pieces for serving.

While this treat is widely available in UK bakeries and shops, it’s also easy to make at home. While flapjacks bears a faint resemblance to granola bars or dessert squares, this treat is truly unique.

What’s the Difference Between a Flapjack and Pancake?

In America, flapjacks are another name for pancakes especially in the South. These pancakes are the thin, flat cakes made by frying batter in a skillet. “Flap” is a play on words for the way you need to “flip” a pancake in the pan during cooking.

In contrast, the British flapjack is an oat bar baked in the oven. It actually has nothing in common with a pancake other than the confusing name!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make them:

• Quick Oats: You will need quick cooking rolled oats, meaning porridge oats that cook in a minute or two. Do not use old-fashioned or steel cut oats because they will be too hard. Similarly, avoid instant oats, which will fall apart.
• Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter depending on what you have on hand. For unsalted butter, you may wish to add a pinch of salt. To make it vegan, use a plant-based butter instead.
• Demerara Sugar: This is a coarse-grained raw sugar available in specialty shops or online. It’s not as chunky as the raw sugar you might find at a coffee shop, but it’s not fine like granulated sugar either. Turbinado sugar is the closest substitute.
• Golden Syrup: Also known as light treacle, this sugary syrup has a buttery caramel flavor. A common brand is Lyle’s in a green tin, available in specialty grocers or online.

How to Make Flapjacks

Preparation is quite straightforward. Start by putting the oats into a large mixing bowl. Then place a small saucepan over medium-low heat, adding the butter, sugar, golden syrup and salt, if using:

Let the butter melt and start mixing with a wooden spoon until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Note: it’s normal for the sugar to not be completely dissolved in order to produce a slight crunch in the flapjacks.

Now pour the butter mixture over the oats and stir until evenly coated. Turn the oat mixture onto a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Spread it out to the edges of the sheet and use an offset spatula or pie server to pack it down to roughly a 3/4-inch thickness (this step is important to prevent breakage later on).

Bake at 325°F until golden brown, about 25 to 35 minutes. For a chewier flapjack, bake for the shorter end of the range, whereas for a crispier flapjack, bake for the full 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. The trick here is not to wait too long or they’ll become brittle and break apart. However, if you cut while too hot they’ll be sticky and also fall apart (think Rice Krispie squares).

The ideal tool to cut them is a pastry scraper, which can apply even downward pressure. Failing that, you can use a sharp chef’s knife to similar effect. Cut the flapjack into rectangles or triangles and remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips & Tricks

• Use quick-cooking rolled oats for this recipe: You’ll want to use quick cooking rolled oats for best results.Old-fashioned or instant oats won’t work for this recipe. Instant oats cook too quickly and old-fashioned don’t have the best texture when baked.
• Make your flapjacks thicker for a chewy texture: These oat bars can be crunchy or chewy depending on how you like them. For a chewy texture, make sure your flapjacks are 3/4 to 1-inch thick. Make them less than 3/4-inch thick to be crunchy.
• Let your flapjacks cool slightly before cutting: It’s best to let flapjacks cool slightly in the pan so they can firm up before slicing into smaller squares.
• Use golden syrup: It’s tempting to swap in corn syrup, maple syrup or another product. However, golden syrup produces the characteristic flavor for flapjacks while binding the oats together. If you really can’t find any, then simply make your own!

Frequently Asked Questions

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