Easy Flapjack Recipe - Golden Syrup and Oat Bars

Follow along with our easy flapjack recipe for making Golden Syrup and Oat Bars using simple ingredients. Our recipe makes the best flapjacks ever, thick, chewy and sweet.

These delicious treats have been enjoyed in the UK for generations because they're so easy to make!

We have the best flapjack recipe for you, jump to the recipe card below or continue reading for all the tips and tricks.

Flapjack Ingredients 

Our delicious and easy flapjack recipe is made with simple ingredients found at any grocery shop.

Substitutes

Here are some suggestions for suitable substitutes.

Optional Ingredients

Of course, you can add extra ingredients to this basic flapjack recipe, such as dried fruit, chocolate chips, or seeds.

More Flapjack Recipes

We also a lovely recipe for chocolate flapjack and fruit flapjack recipes on our site that you may want to try!

Equipment

What baking tin to use?

For lovely, thick, soft, chewy flapjacks, we use a square baking tin measuring 8x8 inches (20x20 cm). You can use a bigger tray, but they will come out thinner. 

You could also use an 8x8 round cake tin instead.

How to line a baking tin?

To line, a rectangular or square tin, put the tray or, if using a bottomless baking tray, the base on top of parchment paper.

Then cut corners away to meet the tin, as seen in the image above.

Once inside the tin, they will cover all the edges.

How to make flapjacks

Put the butter, sugar and golden syrup into a pan. Heat gently, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted with the syrup and the sugar has dissolved. 

Finally, stir in the oats to form a sticky mixture.

Transfer the mix to your prepared square baking tin lined with baking paper / parchment.

Use a silicone spatula to flatten the oat mixture evenly into the tin.

What temperature?

Preheat the oven to 180°c / 160°c fan gas 4 / 350 °F. Check your oven setting and convert the temperature accordingly.

Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes until a pale golden brown is on top. Keep an eye on them; you do not want them to burn around the edges.

Flapjacks are too soft after cooking.

When you take the flapjacks out of the oven, they may appear soft and undercooked but don't worry, that's normal. They might also seem a bit greasy, but that's all part of the scrumptiousness.

Here's the secret: you need to let them cool for them to set and become firmer. Resist the temptation to cook them for longer, as they will end up too hard once cooled!

To understand why this happens, let's think back to our science lessons. This recipe calls for a generous amount of butter, and when it gets hot, it becomes liquid. The key is to let the butter cool down so it can return to its solid state.

So, be patient and give these flapjacks the time they need to reach their perfect texture. It'll be well worth the wait!

How long to cool?

Homemade flapjacks take a long time to cool (the butter needs to soak into the oats and return to a solid state) before being cut into neat squares or rectangles. 

First, allow cooling for about 30 minutes in the tin at room temperature.

Then, allow it to cool completely in the fridge for about 2 hours (the longer, the better). Putting it in the fridge speeds up the cooling time.

Once the flapjack slab has completely cooled, you can cut it into large rectangles or squares for smaller snack-size treats.

This is optional, but I like to trim the outside crunchy flapjack edges.

It smartens up the slaps, and the edges are always chewier than the inside. Don't worry; they don't go to waste; we still eat them!

How to store flapjacks?

Leftover flapjacks can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. To prevent them from sticking together, use a napkin between each slice.

You can also freeze flapjacks and defrost as and when you want them!