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; the recipe card is below, or continue reading for all the tips and tricks.
📖 Step by Step Recipe
Easy Flapjacks Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 gram Unsalted Butter
- 200 gram Light Brown Sugar - or demerara sugar.
- 5 tablespoon Golden Syrup - or honey, agave syrup or maple syrup
- 350 gram Oats - instant or quick rolled oats for a soft texture jumbo rolled oats for a chewy texture
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°c / 160°c fan gas 4 / 350 °F. Prepare the baking tin by lining it with baking parchment. We use a 8 x 8 inch square tin loose-bottomed cake tin, if using a longer tin they will come out thinner.Make sure parchment paper is longer than the tray to make it easier to remove later. See blog post for advice.
- Put 250 gram Unsalted Butter, 200 gram Light Brown Sugar and 5 tablespoon Golden Syrup in a pan together.
- Melt the ingredients together on low heat. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
- Once melted turn off the heat and add 350 gram Oats.
- Stir oats into the butter, sugar and syrup until well coated and it forms a sticky mixture
- Transfer into the lined baking tray
- Push down with a silicone spatula
- Bake for 15 -20 minutes in an oven set to 180°c / 160°c fan gas 4 / 350 °F
- Remove from the oven, they will still be soft and greasy looking, don't worry this is normal they firm up as they cool. Do not be tempted to cook for longer!
- Leave to cool still in the tin for at least 30 minutes. Once the tin has cooled down, place it in the fridge. This will cool the flapjack mixture quicker and make it set hard. The longer the better for neater cuts I suggest 2 hours+.
- Once completely cooled and firm, gently lift the flapjack slab out with the baking parchment.
- Use a sharp knife to cut into rectangles or squares!
- Makes 8 large rectangular flapjacks or 16 treat size squares.
- Best served at room temperature, for a soft chewy texture.
Video
Nutrition
Our traditional flapjack recipe post was originally published on 21/09/2021. It was modified on 20/02/2025 with a simpler layout to make it easier to get to the recipe card and improved advice on how to make flapjacks.
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Flapjack Ingredients
Our delicious and easy flapjack recipe is made with simple ingredients found at any grocery shop.
Substitutions
Here are some suggestions for suitable substitutes.
Butter
Dairy-free butter alternatives can be used instead of unsalted butter.
Sugar
Use Light Brown Soft Sugar, Demerara Sugar.
Golden Syrup
Honey, agave syrup or maple syrup can be used instead.
Porridge Oats
Use instant or quick-rolled oats, rolled porridge oats will give a soft texture.
Jumbo oats, or old-fashioned oats can be used for a firm, chewy bite.
Optional Ingredients
Of course, you can add extra flavours to this basic flapjack recipe by adding some dried fruit, nuts, 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, which becomes liquid when it gets hot. The key is to let the butter cool down to 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.
We made eight large oat bars. But you can cut them all in half again to make 16 squares.
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!
These are our favourite treat for any picnic, lunch box, after-school snack or afternoon tea. I guarantee that these will be gone before you know it.
These flapjacks taste sweet enough as they are! But if you want to add something to them before serving, try a drizzle of our caramel sauce or chocolate sauce. A drizzle of yoghurt glaze goes well too.
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!
What are flapjacks?
Flapjacks are a British recipe made with only four ingredients: butter, sugar, porridge oats and golden syrup.
Not to be confused with an American flapjack which we call a pancake!
More Baking Recipes
Looking for more baking recipes, try our Chocolate Chip Brownies. Another classic British recipe Rock Cakes or our delicious Chocolate Victoria Sponge.
- Easy Fairy Cakes with Sprinkles
- Queen Cakes - Raisin Cupcakes
- Giant Cookie with Chocolate Chips
- Parkin Cake - Lancashire Gingerbread Cake
We hope you enjoy this oaty flapjack recipe as much as our family; please let us know how you get on and what you like to add to your flapjacks.
Mirlene says
Mines came out great! They were easy to make and the smell was as delicious as it tasted!
Kay says
Thank you for trying our Easy flapjack recipe, Mirlene! We're so glad that you enjoyed it and found it easy to make. The smell is definitely one of the best parts! 🙂 Thanks again for giving it a try. 🙂
BB says
Far too much butter! Other recipes use twice as much oats as butter, which is a much better ration.
Kay says
Thanks for your comment BB
We created this recipe with a higher butter ratio because it made a better texture, thicker, and taller results that don't crumble. Making a more luxurious treat compared to other flapjack recipes we have tried in the past. 🙂
It does come down to preference when cooking your flapjacks; if you want them healthier, firm and crumbly, add more oats; if you like them soft and chewy and more of a treat as in the pictures, stick with the recipe we have supplied.
Mandymoo says
My greaseproof paper is soooo greasy afterwards. I don't know why., any advice?
Kay says
The reason for this is greaseproof paper is an impermeable paper made for baking and this is why is does not allow the grease to pass through it; the reason why you use parchment paper is to stop the flap jack from sticking to the tin.
This recipe does require a lot of butter, which always gonna be greasy, but it's a very tasty and naughty treat lol
Charlotte says
Followed the recipe exactly. Thought the mix looked quite wet when I had mixed the oats in but popped it in the oven anyway. Baked for 20 mins and it still looked very liquid but figured it needed to cool to firm up. After half an hour cooling, still very gooey in the middle and the butter had started separating and pooling on top
I popped them back in the oven at a lower temp, with foil on top to try and set the centre. After another 5-10 mins took them out and let them cool fully.
They did set mostly but the middles are still quite squidgy, the bottoms are heavy with butter and syrup (there's a visible line that shows butter and syrup all pooled the bottom) and the edges are very very chewy.
The flavour is pretty good (I'll admit I'm still eating them ha) but the overall texture implies I must have made a mistake somewhere, what could i have done wrong?
Jessica says
i did them but when they were in the oven fir 20mins they were so greasy and liquidy on top. What's wrong? Also can I add more oats
Kay says
Hi Jessica, thanks for trying out our recipe! We're sorry its taken us a while to reply.
Its normal for flapjacks to look too soft, liquidy and greasy when they come out of the oven. They are still very hot so the butter is in a melted state.
Whilst they cool the butter continues to soak into the oats and returns to a solid state.
Different oats may make a difference some may not soak as much butter up so you can add more oats if it seems overly greasy whilst mixing together in the pan before transferring to the baking tray.
Also, make sure it is real butter that you have used not margarine or a soft spread.
Sian says
Very greasy, needs more oats. I would used at least 450g rather than the 350g stated in the recipe.
Luke says
Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy our Flapjack recipe; you certainly can add more oats, but adding too much will make the flapjack crumble 🙂
It would be a healthier option if you don't like it too buttery,
Lets us know how it comes out with more oats 😉
Debbie says
Very good recipie, thankyou. Should I use salted or unsalted butteŕ please? Would like to improve the flavour please. It was a bit greasy to taste - maybe buy branded ingredients or use some maple syrup? Thankyou.
Kay says
Thank you, Debbie, for the comment 🙂
We use unsalted butter when making our flapjacks; you could use salted if you prefer. We like to use the President brand of butter; I never tried using maple syrup; we will have to give it a try or let us know how you get on if you make them with syrup 😉
Enjoy!!
Diana says
Thanks for this perfect recipe! I added some dried fruit just because, and they turned out beautifully. I also dribbled some melted dark chocolate over them once they cooled... I may not lose any weight anytime soon, but who cares!! Dx
Kay says
Thank you for the comment and rating, Diana, it's really appreciated 🙂
Flapjacks with chocolate are delicious, I like to add dried apricots with ours sometimes 😉
If you like dried fruits you might like our Manor House Sultana Cake.
or for another easy recipe try out our Rock Cakes - Old Fashioned British Recipe.
Enjoy!!
Emi says
This recipe was so easy to follow and my flapjacks came out perfectly, soft and chewy! My baking tins aren’t very deep so I increased the ingredients by 50% to make two portions, one with currents and one with chocolate chips! The recipe didn’t specify which type of butter to use so I used salted and it tasted amazing
Tracy Kerslake says
Best recipe I have found, easy to follow and they taste great
Kay says
Thank you for your feedback! We're glad to hear that you think this is the best flapjack recipe around; we think so too! If you're looking for more easy and delicious British baking recipes, be sure to check out our Rock Cakes - Old Fashioned British Recipe.
Kath Daly says
fantastic flapjacks. just the recipe I've been looking for.will be bookmarking this page for when I make my next batch.
Kay says
Thank you so much, Kath 🙂
So pleased you liked our flapjack recipe and its been bookmarked to make in the future 😉
Enjoy!!
emily says
I’m from the uk and i’ve never been able to find a good flapjack recipe before this- they’re perfect, just like from shops and cafes! Can’t believe an american recipe was the answer to my prayers!
Luke says
Thank you for that great review, Emily 🙂
We made this recipe for the same reasons, we all love flapjacks, and homemade is always best 😉
Just to let you know, we are UK Food bloggers, excellent to hear our recipe is just like the shops and cafes; that's exactly what we wanted!
Aya says
These flapjacks are so convenient! They are easy to make and taste delicious. I have them with me when I go out and need a quick boost of energy. Thanks for a great recipe!
Kay says
Thank you so much, Aya
So pleased you like our flapjack recipe 🙂
They do make the perfect snack and give you a good sugar boost!!
Colleen says
I too, always think of pancakes when I hear "flapjack". So of course I had to make these. So easy to make and they were a hit! Thanks for sharing.
Kay says
Thanks, Colleen
We hear this a lot with flapjacks and Pancakes lol
Glad you liked our flapjack recipe 🙂
Tyanne says
Such a beautiful texture! Perfect breakfast any day of the week.
Kay says
Thank you so much Tyanne
This makes a great breakfast or snack for any day of the week 🙂
Enjoy!!
Kemi says
I'm in the UK and will try this recipe as they look delicious.
Kay says
Thanks, Kemi
Hope you enjoy our flapjack recipe, let us know your thoughts?
Linda says
Like Kristin, I didn't know the difference in names! Your flapjacks would be called oat bars here in the states...flapjacks is way more fun! This is the perfect recipe to make with my kiddo to get him invested in his breakfast / snack!
Kristin says
I had no idea there was a difference between American and British flapjacks! These look delicious. I can't wait to try these...my family will be very surprised when I tell them that these are flapjacks!
Kay says
Thank you, Kristin 🙂
Hope you enjoy our UK Flapjacks lol 😉
Have fun making and eating!!