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.
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Flapjack Ingredients
Our delicious and easy flapjack recipe is made with simple ingredients found at any grocery shop.
- 200 gram Light Brown Sugar or demerara sugar.
- 250 gram Butter
- 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
Substitutes
Here are some suggestions for suitable substitutes.
Butter
Dairy-free butter alternatives can be used instead.
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 rolled, or old-fashioned oats can be used for a firm, chewy bite.
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!
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.
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 the perfect 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 are 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.
📖 Step by Step Recipe
Easy Flapjacks Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 gram Light Brown Sugar - or demerara sugar.
- 250 gram Butter
- 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 the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pan together.200 gram Light Brown Sugar, 250 gram Butter, 5 tablespoon Golden Syrup
- Melt the ingredients together on low heat. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
- Once melted turn off the heat and add oats
- Stir oats into the butter, sugar and syrup until well coated and it forms a sticky mixture350 gram Oats
- 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 05/04/2024 with a simpler layout to make it easier to get to the recipe card and improved advice on how to make flapjacks.
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.
- Iced Buns with Sprinkles
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Steamed Christmas Pudding
- Madeira Cake Loaf Tin Recipe
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.
Lisa says
Easy recipe, however when cooled they were rock hard! Where did I go wrong?
Luke and Kay says
Thanks for the question Lisa
Once they've chilled in the fridge,and you have sliced them into desired-size pieces. They are best served at room temperature for a softer texture as the butter will have a chance to soften.
Hope this helps and you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Diane Green says
my grandchidren love flapjacks and this is an easy recipe for them to d.o by themselves
Luke and Kay says
Yes, they will love it! The hardest thing for our kids is being patient whilst the flapjacks set! Another easy one for the kids to make our our Chocolate Cornflake Cakes and our childrens favourite Rock Cakes we have chocolate rock cake recipe too.
Clare Livermore says
Mixture very wet after 20mins they were nice and brown . Should I bake for longer? hopefully they will firm up as really soppy still. Don't know why this is.
Luke and Kay says
Clare, place the flapjacks in the fridge; once it has cooled down, the butter will firm back up, making the flapjack easy to cut into squares
Hope this helps and you enjoy our flapjack recipe 🙂
Rachel says
Really gooey at the bottom but nice texture through the the rest, what I have done wrong? Thanks.
Luke and Kay says
The only thing i can think is to leave the flapjacks longer in the fridge until the butter is completely firm before cutting into squares
Hope this helps 🙂
Jenna says
Honestly I haven't even made the flapjacks yet, but 5* just for the tip about lining the baking tray! It's probably so obvious to most people but I've never ever seen it explained before and I am astounded!
Thank you!
Luke and Kay says
Thank you for your kind review, Jenna. We appreciate it so much that you took the time to provide us a 5-star review before even making the flapjacks!
We're so pleased our instructions were able to offer some helpful tips and tricks, such as lining your baking tray -- that little extra step can make all the difference.
We hope you enjoy the flapjacks and thank you again for choosing our recipe. 🙂
Chloe Johnson says
Gorgeous flapjacks so super easy to make , so tasty! Will definitely be making again! X
Luke and Kay says
Thank you for your glowing review of our flapjack recipe, Chloe! We are delighted to hear you enjoyed making it so much and that the outcome was delicious. 🙂
Tom says
If I add apricots, do I need to remove anything? Maybe some oats?
Nina says
i tried some any flapjacks recipes some would be crumbly or crunchy always a disappointment, this is the best recipe I’ve found been been looking for a recipe for soft chewy flapjacks and so glad I came across these, amazing taste and texture not over sweet like other recipes. I did add some flour because that helps to keep flapjacks soft/chewy and I added some sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
Luke and Kay says
Thank you for trying our Flapjack recipe, Nina! We're glad to hear you found it easy to follow and that the end result was just as you hoped - delicious and soft/chewy. 🙂
Heidi says
These go down a storm at my house. I’m having to make double batches to make them last!! We also added mini marshmallows to ours 🤤
Luke and Kay says
Thank you for your kind words, Heidi! We're so happy to hear that you and your family enjoy our Flapjack recipe. Adding mini marshmallows is a delicious suggestion - we'll have to give it a try! Thank you for being a fan of our recipes. 🙂
Em says
If i use the double ratio recipe is the cooking time the same? Thanks
Kay says
Thanks for the question Em
I would advise using two separate tins if you double up the ingredients. It will be very thick and won't cook evenly if you use one tin.
I hope you enjoy the flapjacks 🙂
Karen Lowes says
Absolutely fantastic flapjack recipe easy to make, delicious texture and very more ish. I added dried soft apricots to mine. Which then makes them healthier lol x
Kay says
Hi Karen, thank you for trying out our Easy Flapjack Recipe and for sharing your feedback with us. We're so happy to hear that you liked the recipe and found it easy to make. The addition of dried soft apricots sounds like a delicious variation - we'll have to give it a try! Thank you again for giving our recipe a go and we hope you'll enjoy it again soon. 🙂
El says
Really good and easy I added dates kids loved them
Luke and Kay says
Thank you for letting us know about your experience with our flapjack recipe, El! It's wonderful to know that you enjoyed making it, as well as that your children liked the flavour. 🙂
Chris says
Great recipe but the ads make navigation so painful!
Kay says
Hi Chris
Thanks for the comment
You're right, and I completely get it - with adverts but this is how we make money and we can't make these recipes and put them out weekly for free.
We appreciate your feedback on this issue but in order for us to continue posting new content the adverts will always be on our site, so we can continue to put out great content for people to use in the future 🙂
Hope you can understand and return to enjoy more of our recipes 😉
Nicole Rincon says
Lovely simple recipe and so delicious I ate far too much and they didn’t last long! I did bake them a little longer than stated in the recipe as we like them a bit more crispy.
Kay says
Thank you, Nicole! We're so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Easy flapjacks are definitely a crowd-pleaser!
Tristin Rieken says
So delicious and just the right amount of sweetness in these flapjack oat bars. I made the recipe as stated with salted butter and allowed to rest 1 hour before cutting. I didn't think they were too greasy at all. Next time I will try with some dried fruit and chopped nuts mixed in to make them like a sweet version of American granola bars since my kids loved these so much. Thanks!
Kay says
Thank you for trying our Easy flapjack recipe, Tristin! We're so glad you enjoyed it and that it was just the right amount of sweetness for you. 🙂
We love hearing feedback like this about our recipes, and we're happy to hear your kids loved them too. Thanks for sharing your experience with us, and we hope you'll try out some of our other recipes soon. 😉
Jamie says
These were so soft and chewy! I love how simple the ingredients list is and how easy is it to make!
Kay says
Thank you for trying our Easy Flapjack Recipe, Jamie! We're so happy you enjoyed it and found the ingredients list and preparation to be simple. We hope you'll make them again soon! 🙂
Tayler says
These bars are so delicious! I make them all the time and my kids love them!
Kay says
Thank you for your kind words Tayler; we're so happy you and your kids enjoy our recipe!
Dana says
These are delicious! Such a great snack or on-the-go breakfast! Thanks so much for this recipe.
Kay says
We're so happy you enjoy our easy flapjack recipe Dana! They are a delicious and convenient snack or on-the-go breakfast. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on them. 😉