These easy healthy flapjacks are soft, chewy and full of dried fruits and nuts for the perfect texture. Any easy homemade granola bar that's the perfect snack for everyone!
These homemade flapjacks (or granola bars) are an adaptation of my chocolate flapjacks, which are so popular! If you're looking for cookies made with oats, my oat and raisin cookies will be perfect!
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⭐️ Why this recipe works
- Wholesome ingredients: Jumbo rolled oats, and trail mix offer a satisfying texture and a boost of energy, making these flapjacks a perfect healthy snack.
- Customisable Sweetness: The adjustable amount of golden syrup allows you to tailor the sweetness and texture to your preference, ensuring a perfectly chewy or soft bar every time.
- Versatile substitutions: This recipe can easily be adapted to suit different tastes and dietary needs. You can swap in honey or maple syrup and use any dried fruit and nut mix.
- Simple preparation: A straightforward method and common kitchen ingredients mean you can whip up these flapjacks in no time, perfect for busy days.
🧾 Ingredients overview
- Jumbo rolled oats: The backbone of the flapjacks, providing texture, fibre, and a slow release of energy.
- Butter: Adds richness and helps bind the ingredients together for the perfect chewy texture.
- Light brown sugar: Offers a hint of molasses flavour and contributes to the flapjacks' moistness.
- Golden syrup: Key to the classic flapjack flavour and texture, making them deliciously chewy.
- Trail mix: Introduces an incredible variety of textures and flavours, as well as additional nutrients.
- Vanilla extract (optional): Enhances the overall flavour profile of the flapjacks.
For precise measurements and additional ingredients, refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
👩🏻🍳 Here's how to make it
Chewy flapjacks recipe step-by-step
- Preparation:
- Before You Begin: Line a 20cm (8-inch) square baking tin with non-stick baking paper.
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 160ºC (320ºF) to ensure it's ready for baking.
- Combine Wet Ingredients:
- Melt Together: In a medium saucepan, gently heat the butter, brown sugar, and golden syrup (or honey as an alternative). Stir over low heat until everything is melted and well incorporated. This melting process is crucial for achieving that signature flapjack texture and ensuring the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Mix in the Oats and Trail Mix:
- Coat the Oats: Add the rolled oats directly to the saucepan, stirring them until they are completely coated in the butter and syrup mixture.
- Add Variety with Trail Mix: Stir in the trail mix (or your choice of dried fruits and nuts) to evenly distribute throughout the mixture.
- Baking:
- Press and Shape: Pour the flapjack mixture into the prepared baking tin. Press down firmly into all corners to compact the mixture, which helps create a uniform thickness and ensures the flapjacks hold together once baked and cooled.
- Golden and Crispy Edges: Bake in the preheated oven until the top turns golden and the edges start to crisp.
- Cooling and Slicing:
- Cool Completely: Allow the flapjacks to cool completely in the tin. This cooling is essential for them to set properly, making it easier to slice into clean, neat squares without falling apart.
- Slice into Squares: Once cooled, use a sharp knife to cut into 16 equal squares. Cutting into squares while cool ensures that each piece maintains its shape and texture, ready to be enjoyed as a delicious, healthy treat.
📖 Variations
- Flapjacks are a very simple recipe, but there are still some ways to adapt it to get the perfect chewy oat bar.
- Vegan or dairy-free - use non-dairy butter or margarine instead of butter.
- Gluten-free - use gluten-free oats instead of regular ones for anyone with celiac or gluten intolerance.
- Honey—You can use honey with a tablespoon of peanut butter instead of golden syrup. Because honey is more viscous than syrup, the peanut butter helps to bind the oats together.
- Flavour twists - add cinnamon or mixed spice, or apricots and almonds instead of trail mix.
🍯 Storing and reheating leftovers
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To prevent sticking, place parchment paper between the flapjack layers.
- Freezer: Wrap flapjacks in cling film or freeze them initially on a baking sheet before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge overnight.
- Fridge: Refrigerated flapjacks last up to 10 days when kept in an airtight container. For the best flavour and texture, allow them to come to room temperature before serving.
💡 Chef's Guide: Expert Tips
Drawing on a decade of experience in Michelin-starred kitchens and Cordon Bleu training, I have compiled my top tips for recipe success.
- Temperature matters: The lower temperature of 160ºC helps to keep the flapjacks very soft and chewy. A higher temperature will dry them out, and once cooled, they will go hard.
- Line your tin: To prevent the flapjacks from sticking, line the baking pan with non-stick baking paper.
- Do not overbake: Be sure to not over-bake the flapjacks. They will end up dry and crumbly.
- Achieving the perfect texture: The key to the perfect flapjack texture is the balance of wet to dry ingredients. Adjust the amount of golden syrup based on your preference for texture.
- Press firmly: Ensure the mixture is pressed firmly into the tin to avoid crumbly bars.
- Cool completely before cutting: Patience is crucial to getting clean cuts and maintaining the shape of your flapjacks. Allow them to cool fully before slicing.
❓FAQs
Let them cool completely in the tin. You can even place them in the fridge overnight to set. Then, use a clean serrated knife to cut through the squares.
They'll last at least a week either at room temperature or in the fridge, but either way, they should be placed in an airtight container for storage.
Oats and healthier sweeteners generally make them healthier than cakes. Cakes often contain refined flour, sugar, and unhealthy fats. However, it's important to remember that even though they are healthier, they should still be considered a treat and consumed accordingly.
If your oven is set too high or the flapjacks are overbaked, they will turn out crumbly. Use a slightly lower temperature to ensure that they bake up moist and chewy.
If you tried this healthy flapjack recipe or any other recipe on my website, please let me know in the comments below. I love hearing from you. Also, please leave a star rating while you're there!
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Easy Healthy Flapjacks
Ingredients
- 315 g (3 ⅔ cups) jumbo rolled oats
- 150 g (5 2/7 oz) butter
- 150 g (5 2/7 oz) light brown sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons (3 tablespoons) golden syrup *see notes
- 125 g (4 ⅖ oz) trail mix
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160ºc and line a 9x9 inch (22cm) square tin. *You can use a 8 inch (20cm) square tin too. Just be sure to add an extra 2-5 minutes of baking time to account for the thicker bars.
- Weight the butter, golden syrup and brown sugar into a saucepan. Place over medium heat until everything is melted and whisk well to make sure the butter and melted sugar are all well incorporated.
- Pour the butter syrup mixture over the oats and mix well. Stir in the trail mix and stir to evenly distribute.
- Once the oats are completely covered in the buttery syrup (they'll all have a "wet" look to them) press them into a square tin lined with baking paper.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes. They top of the bars will turn golden brown and the edges will look set and the middle will appear slightly soft still. Remove the flapjacks from the oven and leave them to cool completely in the tin. If they're too warm when you cut them they'll break apart and won't cut into squares.
- Once completely cooled cut into 16 squares.
Notes
- There is a range in the golden syrup depending on how soft and chewy you like your flapjack. More syrup means a softer bar.
- Use honey or maple syrup in place of the golden syrup.
- Use any kind of dried fruit and nut mix instead of the trail mix.
- Using rolled oats will give you a lovely chewy bar whereas quick-cooking oats will result in a crumbly bar.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week either in the fridge or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Meet the Chef!
Hi, I'm Debs, a Cordon Bleu-trained chef dedicated to helping you create unforgettable meals on a budget. Discover more about my journey and dive into a world of foolproof recipes designed for those who love to eat well without overspending.
James
Such a great recipe! Easy to make and my kids love them!
Deborah Rainford
Thank so much, James! Really happy that they're a hit! 🙂
Anne-Margaret Anderson
The best flapjack recipe around and I’ve tried more than a fair few! We make these every Sunday for the children’s play piece/pre sports snack and they’re a big hit. My husband and I enjoy them a lot too. Thank you for sharing 😀
Deborah Rainford
So happy you love this recipe! It's such a great snack! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and a review! It's very appreciated! 🙂
Suma
I made these flapjacks for my son to take to school each day. They were absolutely gorgeous. I swapped out some oats and added a flaxseed&pumpkin seed mix. I like that you can use any type of dried fruit. They weren’t too sweet and went down a treat! Thank you for sharing. Im just about to make another batch for this week.
Deborah Rainford
Thanks so much for your comment, Suma! The pumpkin seeds sound amzing! So happy they went down well at school! 🙂
Pete
A really well written helpful and yummy recipe, thank you
Deborah Rainford
Thanks so much, Pete! So happy they were a hit! 🙂
Kelly
I make a tray of these on Sunday and have them as a snack all week and they are the perfect afternoon pick-me-up!
Deborah Rainford
So happy they're a hit! Thanks, Kelly! 🙂
Kate
Hi, what qty is the nutritional information above for please? These are delicious by the way! A big hit in our house
Thanks
Deborah Rainford
Hi Kate. If you use a 9x9 inch pan (23cm) and cut them into 16 squares it's 152 calories each with 32g of carbs so you get lots of energy. The full breakdown of the nutritional value is all listed at the bottom of the recipe card. So happy you love them! 🙂
Robert
I've been using this recipe for around six months now and all the family love them. I'm trying today adding just a few choc chips aswell as tropical mix. Beautiful.
Deborah Rainford
Thanks so much, Robert! They are a staple in my house too! 🙂
Tofaz
Hi, these look amazing, can I substitute the butter with coconut oil? And leave out the sugar? Thanks 🙂
Deborah Rainford
Hi Tofaz. Unfortunately, due to the nature of baking that won't work. Both those ingredients are integral to how the flapjacks bake and set. But I have a vegan recipe from another recipe website you can try. I haven't made this recipe myself, but Nadia's recipes are great. Hope this helps and they're exactly what you're looking for. https://nadiashealthykitchen.com/4-ingredient-vegan-flapjacks/
AM Anderson
Brilliant recipe. I’ve lots of different flapjack recipes in the past but this is now our go to one. Adults and kids alike love them. Thank you for sharing!
Deborah Rainford
Absolutely love seeing this! And thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and a rating. It's so appreciated. 🙂
Hilary
Loved this recipe! I make them for an after school snack and my kids love them!
Jane
Super easy and soft and chewy recipe. Love these!
Deborah Rainford
Thanks so much, Jane! Really happy you loved these.
Sam
These were easy to make and everyone loves them!
ROSE HARRISON
Am just about to make these, but surprised the method shows adding choc chips!
Deborah Rainford
Hi Rose. There are absolutely no chocolate chips in this recipe. You're probably seeing the sultanas or the dried cranberries from the trail mix or maybe you're seeing the peanuts and thinking that they're white chocolate chips, but no. These flapjacks are a chocolate-free zone.
Seth
Soft and chewy. And super easy to make!
Deborah Thompson
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and a review! It is so appreciated!
Rachel
Soft and chewy. Love the tropical twist with the dried fruit and coconut too!
Deborah Thompson
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and a review! It is so appreciated!