Mom's Flapjacks Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Serves a Crowd

by: Londonfoodieny

April19,2010

6 Ratings

Serves 9-20 depending on greediness

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Test Kitchen Notes

Probably not the sort of flapjacks you have in mind, these are what all granola bars aspire to be. Chewy, crispy and rich with butter, these oatmeal squares (or wedges, like ours) are made with golden syrup (the British answer to maple syrup, only milder), rolled oats, and a variety of seeds (pumpkin, sesame and sunflower). Londonfoodieny's flapjacks couldn't be easier to throw together (melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup, stir in the dry ingredients, spread in a pan and bake), but the rewards are great. Because of all the butter and sugar, the edges of the flapjacks crisp to a lovely golden brown, and if you cook them properly, the centers remain slightly chewy. We used a non-stick pan -- otherwise, make sure to use parchment, or you'll be scraping out the hardened sugar for days. - A&M —The Editors

Test Kitchen-Approved
The Best Recipe or Technique Your Mother Taught You Contest Finalist

What You'll Need

Ingredients

1 cupbutter
²/₃ cupsugar
heaped ¹/₃ cupsgolden syrup
4 ¹/₄ cups1 minute oats
1 heaping tablespoonsflour
1 pinchsalt
2 handfulspumpkin seeds
¹/₄ cupsunflower seeds
scant ¹/₄ cupssesame seeds

Directions

Heat the oven to 350F/180C/Gas 4. If you have a fan or convection oven reduce the temperature and cooking time but ideally turn the fan off. Line a 20 x 30 cm baking tin with greaseproof paper (parchment paper)
In a large pan, heat together the butter, sugar and golden syrup over a gentle heat, stirring until the butter has melted. Tip in the flour, oats, salt and seeds and stir to combine.
Tip your pan and spread evenly without pressing down too hard. Bake in the oven for roughly 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden (they will be slightly darker at the edges). Cut them, whilst still in the pan, straight from the oven and then leave to cool and set in the pan.

Tags:

British
Grains
Oat
Serves a Crowd
Summer
Winter
Spring
Fall
Vegetarian
Breakfast
Snack
Dessert

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12 Reviews

Anonymous April 28, 2017

You can also get Lyle's Gold Syrup on King Arthur. They have other recipes to use with it, too, including Pecan Pie.

fo November 9, 2015

OMG. Just made these today with some minor mods. Holy moly! Excellent! I have been wanting to make these for years.

BTW, @lululand, you can get Lyle's Golden Syrup on Amazon ;)

LULULAND July 22, 2015

I WOLD LIKE TO TRY THIS, BUT IN CALIFORNIA I HAVE NEVER SEEN GOLDEN SYRUP. CAN I SUB CORN SYRUP OR SOMETHING ELSE?

THANKS

lbgirl April 17, 2011

Thank you, thank you! I've always HATED maple syrup (yes, including the two years I spent living in Vermont!), and I've never been able to figure out what to substitute for it in recipes. Honey always seemed just TOO mild. For some reason, golden syrup just never occurred to me. From now on, every time a recipe calls for maple syrup, I'll just quietly substitute golden syrup. You have made me very happy!

ctgal April 16, 2011

I have some Lyle's Golden Syrup in my cabinet, bought for something else and never used. Thanks so much for giving me a use for it! Sounds delish. I might throw in some dried fruit cut up small as well. Can't wait and will let you know results.

Amy_N-B May 14, 2010

I made these last week to take on a camping/hiking trip and they were delicious! One problem though, they didn't hold together, so I ended up with more of a granola then a bar/cookie. Any thoughts on how to get them firmer?

That said, this combination also makes an awesome granola with a bit of skim milk.

NakedBeet April 30, 2010

I'm rooting for these! Congrats on the nomination.

mrslarkin April 29, 2010

These sound very yummy! Congrats, and thanks for the recipe!

cheese1227 April 29, 2010

We lived in England (Norwich) for two years and besides the beer, I miss having flapjacks as the staple treat with tea. We've got to put on an "England" presentation on Friday evening at my daughter's school and I think I will make these as the "taste of England", seeing as you can't bring beer onto school grounds, that is. Just a question, how many days in advance do you think I can make these?

thirschfeld April 29, 2010

I just saw an article on these in Bon Appetite. Your version looks way better. I will have to give it a try.

NakedBeet April 20, 2010

I can attest to how delicious these are having bought them from the Share our Strength bake sale this past Saturday. YUM!!!!

AntoniaJames April 19, 2010

What a nice mother you have!! These look so tasty. And super nutritious, too. Yummmmm. I can see making these to take on hiking, kayaking, ski, etc. trips. A few raisins or dates would be a nice touch, too . . . . Love it!! ;o)

FAQs

Why do flapjacks fall apart? ›

When you overcook a flapjack, the golden syrup dries out and it becomes crumbly. An undercooked flapjack will have a raw doughy texture that doesn't hold its shape.

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Why is my flapjack too hard? ›

Flapjacks can go hard if the temperature is too high when heating the butter, sugar and syrup mixture on the hob. Instead, keep it on a low heat, stirring occasionally. During baking, rotating the tray in the oven can help them cook more evenly.

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What happens if you put too much syrup in flapjacks? ›

For me, too much golden syrup makes them hard to bite through and dunking is simply not an option with flapjacks. Golden syrup can also make flapjacks sickly sweet. Cooking times and oven temperature are important.

Tell Me More ›

How do you stop flapjacks crumbling? ›

After five minutes cooling, press the flapjacks with something heavy and flat (this compresses them and stops them falling apart). Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares. They will keep for a week to 10 days in an airtight container and freeze really well.

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Can you rescue crumbly flapjack? ›

If the mixture continues to be crumbly then you may like to increase slightly the amount of golden syrup in the mixture. There is also a fairly easily recipe based on the ratio of oats to other ingredients for flapjacks which may be worth trying if Soot's Flapjacks are not quite to your taste.

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How do you know when flapjacks are done? ›

Press evenly into the baking tray and bake on a high shelf in the oven for 15 minutes. The flapjack will still feel soft. Leave to cool in the tray for 5 minutes and then lift the baking paper up and out of the tray to cool completely. Cut into bars and enjoy!

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Why are my flapjacks rubbery? ›

If gluten is over-mixed it becomes tough, rubbery, and unappetizing. Don't worry about the lumps; they'll disappear when you cook your flapjacks!

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How often should you water flapjacks? ›

Water. As you would expect with a succulent, flapjacks are drought-tolerant, and great care should be taken not to overwater. The soil should be allowed to fully dry out before rewatering when the weather is hot. During the winter, they will need minimal watering or none at all.

See Details ›

Should flapjacks be soft when they come out of the oven? ›

Press evenly into the baking tray and bake on a high shelf in the oven for 15 minutes. The flapjack will still feel soft. Leave to cool in the tray for 5 minutes and then lift the baking paper up and out of the tray to cool completely. Cut into bars and enjoy!

Get More Info Here ›

Should flapjacks be runny when cooked? ›

Put it in the oven for 20-25 minutes. It should look a bit runny still, because it will keep cooking in the tin for another five minutes. Leave it to cool for ten minutes and then cut it into 12 pieces.

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How much water do flapjacks need? ›

Flapjacks thrives in dry soil and should be watered sparingly.

Learn More ›