Easy Flapjack Recipe (Classic British Golden Syrup Flapjacks or Oat Bars)

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Easy Flapjack Recipe (Classic British Golden Syrup Flapjacks or Oat Bars)

This easy flapjack recipe makes British golden syrup flapjacks (aka oat bars or granola bars) that are crisp outside and chewy inside with rich vanilla toffee flavor.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine British

Keyword British Flapjack Recipe, Classic Flapjack Recipe, Easy Flapjack Recipe, Flapjack Recipe, Golden Syrup Flapjacks, Golden Syrup Flapjacks Recipe, Traditional Flapjack Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 221kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

Ingredients

250 grams old-fashioned rolled oats 250 grams is about 2 1/2 cups
125 grams unsalted butter 125 grams is about 8 1/2 tablespoons
125 grams light brown sugar lightly packed (125 grams is about 1/2 cup lightly packed)
100 grams golden syrup 100 grams is about 5 tablespoons
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prep. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper on all 4 sides.
Pulse the oats. Pulse the oats in a food processor 3 times (for 1 second each pulse). Set aside for now.
Make the dough. Melt together the butter, brown sugar, and golden syrup in a large microwave-safe bowl or in a medium saucepan over low heat on the stovetop, whisking to combine. Continue whisking until the mixture is thick and glossy (for the microwave only: if it’s not turning thick and glossy, heat the mixture again briefly and stir). Whisk in the vanilla and salt. Stir in the pulsed oats.
Bake. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, and spread it out evenly. Bake until the mixture is golden and the top looks dry, about 25 to 28 minutes. Let these cool completely before cutting.

Notes

Important Cooking Tip: There will come a point while this is baking that it’ll look like molten lava, and you’ll be cursing me thinking there’s no way this will work out. Press on! That’s normal, and it’ll turn out just fine (and it means they're almost done). Chewy inside and crispy outside flapjack perfection is within reach!
Storage: Once the bars are cooled and cut into squares, store them layered between pieces of parchment paper in an airtight container. They will keep for 3 days at room temperature, 1 week in the fridge, or 2 months in the freezer.
Customizations: My favorite is the classic version of this recipe with no alterations. Notes of butter toffee and vanilla caramel shine through, and you can focus on the wonderfully crisp outside and chewy inside texture without other flavors detracting from it. However, like most granola bar (or oat bar) recipes, there are almost endless opportunities for customizations here! Dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, and the list goes on.

Nutrition