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–+ servings
British flapjacks stacked on a white plate.

British Flapjacks (Chewy Oat Bars)

By Tammy Spencer
Have you heard of British flapjacks (spoiler: no pancakes here!)? If not, you’re in for a buttery, chewy treat. These classic oat bars come together with just a handful of ingredients and bake up rich, golden, and perfectly sticky. Whether you keep them simple or load them with mix-ins, this is an easy, cozy bake that delivers every time.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Cooling Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 16 squares
Calories: 176kcal

Special Equipment

Ingredients

For the bars

  • 2⅓ cups (200 grams) rolled oats, or instant oats, see Recipe Notes
  • ½ cup (113 ½ grams) unsalted butter, see Recipe Notes
  • ½ cup (110 grams) light brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup (80 grams) golden syrup, see Recipe Notes
  • ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) kosher salt
  • mix-ins, optional, see Recipe Notes

For the topping (optional)

  • ⅔ cup (114 grams) chocolate chips, or your preferred topping choice, see Recipe Notes

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 °F. Line an 8- × 8-inch baking pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper, set perpendicularly to each other. Try to get all four sides covered so the bars don’t stick when you remove them.
  • Make the bars: If you’re using American rolled oats, pulse them in a food processor a few times to a medium coarseness (they’ll be closer to the texture you can find in the UK). You don't have to do this step if you're using instant oats.
  • In a 2-quart saucepan, combine ½ cup unsalted butter ½ cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup golden syrup, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture is melted and smooth. Once bubbles form, simmer for one minute, then remove from heat.
  • Stir in the 2⅓ cups rolled oats and any desired mix-ins until the mixture is completely coated.
    Press the mixture into the prepared baking pan in an even layer. Pressing firmly ensures the bars hold together cleanly instead of crumbling.
  • Bake the bars for 20 to 25 minutes, until deeply golden at edges. The longer cooking time will yield a deeper flavored bar, but it won’t be quite as soft and sticky as with a shorter baking time.
    Flapjacks will still feel a little soft when you take them out of the oven, but that’s exactly what you want. They firm up as they cool, so resist the urge to overbake!
  • Make the topping: If you’d like to add a chocolate topping (and who wouldn’t?), let the bars rest in their pan on a cooling rack for 3 to 4 minutes before sprinkling ⅔ cup chocolate chips all over. Wait 5 minutes, then spread the melted chocolate in an even layer using a small offset spatula.
    See the Recipe Notes for more topping suggestions.
  • Let the flapjacks cool completely in the pan, either at room temperature for about an hour or in the refrigerator to speed things up (especially if you added the chocolate layer).
  • Use the parchment paper to transfer the slab onto a cutting board, then cut it into 16 squares. Alternatively, you can cut the slab into 4 quarters, then cut each quarter diagonally to form 16 triangles.
  • Storage instructions: Store at room temperature in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week (if they last that long!).
    Fully cooled and cut flapjacks can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for an hour or so, or in the refrigerator overnight.

Recipe Notes

Instant oats are smaller and softer than rolled oats, and can be used as a 1 for 1 swap (no need to chop them up first).
If you want to make vegan British flapjacks, you only need to replace the butter in the recipe with your favorite butter substitute.
If you can’t find golden syrup, you can use honey or maple syrup (just make sure it’s pure, not adulterated or pancake syrup). Be aware that those substitutes can affect the flavor and texture of the resulting flapjacks.
I made my flapjacks plain, but you can add any sort of mix-ins you’d like just by replacing ½ cup of the rolled oats and baking the bars for the shorter amount of time. Chopped nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chunks, candied ginger, or flaked coconut would all be delicious. Use your imagination and go for it!
You also have options for topping your flapjacks. Here are a couple of suggestions besides chocolate:
  • Caramel: Pour on a layer of caramel (like the filling from millionaire's shortbread) onto the baked bars. Chill the topped bars thoroughly before cutting into squares.
  • S'mores: Spread some marshmallow creme on the cooled bars, then sprinkle with crushed graham crackers crumbs.

Nutrition

Serving: 1square | Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 75mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 177IU | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg