Vegan Flapjacks

                                      

Vegan Flapjacks Recipe 

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These flapjacks are simple, delicious and filled with protein. This recipe only requires 4 common ingredients and only 10 minutes of prep time! 

These flapjacks are a family favourite in my household, and I'm sure they will be in your home too. They are chewy, with a golden crunch on the top, and perfectly soft. 

This recipe is completely customisable to your taste. Whether you want to add in fruit and nut, or drizzle chocolate on the top, it is completely up to you! 

My home is filled with a bunch of vegans so these flapjacks always go down well. If your family members struggle with allergies or have a specific diet, this recipe is perfect for you! This recipe is not only vegan, but soya-free and gluten free*. 

Flapjacks are a great snack for when your exercising or just want to chill next to the TV with a delicious snack. There is 60g of protein in the oats alone. You can also add peanut butter to make it a super snack if you want to!

*Oats are classed as gluten free, although some people with celiac are also sensitive to the protein in oats called avenin which is similar to gluten. 

           Notes about the ingredients 

Butter - For the best texture in your flapjacks, I recommend using half stork butter block  and half flora spreadable butter. The stork butter has a harder texture and the flora butter is very soft. The mix between both butters creates the perfect chewy flapjack, but not too soft that it melts in the sun, and not too dry that it crumbles when handled with. 

Sugar - For this recipe, I recommend making your own light-brown sugar. This is because light brown and brown sugar is very hard to find without plastic packaging. If you like to avoid purchasing plastic like me, making your own brown sugar is the way to go. Plus, its cheaper!

Golden Syrup - I like to use Lyle's Golden Syrup which can easily be found in many supermarkets, although there are lots of other options you could choose from. If you don't have any golden syrup at hand, you can always use maple syrup but I highly recommend using golden syrup, as it makes the flapjack have a chewier texture. 

Oats - I used Quakers Rolled Oats in this recipe but you can use any brand you like really. I would recommend using rolled oats but if you are unable to get them, it is OK to use porridge oats. If you do use the porridge oats, the texture of the flapjack will be a little softer. 

   How to make the flapjack batter

The first step is to measure out all of your ingredients. I recommend using kitchen scales for a more accurate measurement but cups are still OK. 

Place your butter, sugar and golden syrup in a saucepan and place over medium heat until fully melted. Make sure to stir the mixture as it is melting to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of your pan. 

In a large bowl, add your melted mixture to your oats and mix until combined. (If you are adding anything into the mixture like nuts, this is where you can do so). 

Customising your flapjack

This flapjack recipe is a canvas ready to be painted on. Use your imagination to create delicious flavours or just enjoy a simple flapjack. 

Some of my favourite flavours are maple and pecan, peanut butter and chocolate, fruit and nut, and plain chocolate. 

There are so many ways you can customise this recipe. Something I like to do is substitute just 100g of the oats for flavoured granola. This just gives the flapjack some extra depth of flavour and texture. 

Tips for making THE BEST flapjacks

Flapjacks are a delicious simple snack, however there are still quite a few things that could go wrong. Here's some tips to make sure you make the perfect flapjack:

- Don't burn the butter, sugar, and golden syrup mixture. If you do, your flapjack will be slightly bitter and hard to bite through. 

- Use half block butter and half spreadable butter. This creates the perfect balance of soft and hard. Not too melty, and not too crumbly. If you do prefer a softer flapjack, then use all spreadable butter, and if you prefer a more crumbly flapjack, use all block butter. From my own experience, I do recommend using half and half, but it depends on your taste. 

- For the baking tin, the best thing to use is an 8x8 inch square cake/brownie tin. This makes the flapjack nice and thick. If you go for a larger tin, your flapjack will be thinner and crunchier. 

- Don't bake for more or less than the recipe suggests. I have tested this recipe on both a fan and a conventional oven and the only difference is the heat you set your oven to. When the flapjacks are ready, they should be very soft (don't worry they harden once cooled) and golden on top. 

What are flapjacks?

Flapjacks where invented in England and they date way back to the 1600s. This traditional British snack was first recorded as a food in John Taylor's poem 'Jack a Lent' in 1620. 

William Shakespeare also wrote about them in his Jacobean play in 1607. 

''Come, thou shalt go home, and we'll have flesh for holidays, fish for fasting days, and moreover puddings and flap-jacks, and thou shalt be welcome'' 

The word 'Flapjack' used to (and still does in some countries) refer to what we in the UK now call a pancake. 

It wasn't until the mid 1930s that the name 'Flapjack' became known as what we know it as today (an oat based snack) rather than what it used to be known as which was a pancake. 

The word flapjack means 'small snacks of the commoner'. 

Vegan Flapjack Recipe 

This recipe is great for a mid-day snack and is suitable for vegans, and people with milk, gluten, and soya allergies. 

Prep time: 10 minutes        Cook time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients: 

~ 250g Vegan butter / Margarine  (1 cup + 2 tbsp)

~ 200g Light brown sugar  (1 cup) 

~ 100g Golden syrup (5 tbsp) 

~ 350g Rolled oats (4 + 1/3 cups)

~ Your desired toppings / add-ins (Optional) 

Method: 

1. Preheat your oven to 350f / 180° conventional oven / 160° fan assisted oven.

2. Line a 8" or 9" square cake tin / brownie tin with parchment paper. 

3. Measure out all of your ingredients. (I recommend using kitchen scales for more accurate measurements).  

4. Place the vegan butter, light brown sugar and golden syrup into a small saucepan and place on medium heat until fully melted. 

5. Once melted, take off heat and add in your oats and add-ins if desired. (If adding in chocolate chips, wait for the melted ingredients to cool first). 

6. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon and place into your lined baking tin. Spread the mixture out and smooth with a spatula until flat. 

7. Place on the middle shelf of an oven and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. 

8. Remove from the oven and let sit until fully cooled. (The flapjack will be very soft when first removed from the oven. Don't worry! It hardens a lot as it cools). 

Notes: 

I highly recommend using kitchen scales to weigh out your ingredients but, if you do not have any at hand make sure to level out your cups with a knife for the most accurate results. 

Make sure your oven has been pre-heated for at least 10 minutes otherwise after the 20 minutes of baking your flapjack may not be fully cooked. 

If you decide to add in things to this flapjack, here are some of my favourites: 

- Fruit and nuts

- Maple and pecan granola (this can be substituted for about 100g of the oats) 

- Chocolate chips/chunks

- Peanut butter

Let me know how you customise yours!