These school-canteen-style old-fashioned flapjacks are lovely and chewy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. A nostalgic oaty-buttery snack with plenty of golden syrup. I can’t resist a corner piece with a nice cup of tea!

A tall shot of a stack of 4 flapjack squares, on top of a black wire cooling rack. In the left of the background, you can slightly see a red/ orange napkin, you can also see some more flapjacks stacked on top of each other in the background. This is all set on a black surface with a grey background.
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I love this nostalgic sweet treat! I think eating squidgy, sweet flapjacks from the school canteen is a universal fond memory for a lot of people.

Even now I find myself craving that sweet, syrupy flavour. They are also surprisingly easy to make (only 5 ingredients!) and perfect to have alongside a lovely cuppa!

📋 Ingredients

A wide, overhead shot of the ingredients for flapjacks. They are laid out on a black surface. They are as follows: butter, light brown sugar, golden syrup, porridge oats, and salt.

Porridge Oats – Porridge oats, Rolled oats or Old-Fashioned Oats are all fine for these flapjacks, but don’t use steel-cut oats or instant porridge oats (see notes below for more info).

How to make it:

***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post***

  1. First, preheat the oven, and in the meantime cut the parchment paper as seen below to line the baking tray more snugly. We want a bot of an overhang so it’s easy to pull the flapjacks out of the tin once cooked.
A wide overhead prep shot for the Easy Flapjacks Recipe. The image shows a square black baking tray on the right of the image, and on the left of the image is a sheet of brown parchment paper cut in a specific way to fit the baking tray. This is all set on a black background.

A wide prep shot for the Easy Flapjack Recipe. Te image shows a square black baking tray lined with brown parchment paper. This is set on a black background.
  1. Next, melt the butter in a pan. Turn off the heat and mix the rest of the ingredients in thoroughly.
  2. Transfer into the lined baking tray and flatten it down until its even on top and well compacted.
  3. Cook in the oven until the edges are golden, then let it cool in the tin for at least 4 hours.
A wide overhead prep shot of flapjacks. The image shows the cooked flapjacks in a black baking tray lined with brown greaseproof paper. This is all set on a black background.
  1. Once completely cooled, remove from the tray, remove the baking parchment and cut into even squares.

Pro Tip

It’s important to let the flapjacks cool completely (at room temp) in the tin once cooked so they maintain their structure and don’t fall apart when you cut them. Four hours is good, overnight is even better.

You can see the edges are a darker golden colour – this means the edges are firmer and a little more chewy, whilst the centre is softer. Personally I love a corner piece 😍

A tall, overhead shot of many flapjack squares scattered around on top of a black wire cooling rack. In the top left of the image, you can slightly see a red/orange napkin tucked beneath the cooling rack. This is all set on a black background.

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🤔 Got lots of oats?


I like to make a double batch of these to save for later (they keep well and you can freeze too), but they get eaten SO quickly in my household.

A tall, overhead shot of many flapjack squares scattered around on top of a black wire cooling rack. In the foreground of the image, there are two hands holding one flapjack square and breaking it in half. This is all set on a black background.

🍲 More fantastic sweet treats

? Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make them ahead?

Yes, they keep for 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature. I like to layer mine between baking parchment to prevent flapjacks from sticking together.

Can they be frozen?

Yes, layer in between pieces of baking parchment and freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag. Defrost in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

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5 from 1 vote

Flapjack Recipe

These school-canteen-style old-fashioned flapjacks are lovely and chewy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. A nostalgic oaty-buttery snack with plenty of golden syrup. I can't resist a corner piece with a nice cup of tea!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 23 minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes
Servings: 16
Course: Snacks
Cuisine: British

Ingredients

  • 200 g (2 sticks in the USA) unsalted butter
  • 160 g (3/4 packed cup) light brown sugar
  • 160 ml (1/2 cup) golden syrup
  • 400 g (4 cups) porridge oats or rolled oats (not jumbo or steel-cut oats)
  • ¼ tsp salt
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Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 160C/320F(fan).
  • Line a 20cmx20cm(9×9”), 5cm(2”) deep baking tin with baking parchment, leaving a 1-2cm overhang (so you can lift the flapjacks out later).
  • Melt the butter over a medium heat in a large saucepan.
    200 g (2 sticks in the USA) unsalted butter
  • Once melted, turn off the heat and add the rest of the ingredients to the pan.
    160 g (3/4 packed cup) light brown sugar, 160 ml (1/2 cup) golden syrup, 400 g (4 cups) porridge oats or rolled oats, ¼ tsp salt
  • Stir together to combine, then transfer to the prepared baking tin.
  • Flatten out with the back of a spoon in an even layer and and press firmly to compact the mixture. Place in the oven for 23-25 minutes, until golden at the edges. (NOTE 1)
  • Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely (at least 4 hours) in the tin at room temperature.
  • Once cool, remove from the tin, using the edges of the baking parchment to lift the flapjack out.
  • Transfer to a chopping board, peel off the baking parchment and slice into squares, then serve.

Video

Notes

Note 1 – The Golden Colour

Once cooked the edges of the flapjack should be a nice golden colour and the rest should be very lightly golden.  This will give you those signature chewy edges and soft centre of a traditional British flapjack.

Storage

Keeps for 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature. I like to layer mine between pieces of baking parchment to prevent the flapjacks sticking together.

Can they be frozen?

Yes, layer in between pieces of baking parchment and freeze in an air tight container or freezer bag. Defrost in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Note on the oats

Porridge oats, Rolled oats or Old-Fashioned Oats are all fine for these flapjacks.
Porridge oats are made from medium-ground oats and tend to have a mixture of full oat flakes and smaller bits. They’re finer and smoother in texture than rolled oats.
Porridge oats and rolled oats (also known as old-fashioned oats) are lightly roasted, steamed and rolled into flakes. Sometimes brands of porridge oats have a mixture of full oat flakes and smaller bits for quicker cooking.
Don’t use steel cut oats or instant porridge oats.
Steel cut oats are oats that have been lightly roasted and chopped. They’re not steamed, so they’re firmer and chewier and take longer to cook. I don’t use these as they can make the flapjacks to hard and chewy and more likely to fall apart.
Instant oats are porridge oats that have been cut into smaller flakes for quicker cooking. I don’t use these as they can make the flapjacks more gluey than chewy.

Nutritional information is approximate, per serving (this recipe makes 16 servings).

Nutrition

Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 312IU | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

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Hi, I'm Nicky and I love to cook! I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

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Comments

  1. M Sladek says:

    5 stars
    THESE ARE KNOWN AS RICKETY UNCLES IN THE CANADIAN PRAIRIES.