These apple flapjacks are soft, chewy and a great way to use up windfall apples and reduce food waste. Made with oats, grated apple and maple syrup, it's a simple bake that comes together in minutes and is perfect for lunchboxes, snacks or a quick energy boost.
An apple flapjack is a baked oat bar made with oats, butter (or vegan spread), syrup and fresh apple. In the UK, flapjacks are chewy oat bars rather than pancakes.
Unlike traditional dried fruit flapjack recipes, this apple flapjack recipe uses maple syrup instead of golden syrup, giving a lighter natural sweetness, while still holding that classic chewy texture. You can of course still make these with golden syrup for a more traditional apple flapjack or oat bar.
For more easy flapjack or oat bar recipes, try my Banana oat bars, great for using up overripe bananas. Granola flapjack bars are perfect for breakfast and have a good crunchy texture or for a more traditional bake, try these popular fruit flapjacks.
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Why This Apple Flapjack Recipe Works
- Grated apple keeps the flapjack moist without making it soggy.
- Maple syrup adds natural sweetness with less refined sugar.
- Fine oats hold it together without crumbling.
- Quick 5 minute prep makes it ideal for busy weeks.
Ingredient Notes
A simple recipe with store-cupboard ingredients.
- Apples: Use eating apples rather than cooking apples as the flapjack won't cook for very long and eating apples are sweeter. Peel and grate the apple. Grating the apple helps distribute the flavour and holds it together better.
- Maple syrup: A 100% natural syrup that comes from the sap of the maple tree. Maple syrups are almost all made in Canada or the US. There are different types available and the most noticeable difference is between maple 'flavoured' syrups and pure maple syrup. Pure maple syrup will have a maple leaf logo. It's generally more expensive than a flavoured syrup but use the pure syrup if you can. A maple-flavoured syrup, is simply a sugar syrup with added flavourings.
- Oats. Because maple syrup is not as sticky as golden syrup, I recommend using fine-rolled oats rather than jumbo oats as fine rolled oats hold together better.
- Unsalted Butter: Swap for a vegan spread for a vegan apple flapjack.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Acts like treacle when it is melted and helps bind the ingredients together. Also sometimes known as muscovado sugar.
- Pecan Nuts: Their sweet flavour and crunchy texture go very well with apple and maple syrup. Break them into small pieces before adding to the oats (optional).
- Ground Cinnamon: Adds a lovely autumnal flavour to the maple syrup (optional).
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Apple Flapjack
Step 1: Liquid
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Melt the butter or spread in a large saucepan over a low heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat, add the sugar and maple syrup, and stir together until all the sugar has dissolved and you have a thick dark mixture. Overboiling the sugar, butter and syrup is one reason why flapjacks go hard.
Step 2: Dried Ingredients
Add in the oats, grated or chopped apple, pecan nuts, ground cinnamon, and any other extra ingredients you are using. See the list of variations for ideas.
Step 3: Stir
Stir everything together, making sure your dry ingredients are well coated with the butter, syrup and sugar.
Step 4: Bake
Line a baking tray with baking paper and tip the mixture in. Spread it evenly using the back of a spoon and press the mixture down, ensuring you spread it right up to the corners of the tray. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until lightly golden brown.
Top Tips for Perfect Apple Flapjacks
- Don't boil the syrup mixture. This is the main reason flapjacks turn hard.
- Use grated apple rather than chunks for better texture and binding.
- Press the mixture firmly into the tin to avoid crumbling.
- Chill before cutting for clean slices.
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Chewy versus Crunchy Flapjacks
For softer, chewy flapjacks, bake for 15 minutes and remove while still slightly soft. For a firmer, crunchier texture, bake for an additional 3-5 minutes.
Variations
When adding in extra ingredients, keep the total weight of these ingredients to around 50g (1.7oz) so your apple flapjacks still bind together well. To vary the flavour, try adding one or more of the following:-
- Mixed dried fruit.
- Sunflower seeds.
- Pumpkin seeds.
- White or dark chocolate chips.
- Raisins.
- Dried apricots.
Storage Instructions
Flapjacks are best stored in the fridge so they stay firm.
- Fridge: up to 10 days.
- Room temperature: 3 - 4 days (cool conditions)
- Freezer: up to 3 months.
When freezing, place a piece of baking paper between each one to prevent them freezing together.
Sustainability
Dark brown sugar and cinnamon powder can be bought as Fairtrade ingredients. Fairtrade works with small-scale farmers to pay them a fair price for their goods. They also help farmers adapt to the effects of climate change. Homemade snacks are a great way to reduce your use of plastic packaging, as well as being a budget-friendly choice.
FAQs
Yes! Just substitute the butter for a vegan spread to make these apple flapjacks vegan. Look for non-dairy butter spreads such as light olive oil spreads. You might want to consider avoiding varieties that use palm oil from a sustainability point of view. I don't recommend using coconut oil for this recipe. It will also give quite a different taste.
Overheating or boiling the butter and syrup mixture causes a hard texture.
They're either too warm when cut or not pressed firmly enough into the tin. Ideally, flapjacks should be stored in the fridge or a cold dry place to maintain their shape.
Related
Looking for other easy Snack Recipes like this? Try these:
- Easy Banana Flapjacks (Oatmeal Bars)1 Hours 20 Minutes
- Fruit Flapjack Recipe (Soft and Chewy Oat Bars)1 Hours 20 Minutes
- Moist Fruit Tea Loaf (Fat Free)1 Hours 10 Minutes
- Easy Banana & Cinnamon Muffins (30 Minutes)30 Minutes
📖 Recipe
Easy Apple Flapjack
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Equipment
- 28cm x 18cm baking tray / 11 inch x 7 inch or similar area. This gives flapjacks 2cm deep.
- Baking paper or reusable oven liner
Ingredients
- 125 g unsalted butter or vegan spread
- 100 g dark brown sugar fairtrade available
- 80 g maple syrup or golden syrup
- 225 g oats rolled
- 75 g pecan nuts chopped, optional
- 1 eating apples peeled and grated
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon fairtrade available
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Melt the butter or spread in a large saucepan over a low heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat, add the sugar and maple syrup, and stir together until all the sugar has dissolved and you have a thick dark mixture. Overboiling the sugar, butter and syrup is one reason why flapjacks go hard.125 g unsalted butter, 100 g dark brown sugar, 80 g maple syrup
- Add in the oats, grated or chopped apple, pecan nuts, ground cinnamon, and any other extra ingredients you are using. See the list of variations for ideas.225 g oats, 75 g pecan nuts, 1 eating apples, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Stir everything together, making sure your dry ingredients are well coated with the butter, syrup and sugar.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper and tip the mixture in. Spread it evenly using the back of a spoon and press the mixture down, ensuring you spread it right up to the corners of the tray. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until lightly golden brown.
Notes
Ingredient Notes
- Apples: Use eating apples rather than cooking apples as the flapjack won't cook for very long and eating apples are sweeter. Peel and grate the apple. Grating the apple helps distribute the flavour and holds it together better.
- Maple syrup: A 100% natural syrup that comes from the sap of the maple tree. Maple syrups are almost all made in Canada or the US. There are different types available and the most noticeable difference is between maple 'flavoured' syrups and pure maple syrup. Pure maple syrup will have a maple leaf logo. It's generally more expensive than a flavoured syrup but use the pure syrup if you can. A maple-flavoured syrup, is simply a sugar syrup with added flavourings.
- Oats. Because maple syrup is not as sticky as golden syrup, I recommend using fine-rolled oats rather than jumbo oats as fine rolled oats hold together better.
- Unsalted Butter: Swap for a vegan spread for a vegan apple flapjack.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Acts like treacle when it is melted and helps bind the ingredients together. Also sometimes known as muscovado sugar.
- Pecan Nuts: Their sweet flavour and crunchy texture go very well with apple and maple syrup. Break them into small pieces before adding to the oats (optional).
- Ground Cinnamon: Adds a lovely autumnal flavour to the maple syrup (optional).
Recipe Variation
In addition to the basic recipe, you can add in some of the following. Mixed dried fruit, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, white or dark chocolate drops, raisins, dried apricots.Tips
The most common mistake people make with flapjacks is over boiling the butter sugar and syrup mixture. This will make the flapjacks hard rather than a nice chewy texture. Only cut the flapjacks when they are cold and have been stored in the fridge for at least one hour.Storage
Store your flapjacks in the fridge to make sure they keep their shape. They will keep for about 10 days. You can also freeze flapjacks. Separate each slice with some greaseproof paper and freeze in an airtight container. They will freeze well for 3 months.Nutrition per serving
The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.
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