Brownies & Bars

Traditional Irish Oat Flapjacks

4.75 from 16 votes
Don't get them confused with pancakes! Traditional Irish Oat Flapjacks are a chewy, delicious, and simple alternative to store-bought granola bars!
A serving of Traditional Irish Oat Flapjacks is served next to a cup of tea.

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHAT YOU GET: My Traditional Irish Oat Flapjacks are a sweet, chewy, and simple homemade alternative to store-bought granola bars. Grab one for an easy afternoon snack, or enjoy it as a satisfying dessert. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was updated and improved on 2/29/2024, to include a new step-by-step tutorial video, explanations of key ingredients, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and more Pro Chef Tips.

Whenever I get the chance to make an Irish recipe, I’m eager to take it on. This time, I’ve created a foolproof Traditional Irish Oat Flapjacks recipe for bakers who want a taste of a classic Irish treat. 

These deliciously chewy and caramel-flavored baked bars are fun and easy to make. Though these flapjacks are very simple, feel free to personalize them to your preferences with different toppings such as fruits and nuts! These additions can amp up the flavor and texture of your already fabulous Irish Flapjacks.

Using just 6 simple ingredients and 7 tools in under an hour, you’ll have perfect flapjacks to snack on — unless your friends and family get to them first!

Table of Contents

Homemade Irish Oat Flapjacks are sliced into individual bars. The oats are golden brown.

What Are Traditional Irish Flapjacks?

Traditional Irish Flapjacks are sweet baked bars cut into rectangles or squares. They are made from oats, brown sugar, and golden syrup.

  • Don’t be fooled by the name; these tasty treats are not pancakes (although the term is used interchangeably in the States).
  • Flapjacks are very similar to the classic US granola bar, but the main difference is the golden syrup. This magical syrup creates a softer and chewier texture than a granola bar and gives it an almost caramel-like flavor. The addition of syrup also makes these flapjacks sweeter.

Tools You Need

Key Ingredients for Irish Oat Flapjacks and Why

  • Butter
    • Butter enriches the flavors of Irish Flapjacks and butter fat provides to a smooth and pleasant mouthfeel.
    • Not only does butter help create tender and crumbly textures in flapjacks, but it also adds moisture and binds ingredients together for a cohesive mixture.
    • Moreover, butter contributes to the browning of the flapjacks during baking, giving them a golden color and adding a desirable caramelized flavor to the edges.
  • Granulated sugar
    • Sugar sweetens the Irish flapjacks and assists in holding the ingredients together.
    • Sugar also helps retain moisture in the flapjacks, preventing them from becoming overly dry. This contributes to a chewy and tender texture.
    • During baking, the sugar in the flapjack mixture undergoes caramelization, contributing to the golden brown color and introducing a subtle caramel note.
    • After baking, sugar acts as a preservative by reducing water activity in flapjacks. This helps extend the shelf life and maintains their freshness over time.
  • Golden syrup
    • Golden syrup is a thick, inverted sugar syrup made by either refining sugar or by adding acid to a sugar water solution. It’s a popular ingredient for baking in Ireland, and it is used in a wide variety of desserts like in my Classic Steamed Treacle Pudding,Homemade Honeycomb, and more!
    • You can find golden syrup, like the brand Lyles Golden Syrup, in the international food aisle at your grocery store, or order it online! Or, make the perfect golden syrup substitute with my recipe!
  • Vanilla extract
    • Vanilla extract adds warmth and aroma to flapjacks, enhancing the overall taste of the bars and making them more appealing.
  • Salt
    • Slat can intensify and balance the sweetness, bringing out the natural flavors of the ingredients.
  • Rolled oats
    • Rolled oats absorb moisture to provide a hearty and chewy texture to the Irish flapjacks.
    • The natural starches in rolled oats help bind the ingredients together, ensuring that the bars hold their shape and can be easily sliced.
    • Oats add a mildly nutty and wholesome flavor and provide dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
    • The complex carbohydrates in rolled oats result in a slow and steady release of energy. This can make flapjacks a healthy snack with a sustained feeling of fullness and prevent rapid spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels.

How to Make Irish Oat Flapjacks

  • Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and butter and line an 9 x 13-inch pan. Set aside.
  • Precook flapjack ingredients on the stovetop:
    • Cook the butter, sugar, golden syrup, vanilla and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved.
    • Remove from the heat and stir in the oats until well-coated.
  • Bake the Irish Oat Flapjacks: Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned on top.
  • Serve: Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then cut into 16 squares and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Store: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Can I Make Irish Oat Flapjacks in Advance?

Yes, you can make Irish Oat Flapjacks ahead of time. Make sure to let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes before cutting into 16 squares and transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

  • Store the flapjacks in an airtight container to maintain their freshness at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
  • For the freshest taste and best texture, I do not recommend freezing Irish Oat Flapjacks.

How To Store Traditional Irish Flapjacks

Enjoy your Traditional Irish Flapjacks after they have cooled off completely. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

FAQs

What other mix-ins can I add to flapjacks?

You can add toasted nuts or seeds such as almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or dried fruits such as raisins, sultanas, and cranberries.

Can I add spices to flapjacks?

Certainly! Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger can be added to flapjacks for additional flavor. Adjust the quantity based on your preference.

Can I use quick-cooking oats instead of rolled oats?

Sorry but no. Quick-cooking oats will not yield an ideal texture as old-fashioned rolled oats do.

Will sugar-free sugar substitute work?

Sugar-free sugar substitute is not able to caramelize so will not work well here.

You can reduce the sugar or golden syrup amount by up to ¼ without sacrificing the flavors, textures, and preservation of flapjacks.

Can I use honey instead of golden syrup?

Yes, you can use honey in flapjacks. But for the most authentic taste, use golden syrup.

If it’s hard to come by, make my recipe for Golden Syrup and enjoy it here.

How to tell that my flapjacks are baked thoroughly?

Don’t worry if your flapjacks come out of the oven soft. The heat will make them soft to the touch, but after you let them cool for a bit, they will begin to harden.

You should look for a golden brown color when they first come out of the oven. After letting them cool, your flapjacks should have a nice chewy texture without any crumbling.

A bar of Irish Flapjacks is served next to a hot cup of tea with milk.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making The Best Traditional Irish Flapjacks:

  • If you don’t have golden syrup, try making my Homemade Golden Syrup.
  • Make sure to use old-fashioned rolled oats and not quick-cooking oats. Learn more about Baking With Oats.
  • When done baking, the flapjacks should be slightly soft in the middle (but not too soft.)
  • If you want something a little more complex, try adding 1 cup (5 oz/142 g) of diced dried fruit or nuts or 1 cup (6 oz/170 g) of semi-sweet or white chocolate chips.

Try Out More Snack Bars!

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was updated and improved on 2/29/2024, to include a new step-by-step tutorial video, explanations of key ingredients, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and more Pro Chef Tips.

Watch The Recipe Video!

Traditional Irish Flapjacks

4.75 from 16 votes
Don't get them confused with pancakes! Traditional Irish Oat Flapjacks are a chewy, delicious, and simple alternative to store-bought granola bars!
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 16 flapjacks
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Don't get them confused with pancakes! Traditional Irish Oat Flapjacks are a chewy, delicious, and simple alternative to store-bought granola bars!
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 16 flapjacks

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups (12 oz/340 g) butter, softened
  • 1 cup (8 oz/225 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons golden syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 5 ⅓ cups (16 oz/450 g) rolled oats

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and butter and line an 9 x 13-inch pan. Set aside.
  • In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, sugar, golden syrup, vanilla and salt until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the oats until well-coated.
  • Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned on top.
  • Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then cut into 16 squares and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Recipe Notes

  • If you don’t have golden syrup, try making my Homemade Golden Syrup.
  • Make sure to use old-fashioned rolled oats and not quick-cooking oats . Learn more about Baking With Oats.
  • When done baking, the flapjacks should be slightly soft in the middle (but not too soft.)
  • If you want something a little more complex, try adding 1 cup (5 oz/142 g) of diced dried fruit or nuts or 1 cup (6 oz/170 g) of semi-sweet or white chocolate chips.
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Kim
Kim
1 day ago

Gemma and Kevin George is so cute and adorable,I love this video watching George helping you out in the kitchen making Irish flapjacks.I am going to make your Irish Flapjacks at home soon,and I am going to make your homemade golden syrup and use it to make these flapjacks.Your recipe seems easy enough to make these flapjacks in my kitchen but I have old fashioned rolled oats,salt,sugar,brown sugar but no golden syrup.

Connie
Connie
2 days ago

I tried making these today and it seemed to be going perfectly. But after they cooled and I went to cut them, they completely fell apart! I followed the recipe to a T and I have no idea what went wrong. Any ideas?

Steve
Steve
13 days ago

Gemma, we recently moved to the mountains of North Georgia (USA) where I fell in love with sorghum syrup. Seems like a great flavor for these.
Any suggestions on substituting sorghum syrup for Golden Syrup?

Jacqueline
Jacqueline
17 days ago

Hi Gemma, it’s Jacqueline. I’d like to know if I can use maple syrup instead of golden syrup. Is that possible?

Susan
Susan
17 days ago

I haven’t tried these yet, but just wanted to say how much I enjoyed seeing George learning to bake with his Mom! (almost!) four is such a great age!

Sherri
Sherri
17 days ago

Hi Gemma! Does this recipe work with Irish (steel cut) oats?

Rita
Rita
18 days ago

I’m so sorry to have so many questions. I did get the first 2 answered by reading your reviews. But I am confused with the sugar and oat measurements. You have “1 cup (8 oz/225 g) granulated sugar” which is 1 cup=8 oz which I understand but then later you have “5 ⅓ cups (16 oz/450 g) rolled oats” but 16 oz = 2 cups so 5 1/3 cups would equal 46 oz. Is that what you want?? So sorry but just want to make sure I am reading things correctly.

Rita
Rita
18 days ago

This looks interesting. Is the oatmeal quick cooking or old fashioned??? Do you ever add nuts like pecans or walnuts to it??

Kathy
Kathy
18 days ago

Gemma: Can I swap barley flakes for the oatmeal? These look great, and I would like to try them, but oatmeal really does not like me. Will these freeze, or should I just cut the recipe down?

Mahek
Mahek
1 year ago

What is the difference between flapjacks and gronala bars?

About Us

Meet Gemma

About Us

Meet Gemma

Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, a cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 500+ videos on YouTube & TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 go-to baking authority.

 

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