Scottish Oatcakes
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
Chill Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 50 mins
My Scottish Oatcakes are crisp, buttery oat crackers with 5 simple ingredients—perfect for cheese boards, snacks, or breakfast spreads.
Servings: 20 crackers
Ingredients
- 2 ⅔ cups (8 oz/225 g) quick-cooking oats
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons (3 oz/85 g) butter , melted
- 1 cup (8 fl oz/240 ml) water , hot
Instructions
To Make the Scottish Oatcake Dough
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In a large bowl, combine the oats, salt, and baking soda.
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Stir in the butter until the oats are evenly coated.
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Add the hot water and mix until a soft and slightly sticky dough forms. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes, until thickened.
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Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to ⅛ - inch (3 mm) thickness.
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Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until firm.
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In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
To Cut the Scottish Oatcakes
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Remove the top sheet of parchment from the dough and cut out 2 ½ - inch (6 cm) rounds. Gather and re-roll the scraps to make more cakes.
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Place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch (2 ½ cm) apart.
To Bake the Scottish Oatcakes
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Bake for 20 minutes, then flip and continue baking for another 20 minutes, or until lightly golden and crisp.
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Let cool completely on the baking sheet.
To Serve and Store the Scottish Oatcakes
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Enjoy with your favorite cheese! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
- Quick-cooking oats must be used here. This is important because quick-cooking oats absorb liquid quickly and form a workable dough. Old-fashioned rolled oats won’t work in this recipe.
- You can replace the butter with clarified butter, browned butter, or olive oil. The flavor will vary depending on the fat used, but all will yield delicious results.
- Add another flavor note. You can add 1-2 teaspoons of a dried spice, such as crushed fennel or caraway seeds, or cracked black pepper.
- You can also stir 1 tablespoon of finely chopped soft herbs like fresh thyme, dill, or chives (or 1 teaspoon of dried herbs) into the dry ingredients.
- Make a cheese version. Mix 1/2 cup (1 1/2 oz/43 g) finely grated sharp cheddar into the dry ingredients.
- At least 10 minutes of chilling time is crucial. This rest in the fridge is important for the dough to thicken up, but if you let it rest overnight in the refrigerator, the dough will be even easier to handle.
- If the dough cracks while rolling or cutting, press it back together. Oat dough is naturally crumbly.
- Don’t roll the dough thinner than ⅛ inch (3 mm). The oatcakes will be too delicate once baked.
- Keep the chilled dough on the parchment paper when rolling and cutting. This will prevent sticking.
- You can use a knife or pizza cutter to cut oatcake squares or triangles. This is absolutely fine if you don’t want to bother with a biscuit cutter.
- Let the oatcakes cool completely on the baking sheet. They will continue to crisp and be less prone to crumbling.
- You'll love these with cream cheese. These oatcakes pair well with our Garlic and Chive Cream Cheese or Sun-Dried Tomato Whipped Cream Cheese.