BEST Gooey Flapjacks

Name: BEST Gooey Flapjacks
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 150 g Unsalted butter; 100 g Soft light brown sugar; 90 g Golden syrup; 280 g Oats

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If you've been looking for an easy gooey flapjack recipe, this is the one for you! With just 4 simple ingredients and only 5-10 minutes of prep time, these chewy oat bars will be ready to eat in less than an hour!

a pile of gooey flapjack slices on a plate

Am I alone in thinking that flapjacks are highly underrated in the dessert world? They just never seem to get a look-in beside a chocolate brownie or a slice of cake!

As a British baker, I felt it was my duty to bring flapjacks the justice they deserve. I created an entire flapjacks guide to help you get started with my top tips and tricks, and I'm busy creating lots of flavour variations to give you some more oaty inspo! Today I'm sharing my gooey flapjacks, which is the first flapjack recipe I ever made for this blog and is secretly one of my favourites! I hope you like it as much as I do!

Ingredients

Ready to get baking? Grab the following ingredients:

Oats: Regular porridge oats are the best type to use for this recipe. They soak up just the right amount of moisture without creating greasy or hard flapjacks. Avoid jumbo oats for my recipe, which can cause crumbly slices that don't hold together well.
Brown sugar: I recommend soft, light brown sugar for the best flavour. Dark brown sugar works too but it has a more intense flavour that will overpower the classic golden syrup flavour.
Butter: Unsalted or salted is fine here. I personally like salted butter for baking. For the best flavour and texture, use real butter rather than margarine or low-fat spreads.
Golden syrup: This is where the classic flapjack flavour and gooey texture come from! Golden syrup is a thick, viscous, amber-coloured syrup and you'll be able to find it in most supermarkets near the sugar or baking ingredients. If you're out, check out these golden syrup alternatives.

Equipment

8x8-inch tin: This is the ideal tin to use for regular flapjack slices. If you're using a larger tin, I recommend you also increase the ingredient quantities to prevent thin or burnt flapjacks. You can use my cake pan converter tool to do this.
Baking paper: To stop the flapjacks from sticking to the tin. They can be really difficult to remove from the tin in one piece without this. I recommend leaving a little bit hanging over each edge to make it easy to pull them out.
Kitchen scales: Accuracy is very important for recipe success. Weigh out the ingredients in grams (especially the golden syrup) to ensure the amounts are accurate.
Saucepan: For melting the wet ingredients.
Mixing bowl and spoon: A large mixing bowl and a wooden spoon are ideal. You'll also need a small heatproof bowl or saucepan to melt the butter.
Sharp knife: For cutting and scoring the flapjacks.

How To Make Gooey Flapjacks Step-By-Step

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 180°C (or 160°C if you're using a fan oven). Then line an 8x8-inch tin with baking paper.

Step 2: Add 280g of porridge oats to a large mixing bowl then set aside.

Step 3: In a saucepan, over low heat, melt 150g of butter with 100g soft light brown sugar and 90g golden syrup. Once the butter has fully melted and the sugar has dissolved, remove it from the heat.

Step 4: Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the oats and mix well.

Step 5: Transfer the oaty mixture to your lined tin and press it firmly into place. Pressing it in firmly will help to prevent crumbly flapjacks.

Step 6: Bake the flapjacks for 18-20 minutes, until they are just starting to turn golden at the edges. They should still be a bit wobbly in the middle.

Step 7: Leave the flapjacks to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes then use a knife to lightly score where you plan to cut them (this will create clean flapjack slices). Leave them to cool completely then pop them in the fridge for around 2 hours. This will help them firm up and become really chewy.

Step 8: After chilling the flapjacks, remove them from the tin and cut them into slices using your score marks as a guide. Then all that's left to do is enjoy!

Tips For A Gooey Texture

Use an 8x8-inch tin when baking. This ensures the perfect flapjack thickness and baking time for a gooey centre.
Porridge oats are the best type of oats to use for this recipe. They will absorb the liquids perfectly, meaning they won't turn out too dry nor too greasy.
Pop your flapjacks in the fridge once they have cooled to room temperature. This helps the fat to firm up again, ensuring the bars hold together nicely while staying moist and chewy.
Drizzle over some extra golden syrup immediately after baking for extra stickiness and gooeyness.

FAQs

How long do gooey flapjacks last?

They'll last for up to 1 week if you keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. They'll also keep well for around 5 days at room temperature as long as you keep them tightly covered.

Can you freeze flapjacks?

Yes, you can put slices into airtight containers and freeze them for up to 2 months. Check out my post on how to freeze flapjacks for more info.

Can I substitute golden syrup for honey?

Golden syrup is really essential if you want that classic British flapjack flavour but if you don't mind, you can definitely use honey instead. Check out my honey flapjacks recipe.

Can I add mix-ins?

Yes! Add 100-150g of your favourite nuts, dried fruits, or anything else you like. I've got a whole post of flapjack flavour ideas if you need more inspo!

More flapjack recipes:

I hope you like my gooey flapjacks! If you make these at home, please leave a comment and rating to let me know what you think. Enjoy!