These cinnamon flapjacks are soft and chewy with a sweetly-spiced, buttery flavour. They are super easy to make with just 5 simple ingredients, making them ideal for meal prep and packed lunch boxes.
The weather is starting to get a little chilly again here in Scotland and it's got me dreaming up all kinds of autumn and winter desserts. I thought I'd start off strong with a comforting classic, cinnamon flapjacks. There's no better way to warm up than with a sweetly-spiced dessert!
These flapjacks are chewy and gooey, full of rich buttery flavour and caramelly golden syrup. They're one of the easiest desserts you'll ever bake and they're so delicious that you'll want to make them over and over. I can't wait for you to try them!
For those of you who are new to baking, I've written a guide to everything you need to know about making flapjacks. I hope you find it helpful! If you're more experienced and prefer just to get straight to the bullet-pointed recipe, you can find this at the end of the post in the recipe card. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- Oats: The main ingredient! Use rolled oats for best results, also known as porridge oats. Other types of oats can affect the consistency of the flapjacks, making them either too crumbly or too soggy.
- Brown sugar: I like to use soft, light brown sugar for a chewy texture and a delicious caramel-like flavour. You can use an equal amount of caster sugar or regular white sugar instead if you prefer.
- Cinnamon: Just regular ground, dried cinnamon. I used 1+½ teaspoons which I found to be the perfect amount- not too strong and not too mild! Feel free to adjust this according to your preference.
- Butter: I like to use unsalted butter in my desserts then add a pinch of salt separately if needed. Avoid margarine for this recipe as it can cause greasy flapjacks.
- Golden syrup: Last but not least, you'll need some golden syrup. This has a unique caramel flavour that is hard to replicate but if you're really in a pinch, you can switch this out for another liquid sweetener like honey. I've written a guide to the best golden syrup substitutes if you need more ideas!
Equipment
- Baking tin: An 8x8-inch tin is best but a 9x9-inch or 8x10-inch tin will work if that's all you have. This will of course result in slightly thinner flapjacks so to prevent this, you can adjust the ingredient quantities to fit your tin size using my cake pan converter.
- Baking paper: To stop the flapjacks from getting stuck to the tin. I like to leave a little bit hanging over each edge to make it super easy to lift them out.
- Mixing bowl: A large one, to mix all of the flapjack ingredients together.
- Heatproof bowl or saucepan: To melt the butter in.
- Utensils: You'll need a wooden spoon for mixing, a teaspoon for measuring, and a sharp knife to cut the flapjacks after baking.
How to make cinnamon flapjacks
Step 1: Start by preheating your oven to 180°C (or 160°C for fan ovens). Then line an 8x8-inch tin with baking paper.
Step 2: Next, melt 150g of unsalted butter over low heat with 120g of soft light brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of golden syrup.
Step 3: Add 300g of porridge oats and 1+½ teaspoons of cinnamon. Mix well until everything is well coated.
Step 4: Transfer the flapjack mixture to your lined tin and press it firmly into place.
Step 5: Bake for around 20 minutes, until golden brown around the edges. Leave to cool for 5 minutes then lightly score where you plan to cut it later.
Step 6: Let your cinnamon flapjack cool at room temperature for 3-4 hours, then cut into squares (check out my guide on how to cut flapjacks cleanly) and enjoy! I usually cut mine into 16 bars but you can make yours as big or as small as you like.
Flapjack tips
- The flapjack will be a bit wobbly when you first take it out of the oven. Don't worry, this is the key to getting that chewy texture- it will firm up quite quickly as it cools.
- Use 1 teaspoon of cinnamon if you prefer a milder flavour, and up to 2 teaspoons if you want a stronger flavour.
- Use porridge/rolled oats for the best texture. Using jumbo oats can result in dry, crumbly flapjacks while instant oats and oatmeal can cause gummy or hard flapjacks.
Mix-in ideas
Here are some extra ingredients you can add if you want to take these flapjacks to the next level. I have an entire list of 50+ flapjack mix-in ideas if you need more inspo!
- Raisins or other dried fruits like cranberries
- Apple pieces
- Banana slices
- Chocolate chips
- Drizzle some glace icing or cream cheese frosting on top for extra sweetness.
FAQs
Flapjacks will last for about 1 week after baking. Make sure to keep them in the fridge in an airtight container for the best texture.
You sure can, for up to 3 months! You can either freeze the whole flapjack wrapped tightly in clingfilm or you can put the slices into an airtight container. Check out my guide on freezing flapjacks for more info.
Absolutely! Gluten-free oats will work well in this recipe at a 1:1 ratio. Check out my gluten-free flapjack recipe, which uses a slightly different method.
More flapjack recipes
- White chocolate flapjacks
- Condensed milk flapjacks
- Raisin flapjacks
- Cranberry flapjacks
- Nutella flapjacks
- Peanut butter flapjacks
Let me know what you think of my cinnamon flapjacks by leaving a rating and comment below. And if you find this post useful, please consider sharing it with a friend using the share buttons on this page. Enjoy!
BEST Cinnamon Flapjacks
Ingredients
- 150 g Unsalted butter
- 120 g Soft light brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Golden syrup
- 300 g Oats
- 1+½ Teaspoons Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180℃ (or 160℃ for fan ovens) and line an 8x8 tin with baking paper.
- Melt the butter over low heat with the sugar and syrup. Mix gently until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the oats and cinnamon. Mix well until the oats are evenly coated.
- Press the mixture firmly into your tin and bake for around 18-20 minutes. The flapjacks should be golden at the edges and will be a bit wobbly in the middle until they start to cool.
- After 5 minutes, gently score the flapjack where you plan to cut it later.
- Leave the flapjacks to cool at room temperature for 3-4 hours, then cut into slices using your score marks as a guide.
Video
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
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