Just 6 ingredients, minimal prep time and so simple that they are a great recipe to make with kids. The festive season is all about baking for us, and these Cinnamon Flapjacks couldn't be easier. Buttery and sugary oats that are flavoured with cinnamon and ginger and baked until they are crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.
If you don't think of yourself as a very good baker, you can't go wrong with flapjacks. You just melt the butter, add the golden syrup and sugar and then stir in the oats before baking. The hardest part is waiting for them to cool, when you just want to eat them.
This is like those flapjacks you know and love from your childhood, but with a festive twist. These are heavy on the cinnamon and they just scream Christmas.
If you are looking for some other Christmas desserts to try, why not try our Christmas Cheesecake, Gingerbread Cupcakes, or Christmas Tree Brownies.
Jump to:
Why You Will Love Them
- Fool proof recipe - You literally can't go wrong with this recipe. You just melt some ingredients, mixing them together in a bowl and put them in the oven. Simple!
- Easy to adapt with different flavours - Once you have this base recipe, you can adapt it. We LOVE cinnamon, so this is heavy on the cinnamon. But you can adjust it.
- Great for making with kids - Once the butter and sugar is melted, kids can do all the stirring and transferring to the baking dish. And the licking of the spoon of course.
- Freezable - Did you know that you can freeze flapjacks! If you are going to be tempted to eat the whole tray in one go, put some in the freezer for another day.
- Uses store cupboard ingredients - This recipe is made up with ingredients that you probably already have.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Butter - This is what gives the flapjacks a lovely creaminess. We used unsalted butter.
- Sugar - All the sweetness comes from the golden syrup and the soft brown sugar. The golden syrup helps to make it nice and sticky and the brown sugar is what gives it the lovely golden colour.
- Oats - This is the star of the flapjacks. We used rolled oats, as we find that they help the flapjacks stick together.
- Spices - We added cinnamon and ginger to give them all the festive flavours. You can adjust it to suit your own tastes though.
Other Flavour Variations
Flapjacks are so easy to adapt, which is one of the things we love about them. Use this as a base recipe and then feel free to add in all of your favourite ingredients. Although, maybe not all at the same time.
How to Make Cinnamon Flapjacks - Step by Step
Prep: Preheat your oven to 170°C/150°C(fan)/325°F/Gas 3 and line a 27x20cm (15x10inch) baking tray with baking paper.
- Step 1: In a large saucepan, melt the butter over a low heat.
- Step 2: Add the sugar and golden syrup and once it has dissolved into the butter, remove from the heat.
- Step 3: Stir in the oats, cinnamon and ginger. Taste to see if it has enough cinnamon/ginger in it for you. If not, add more to taste. Mix well so all the oats are covered.
- Step 4: Pour the mixture into your baking tray and put in the oven for 20 minutes. The middle should still be a little soft, but the edges will have started to brown.
- Step 5: Remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Then remove them from the tin and cut into slices.
Some Favourite Add-ins
- A drizzle of chocolate on top (melted dark, milk or white all work well)
- Dried fruit (raisins, cranberries and cherries are good)
- Nut butter (cashew is our favourite)
- Chocolate chips
- Mashed banana
Serving Suggestions
These are pretty indulgent as they are, so they really don't need anything else. But they go really well with a nice hot drink. Why not try one of the ones we have on the blog:
- Cinnamon Coffee
- Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate
- Pumpkin Spiced Latte
- Snowman Hot Chocolate
- Cinnamon Mocha
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate
- Chai Tea Latte
Dannii's Top Tips
- Try not to overheat the butter, otherwise it will split like it has in our photo. However it won't make much of a difference to the final taste and texture.
- Add a pinch of salt to intensify the flavour. However we left this out as we were making it for kids to eat.
- Make sure these are gluten free by using certified gluten free oats.
- Leave them to cool completely before cutting. This allows them to keep their shape.
Frequently Asked Questions
We used rolled oats in our flapjacks, as we find that it holds together a lot better. However, you can use whole oats, you will just get a more crumbly texture.
It's really easy to make these cinnamon flapjacks vegan. Simply swap the butter for your favourite dairy free alternative and then make sure that any toppings or add-ins are vegan too.
These flapjacks will keep in an air tight container for around a week to 10 days. After that they will start to dry out. You can also freeze them, individually wrapped, and they will keep in the freezer for about a month.
Slicing them into bars while still warm can often cause them to fall apart. Instead, if you partially score them and then pop them in the fridge, this will speed up the cooling process and result in solid granola bars. Packing the mixture down firmly in the baking tin before baking also helps.
These flapjacks are sticky, soft and chewy on the inside and a nice crisp coating - just the way flapjacks should be. If you wanted your flapjacks harder and crispier, then simply bake them for 5 minutes longer.
More Dessert Recipes
If you’ve tried these Cinnamon Flapjacks, please leave a comment below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Cinnamon Flapjacks
Ingredients
- 160 g (0.75 cups) Butter
- 110 g (0.33 cups) Golden syrup
- 110 g (0.5 cups) Light brown sugar
- 330 g (4 cups) Rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoon Fresh ginger
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 170°C/150°C(fan)/325°F/Gas 3 and line a 27x20cm baking tray with baking paper.
- In a large sauce pan, melt 160 g Butter over a low heat.
- Add 110 g Light brown sugar and 110 g Golden syrup and once it has dissolved into the butter, remove from the heat.
- Stir in 330 g Rolled oats, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon and 0.5 teaspoon Fresh ginger. Taste to see if it has enough cinnamon/ginger in it for you. If not, add more to taste. Mix well so all the oats are covered.
- Pour the mixture into your baking tray and put in the oven for 20 minutes. The middle should still be a little soft, but the edges will have started to brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Then remove them from the tin and cut into slices.
Recipe Tips
- Try not to over heat the butter, otherwise it will split like it has in our photo. However it won't make much of a difference to the final taste and texture.
- Add a pinch of salt to intensify the flavour. However we left this out as we were making it for kids to eat.
- Make sure these are gluten free by using certified gluten free oats.
- Leave them to cool completely before cutting. This allows them to keep their shape.
- To ensure this recipe is definitely gluten free, use oats that are certified gluten free.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Ruth says
My son decided to bake make flapjacks and try a different recipe. These taste absolutely delicious but they have turned out very thin, less than 1cm high and didn't fill an 18cm square tin let alone a 40x25cm tin. Are the UK metric weights correct? I would love to post a picture but this doesn't seem possible.
Dannii says
Hello! I'm really sorry, but those measurements were wrong. The tin we used 27cmx20cm - I am not sure why it says different. I have changed it now though.
Alex says
Do you think you could substitute the golden syrup for maple syrup 1:1 please?
Dannii Martin says
No, maple syrup is not sticky enough. Not only does the golden syrup add sweetness, but it helps everything stick together. You could try it with honey, but it's quite unpredictable as it's natural and you get such different consitencies.