These Cinnamon Flapjacks are buttery, chewy and full of warming cinnamon and ginger. Made with just 6 ingredients and 10 minutes of preparation, they're a really easy festive bake, with crisp golden edges and a soft, sticky middle.
I love recipes like this in the run-up to Christmas, when everything gets a little bit busier. There's no mixer needed, very little washing up, and the kids can help stir everything together. They're lovely with a hot chocolate after school or cut into little squares for a Christmas treat.
Recipe update: Originally published in December 2019, this recipe was retested and updated in November 2026 with clearer instructions, extra baking tips and additional FAQs.
These are traditional, sweet flapjacks made with butter, brown sugar and golden syrup. If you'd prefer a lighter alternative, try my healthy flapjack recipe instead.
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Why You'll Love These Cinnamon Flapjacks
- Just 6 ingredients - Mostly inexpensive baking-cupboard staples.
- Easy festive baking - Warming cinnamon and ginger make these perfect for Christmas without the fuss of a complicated bake.
- Soft and chewy - Golden, slightly crisp edges with a buttery, sticky centre.
- Great for making ahead - They keep well and can be frozen individually for another day.
Recipe Overview
- Makes: 12 cinnamon flapjacks
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: Approximately 25 minutes, plus cooling
- Oven temperature: 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4
- Tin size: 27 × 20cm, lined with baking paper
- Texture: Soft and chewy in the middle with lightly golden edges. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
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 - Unsalted butter gives the flapjacks their rich, buttery flavour. If you're using salted butter, there's no need to add extra salt.
- Golden syrup - An important ingredient for getting that classic sticky flapjack texture. I wouldn't recommend swapping it for maple syrup in equal quantities, as the bars may not hold together as well.
- Light brown sugar - Adds sweetness and a lovely caramel flavour. Soft light brown sugar works best.
- Rolled oats - Regular porridge oats are ideal for chewy flapjacks because they absorb the buttery syrup mixture and help everything bind together. Jumbo oats give a chunkier texture, while instant oats can become too soft.
- Cinnamon - The main flavour in these flapjacks. We use a teaspoon, but you can increase it slightly if you prefer a stronger cinnamon flavour.
- Ground ginger - Adds a little extra warmth and gives the flapjacks that lovely festive flavour. We use a small amount so it doesn't overpower the cinnamon.
How to Make Cinnamon Flapjacks
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4. Line a 27 × 20cm (approximately 10½ ×8 inch) baking tin with baking paper, leaving some overhanging so you can lift the flapjacks out easily.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat.
- Add the brown sugar and golden syrup, stirring until the mixture is smooth and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the oats, cinnamon and ginger until all the oats are thoroughly coated in the buttery syrup mixture.
- Transfer to the prepared tin, spreading the mixture right into the corners. Press it down firmly and evenly with the back of a spoon.
- Bake for approximately 25 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden but the centre still feels a little soft. Leave to cool completely in the tin before lifting out and cutting into 12 bars.
Important: The flapjacks will still be soft when they come out of the oven. They firm up as they cool, so don't be tempted to keep baking them until the middle feels hard.
Cinnamon Flapjack Variations
These flapjacks are delicious exactly as they are, but there are a few easy ways to make them a little more festive.
- Cinnamon and raisin flapjacks - Try adding a small handful of raisins or sultanas for extra sweetness and chewiness.
- Christmas cranberry flapjacks - Stir in some dried cranberries and a little finely grated orange zest for a festive twist.
- Chocolate cinnamon flapjacks - Drizzle melted milk, dark or white chocolate over the cooled flapjacks. White chocolate looks especially pretty with a few dried cranberries scattered on top.
- Extra Christmas spice - Try a small pinch of mixed spice alongside the cinnamon and ginger.
You can also experiment with chopped nuts or nut butter, although larger changes to the ingredients can affect how well flapjacks hold together.
For apple and cinnamon flavours, I prefer serving these with my cinnamon Stewed apples. Adding fresh apple directly to the mixture introduces extra moisture and may change the baking time and texture.
Serving Suggestions
These cinnamon flapjacks are sweet enough to enjoy on their own, but they're particularly good with a warming drink. I love them alongside a cinnamon coffee or chai tea latte on a cold afternoon.
For a festive treat with the kids, serve them with slow cooker hot chocolate or Christmas snowman hot chocolate.
They're also a lovely addition to a Christmas sweet platter. Cut them into smaller squares and serve alongside other festive bakes, or add them to a hot chocolate station when you've got friends and family visiting.
Storage and Freezing
Store: Once completely cool, keep the cinnamon flapjacks in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Put a sheet of baking paper between layers if you're stacking them. They are best enjoyed while still fresh and chewy.
Freeze: These flapjacks freeze well, making them ideal for preparing ahead of Christmas. Wrap individual slices or separate them with baking paper, then place them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 1 month.
Defrost: Remove as many flapjacks as you need and allow them to defrost at room temperature before eating.
Make ahead: You can bake these a few days before you need them, which is handy when you're preparing lots of Christmas food or homemade gifts.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Use the correct tin size. We use a 27 × 20cm tin. A smaller tin will produce thicker flapjacks and may require a different baking time.
- Melt the butter gently. Keep the heat low so the butter and sugar don't overheat or separate. A little separation shouldn't ruin the flavour, but gentle heating gives a smoother mixture.
- Coat the oats thoroughly. Make sure there are no dry patches, otherwise the flapjacks are more likely to crumble.
- Press the mixture down firmly. This helps the oats bind together and gives you neat, even bars.
- Don't overbake. The edges should be golden, but the middle will still be a little soft when you remove the tin from the oven. It will firm up as it cools.
- Let them cool completely. This is especially important if you want neat slices that don't fall apart. You can lightly score the bars while they're warm, then finish cutting once cold.
- Make them gluten-free. Use certified gluten-free oats and check that the remaining ingredients are suitable for your dietary requirements.
- Make them dairy-free or vegan. Replace the butter with a suitable dairy-free baking block and check that any optional toppings are suitable too. The final texture may vary.
Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Flapjacks are too hard | Overbaked or spread too thinly. | Remove when the edges are golden but the centre is still a little soft. |
| Still too soft when cold | Undercooked or baked in a smaller tin. | Use the recommended tin size and bake a little longer next time. |
| Flapjacks are greasy | Butter mixture overheated or oats not fully coated. | Melt gently and mix thoroughly before baking. |
| Dry, loose oats on top | Oats haven't been evenly mixed with the syrup. | Stir until everything is coated, then press firmly into the tin. |
| Unevenly baked | Mixture isn't level or oven has hot spots. | Spread evenly and rotate the tin partway through if needed. |
Frequently Asked Questions
The most common reasons are cutting them before they're fully cool, not pressing the mixture firmly into the tin, or having dry oats that aren't fully coated in syrup. Make sure you use the correct ingredient quantities, mix everything thoroughly and give the baked flapjacks plenty of time to firm up. For accurate results, I recommend weighing your ingredients in grams rather than using cups.
I wouldn't recommend a straight 1:1 swap. Golden syrup is thick and sticky, which helps the oats bind together. Maple syrup has a thinner consistency and can produce flapjacks that don't hold their shape as well. Honey is another possible alternative, but its consistency and flavour can vary, so the results won't necessarily be the same. For this particular recipe, golden syrup is the most reliable choice.
Look for lightly golden edges and a centre that is still slightly soft. They shouldn't be completely firm when you remove them from the oven. If you prefer softer, chewier flapjacks, be careful not to overbake. If you like them a little crispier, you can bake them slightly longer.
Yes, but it will affect the thickness and cooking time. We use a 27 × 20cm tin, which produces fairly shallow bars. A smaller tin, such as a 20cm square tin, will give you thicker flapjacks, but the centre may need longer to cook.
In the UK, flapjacks are baked oat bars made with ingredients such as oats, butter, sugar and golden syrup. In America, flapjacks usually means pancakes. These cinnamon flapjacks are the traditional British version.
More Christmas Bakes
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Recipe
Cinnamon Flapjacks
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 160 g (¾ cup) of Butter
- 110 g (⅓ cup) of Golden syrup
- 110 g (½ cup) of Light brown sugar
- 330 g (4 cups) of Rolled oats - (use certified gluten free oats to ensure this recipe is gluten free)
- 1 teaspoon of Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon of Ground ginger
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C(fan)/350°F/Gas 4 and line a 27x20cm (10.5x8 inch) baking tray with baking paper.
- In a large sauce pan, melt 160 g of Butter over a low heat.
- Add 110 g of Light brown sugar and 110 g of Golden syrup, stirring until the mixture is smooth and the sugar has dissolved.Remove from the heat.
- Stir in 330 g of Rolled oats, 1 teaspoon of Cinnamon and ½ teaspoon of Ground ginger. Mix well so all the oats are covered.Taste to see if it has enough cinnamon/ginger in it for you. If not, add more to taste.
- Transfer to the prepared tin, spreading the mixture right into the corners. Press it down firmly and evenly with the back of a spoon.
- Bake for approximately 25 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden but the centre still feels a little soft.
- Leave to cool completely in the tin before lifting out and cutting into 12 bars.
Recipe Notes
- Use golden syrup for the best binding.
- Avoid overheating the butter mixture
- Press the oats down firmly.
- Don't overbake or cut before completely cool.
- Store airtight for up to a week or freeze for up to 1 month.
Nutritional Information
Where nutritional information is provided, it is approximate and calculated using online tools. Values can vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, but we endeavour to be as accurate as possible.
All timings are a guide and may vary depending on the ingredients, equipment and, where relevant, the appliance used. Changing the serving size may also affect the time needed.
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.