These sweet and buttery Mincemeat Flapjacks are bursting with all of the flavours of Christmas. So easy to mix together in one bowl and then bake until golden brown. A simple festive bake, that also makes a lovely homemade gift.
About These Mincemeat Flapjacks
This is a classic flapjack recipe that is buttery, sweet, with a slight crispiness. But we have mixed some Christmas mincemeat into it as well so it has all those festive flavours you know and love. Move over mince pies, these mince pie flapjacks are taking over!
I don't love mince pies. I like the flavours, but the pastry is always a bit 'meh' for me. This has all the dried fruit and spices that give all the flavour, but in a buttery flapjack - we call it a Christmas flapjack.
It's a great way to use up some mincemeat if you have made mince pies too. If you are looking for an easy festive bake, then this is it!
Looking for some more festive treats? Why not try our flakey Puff Pastry Mince Pies, our fun Christmas Tree Cake, cute Oreo Reindeers or festive Mincemeat Pinwheels?
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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.
- Oats - Use plain porridge oats or rolled oats. Don't use jumbo or quick cook oats, as you won't get the same soft flapjacks.
- Butter - Unsalted butter is best.
- Sugar - We used brown sugar to give it a real caramelised flavour.
- Mincemeat - The mincemeat we used contained vegetable suet, keeping this recipe vegetarian. Try to use the best quality you can, as it will make a difference. If you fancy making your own mincemeat, why not try this Traditional Mincemeat Recipe?
- Golden syrup - This is what makes flapjacks so special and gives them that stickiness. You could swap it for honey if you couldn't find it.
- Cinnamon - The mincemeat already has cinnamon in it, but we like to add some extra festive flavour.
- Orange zest - The mincemeat has citrus zest in it already too, but some more adds lots of extra flavour.
Variations
The best thing about flapjacks is how easy they are. They are the perfect bake for non-bakers, so that means that there aren't too many ways to adapt them. However, we do have some suggestions for a few add-ins.
If you want extra Christmas flavours in this Christmas flapjack recipe, then add some extra ground cinnamon and ginger. Some dried cranberries are also delicious.
For a little extra crunch, you can add some chopped walnuts or pecans.
Adding a little chocolate makes everything a little better, right? You can either stir in some chocolate chips to the mixture before baking, or you can wait until it is cooked and cooled and then drizzle some melted chocolate over the mincemeat flapjacks. Milk, white or dark chocolate all work well.
How to Make Mincemeat Flapjacks - Step by Step
Prep: Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C(fan)/350°F/Gas 4. Line a 30x20cm (12x10") baking tin.
- Step 1: In a saucepan add the butter, sugar and golden syrup (a). Over a low heat melt everything together until liquid (b).
- Step 2: Add the oats, cinnamon, mincemeat and orange zest (a). Mix well to combine (b).
- Step 3: Pour the mixture into the lined tin and press it down to evenly spread it out (a). Put into the oven for 20 minutes (b).
- Step 4: Allow to cool fully then slice into squares.
Serving Suggestions
This is a dessert (or snack) on it's own. But for us, a hot drink served with it for the ultimate comfort. If you love hot chocolate, then try our Peppermit Hot Chocolate or Baileys Hot Chocolate for something boozy.
For a caffeine hit with your flapjacks with mincemeat, try our Chai Tea Latte or Cinnamon Coffee. We also have a whole selection of Christmas Drinks.
I also think this is a great alternative for leaving out for Santa on Christmas Eve too.
Storage
Store: This mincemeat flapjack recipe will keep in an air tight container for around 5 days. After that they will start to dry out.
Freeze: You can also freeze them by individually wrapped in cling film and then put in a ziplock freezer bag, and they will keep in the freezer for about a month.
Defrost: You can defrost them individually in the fridge.
Gift: These mincemeat flapjacks make a lovely homemade Christmas gift. Fairly cheap to make, as oats are the main ingredient and you can decoate them with chocolate to make them look extra special. Wait until they are cooled and then cut them out and put a couple in cellophane bags with ribbon. You could also cut them into bite-sized cubes and put them in a nice jar with ribbon too.
Extra Tips
- If you wanted to make a boozy grown-up version of these, you could add a tiny splash of rum with the mincemeat. Not too much though, as you don't want to make the mixture too wet.
- Make sure to pack all the mixture down into the pan fully before it goes in the oven, so they don't crumble when cutting. You can use the back of a spoon to push the mixture down.
- To make these mincemeat flapjacks easier to cut, score cut marks in them when they come out of the over and leave to cool before cutting fully.
- These mince pie flapjacks will still look and feel soft when they come out of the oven, but they will harden as they cool. Only put them back in the oven if they are still totally wet.
- Allow them to cool completely before cutting, otherwise they will fall apart.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's really easy to make these mincemeat 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.
If your flapjacks turn out really hard, and not soft and chewy, then there are a couple of reasons. Firstly, you could have over boiled the sugar and butter. It needs to just simmer on a low heat to melt it together. If could also be because it was in the oven too long, or the oven was too hot. Every oven differs, so having an oven thermometer would help.
Yes, you can replace golden syrup for honey in equal measurements.
More Oat Recipes
If you’ve tried this mincemeat flapjack recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Christmas Mincemeat Flapjacks
Ingredients
- 220 g (7.75 oz) Butter
- 200 g (1 cups) Light brown sugar
- 6 tablespoon Golden syrup
- 350 g (4.33 cups) Oats - rolled (old fashioned)
- 200 g (0.75 cups) Mincemeat - with vegetable suet
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 Orange - zest only
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C(fan)/350°F/Gas 4. Line a 30x20cm (12x10") baking tin.
- In a saucepan add 220 g Butter, 200 g Light brown sugar and 6 tablespoon Golden syrup. Over a low heat melt everything together until liquid.
- Add 350 g Oats, 200 g Mincemeat, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon and the zest of 1 Orange. Mix well to combine.
- Pour the mixture into the lined tin and press it down to evenly spread it out. Put into the oven for 20 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- If you wanted to make a boozy grown-up version of these, you could add a tiny splash of rum with the mincemeat. Not too much though, as you don't want to make the mixture too wet.
- Make sure to pack all the mixture down into the pan fully before it goes in the oven, so they don't crumble when cutting. You can use the back of a spoon to push the mixture down.
- To make these mincemeat flapjacks easier to cut, score cut marks in them when they come out of the over and leave to cool before cutting fully.
- These mince pie flapjacks will still look and feel soft when they come out of the oven, but they will harden as they cool. Only put them back in the oven if they are still totally wet.
- Allow them to cool completely before cutting, otherwise they will fall apart.
- 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.
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