I have a confession to make.
Hold on to your seat, it’s quite shocking.
I have never really liked Flapjacks :O
Well, that was until, after many pans of dry, stodgy, flaky and quite frankly generally crap flapjack recipes, I finally discovered a way to make them soft and chewy without any crispness or the feeling that you’re eating a chunk of cardboard. You wouldn’t think that with all that butter and ladlefuls of Golden Syrup that you even could end up with such a disappointing bake would you?
Do you want to know the secret to these lusciously toothsome chunks of loveliness that I am proud to call my own recipe Flapjacks? The secret is hiding in plain sight in the next photo:
Condensed milk! That’s right, if you too are adverse to a tray bake which you would otherwise spend the rest of the day picking out of your teeth or cutting your gums with, then you need a can of this magical elixir.
It is utterly remarkable how the addition of condensed milk improves both the taste and texture of a flapjack, but it really and truly does.
What it lends besides additional moisture, is a nursery sweet creaminess that will make you sigh with pleasure and dream of Enid Blighton-esque picnics on gingham blankets and school satchels with squares of flapjack wrapped in waxed paper.
In America, the term “flapjack” usually refers to a large breakfast pancake but in England, there is only one image the word flapjack conjures up:
A little dash of vanilla extract is my second secret – it’s not usual to add any flavouring to English flapjacks but when you combine vanilla and condensed milk, you have the most perfect creamy sweetness, it really will delight your tastebuds long after the biscuit tin is empty.
These beauties will win you friends and influence people for sure at your next bake sale, office meeting, birthday party. I’ve made quite literally hundreds of them to this recipe as once tried, you will never go back.
Super easy to make, as all you do is melt and stir then press into a lined cake tin before baking, there is very little room for error. As always, with baking, I do recommend that you use an oven thermometer and remember this one super important tip:
DO NOT OVERBAKE THESE FLAPJACKS
They go on cooking a while in the residual heat of the oven and if you cook them for even 2-3 minutes longer than necessary, you’ll be disappointed with the texture. In my oven, they take 22 minutes precisely but I strongly encourage you to get to know your own oven and check as necessary.
These Soft & Chewy Flapjacks are cooked when they are softly set and the barest rim is turning golden brown around the outside. If pressed, they may leave a little indent from your finger but once the butter is at room temp again, they will be good and firm and you can slice and devour with joy in your heart!
Soft and Chewy Flapjacks
These flapjacks are made soft and chewy by the inclusion of the magic ingredient, condensed milk! A splash of vanilla tips them over the baked goods threshold of joy!
Ingredients
- 150g butter (2/3 cup)
- 125g soft brown sugar (muscovado is lovely here) (1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp)
- 2 tbsp Golden Syrup
- 100g condensed milk (1/3 cup)
- 300g oats (3 and 1/3 cup)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170˚C (fan assisted, 180˚C if conventional) and line an 8 x 10 inch baking tin with baking parchment or greaseproof paper.
- Put the butter, sugar, golden syrup, condensed milk and vanilla in a medium-large saucepan then over low-medium heat, stir until fully melted.
- Stir in the oats and mix well.
- Scrape into the prepared baking tin and bake for 22 minutes. Do use an oven thermometer to check it is preheated to the correct amount and don't leave them in too long. Flapjacks continue to cook after removing from the oven.
- Cool on a baking rack then remove by lifting them out of the tin by the paper and slicing with a sharp knife. Will keep up to 5 days in a cake tin kept in a cool place (if you have the self-control to leave them alone that long 😉 ).
Notes
Get to know your oven. Yours may have hot spots, run hotter or cooler than the dial says or have other quirks. All baking times are given as guidelines - change them if you need to!
These flapjacks will be Gluten Free if you use Gluten Free oats (check the packaging and check that who you are baking them for can tolerate oats if making for a friend with coeliac disease).
Nutrition Information
Amount Per Serving Calories 0Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 0mgCarbohydrates 0gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 0g
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Grand – just made a batch, used a bland of rolled and jumbo oats.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart and belly for this recipe! I’ve always been a little bit obsessed with flapjacks since discovering them when I lived in England many years ago. When I moved back to the US I struggled to find any recipes remotely close to the ones I enjoyed and took for granted over there, they were always dry, crumbly, bland and disappointing, so I eventually (begrudgingly) gave up on my quest. After a 10-year flapjack hiatus, can I tell you how thrilled I was to discover your recipe?! I’ve just made a batch and they are everything you promised, they are beyond lovely! So soft and chewy and dreamy… sigh! You have made me so happy, seriously, thank you, thank you, thank you! 🙂
I am *so* happy to hear this, thank you so much for your lovely feedback Lindsey. Happy flapjack eating x
Great recipe and timings, thank you.
I spread a very thin layer of raspberry jam over half the mix then covered with the remaining half before baking.
This recipe is the best flapjacks that I have made in a long time., still edible, 3 weeks later, and that is with giving some to church and family..
If I wanted to add other dry ingredients such as seeds, raisins and dried apricots – would I need to reduce the amount of oats or increase the amount of butter/syrup/condensed milk to retain the chewiness?
hi what oats do you use? whole or porridge
My partner is obsessed with flapjack, Mae a batch that was way too hard, so am looking forward to trying this recipe out