Healthier flapjacks are great any time, and this soft flapjack recipe is totally dairy-free and super tasty. They make a great snack for children and adults pre- or post-workout, or to beat sugar cravings.
We actually do not feel the need to ever buy supermarket flapjacks; these are so satisfying, taste amazing, and are not overly sweet, packed with goodness. In fact, they're the perfect energy boosters, especially for kids who always walk out of school really hungry or us coming out of the gym feeling like we could eat a horse right there and then.
My daughter came back from school yesterday, and she said she really fancied one of my healthier flapjacks. She did not want to get one from school as they are way beyond her sweet taste threshold (good girl!) I was impressed and super proud.
She is 11 years old, and she's going through a growth spurt at the moment (another one) Â and constantly asking for food as soon as she gets home - all you hear is 'Oh, I need to eat something right now, or I'll die from starvation. Yes, right! Haha.
Jump to:
How Are These Flapjacks Different?
This flapjack recipe contains some nice organic ingredients; it is refined sugar-free, and in fact, no sugar was added at all. I have added dry pomegranate seeds, turmeric, apples, and all the good stuff. I've added no sugar in this recipe at all, but used a little amount of some beautiful organic honey instead, which I have from my lovely dad.
If you like this recipe, you may also like Easy Protein Brownie Recipe, Baked Apples with Oatmeal, or this delicious Apple, Blueberries And Pomegranate Cake.
Healthy Flapjacks
I know that healthier flapjacks may sound a little unreal, but I will tell you what a healthier flapjack is.
Supermarket ones in general (with some exceptions maybe) contain tonnes of butter, loads of added sugar, and ingredients that aren't always the best for us, especially when you want to stay away from refined sugars and fats.
Homemade flapjacks are usually healthier, firstly because we know what we put in them.
How To Make Easy Flapjacks
Step 1: Place all the dry/solid ingredients in a food processor. Give it a few pulses until well mixed.
Step 2: Lightly grease an oven-proof dish and spoon in the flapjack mixture.
Step 3: Place in the oven and bake until golden brown. When ready, take it out of the oven and allow it to cool completely before serving.
See the recipe card below for all the details.
Variations and Substitutions
- There are plenty of variations you could play with when it comes to flapjacks, you can use syrup and sugar (for a really sweet tooth), raisins, lemon or orange rind (or both), you can use muesli instead of oats, dried cherries, or even glace cherries (if you like them).
- Go totally nuts or coconuts with an abundance of chopped walnuts, almonds, macadamia, cashews, hazelnuts, coconut flakes, or desiccated coconut.
- Add any seeds or even ground flaxseed, which has to be one of my favorites. There is no right or wrong when it comes to flapjacks, agree? It really depends on individual taste and individual thresholds.
- Why not add some sultanas and chocolate drops or chips to make yummy chocolate flapjacks or even covered in chocolate if you like (mmm yummy)?
- Add dates for date flapjacks, fruits like apricots, cherries, peaches, apples, and raspberries;
- Add dry fruits (dried apricots, raisins, dates, figs, cherries, gooseberries, or any homemade jam like these amazing quince jam or elderberry jam.
- Make these flapjacks gluten-free - by substituting the rye flakes with gluten-free, wheat-free, and rye-free alternatives. The best substitutes to maintain the texture and structure of a flapjack are certified gluten-free oats, buckwheat flakes, rice flakes, or quinoa flakes, which are my favorite.
- Make them vegan - substitute the honey with maple or agave syrup, or add date sugar.
Recipe FAQs
They are even better the next day and thereafter for as long as a couple of weeks if kept in an airtight container in the fridge.
Well, I stumbled across them some time ago in my online grocery store, where I buy all my beautiful and, as some of my friends would say, weird ingredients, haha, well, this is one of those 'weird' ones? - they might think so, but…. the benefits from some of these weird ingredients are simply remarkable.
No, rye is not gluten-free, as it contains a type of gluten protein called secalin, which triggers immune responses in people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. If you are gluten intolerant or on a strict gluten-free diet, avoid rye, rye bread, and rye flour.
Yes, you can freeze flapjacks. Simply cut them into squares or desired shapes and place them in an air-tight container or a freezer bag. Remember to line each layer with parchment paper to avoid the flapjacks sticking together. To defrost these, simply take them out of the freezer and leave them to thaw in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
To make the flapjacks gooey, you will need to add quite a bit of syrup, in which case they will be less healthy, but if you have a really sweet tooth and want them gooey, add 200 ml syrup for 200g porridge, about 200g butter, and brown sugar, approximately 100g.
Tips
* Careful when mixing/pulsing the ingredients so that they do not lose their texture.
* When it comes to honey, of course, it is your call depending on how sweet you would like your flapjacks to be. I have mentioned the quantity in grams. Remember, honey weighs a lot more since it is a lot denser, so I would say 180g of honey would be approximately 125ml or 4fl oz or 6 oz.
* My oven dish was exactly 27x27 cm, and the bars came out to be around 1cm thick, which is about the right thickness so that they do not crumble and fall apart.
* The pomegranate seeds, if you find them too hard, give them a good blend prior to almost powdering them, as they can be a little tricky and hard for teeth.
Other recipes you may like
Let's just get the action started on flapjack making. Yey!
Healthier Flapjacks With Honey And Pomegranate Seeds
Equipment
- oven tray
- spatula
- knife
Ingredients
- 220 g rolled oats I used jumbo rolled oats - organic
- 170 g rye flakes organic
- 180 g honey
- 100 g apple finely chopped
- 50 g desiccated coconut organic
- 45 g dried cranberries chopped
- 50 g pecans or walnuts - chopped and toasted
- 70 g coconut oil plus extra to grease the oven dish
- 40 g sunflower seeds
- 100 g pomegranate seeds
- ½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
- 1 teaspoon turmeric optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 180C/350F fan assisted or 200C/400F/Gas mark 4.
- Place all the dry/solid ingredients (jumbo rolled oats, rye flakes, desiccated coconut, dry cranberries, toasted nuts, coconut oil (if solid), sunflower seeds salt, and turmeric powder if you chose to add it) in a food processor. Give it a few pulses until well mixed.
- Add the honey, and coconut oil (if liquid) and pulse a few more times until it has reached the desired texture/grain size.* I personally like the grains to be slightly bigger for extra chewiness.
- Lightly grease an approximately 27x27cm (11x11") * oven-proof dish and spoon in the flapjack mixture. With the back of a strong spoon, press and flatten the mixture uniformly. Use something more squarish like a knife for the corners to press the mixture down nicely.
- At his point you may also want to score it into 16, 20, or 25 squares or rectangles, however big or whatever shape you may like your flapjacks to be/look like.
- Place in the oven and bake for approximately 15-17 min until golden brown. Edges will get browner quick so lower the temperature if this happens too quickly - the whole idea is to dry this slightly not to brown it. When ready, take it out of the oven and allow it to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- use maple syrup or agave syrup to make these a vegan version
Mary says
These are lovely, but Rye Flakes are absolutely NOT gluten free.
Ramona says
Hi Mary, thank you so much for spotting the typo/error. Absolutely! Rye is lovely but definitely gluten-free.
Enriqueta E Lemoine says
Ramona, what can I use in case I don't have pomegranate seeds in my pantry?
Ramona says
I am pretty sure you can use chia seeds, sunflower seeds or grape seeds to get a little bite. You may also leave the seeds out altogether. 😉
Amy Liu Dong says
I always have busy days, and this recipe is perfect for me.
I am going to make this at home.
Jamie says
Wow! This recipe looks absolutely delicious and yummy! Plus the finished product texture makes it enticing and tempting! I'll definitely make this at home! Loved it!
Heidy says
This is a ROCK Star recipe for flapjacks- delicious and healthy? How can you go wrong with this? They were outstanding, and I will save this recipe to make them again. Happy Holidays!
Moop Brown says
These flapjacks look like a great treat/snack and I appreciate the different variations you provided as well.
Amy says
I made these tasty flapjacks without pomegranate seeds and they were still amazing. I am on the hunt to find them for the next time I make the recipe.
mik says
Could I possible use fresh pomegranate seeds in this recipe as I have a tree that gave me a tone of poms this year?
Ramona says
Hi Mik, yes, absolutely!!
Katie Crenshaw says
These make such a great snack. They are loaded with flavor and I can feel good about eating them.
megane says
This looks delicious, perfect for any time of the day. I love pomegranate so I am keen to give these a try once I grab one. Thanks for sharing.
Colleen says
My family demanded another batch! We love this delicious snack and it's so easy to make. Thank you!