Vegan fruit and nut flapjacks - easy vegan oaty flapjacks (oat cookie bars) filled with dried fruits, nuts and seeds. Perfect for snacking, lunchboxes and hiking!
Flapjacks have to be the ultimate in simple yet satisfying treats. If you are feeling low on energy then a sweet, chewy, buttery flapjack with a cup of tea is just the thing to perk you back up again.
Here I have veganised them and added a tasty mix of dried fruits, nuts and seeds (mostly because I wanted to clear some odds and ends out of the cupboard, but the result is delicious!)
What Even Is A Flapjack Anyway?
I realise that while flapjacks may be ubiquitous in the UK, they aren't particularly common elsewhere; and in several other countries 'flapjack' actually refers to a type of pancake (like a British Scotch pancake); obviously not what flapjack means here!
The best way I can think to describe them is that they are like a dense, chewy oatmeal cookie bar. They are sweet, sticky and utterly addictive.
They are great for lunchboxes, taking hiking (they contain both fast and slow release energy so are great for an immediate and lasting boost!) or just for an afternoon snack.
Flapjacks are super simple to customise and flavour as you like. I added a mixture of dried sultanas, cranberries, chopped apricots and figs, almonds, pecans, cashews, and pumpkin, sunflower and hemp seeds to these vegan fruit and nut flapjacks.
You can vary what fruits, nuts and seeds you use - I just used what I happened to have in the cupboard that needed to be used up, just keep the quantities vaguely the same. You can also omit them instead if you want to make plain vegan flapjacks, which are just as delicious.
If you choose to make them without any add-ins however then you should bake them in a 20cm/8in square tin rather than the 23cm/9in one that I used for this recipe as they will be too thin otherwise without the extra volume provided by the mix-ins.
Making It Vegan:
Flapjacks are super easy to veganise as the only non-vegan ingredient that they contain is butter so you can just make a straight swap for vegan butter/dairy free margarine - I used Stork block but Naturli Vegan Block is also great.
If you prefer, I think that they would also work well with the same quantity of coconut oil instead.
Not So Secret Ingredient:
Many flapjack recipes can be quite crumbly and fall apart easily. I find that by adding a bit of flour to the recipe it really helps to hold them together in a perfectly chewy bar.
You should also use fine rolled porridge oats rather than jumbo ones which will help to stop them from crumbling.
How To Make Vegan Fruit and Nut Flapjacks:
(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)
*For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.*
Flapjacks are very quick and easy to make, though you do have to wait for them to cool completely before you remove them from the tin or they will fall apart.
Start by mixing together fine rolled porridge oats, flour and your choice of mix-ins.
Then you need to melt together vegan butter, light brown soft sugar and golden syrup over a low heat.
Stir the syrupy mixture into the oats until they are fully coated then tip it into a square cake tin, press it down firmly and evenly then bake for about half an hour.
Once baked, leave to cool for 10 minutes then slice into squares whilst still in the tin. Leave to cool completely then turn out and re-slice. They keep really well in an airtight container.
More Vegan Snack Bar Recipes:
- Vegan peanut butter chocolate chip pecan bars
- Berry crumble bars
- Pumpkin chocolate chip cake bars
- No-bake superfood granola bars
- Ginger and coconut flapjacks
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Vegan Fruit and Nut Flapjacks Recipe:
Vegan Fruit And Nut Flapjacks
Ingredients
- 350 g (4 cups) fine rolled porridge oats
- 80 g (⅔ cup) plain flour
- 100 g (3.5 oz) mixed nuts (I used almonds, pecans and cashews) roughly chopped
- 200 g (7 oz) mixed dried fruit (I used sultanas, cranberries, apricots and figs) larger pieces roughly chopped
- 50 g (1.7 oz) mixed seeds (I used pumpkin, sunflower and hemp)
- 200 g (¾ cup + 2 Tbsp) dairy free butter (I used Stork block)
- 175 g (¾ cup) golden syrup
- 200 g (1 cup + 2 Tbsp) light brown soft sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/150℃ fan/340°F/gas mark 3. Grease a 23 cm/9 in square cake tin and line with baking parchment. (If you are making plain flapjacks without any mix-ins then use a 20 cm/8 in tin instead.).
- Mix together the oats, flour, nuts, fruit and seeds in a large bowl.350 g (4 cups) fine rolled porridge oats, 80 g (⅔ cup) plain flour, 100 g (3.5 oz) mixed nuts (I used almonds, pecans and cashews), 200 g (7 oz) mixed dried fruit (I used sultanas, cranberries, apricots and figs), 50 g (1.7 oz) mixed seeds (I used pumpkin, sunflower and hemp)
- Place the vegan butter, golden syrup and brown sugar in a pan over a low heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth.200 g (¾ cup + 2 Tbsp) dairy free butter (I used Stork block), 175 g (¾ cup) golden syrup, 200 g (1 cup + 2 Tbsp) light brown soft sugar
- Pour the syrup into the oats and stir until thoroughly combined, there should be no dry patches at all.
- Tip the mixture into the prepared tin, spread it out level and press down firmly until well compacted.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes until set and golden (they will still be a little soft to the touch and will firm up a lot as they cool).
- Leave to cool for 10 minutes then cut into slices with a sharp knife while still in the tin. Leave to cool completely then turn out and re-slice. Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
Video
Notes
Sally Irving
Can you make these without nuts please? I want to make them for a cake stall.
Hannah
Hi Sally, yes you can just omit the nuts or swap them for whatever you like.
Katie
These are so tasty. I'm so glad I found this recipe. I subbed out the golden syrup for brown rice syrup and reduced the sugar by half. I omit the nuts (so my kids can take them to daycare) and pack in heaps of seeds, dried fruits, and berries. They love them, as do I!
Louise
This is now my go to flapjack recipe, it's fab! I mix up the ingredients each time and bake for 28 mins which gives a nice crunch to the corner pieces (there's always a battle to grab those pieces) my son- in -law asks for it every week and I've just made some for my sister in law who said it's amazingly delicious!
mary stewart
Best flapjacks I have ever made. This is my go to recipe. I use some maple flavor syrup and almond essence too. sometimes top with chocolate. I always underbake for a chewy texture. Thanks so much, love your recipes. Have made this at least 30 times!!!
Grace HB
Hiya, so excited to make these! Do you think I could reduce the sugar, but keep the golden syrup amount the same for the stickiness/binding properties?
Hannah
Hi Grace, the sugar also contributes to the stickiness and binding so I would only try reducing it by a small amount.
Sally Irving
Made these today. They look great. But I left them ten minutes before cutting and they cut in a very jagged way- the knife sticks to the mixture. Any tips on how to cut them cleanly please?
Fiona Floyd
The BEST vegan flapjack recipe - I've made this lots. Thank you x
Fiona Weldon
Hi there,
Is this 438 calories total or per square?
Thanks!
Hannah
Hi Fiona, it's per square.
Jane Reid
Theyare too sweet for me. Can I half the sugar and use maple syrup instead of golden syrup?
Hannah
Hi Jane you can use maple instead of golden but if you reduce the sugar you run the risk of them being too crumbly and you may need to increase the fat to compensate.
Patricia
Hello could I use something different to golden syrup I have predibites the flapjacks look delicious thank you for sharing this recipe but if you suggest something different to golden syrup would I use same amount
Thank you greetings from Dublin Patricia
Hannah
Hi Patricia, you would need to use another kind of syrup such as brown rice, maple or agave.
Jacob
Much too sweet for my palate. I can barely taste the fruit and nuts over the sugar / oats / fat, and can only eat them in minute quantities. The bars set like caramel / toffee. I was looking to make a healthy snack so will seek a recipe with less or no pure sugar added next time.
Hannah
Hi Jacob, sorry to hear that they weren't to your taste, this is a very standard flapjack recipe however, they certainly aren't known for being healthy or low sugar!
Joanna Fenwick
Such a great recipe- I swap the golden syrup for date syrup and the sugar for coconut sugar just to make it more healthy and works great! I love that you can just chuck in any mix of fruit and nuts and seeds and it comes out perfect every time.
Catherine
I did the same swaps and we all love it. Thank you for a great recipe.
Tracy
This is a really lovely recipe. I've made it three times now and have tweaked the quantities of sugar, butter (not vegan) and syrup as I found it incredibly sweet the first time I made it.
After reading the comments I used 150g of sugar the first time and it was still very sweet so tried it with 100g of sugar and 150g syrup the second time. It still tasted like a traditional flapjack, plenty sweet enough plus the dried fruit add sweetness too. The third time I made it I used 90g of sugar, 145g of syrup and 190g of butter. It tasted lovely and you don't miss the sugar at all. As long as you press the mixture firmly into the tin before baking it will still hold together well with the reduced amount of sugar and cut cleanly too.
The prep time is more like 45 minutes in my case - it takes me longer then 5 minutes to get everything I need out of the cupboard 🙂
Gina Birchenough
Made them today!! So bloody tasty! Can you freeze them?
Caroline
Absolutely gorgeous, thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
Rishy Vellani
Can you suggest a substitute for the vegan butter? Could I use avocado oil or olive oil?
Hannah
Hi Rishy, I have never tried making flapjacks with oil. I suspect that the flavour and texture would not be as good as a lot of the flavour comes from the butter. If you do want to try it, I would go for coconut oil as it is solid at room temperature.
Sarah
Daughter isn't always into homemade baked stuff but she loved these and so did her friend (and my partner) so I'm really pleased especially as there are so many nuts and seeds in there. Absolutely delicious but a little too sweet for me to have more than a small amount so will try subbing in maple syrup next time, and see if the others notice. I used a vegan butter called Mergulo which tastes and smells like some vegan cheeses do (good on toast, but didn't want that flavour in the flapjacks) but this flavour doesn't come across in the flapjacks. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Sam Aitken
Hey. Just wondering if I can just omit the flour for this recipe as I'm gluten intolerant, I don't want to use gluten free flour as it has a sandy texture.
Hannah
Hi Sam, I would increase the amount of oats to compensate.
Anna
Thank you for this recipe. I've been searching for a flapjack recipe that doesn't fall apart for ages. This is great.