Cornflake slices combine cornflakes and coconut with a jammy centre. They are rustic yet utterly irresistible. These cornflake bars make a great alternative to flapjack.
Cornflake fans will love my recipes for date slices and cornflake flapjack too.
Why I love this recipe
These bars are easy to make and are universally popular. They combine:
- crunchy cornflakes
- chewy coconut
- sweet & tangy raspberry jam
And the pull of these characteristics and flavours seems to make them hard to resist.
These cornflake bars came to fruition whilst pondering what would happen if I left out the chocolate in my Australian Crunchie recipe. Replacing the chocolate with a jammy centre seemed like the natural way to take this bake and it works wonderfully.
These cornflake bars are reminiscent of flapjack, but without the oats. They also vaguely remind me of cornflake tart from my Primary school days, which was a successful combination of cereal and jam too.
On the lookout for more ways to use desiccated coconut? How about a jammy coconut tart or quick & easy coconut macaroons?
Ingredients notes
I do recommend Kellogg's cornflakes for this recipe. They are typically finer and flakier than supermarket own-brand versions and for this recipe, that finer texture is key.
Desiccated (finely shredded) coconut is essential. Do not substitute coconut chips as these are too large and not fit for purpose in these cornflake slices. If you are unable to locate desiccated coconut it is possible to make your own.
I always prefer to use butter when making these cornflake slices as it has a richer and fuller flavour than margarine. (If you do need to swap this to make the bars vegan, I urge you to read my notes in the frequently asked questions section for how to turn these cornflake slices vegan. It's not as simple as swapping just the butter).
Golden syrup is an integral component in this recipe. It has a distinctive flavour that is sweet, buttery and relatively mellow. Nothing else quite compares to it, but if you cannot get hold of it, try using honey or corn syrup instead. The flavour of the final bake will be slightly different but still scrumptious.
These cornflake bars require a jam that is firm yet spreadable. Do not use a runny jam.
Step by step instructions
1. Use your hands to crush the cornflakes until quite small
2. Stir the flour, sugar, coconut, cornflakes and salt together in a bowl and melt the butter and golden syrup together in a large saucepan over a low heat (don't forget to add the flour).
3. When melted, tip the dry ingredients in and mix with a wooden spoon
4. Turn just under half of the mix into a greased and lined baking tin, press down with the back of a spoon then top with the jam spreading it almost to the edge
5. Dollop spoonfuls of the remaining mix over the top, spread out using the back of a fork (or spoon)
6. Cook for 20-25 minutes until golden. Take out of the oven and score slices with a sharp knife then let cool completely before removing from the tin and cutting properly
Expert tips
- For the best results use digital scales to weigh out your ingredients. It's a far more accurate method of measuring ingredients than cups.
- To minimise the crumbling, crush the cornflakes well to ensure the bars hold together rather than breaking up too much when cut (a little crumbling is to be expected though).
- If you do not crush the cornflakes adequately your bake might end up too buttery - they need to be crushed well to absorb the liquid ingredients properly.
- Work quickly when spreading the mixture into the tin as it will stiffen if allowed to cool too much.
- But take the time to spread the final layer of the mixture over the jam completely to stop it bubbling up and leaking at the edges.
- Never cut into slices before the bake has fully cooled as it will likely cause the bars to crumble.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely. Raspberry is a lovely classic combination with the coconut but blackberry, cherry, plum and apricot are all good contenders too. Marmalade would also be a tasty alternative in these cornflake slices.
I have found that using a glass jar with a clip-top lid (like a Kilner jar) keeps all bars and cookies exceedingly fresh. When stored like this these cornflake slices will stay fresh for up to 5 days. If you do not have such a jar it is worth wrapping the bars in foil before storing in an alternative airtight container.
These bars can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Simply let thaw for several hours on the countertop when required.
There are 2 items in the list of ingredients that are not vegan-friendly - butter and cornflakes. Of course, butter is easily substituted with a vegan block butter alternative. However, many brands of cornflakes (including Kellogg's) often contain vitamin D derived from lanolin, (sheep wool grease).
You can try using a vegan-friendly alternative (such as Whole Earth cornflakes). Although I would expect the substitution to work, please bear in mind that I have not tested the recipe using such a product. If you do try this, I would be keen to hear how you get along and which brand you found.
Kellogg's cornflakes are wheat-free but contain barley, which can trigger a reaction in gluten-sensitive people. It would be best to find a guaranteed gluten-free cornflake instead (such as Whole Earth) if making for a person following a gluten-free diet.
I have developed and tested this recipe for cornflake bars using Kellogg's cornflakes and a supermarket brand cornflake. I have not used a gluten-free version though and would love to hear what your favourite brand is.
More bars and slices to bake
Browse all of my easy & fun traybake recipes. Here are a few more of my creations to tempt you:
Have you tried these cornflake slices? Please give the recipe a rating or leave a comment - I love to hear how you get along with my creations. And if you're on Instagram post a picture of your bake and tag me (@jane_littlesugarsnaps).
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📖 Recipe
Cornflake Slices with Jam and Coconut
Equipment
- An 8x8-inch (20x20cm) baking tin
Ingredients
- 275 g Butter
- 2½ tablespoon Golden syrup or honey/ corn syrup
- 100 g Caster sugar
- 100 g Desiccated coconut
- 100 g Crushed cornflakes
- 200 g Plain flour all-purpose
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 4-5 tablespoon Raspberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/ 350F/ GM 4 and grease and line the baking tin (8x8-inch/ 20x20cm) with baking parchment.
- Put the cornflakes into a bowl and use your hands to crush them into small pieces then add the flour, sugar, coconut and salt to the bowl and mix well. (You must crush the cornflakes into small pieces otherwise the bake may end up too buttery). **Don't forget to add the flour**
- Melt the butter and golden syrup together in a large saucepan over a low heat.
- When melted, tip the dry ingredients in and mix with a wooden spoon.
- Turn just under half of the mix into the prepared baking tin, press down firmly with the back of a spoon to create a flat layer reaching to the edges of the tin. Top with the jam spreading it almost to the edge.
- Dollop spoonfuls of the remaining mix over the top, spread out using the back of a fork (or spoon) to ensure it reaches to the edges of the pan and covers the jam entirely.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Take out of the oven and score slices with a sharp knife then let cool completely before cutting properly.
Notes
- For the best results use digital scales to weigh out your ingredients. It's a far more accurate method of measuring ingredients than cups
- To minimise the crumbling, crush the cornflakes well to ensure the bars hold together rather than breaking up too much when cut (a little crumbling is to be expected though)
- Work quickly when spreading the mixture into the tin as it will stiffen if allowed to cool too much
- But take the time to spread the final layer of the mixture over the jam completely to stop it bubbling up and leaking at the edges
- Never cut into slices before the bake has fully cooled as it will likely cause the bars to crumble
- Raspberry is a lovely classic combination with the coconut but blackberry, cherry, plum and apricot are all good contenders too. Marmalade would also be a tasty alternative in these cornflake slices.
Helen says
I was looking forward to trying this recipe but the 275g of butter seems way too much - the mix is swimming in the melted butter. Have done it twice now - unfortunately I forgot the second time to reduce the amount! but got the same butter swamp! Having read the comments no one else seems to have had the same problem?
Jane Coupland says
Hi Helen, thank you for getting in touch. I'm so sorry to hear that you are having an issue. As you say, it's not been a problem for others and I do test my recipes thoroughly. Can I check if you are measuring your ingredients using scales and grams? If there has been any conversion to cup measures this could present and issue. Also, the coconut should be desiccated rather than flakes or chips and the Cornflakes should be crushed well. The flour helps bind everything together too. Hopefully something resonates with you here.
Agnes Patrick says
I had the same issue with the mixture swimming in butter .
Followed recipe exactly ,but was too much butter ,did not set after baking for 30 minutes .Any longer top would have been burnt .
Left to cool ,hoping it would set, but unfortunately it had to go in bin as it was uncooked .
Jane Coupland says
Hi Agnes, sorry to hear that you have had trouble with this recipe. I've made it countless times and whilst these are a buttery treat they should not be swimming in butter and unset. Can I check that you crushed the cornflakes well (see the step-by-step images)? Did you use grams? Used real butter rather than baking margarine? Didn't forget anything like the flour or coconut? Didn't over grease the tin when lining it (a reader once told me they greased the tin, lined it with parchment and then greased the parchment too, so always worth asking!). Used the right sized tin? Oven temperatures can vary, if you make again and you are worried about the top burning cover loosely with foil after 25 mins. Other than missing out something vital like the flour or not crushing the Cornflakes I'm sadly at a loss as to why you have not had the expected result. Sorry 🙁
Dana says
Far too much butter, it's swimming at the bottom of the slice. Will cut the butter to possibly 150gs next time.
Jane Coupland says
Hi Dana, thanks for your review, though I'm sorry to hear that you had a bit of trouble with it. A few people are reporting the same thing and, I suspect, if you are measuring accurately and not making any ingredient substitutions or omissions that the cornflakes are not being crushed small enough. If you've not spotted the pictures in the step-by-step section take a look, it might be the answer. My other thought is to be mindful of not over-greasing the tin - just enough to help the baking parchment stick (I did once have a reader tell me they greased the tin, pressed the parchment in and then greased the parchment too, which is not necessary or recommended).
Ali says
I made these this week and they're really good - my husband (who is not normally a fan of coconut) has already ordered me to make them again and we haven't even finished eating the first batch yet! Thank you, Jane!
Jane Coupland says
Haha - that's excellent. Thankyou for the feedback. Always glad to convert someone to a food they thought they hated. You might like to try my date slices too as they have cornflakes in and could withstand a little coconut in the mix too!
Garandma Cornwall says
Excellent instructions and tips very well thought out and easy to follow thank you for taking the time to produce this recipe.
Jane Coupland says
Hello there and thankyou for your comment. It's a pleasure to keep on producing such recipes and I'm delighted that everything proved useful for you. I've got a date and oat bar coming out in the New Year, so stay tuned...
Tanaya says
Hi, could we substitute the golden syrup for maple syrup?
Jane Coupland says
Hi Tanaya, thanks for your question. I don't advise swapping the golden syrup for maple syrup as the flavour is very different and golden syrup has a much thicker & stickier consistency.I think if you were to make this substitution the bars might not hold together too well. If you cannot get hold of golden syrup the next best alternative would be corn syrup. I hope this information helps.
Iza says
Many thanks dear Jane it wasn’t good it was fab delicious and as you said we must stay close to the recipe. Iza from Copenhagen
Jane Saunders says
Ah Iza, thank you so very much! Very kind of you to take the time to drop a comment letting me know you enjoyed it.
Ryan says
Can I leave out the coconut?
Jane Saunders says
Hi Ryan, if you leave it out entirely then I think that the texture would be too loose and the bars would fall apart. You'd be wise to replace it with something, such as more cornflakes, flour or perhaps some oats. As I haven't tested the recipe without coconut, I can't specify exactly how much of the possible replacements you might need or if it would work. If you give it a go let me know what you tried and how it worked out.