Chocolate Flapjack is classic flapjack spruced up with chocolate, sweet baking spices, cherries, raisins & orange zest. Easy, different & delightfully delicious.
This recipe was first published in Dec 2014 and updated in April 2021
If you like flapjack you are in for a treat. This chocolate flapjack is not only loaded with cocoa flavour, but it’s also enhanced with warm spices, dried fruits and lively orange zest. Yes, this chocolate flapjack has plenty of attitude.
Note: flapjack is an English term for what Americans call oat bars. If you are from the US and expected chocolate pancakes, try these instead.
Why make this flapjack?
Here are a few reasons why this family-friendly chocolate flapjack recipe is worth making:
- it’s a very easy bake that incorporates plenty of exciting flavours
- the dried fruit stays deliciously plump and juicy
- although it includes chocolate, this flapjack is not over-the-top sweet
- the minimalistic white chocolate drizzle can be topped with sprinkles to make this chocolate flapjack particularly kid-friendly
- absolute chocoholics can replace the drizzle with a thick layer of chocolate (white, milk, dark or a marbled mixture of all three if you cannot decide between them)
If I haven’t managed to convince you that chocolate is a great way to take your next batch of flapjacks you might like my Biscoff flapjacks instead. And if you are after a chocolate traybake without oats give my Australian Crunchie a try.
Ingredients
Use rolled (small) oats for this recipe rather than large oats. Small oats give a compact structure that holds onto the fruit superbly well. Never use instant oats though as they are too small and the mixture could end up mushy.
Dried cherries and raisins are listed in the recipe card but these can be varied according to taste preferences or what is to hand. Try apricots or cranberries for a change.
Golden syrup is a much-loved national treasure for UK bakers. If you cannot get hold of this use honey or dark corn syrup instead. The flavour will vary slightly, but the chocolate flapjack should still hold its shape well.
Step by Step Instructions
1. Cut the cherries in half then put them into a small heatproof bowl with the raisins and cover with hot water from a just-boiled kettle. Weigh out the oats, cocoa, orange zest and the spices into a bowl then stir briefly. Tip the butter, syrup and sugars into a heavy-based saucepan
2. Put the pan over a low-medium heat to melt the ingredients, stirring often. When the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved use a balloon whisk to gently bring the ingredients together until you have a thick, brown, evenly mixed liquid
3. Drain the dried fruit then add them to the pan along with the oats. Stir until thoroughly combined
4. Spoon the flapjack mixture into the prepared tin and spread it out. Use the back of a metal spoon to push the mixture into the edges and corners of the tin and to press the flapjack down so that it is nicely compact
5. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes until golden. If, after 25 minutes, the fruit look as if it could catch & burn, lay a piece of foil loosely over the flapjack for the final 10 minutes of baking. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then, using a sharp knife, mark the flapjack into 9 (or 12) bars. Let cool completely in the tin
6. Once the flapjack is cold remove it from the tin and drizzle with melted chocolate (optional) then cut into squares and leave to set
Expert Tips
- Always use small rolled oats rather than jumbo oats in this recipe to achieve the firm textures. Jumbo flakes are harder to compress in the tin than regular ones and more prone to yielding crumbly flapjack
- Never use instant oats – I’m repeating this point because it’s very important. Instant oats turn somewhat mushy when cooked which is not ideal in this recipe
- Once the ingredients in the pan have melted and dissolved they do not automatically mix into each other – the butter sits on the top. Being careful not to splash yourself with the hot ingredients use a handheld balloon whisk to bind the ingredients together before mixing in the oats. This step is vital to ensure that the ingredients blend with the oats in a uniform manner
- Pick a baking tin of appropriate size to ensure the mixture is not too thick or too thin. This chocolate flapjack recipe is suitable for a 20 x 20cm baking tin. It will produce 9-12 squares (depending how large you would like to cut them) each approximately 1 ½ cm deep
- Using a tin that is significantly smaller or larger will affect the depth of the flapjack and the necessary cooking time
- Bake for an extra 5 minutes if you prefer hard flapjack. Alternatively, if you like soft and chewy, bake for 5 minutes less
- Don’t raise the oven temperature to cook the flapjack quickly. A slow even bake is best to avoid a soggy middle
- Ten minutes before the recommended cooking time is up, check to ensure your flapjack is not cooking too quickly. It’s a good idea to rotate the tin to ensure it bakes evenly and also to cover the top loosely with parchment or foil at this stage to ensure the fruit does not burn
- It is hard to tell by the colour when this chocolate flapjack is sufficiently baked. If the edges look firm but the centre of the tin looks a little loose still, it is ready. As the flapjack cools in the tin it will firm up
- Do not be tempted to cook until the centre is firm as by this stage the flapjack will be overbaked and hard once cold
- Firmly score the portions when hot but cut fully when cold – this is the best way to avoid the flapjack breaking up into irregularly shaped pieces and crumbling as it is cut
- If a thick chocolate top is preferred to the white chocolate drizzle, melt (or temper) 150g chocolate and spread over the top once the flapjack has cooled. Once set, use a warmed knife to cut through the chocolate without it shattering
Frequently Asked Questions
There are several reasons why flapjack can crumble. First of all the type of oats used makes a huge difference. Although jumbo oats give great texture, they do make flapjack much more likely to crumble. For this reason I use standard (ie small) rolled oats when making flapjack.
It’s also vital to compress the mixture firmly in the tin before baking. The more compact the mixture is, the less likely it is to crumble.
Finally, flapjack is highly likely to crumble and break apart if it is fully cut whilst still warm. It’s fine (and advisable) to score the top of the flapjack with a sharp knife when it comes out of the oven to make cutting easier, but the flapjack should not be cut properly until it is completely cold.
Yes you certainly can. The flapjack will be slightly less rich (as butter has a more pronounced flavour profile than non-dairy baking blocks) and I do recommend adding ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon salt to compensate for this.
Do not use baking margarine or vegan spread in place of butter though as they are softer and do not always firm up in quite the same way once baked.
Golden syrup makes the best flapjacks so do use it if you can. If it’s really not an option go for an alternative thick, sweet and sticky sweetener such as honey or dark corn syrup instead.
More Oaty Recipes
Got a Soft Spot for Flapjack? Take a look at my other recipes:
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Chocolate Flapjack
Ingredients
- 225 g Butter
- 2 tablespoon Golden syrup
- 110 g Soft light brown sugar
- 110 g Dark light brown sugar
- 300 g Rolled oats (not jumbo)
- 30 g Dried cherries
- 45 g Raisins
- 4 tbsp Cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Mixed Spice
- ¼ teaspoon Ground ginger
- Zest ½ orange
- 30 g White Chocolate (optional) for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 140C/ 275F/ GM 1 and grease & line a 20cm x 20 cm baking tin with baking parchment
- Cut the cherries in half then put them into a small heatproof bowl with the raisins and cover with hot water from a just-boiled kettle. Set aside
- Weigh out the oats, cocoa, orange zest and the spices into a bowl. Stir briefly
- Tip the butter, syrup and sugars into a heavy-based saucepan and put it over a medium heat to melt, stirring often. When the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved use a balloon whisk to gently bring the ingredients together until you have a thick, brown, evenly mixed liquid
- Drain the dried fruit then add them to the pan along with the oats. Stir until thoroughly combined
- Spoon the flapjack mixture into the prepared tin and spread it out. Use the back of a metal spoon to push the mixture into the edges and corners of the tin and to press the flapjack down so that it is nicely compact
- Bake in the oven for 35 minutes until golden. If, after 25 minutes, the cherries look as if they are about to catch & burn, lay a piece of foil loosely over the flapjack for the final 10 minutes of baking
- Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then, using a sharp knife, mark the flapjack into 9 or 12 squares. Let cool completely in the tin
- Once the flapjack is cold remove it from the tin and drizzle with melted chocolate (optional) then cut into squares and leave to set
- Once the chocolate has set, store the flapjack in an airtight container for up to 5 days
Notes
EXPERT TIPS
- Use small rolled oats rather than jumbo oats in this recipe to achieve the firm texture pictured. Jumbo flakes are harder to compress in the tin than regular ones and more prone to yielding crumbly flapjack
- Never use instant oats – these oats produce a mushy texture when cooked which is not ideal in this recipe
- Once the ingredients in the pan have melted and dissolved they do not automatically mix into each other. Being careful not to splash yourself with the hot ingredients use a handheld balloon whisk to bind the ingredients together before mixing in the oats. This step is vital to ensure that the ingredients blend with the oats in a uniform manner
- Pick a baking tin of appropriate size to ensure the mixture is not too thick or too thin. This chocolate flapjack recipe is suitable for a 20 x 20cm baking tin. It will produce 9-12 squares (depending how large you would like to cut them) each approximately 1 ½ cm deep
- Using a tin that is significantly smaller or larger will affect the depth of the flapjack and the necessary cooking time
- Bake for an extra 5 minutes if you prefer hard flapjack
- Don’t raise the oven temperature to cook the flapjack quickly. A slow even bake is best to avoid a soggy middle
- Ten minutes before the recommended cooking time is up, check to ensure your flapjack is not cooking too quickly. It’s a good idea to rotate the tin to ensure it bakes evenly and also to cover the top loosely with parchment or foil at this stage to ensure the fruit does not burn
- It is hard to tell by the colour when this chocolate flapjack is sufficiently baked. If the edges look firm but the centre of the tin looks a little loose still, it is ready. As the flapjack cools in the tin it will firm up
- Do not be tempted to cook until the centre is firm as by this stage the flapjack will be overbaked and hard once cold
- Firmly score the portions when hot but cut fully when cold – this is the best way to avoid the flapjack breaking up into irregularly shaped pieces and crumbling as it is cut
- If a thick chocolate top is preferred to the white chocolate drizzle, melt (or temper) 150g chocolate and spread over the top once the flapjack has cooled. Once set, use a warmed knife to cut through the chocolate without it shattering
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