Cocoa Flapjacks are classic flapjacks 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 May 2023.
If you like flapjack you are in for a treat. These cocoa flapjacks are not only loaded with the rich flavour of chocolate but they are also enhanced with warm spices, dried fruits and lively orange zest. Yes, this recipe for cocoa flapjacks has plenty of attitude and it’s scrumptious.
What are flapjacks?
If you’re from the UK you most likely know exactly what flapjacks are. However, for anybody elsewhere, flapjacks are a traybake made from oats, butter and sugar. They can have various additions such as syrup, fruit, nuts or chocolate.
Flapjacks are a British thing, with the term flapjack knocking around since the 1600s when it was first used as a name for a flat tart. However, it’s only since the 1930s that it has been associated with the style of oat traybake I’m presenting here.
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 you’ll love these cocoa flapjacks?
Here are a few reasons why this family-friendly chocolate flapjacks 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, these cocoa flapjacks are not over-the-top sweet.
- The minimalistic white chocolate drizzle can be topped with sprinkles to make these chocolatey cocoa flapjacks 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) to turn them into chocolate flapjacks.
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
Here are the ingredients needed for this cocoa flapjack recipe:
Oats: 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.
Fruit: dried cherries and raisins are listed in the recipe card but these can be varied according to taste preferences or what is to hand. Orange zest is a great addition too – I highly recommend you include it.
Spice: I’ve used a blend of mixed spice, cinnamon and ginger. The mixed spice can be replaced by pumpkin spice or chai spice if necessary.
Syrup: 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
Full instructions and measurements are given in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Halve the cherries then put them into a small heatproof bowl with the raisins and cover with hot water from a just-boiled kettle.
- Put the oats, cocoa, orange zest and spices into a bowl then stir briefly.
- Tip the butter, syrup and sugars into a heavy-based saucepan and place the pan over 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.
- Drain the dried fruit then add them to the pan along with the oats. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread it out.
- Bake for 35 minutes until the edges look firm but the centre still looks a little loose (lay a piece of foil over the fruit after 25 minutes if it looks as if it could catch & burn).
- Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then, score the flapjack into 9 (or 12) bars. 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.
Expert Tips
- Always use small rolled oats rather than jumbo oats in this recipe to achieve a firm texture. 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 the 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
- Bake for an extra 5 minutes if you prefer harder flapjack.
- Alternatively, if you like soft and chewy flapjacks, bake for 5 minutes less.
- It is hard to tell by the colour when cocoa 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are several reasons why flapjack can crumble:
1. You used jumbo oats not small rolled oats. Jumbo oats give great texture, but they do make flapjack much more likely to crumble.
2. The mixture was not compressed firmly in the tin before baking. The more compact the mixture is, the less likely it is to crumble.
3. The flapjack was cut before it had cooled fully. It is highly likely to crumble and break apart if it is fully cut whilst still warm.
Flapjack gets hard if it has been baked for too long. Remove it from the oven whilst the centre is still soft looking but the edges are beginning to look firm. As it cools the flapjack will firm up.
Yes, you certainly can. These cocoa flapjacks 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.
On the whole, flapjacks are not healthy to eat. Most contain substantial amounts of unhealthy fat and sugar. If a flapack recipe claims to be healthy, check the ingredients list and make your own judgement call.
Variations
- Go for chocolate-covered flapjack by replacing the white chocolate drizzle, with 150g melted milk chocolate.
- Leave out the dried fruits and spices for a simpler version of this cocoa flapjack recipe.
- Or swap the listed fruit for alternatives such as cranberries, dates or dried apricots.
- Add in a few roughly chopped nuts – try 45g hazelnuts or pecans.
More Oaty Recipes
Got a soft spot for oaty bakes? Take a look at my other flapjack recipes:
Have you made this cocoa flapjacks recipe? Did you know that commenting and rating recipes is one of the best ways you can support your favourite food bloggers? Let me know what you thought of this recipe in the comments below and don’t forget to show me a picture of it on Instagram – use #littlesugarsnaps and tag me @jane_littlesugarsnaps.
Cocoa Flapjacks
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
- Make them vegan: use vegan block butter (not baking margarine or spread). 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 ¼ teaspoon salt to compensate for this.
- These cocoa flapjacks stay fresh for up to 5 days. Either wrap in foil or store in an airtight container at room temperature. There is no need to refrigerate it.
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