Peanut Butter Flapjack

5 from 1 vote

Chewy Peanut butter flapjack with jam is an easy recipe that gives this classic British traybake a nutty twist. They are buttery, oaty, syrupy, jammy and full of peanut flavour.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Baking, Dessert

Cuisine: American, British

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: slices

Calories: 341kcal

Author: Jane Coupland

Ingredients

325 g Rolled oats
200 g Unsalted butter
90 g Golden syrup
90 g Light soft brown sugar
75 g Peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
125 g Grape jelly (or seedless raspberry jam)
¼ teaspooon Salt

Instructions

Grease an 8 inch square baking tin with butter then line it with baking parchment.
Preheat the oven to 170°C/ 325°F/ GM 3.
Put the butter, sugar, syrup and peanut butter into a large, heavy pan. Heat gently, stirring frequently until everything has melted.
200 g Unsalted butter, 90 g Golden syrup, 90 g Light soft brown sugar, 75 g Peanut butter
Use a balloon whisk to mix the ingredients until they combine to form a smooth, slightly thick, liquid (if you use crunchy peanut butter expect to see the peanut pieces in the liquid).
Stir in the oats and salt using a wooden spoon until evenly coated.
325 g Rolled oats, ¼ teaspooon Salt
Spoon approximately half of the oat mixture into the tin and push down, using the back of a metal spoon, firmly to completely cover the base.
Spread the jam (jelly) over the oats to within 1cm of the edges of the tin.
125 g Grape jelly
Carefully top the jam with the remaining oat mixture - use a spoon to put small dollops across the jam and spread out using the back of the spoon. Ensure that all of the jam is covered to prevent it from bubbling up. Press the oats down gently, but firmly.
Bake for 30 minutes until golden and the edges look slightly crispy. The centre will firm up as it cools. If the edges have risen/ puffed up, run the back of a metal spoon over them to flatten the flapjack.
Let stand for 10 minutes then use a sharp knife to score portions on the flapjack.
When completely cold, remove the flapjack from the tin and cut out the marked portions.

Notes

Tips For Perfectly Chewy Flapjack

The secret to perfectly chewy flapjack comes down to two things:

Golden syrup: Thick & sticky, it's the perfect ingredient when seeking a chewy texture.
Bake time: I have specified 30 minutes to create flapjack that is chewy in the centre and crisper at the edges. To enhance the chewy texture, cook for slightly less time - try 25 minutes.

Expert Tips

Use the correct sized tin: In this case a 20-cm (8-inch) square tin. If you use a larger tin you will struggle to create a base and cover for the layer of jam in the centre of this flapjack with peanut butter.
Weigh ingredients accurately: The best method is to use digital kitchen scales and measure in grams. I do not give cup measurements because they are wildly inaccurate.
Flatten your flapjack: It's frustrating when your flapjack puffs up around the edges, given it a less professional look. But the fix is easy: as soon as it comes out of the oven run the back of a dessert spoon around the edges of the pan to flatten the flapjack before it cools and sets.

Variations and Add-ins

Add peanuts: Stir 60g of chopped peanuts into the flapjack mixture.
Omit the jam: This will give straightforward chewy peanut butter flapjack.
Chocolate chips: Mix 100g chocolate chips into the oaty mixture. Go for milk chocolate or dark chocolate.
Swap the peanut butter: Try any other nut butter you fancy, such as almond butter, hazelnut butter or pistachio butter.
Drizzle: Warmed peanut butter and/or dark chocolate drizzled across the top of this peanut butter and jam flapjack enhances the presentation.

Nutrition