Nothing beats homemade flapjacks, and these easy sticky date flapjacks are hands down the best flapjacks I have EVER made (and I've made a lot of flapjacks in my time)!
They are the perfect soft squidgy texture, but also hold together really well, making them perfect for picnics, bake sales, and birthday parties!
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These date flapjacks (known as oat bars in the US) have such a great texture, thanks in part to the stoned dates, but also to that quintessential flapjack ingredient, golden syrup (and copious amounts of it!).
Together they produce a really moist flapjack recipe, that's the best I've ever tasted!
What are you waiting for? Get that pan out of the cupboard and get making!
👩🍳 Love a gooey flapjack recipe? You'll want to try my Biscoff flapjacks too!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
Here's why this is the best flapjack recipe you will ever taste!
- Made in one pan!
- Soft squidgy texture.
- Extremely portable making them great for picnics.
- Freezer-friendly.
🛒 Ingredients
The ingredients you will need to make these sticky date flapjacks include;
- Golden Syrup - if you can't get hold of golden syrup you can swap for runny honey.
- Butter - unsalted butter is best.
- Sugar - I find a combination of light brown sugar and demerara produces the best fudgy texture.
- Oats - plain rolled oats are best to use.
- Dates - medjool dates give the flapjacks a lovely sweet stickiness. Don't forget to take the stones out though! It's best to chop them up into slightly smaller pieces.
- Optional Ingredients include chopped walnuts and cinnamon.
🥄 Equipment
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🔪 How to make flapjacks
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: In a saucepan, melt the butter, sugars and golden syrup together.
Two: Take off the heat and stir in the rolled oats and dates.
Three: Make sure everything is throughly combined and all the dry oats have are coated in the syrup mix.
Four: Press the mixture into the prepared tin.
Five: Bake for 20-25 minutes.
💡 Pro Tip - the flapjacks will still look soft when you take them out of the oven. They firm up on cooling, so don't be tempted to put them back in the oven like my Nana used to! Invariably we would end up with something called a tarmac cake (which you could break your teeth on!), instead of a soft squidgy flapjack!
Six: Immediately score the top of the flapjacks with a sharp knife, then leave them to cool in the tin for at least 1 hour (I often leave them overnight) before cutting into bars.
💭 Top tips
- Don't use jumbo oats as they don't absorb the butter very well.
- Make sure you firmly pack down the flapjack mixture into the tin, to ensure they stick together and don't crumble when cut.
- Don't be tempted to cut them into bars straight away. They firm up and set on cooling, so you will be left with a sticky mess if you try to cut them too soon.
- You can speed up the cooling and setting process by placing the tin in the fridge.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Flapjacks with dates are perfect for a post work-out energy boost, a quick grab-and-go breakfast, or an after-school snack for the kids.
I often serve them for afternoon tea, alongside other classic bakes such as cherry scones, fruit scones, and chocolate tiffin.
📖 Variations
- Add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon for warmth and flavour.
- Swap the dates for chopped dried apricots.
- Add 50g of chopped walnuts for date and walnut flapjacks.
- Swap half the butter for peanut butter and make peanut butter and date flapjacks.
- Add a small mashed over-ripe banana for banana and date flapjacks.
🥡 Storage
The flapjacks will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They can also be frozen.
❓ FAQs
Yes! Place the flapjacks in layers (separated with baking paper) in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperatrue before serving.
Flapjacks contain high levels of sugar, syrup and butter, meaning they should be enjoyed in moderation as a treat.
If you are unable to get hold of golden syrup then you can substitute it with runny honey, corn syrup, or maple syrup. The taste wont quite be the same though!
They should be soft when you take them out of the oven but will harden up as they cool. Score the flapjacks into squares whilst they are still warm and that will make cutting them much easier when they are cool.
😋 More delicious oat bars to try!
- Chocolate Chip Flapjacks
- No Bake Flapjacks
- Easy Flapjack Recipe
- Mincemeat Flapjacks
- Maple Syrup Flapjacks
- Apple Flapjacks
- Peanut Butter Flapjacks
- Plum Flapjacks
- Anzac Slices
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Recipe
Sticky Date Flapjacks
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Equipment
- Wooden Spoon
- Baking Paper
- 20 cm (8'') Square Baking Tin
Ingredients
- 100 g Light Brown Sugar
- 100 g Demerara Sugar
- 250 g Butter
- 5 tablespoon Golden Syrup
- 100 g Dates chopped
- 350 g Oats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°c (160fan/ Gas 4) and line a 20 x 20cm baking tin with baking paper.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter, sugars, and golden syrup together.100 g Light Brown Sugar, 100 g Demerara Sugar, 250 g Butter, 5 tablespoon Golden Syrup
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the rolled oats and dates.100 g Dates, 350 g Oats
- Press the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden but still soft. The flapjacks will still look soft when you take them out of the oven. They will firm up on cooling, so don't be tempted to put them back in the oven like my Nana used to! Invariably we would end up with something called a tarmac cake (which you could break your teeth on!), instead of a soft squidgy flapjack!
- Immediately score the top of the flapjacks with a sharp knife, then leave them to cool in the tin for at least 1 hour (I often leave them overnight) before cutting into bars.
Notes
- Don't use jumbo oats as they don't absorb the butter very well.
- Make sure you firmly pack down the flapjack mixture into the tin, to ensure they stick together and don't crumble when cut.
- Don't be tempted to cut them into bars straight away. They firm up and set on cooling, so you will be left with a sticky mess if you try to cut them too soon.
- You can speed up the cooling and setting process by placing the tin in the fridge.
- Add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon for warmth and flavour.
- Swap the dates for chopped dried apricots.
- Add 50g of chopped walnuts for date and walnut flapjacks.
- Swap half the butter for peanut butter and make peanut butter and date flapjacks.
- Add a small mashed over-ripe banana for banana and date flapjacks.
Kristen
These bars are so good! Everyone in my family loved them!
Vanessa
These are so moorishly good! Thank you for the recipe. I blame you for my addiction to them...!
Tavo
Absolutely delicious flapjacks; thank you for this fantastic recipe! I will make it again!!
Mairead
Being Irish I too call these oat bars, flapjacks. I love the addition of dates to this recipe. Ever so tasty and delicious.
Caroline
I haven't had flapjacks in a while and love the idea of date pieces in them - can't wait to give these a try.
Anne
Family love your recipe!