These easy apple flapjacks combine a sweet, golden syrup oat base with a layer of tangy Bramley apples for a chewy, irresistible treat. Perfect for lunchboxes, snacks, or a simple dessert with custard, they're also a brilliant way to use up surplus cooking apples from your garden. You might also like my Bramley apple muffins recipe.
The best part of these Bramley apple and cinnamon flapjacks? They capture all the cosy, sweet-tart flavours of apple crumble-just in handy bar form!
Even better, they're perfect for on-the-go snacking. I often make a batch for autumn picnics, with any extras slipping straight into the kids' lunchboxes for a quick, delicious treat.
Love flapjacks? Try my golden buttery biscoff flapjacks or banana, peanut butter and honey flapjacks next!
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🛒 Ingredients
Rolled Oats - Use regular rolled oats or porridge oats; jumbo oats are not suitable.
Sugar - A mix of light brown sugar and demerara gives the best flavour and texture. You'll also need 2 tablespoons of caster sugar to sweeten the apples.
Butter - Unsalted is preferred.
Golden Syrup - Can be substituted with honey if preferred.
Cinnamon - Perfect with apples; you can also use mixed spice or ginger.
Apples - Bramley apples give a lovely tart contrast to the sweet flapjacks. Eating apples can be used instead, but the bars will be sweeter.
🔪 Instructions
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Place the chopped Bramley apples into a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of caster sugar and 1 teaspoon of water. Cook on a low heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Set aside.
Two: In another saucepan, melt the butter, sugars, and syrup on a low heat for a few minutes until combined.
Three: Take the melted butter mixture off the heat and stir in the oats and cinnamon.
Four: Press half the mixture into a lined baking tin and press down firmly with the back of a spoon.
Five: Spread over the apples pressing down lightly with a spoon.
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Six: Top with the other half of the flapjack mixture and firmly press down with a spoon. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
Top Tips
- Always line your baking tin with parchment paper to prevent the flapjacks from sticking.
- Press the flapjack mixture firmly and evenly into the tin so the bars hold together and don't crumble when cut.
- Avoid overcooking. The flapjacks should be lightly golden and still slightly soft in the centre, as they will firm up while cooling.
- Let the flapjacks cool completely in the tin before slicing. To speed up the process, you can place the tin in the fridge for about an hour.
- Use a sharp knife, warmed under hot water and dried, to cut clean edges without breaking the bars.
🍴 Serving suggestions
These easy apple flapjacks are perfect for snacks, picnics, and lunchboxes. They also make a delicious dessert with creamy custard or vanilla ice cream.
📖 Variations
- Add 75g of dried fruit to the oat mixture. Raisins, sultanas, or chopped apricots all work well.
- Swap the golden syrup for honey for a slightly different sweetness and flavour.
- Increase the cinnamon if you love the warm, spicy flavour. You could also experiment with mixed spice or a pinch of ginger.
- Swap the apples for pears and add some chopped stem ginger for delicious pear and ginger flapjacks.
- Add a handful of chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans, for extra crunch and texture.
- Drizzle melted chocolate over the cooled flapjacks for a decadent twist.
🥡 Storage
Store your apple flapjacks in an airtight container to keep them fresh and moist. They can be stored at room temperature for a few days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
If you prefer your flapjacks warm, just pop them in the microwave for a few seconds before serving. Enjoy them on their own, or with a dollop of Greek yoghurt or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
❓ FAQs
Slicing them into bars while still warm can often cause them to fall apart. Instead, if you partially score them and then pop them in the fridge, this will speed up the cooling process and result in solid flapjack bars. Packing the oat mixture down firmly with the back of a spoon in the baking tin before baking, also helps.
Over-boiling the sugar, butter and syrup, is one reason for flapjacks being so hard. Simmering the butter-sugar-syrup mixture on a low heat is better. Baking them for too long in the oven can also cause hard flapjacks.
Bramley apples are an excellent choice due to their tartness and cooking properties. However, other apple varieties can also be used depending on your taste preference.
Yes, you can. However, it may change the texture of your flapjacks, and you may need to adjust the amount of added sugar, as stewed apples can be quite sweet.
😋Related recipes
More delicious flapjack recipes to try!
- Chocolate Chip Flapjacks
- Easy Flapjack Recipe
- Maple Syrup Flapjacks
- Sticky Date Flapjacks
- Peanut Butter Flapjacks
- Biscoff Flapjacks
- Plum Flapjacks
More Bramley apple recipes
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Recipe
Easy Apple Flapjacks
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Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Vegetable Peeler
- Knife
- Saucepan
- Baking Paper
Ingredients
- 2 Bramley Apples peeled and chopped into small pieces.
- 2 tablespoon Caster Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Water
- 200 g Butter unsalted
- 5 tablespoon Golden Syrup
- 50 g Light Brown Sugar
- 75 g Demerara Sugar
- 400 g Oats
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°c (160 fan/ Gas 4/ 350F) and line a 20cm square baking tin with baking paper.
- Place the chopped Bramley apples into a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of caster sugar and 1 teaspoon of water. Cook on a low heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until the apple starts to soften. Set aside.2 Bramley Apples, 2 tablespoon Caster Sugar, 1 teaspoon Water
- In another saucepan, melt the butter, sugars and syrup on a low heat for a few minutes.200 g Butter, 5 tablespoon Golden Syrup, 50 g Light Brown Sugar, 75 g Demerara Sugar
- Stir in the oats and cinnamon.400 g Oats, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- Press half the mixture into a lined baking tin and press down firmly with the back of a spoon.
- Spread over the apples, pressing them down lightly with your hand or a spoon.
- Top the apples with the other half of the flapjack mixture, firmly press it down with the back of spoon and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
- Score into bars lightly then allow to cool completely in the tin. I often place the tin in the fridge for an hour to help the flapjack set.
Tara Teaspoon says
These are great for kids, but also those of us on the go in the mornings. So taTasty and easy to make. The apple adds wonderful flavor.
Michelle says
Loved the flavour from these apple flapjacks -- we've got lots of apples to use, so making this recipe again soon!
Toni says
These are amazing! My kids really loved it!
Tavo says
It was delicious! I am an apple pie fan, and this recipe truly delivered! So yummy!
Emily says
I’m so happy it’s apple season and these apple bars really hit the spot! So flavorful and my kids loved them!
Liz says
I took these to an even easier level ( with tiny bit less sugar) I just sliced the Bradley’s ( raw) within the layers of flapjack mix and then put some more sliced on top. They still cooked through and tasted good
Charlotte says
Sounds great but a lot of sugar.Would it be ok to halve the sugar ?
Beth Sachs says
Yes, halve the sugar and use sweet eating apples
Hannah says
Absolutely delicious. The tart, just-cooked bramleys are perfect with the sweet oats. Easy enough for my kids to make and we used apples from their gran’s garden. We absolutely loved these and will definitely make again. Perfect autumn treat. Thank you.