These easy apple flapjacks have a chewy, buttery golden syrup oat base with a layer of soft Bramley apple in the middle. They take just 10 minutes to prepare and taste a little like apple crumble in flapjack form! You might also like my Bramley apple muffins recipe.
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Quick Summary - Apple Flapjacks
Bramley cooking apples are my first choice for apple flapjacks. They're naturally tart, soften beautifully when cooked, and provide a lovely contrast to the sweet, buttery oat mixture. Beth (Effortless Foodie)
🕒 Ready In: Prep Time - 10 minutes, Cook Time - 25 minutes
👪 Serves: 16
🍽 Calories: 238
🥣 Main Ingredients: Bramley apples, rolled oats, butter, golden syrup, light brown sugar, demerara sugar, caster sugar, and cinnamon
👩🍳 Difficulty: Easy
👌 Why this recipe? These easy apple flapjacks combine chewy, buttery golden syrup oats with a soft layer of tart Bramley apple, giving you all the flavours of apple crumble in an easy-to-make flapjack.
Summarise & Save This Content On
Using tart Bramley apples stops the flapjacks from becoming overly sweet, while cooking the apple briefly before layering it between the oats gives you a proper apple filling rather than simply mixing grated apple through the flapjack mixture.
They're perfect for lunchboxes, after-school snacks, autumn picnics, or enjoying with a cup of tea. You can even serve them warm with custard for an easy pudding.
Love flapjacks? Try my golden buttery biscoff flapjacks or banana, peanut butter and honey flapjacks next!
Jump to:
- Quick Summary - Apple Flapjacks
- Why you'll love this apple flapjack recipe
- 5* Reader reviews
- Ingredient notes
- Need to substitute an ingredient?
- Variations
- Make it even better
- How to make apple flapjacks
- Beth's top tips
- Serving suggestions
- Storage
- Troubleshooting guide
- Apple flapjacks FAQs
- More flapjack recipes
- More Bramley apple recipes
- Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why you'll love this apple flapjack recipe
- Quick and easy - Just 10 minutes of prep and simple store-cupboard ingredients.
- Chewy and buttery - Golden syrup and brown sugar give the oat layers a deliciously chewy texture.
- Soft Bramley apple centre - A layer of tart, gently cooked apple balances the sweetness of the flapjack.
- Apple crumble flavours - Bramley apples, oats and warming cinnamon give these flapjacks a lovely apple-crumble feel.
- Family-friendly - Great for lunchboxes, after-school snacks, picnics and days out.
- Freezer-friendly - Make a batch ahead and freeze individual squares for another day.
5* Reader reviews
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.
- Hannah
Ingredient notes
A full ingredients list along with Metric and US Customary measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Bramley apples - Tart cooking apples are ideal for this apple flapjack recipe because they soften easily and balance the sweetness of the golden syrup. You'll need 2 Bramley apples.
Caster sugar - A small amount sweetens the tart Bramleys as they cook.
Butter - Gives the flapjacks their rich, buttery flavour and helps bind the oats together.
Golden syrup - An essential ingredient in classic British flapjacks. It adds sweetness, stickiness, and a subtle caramel flavour.
Light brown sugar - Adds sweetness and a deeper caramel flavour.
Demerara sugar - Adds extra flavour and texture to the oat mixture.
Rolled oats - Use ordinary rolled or porridge oats for the best chewy flapjack texture.
Cinnamon - Adds warmth and gives the flapjacks an apple-crumble flavour.
Need to substitute an ingredient?
Have an allergy or dietary preference? Let AI customise the recipe for you.
Variations
- Apple and raisin flapjacks - Add a handful of raisins or sultanas for an apple strudel-style flavour.
- Apple and walnut flapjacks - Stir chopped walnuts into the oat mixture. Pecans also work well with apple and cinnamon.
- Apple and ginger flapjacks - Add a little ground ginger alongside the cinnamon for extra warmth.
- Chocolate apple flapjacks - Once completely cool, drizzle the top with melted dark or white chocolate.
Make it even better
Add fibre
Stir a tablespoon of ground flaxseed into the oat mixture for extra fibre.
Add healthy fats
Replace half the butter with almond butter.
Less sugar
If you're using naturally sweet eating apples instead of tart Bramleys, reduce the caster sugar added to the apple filling.
How to make apple flapjacks
One: Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4) and line a 20cm/8-inch square baking tin with baking paper.
Two: Peel and core the Bramley apples and chop them into small pieces. Place them in a saucepan with the caster sugar and a teaspoon of water.
Three: Cook the apples over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften. You want a soft apple filling rather than a completely smooth purée. Set aside while you make the flapjack mixture.
Four: Place the butter, golden syrup, light brown sugar, and demerara sugar in a large saucepan. Melt gently over a low heat, stirring until everything is combined. Don't allow the mixture to boil.
Five: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rolled oats and cinnamon until they're completely coated in the buttery syrup mixture.
Six: Spoon half of the flapjack mixture into the prepared tin and press it down firmly with the back of a spoon.
Seven: Spoon the softened Bramley apple evenly over the oat layer, taking it close to the edges.
Eight: Spoon the remaining flapjack mixture over the apples and carefully press it down firmly.
Nine: Bake for 25-30 minutes until the edges are golden but the centre is still slightly soft. Don't wait for the whole flapjack to become firm in the oven as it will continue to set as it cools.
Ten: Score into 16 squares while still warm, then leave to cool completely in the tin before cutting through and removing the flapjacks.
Beth's top tips
- Don't overcook the flapjacks. They should be golden around the edges but still slightly soft in the centre when you take them out of the oven. They'll firm up as they cool.
- Press the oat layers down firmly. Compacting the mixture helps the flapjacks bind together and makes them much easier to slice.
- Don't make the apple filling too wet. Cook the Bramleys until softened but avoid adding extra liquid. Too much moisture can make the middle of the flapjacks soggy.
- Score while warm, cut when cold. Mark out the portions shortly after baking, but wait until the flapjacks are completely cool before cutting them properly.
Serving suggestions
These apple and cinnamon flapjacks are delicious just as they are with a cup of tea or coffee and make a handy addition to lunchboxes and picnics.
For an easy autumn pudding, warm a flapjack slightly and serve it with custard, vanilla ice cream, or a spoonful of Greek yogurt.
They're also great for an after-school snack when everyone arrives home hungry!
Storage
Store cooled apple flapjacks in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Because they contain a soft apple layer, make sure the flapjacks are completely cool before putting them into the container.
Can you freeze apple flapjacks?
Yes. Place the completely cooled flapjacks in a freezer-safe container, separating layers with baking paper, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost at room temperature before serving.
Troubleshooting guide
Why are my apple flapjacks falling apart?
The oat mixture may not have been pressed firmly enough into the tin, or the flapjacks may have been cut before they were completely cool.
Press both oat layers down firmly with the back of a spoon and leave the finished flapjack to cool completely in the tin before cutting it into bars.
Why are my flapjacks hard?
They have most likely been baked for too long or the butter and syrup mixture became too hot.
Melt the butter, sugars, and golden syrup gently without boiling, and remove the flapjacks from the oven while the centre is still slightly soft.
Why are my apple flapjacks soggy?
Apple contains plenty of moisture, so avoid making the filling too wet. Cook the Bramleys until softened without adding extra liquid and use the specified amount of apple.
It's also important to allow the flapjacks to cool completely before storing them.
Why aren't my flapjacks firm when they come out of the oven?
That's normal. Flapjacks are still soft when hot and firm up considerably as the butter and sugar mixture cools and sets.
Don't put them back in the oven simply because the middle feels soft.
Apple flapjacks 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.
Yes. Bramley apples are my preference because their tart flavour contrasts nicely with the sweet flapjack, but firm eating apples can also be used. If your apples are particularly sweet, reduce the caster sugar in the apple filling.
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 use stewed apples. 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.
More flapjack recipes
- 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
- Knife
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.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the edges are golden but the centre is still slightly soft. Don't wait for the whole flapjack to become firm in the oven as it will continue to set as it cools.
- Score into 16 squares while still warm, then leave to cool completely in the tin before cutting through and removing the flapjacks.
Notes
- Apples: Bramley cooking apples work best because their tart flavour balances the sweet golden syrup flapjack. Granny Smith or firm eating apples can also be used.
- Apple filling: Cook the apples until softened but not completely puréed. Avoid adding extra liquid as a wet filling can make the flapjacks soggy.
- Press firmly: Compact both layers of flapjack mixture firmly with the back of a spoon to help the bars hold together.
- Don't overbake: The edges should be golden but the centre will still be slightly soft when the flapjacks come out of the oven. They firm up as they cool.
- Cutting: Score into 16 squares while warm, then leave to cool completely in the tin before cutting through.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze cooled flapjacks for up to 3 months, separating layers with baking paper. Defrost at room temperature.
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.
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
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
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!
Tavo says
It was delicious! I am an apple pie fan, and this recipe truly delivered! So yummy!
Toni says
These are amazing! My kids really loved it!
Michelle says
Loved the flavour from these apple flapjacks -- we've got lots of apples to use, so making this recipe again soon!
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.