Healthy Flapjacks

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My homemade healthy flapjacks are the perfect way to kickstart your day. Naturally vegan and gluten free, they are packed with lots of flavor, crunchy nuts, and nutritious seeds. I love to serve these for breakfast on busy mornings or as a healthy afternoon snack – they’re ideal for anyone looking for a satisfying, low-sugar, make-ahead, grab-and-go recipe!

I have always been a big flapjack and breakfast lover. But usually, they are loaded with sugar and butter making them not so healthy. So I wanted to create a more nutritious version that would be just as satisfying as a traditional flapjacks recipe. 

And guess what? I finally did it, and that’s why I am excited to share it with you today. Keep in mind, there is a difference between US and UK flapjacks, and my recipe is based on the UK version.

In the UK, flapjacks are basically baked oat bars. You combine oats, butter, syrup or honey, press the mixture into a baking tray, and bake until golden brown. This is not a recipe for US flapjacks which are basically, fluffy pancakes!

🥘 Ingredients

My recipe requires just a handful of simple ingredients! Here’s what I used:

Nut Butter: I’ve used both creamy peanut butter and almond butter in this recipe, but any nut butter will work – even sunflower butter would taste good. I recommend choosing a nut butter that contains just two ingredients, the nut itself, and salt.

Maple Syrup: I use just a little maple syrup for some sweetness, but agave, date paste, honey or even coconut sugar would work.

Coconut Oil: I love the healthy fats coconut oil provides, and it helps the bars stick together. If this recipe doesn’t need to be vegan, you can use butter or ghee instead.

Rolled Oats: I like using rolled oats because they have a hearty texture, but you can use quick cooking oats – they will just give the bars a chewier, softer texture. To ensure these bars are gluten-free, I recommend choosing gluten-free certified rolled oats.

Dates: I recommend using medjool dates – I love the texture and flavor they add to this recipe. If you don’t have any dates on hand, raisins and other dried fruits will be just as delicious. 

Banana & Apple: I use mashed ripe bananas as an alternative to eggs to help hold these flapjacks together and add some natural sweetness too. I throw in some grated apple both for flavor and sweetness, but also added fiber!

Vanilla Extract, Spices, Salt: I love how a splash of vanilla extract brings out the sweetness of these flapjacks without needing added sugar. I also use cinnamon and nutmeg for warmth, and salt adds flavor and highlights the other ingredients.

Nuts & Seeds: I used a combination of pumpkin seeds, ground flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, and almonds – they bring some protein, texture, and fiber to this recipe!

🔪 How To Make

I promise it’s so easy to make this recipe, you’ll have this ready in no time! Here’s how I made it:

Preheat The Oven & Combine Wet Ingredients: First, I preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius). Then, I put the nut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and coconut oil into a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until the mixture is smooth and well combined.

Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, I mix the rest of the ingredients: oats, flax, dates, bananas, apples, through seeds.

Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients: Then I add the dry ingredients to the pot and stir to combine.

Put Into Prepared Tin: Pour the mixture into an 8×8 baking pan lined with parchment paper and press down so it’s even. I like to use a sheet of parchment paper and a rolling pin or the back of a spoon to help press it down into the square pan. Your bars should be about ½ inch thick.

Bake: I bake the bars for 15 minutes in the preheated oven or until the top is golden brown. Just remember every oven is different so be sure to check them after about 13 minutes. 

Let Cool: I let them cool for at least 15 minutes on a wire rack or stovetop before slicing. Then I serve these immediately, or store them for later!

📖 Variations

This recipe is delicious as is, but it also makes a great base recipe for adding in so many different mix-ins! Here are some of my favorite flavor varieties:

Fall Spices: To make these flapjacks feel like fall, try adding in a little extra cinnamon and nutmeg (up to 1/4 tsp extra), along with 1/8-1/4 tsp of pumpkin pie spice, all spice, cardamom or cloves!

Add Chocolate: Sometimes I’ll add ¼ cup of chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips to the batter before baking. Or, I’ll melt the chocolate and drizzle it over the top of the bars after they are done baking. This turns them into more of a healthy dessert.

Other Mix-Ins: Mix in your favorite dried fruit as a 1:1 substitution for the chopped dates. Dried blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, coconut flakes, currants, or raisins would work. You can also try using almond extract instead of vanilla, in equal quantities. For the nuts you can replace all of the almonds with your nut of choice, just make sure the nuts are chopped before you mix them in.

Add Protein: Although these already have protein from the nut butter, nuts, and seeds, you can boost the protein content even more by adding in your favorite protein powder – I like using a vegan vanilla one because it matches the flavors of these bars really well. I recommend starting with about 1-2 tbsp and adding in more as needed.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

I find that these flapjacks taste great on their own, but can also pair well with other breakfast dishes or snacks! For a bigger spread, I’ll serve them with my kale apple smoothie or apple carrot smoothie – I like these two in particular because they have some added veggies along with the fruit.

If I’m making a weekend brunch for my family, I’ll also make a big plate of these flapjacks and then serve them with some savory dishes like my silken tofu scramble and roasted rosemary potatoes.

Alternatively, if I’m hosting brunch or afternoon tea I’ll serve these bars with other little fun bites like my savory vegetable muffins and vegan protein balls.

🫙 Storage Directions

Fridge: Once the flapjacks have cooled, I place them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

Freezer: To freeze, I wrap each of the cooled flapjacks individually with some plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place them in a freezer bag or airtight container. They will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months.

Reheating: I warm them up for 10-15 seconds in the microwave. However, if frozen, you need to let them thaw out in the fridge or at room temperature prior to reheating.

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