Flapjacks (Oat Slice)

Chewy, buttery and packed with oats, these Flapjacks are an early slice-style treat that we still love baking today.

It’s a simple and delicious recipe that I definitely recommend if you enjoy a sweet, muesli-style slice. But what got me really excited was the history I uncovered.

I first found the recipe in an old Australian community cookbook. It piqued my interest because, in Australia, we’re more likely to associate the name “flapjacks” with American-style pancakes. When I started researching, I found countless references to the oat-based version as a British classic.

But then I stumbled across something rather surprising…

Jump to:

• A British Classic?
• Ingredient notes
• How to make Flapjacks
• Storage
• More old-fashioned slice recipes
• Flapjacks (Oat Slice) Recipe

A British Classic?

That’s certainly how flapjacks are widely described today. However, their early history may be a little more complicated.

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) records uses of the word “flapjack” dating back to the 1600s, when it referred to a pancake or similar flat cake. For the modern oat-based meaning, the OED’s earliest cited example is a 1935 recipe from Popular Home Cookery, a British cookbook by Margaret Struan. Its first cited example expressly mentioning syrup dates from 1950.

Wikipedia tells a similar story, stating that the word was not used to describe an oat-based food until 1935.

So I had to double-check and triple-check the recipe for “Flapjacks” published in the Australian newspaper Smith’s Weekly in early 1934.

How was Mrs Beryl Beresford of Lismore winning a prize for her oat-based Flapjacks a year before the earliest example currently cited by the OED?

And why is there an Australian Flapjacks recipe made with syrup from 1937, when the OED’s earliest syrup-containing example dates from 1950?

I’ve submitted these discoveries to the OED and will update this post if I receive a response. I’ll also propose an update to Wikipedia. Perhaps we’ll eventually have to rename this recipe—Classic Aussie Flapjacks!

Ingredient notes

Traditional oat-based flapjacks are generally made with butter, golden syrup, rolled oats, sugar and a little salt. You can also replace up to one cup of the oats with the same volume of seeds, dried fruit and chopped nuts. My favourite combination is pepitas, sunflower seeds, dried apricots, mixed fruit and almonds.

Another variation I discovered in the early recipes—although I haven’t tested it yet—is the addition of a teaspoon of ground ginger.

The full list of ingredients and quantities is in the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Flapjacks

This truly is a super easy slice to make. All the steps are in the recipe card at the end of the post... but I'll also run through the process quickly here.

Start by preheating the oven to 170°C/340°F (fan-forced). Grease a 27 × 17 cm slice tin and line it with baking paper, allowing the paper to extend over the sides. This comes in handy later when removing the slice from the tin.

Place the butter and golden syrup in a large saucepan over low heat. Stir until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth, then remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the rolled oats, caster sugar and salt (see image 1), stirring until everything is evenly combined (see image 2).

Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin. Gently press it into the tin and smooth the surface with the back of a metal spoon (see image 3). Bake for 30 minutes or until a golden brown colour (see image 4), then leave the flapjack to cool completely in the tin. Once cool, use the overhanging baking paper to lift it from the tin and cut it into 15 pieces using a sharp knife.

Storage

Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to one week.

More old-fashioned slice recipes

Want more good old-fashioned goodness in a slice tin? Check out these other recipes:

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