Name: Protein flapjacks recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: Serves: 12
Cuisine: Baking, British
Ingredients: 85g (3oz) mixed nuts eg walnuts, almonds, pecans, roughly chopped; 200g (7oz) rolled oats; 85g (3oz) self-raising flour; 40g (1.5oz) dried cranberries; 70g (2.5oz) unrefined demerara sugar; 115g (4oz) light buttery spread, melted; 3 tablespoons golden syrup; 2 bananas, mashed; 1 egg, lightly beaten; 25g (1oz) sunflower seeds; 25g (1oz) sesame seeds

By Jessica Ransom

last updated 3 July 2023

in Recipes

These protein flapjacks contain 5.8g of protein per portion and take just 35 minutes to make.

Traditional flapjacks are undoubtedly delicious but the high sugar and calorie content means they should be enjoyed in moderation. If you’d like to enjoy flapjacks more regularly, these protein flapjacks are a great option because they contain a variety of nuts and seeds which delivers 5.8g of protein in each portion. The addition of mashed banana also provides a natural boost in sweetness, flavour and also works as a binding ingredient to improve the overall texture.

Ingredients

85g (3oz) mixed nuts eg walnuts, almonds, pecans, roughly chopped
200g (7oz) rolled oats
85g (3oz) self-raising flour
40g (1.5oz) dried cranberries
70g (2.5oz) unrefined demerara sugar
115g (4oz) light buttery spread, melted
3 tablespoons golden syrup
2 bananas, mashed
1 egg, lightly beaten
25g (1oz) sunflower seeds
25g (1oz) sesame seeds

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Method

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan, Gas 4).
Place the nuts, oats, flour, cranberries and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir in the light buttery spread and golden syrup with the bananas and egg.
Add half of the sunflower and sesame seeds and mix.
Spoon the flapjack mixture into a greased tin, we used a 23cm (9 in) square tin. Use a spoon or palette knife to smooth the surface and sprinkle over the remaining seeds.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until light golden and firm to touch. Mark the surface of the flapjacks into 12 slices while still warm then leave to cool completely.
Remove from the tin and slice into portions.

Top tips for making protein flapjacks

If you’re looking for ways to increase protein in your diet, our protein flapjacks are a great recipe for you to make. For ideas on how to boost the protein content of these flapjacks read our tips below.

When should I eat protein flapjacks?

Protein flapjacks make a great snack before or after a workout. They will provide a boost of energy and the protein can help with your muscle recovery. You could also enjoy these protein flapjacks for breakfast if you would like a treat. This recipe does contain some refined sugar so the flapjacks should be consumed in moderation as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.

How do I increase the protein in my flapjacks?

Nuts and seeds are an excellent source of protein so you can add more to the ingredients of this flapjack recipe if you like. A 50g portion of pistachio nuts contains around 10g protein and a tablespoon of peanut butter contains 4g protein. You could drizzle this over the top of your finished flapjacks for a protein-boosting topping. If you take a whey protein powder, you could also swap 50g of the flour from this recipe for your powder.

How do I stop my flapjacks falling apart?

This recipe uses a combination of egg, banana, golden syrup, and melted buttery spread to combine the ingredients. If your mixture still feels dry when you have mixed everything in, consider adding a little more banana or beaten egg.

You could also add a tablespoon or two of peanut butter to help bring everything together. Do not cut the flapjacks until they are completely cool and set otherwise they may crumble. You may also find that chilling the flapjacks makes them easier to cut.

This recipe suggests using a square tin to bake the flapjacks in. If you are thinking of replacing an old tin or don’t have one as part of your baking equipment, you could try this non-stick, loose-bottom tin by MasterClass.

Unlike this recipe, vegan flapjacks do not contain eggs and use a soft mixture of dates and coconut oil to bind the ingredients together instead. Our healthy flapjack recipe contains no refined sugar and the flapjacks are only 85 calories per portion. If you’d like some more inspiration for flapjack-style treats which can double up as a breakfast option, try our granola bar recipe.

This recipe is adapted from Flora

Jessica is a freelance food writer, stylist and recipe tester. She previously worked as Senior Food Writer at Future. While at Future Jessica wrote food and drink-related news stories and features, curated product pages, reviewed equipment, and developed recipes that she then styled on food shoots. She is an enthusiastic, self-taught cook who adores eating out and sharing great food and drink with friends and family. She has completed the Level 1 Associate course at the Academy of Cheese and is continually building on her knowledge of beers, wines, and spirits.