Name: Maple syrup flapjacks recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: Makes: 16
Cuisine: Baking, British
Ingredients: 250g (8oz) butter; 250g (8oz) soft light brown sugar; 4tbsp maple syrup; 300g (10oz) porridge oats; 250g (8oz) stoned dates, chopped

By Jessica Ransom

last updated 4 July 2023

in Recipes

These maple syrup flapjacks are made with five ingredients including chopped dates for an even sweeter boost in flavour.

Flapjacks are traditionally made with golden syrup but these maple syrup flapjacks are a delicious alternative. Chopped dates are one of the five ingredients required in this recipe but you can swap this for cheaper dried fruits such as apricots or sultanas or omit completely. Unfortunately, these flapjacks don’t freeze well but you can scale the recipe up or down depending on how many bars you want to make. If the mixture seems too wet simply increase the quantity of oats.

Ingredients

250g (8oz) butter
250g (8oz) soft light brown sugar
4tbsp maple syrup
300g (10oz) porridge oats
250g (8oz) stoned dates, chopped

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Method

Melt the butter, sugar and maple syrup in a small saucepan. Heat the oven to 170C (150C fan, Gas 3). Line a shallow square tin, we used an 18cm (7in) tin, with a sheet of parchment paper.
Once melted, stir in the oats and transfer half of the mixture to your prepared tin. Press into an even layer.
Spread the chopped dates on top in an even layer and press down firmly. Top with the remaining oat mixture and press down so the mixture is level.
Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 40-45 minutes or until the flapjacks are a light golden colour.
Remove from the oven and leave the flapjacks to cool. Remove from the tin and cut into fingers. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Top tips for making maple syrup flapjacks

Feeling confused about if maple syrup is vegan and why? Maybe you want tips on how to make healthy flapjacks or an understanding of what they should traditionally be made from. Give our handy tips below a read and you’ll find the answers you’re looking for.

What are flapjacks made of?

Typically flapjacks are made from a mixture of oats, butter, sugar, and syrup. In this recipe, we use maple syrup instead of golden syrup and have added chopped dates for additional sweetness, chewiness, and flavour. You can make flapjacks with different types of sugar but brown sugar gives a pleasant caramel-like flavour.

Why is maple syrup vegan?

Maple syrup is made from the sap of maple trees. Once the sap is harvested it is boiled down to a syrup. There are no butter or dairy products in maple syrup which makes it suitable for vegans.

However, some supermarkets sell blends of maple syrup which are often cheaper than 100 percent maple syrup. These blends can sometimes be made with maple syrup and sugar syrup or honey. Therefore always check the label when buying.

Canadian maple syrup is considered some of the best quality maple syrup in the world and Québec provides 72 percent of the world’s maple syrup supply according to maplefromcananda.co.uk.

Can flapjacks be healthy?

If by healthy you are looking for flapjacks with low amounts of fat and refined sugars in the ingredients, then it is possible for flapjacks to be healthy. Maple syrup contains natural sugars with some beneficial nutrients too. It is not considered refined sugar and can be used in place of sugar in many recipes.

However, this flapjack recipe uses a combination of brown sugar and maple syrup and should be eaten as a treat as part of a healthy diet. The butter and sugar contribute most of the calories and fat in these flapjacks. The NHS recommends adult men do not consume 30g of saturated fat a day and for women, it’s 20g. Each portion of these flapjacks provides 8.4g of saturated fat therefore you should consume them as a treat.

To cut these flapjacks into equal portions, it’s best to use a square tin. If you are considering replacing an old tin or need to add one to your baking equipment, try this non-stick, loose-bottom tin by MasterClass.

Try making our golden syrup flapjacks if you prefer the taste compared to maple syrup. Or if you’d like a healthy flapjack recipe our banana flapjacks make a lower cal option which doubles up as a great breakfast snack.

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.