Name: Raisin flapjacks recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: Makes: 16
Cuisine: Baking, British
Ingredients: 200g raisins; 225g unsalted butter; 125g soft brown sugar; 150g marmalade; Finely grated zest of one orange; 2tbsp black treacle; 400g rolled oats

By Jessica Ransom

last updated 4 July 2023

in Recipes

Raisin flapjacks are easy to bake and can be sliced into portions for lunchboxes, picnics or simply enjoyed with a cup of tea in the afternoon.

A traditional British flapjack recipe includes oats, butter, and sugar. These raisin flapjacks have 200g raisins in the recipe which gives the final bake a delicious flavour and chewy texture. Raisins are high in fibre, potassium, and antioxidants. Plus, 30g of dried fruit such as raisins counts as one of your five a day.

Ingredients

200g raisins
225g unsalted butter
125g soft brown sugar
150g marmalade
Finely grated zest of one orange
2tbsp black treacle
400g rolled oats

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Method

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan, Gas 4). Grease and line a 25cm square tin.
Cover the raisins with boiling water, leave for 10 mins to soften and swell, then drain and discard the liquid.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan with the brown sugar, marmalade, orange zest and treacle. Stir occasionally until everything is combined. Do not boil the mixture otherwise it will become too thick.
Remove from the heat and stir in the oats and drained raisins.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and pack it down evenly. Make sure you push the mixture right into the corners of the tin.
Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, until lightly coloured at the edges.
Cool completely in the tin before cutting into 16 squares.

Top tips for making raisin flapjacks

Whether you want to find out what substitutions you can use when making raisin flapjacks, or you'd like to improve the final texture, we have some helpful tips for you below. Give them a ready before you start making the recipe so you have a better chance of success.

Can you use sultanas instead of raisins?

Yes, you can use sultanas instead of raisins in this recipe. Raisins tend to be larger than sultanas but they both have a similar flavour and sweetness.

How do I improve the texture of my flapjacks?

Adjust the cooking time depending on the desired flapjack texture. If you cook them for too long the flapjacks will turn rock hard when cold. Bake them too little and they will crumble and be difficult to slice. Both will still taste lovely but people have different preferences.

What can I swap with raisins?

Try using pitted, roughly chopped dates or dried apricots. Dried cranberries, cherries, and currants are also good replacements that offer a slightly sour flavour.

Alternatively, if it is a baking recipe you could also use chocolate chips instead of raisins for something more indulgent. As a compromise, consider using half raisins and half chocolate. It’s delicious, tried and tested combination!

This recipe suggests using a 25cm square tin. If you don’t have this size you could use a smaller tin but the flapjacks will be slightly thicker and the cooking time may need to be adjusted. Alternatively, add to your collection of cake tins with this one from MasterClass.

This recipe uses dried fruit but for a fresher alternative, consider baking our banana flapjacks or our apple flapjacks. Plus, our healthy flapjack recipe is good if you want a lower calorie option as each portion is 85 calories compared to nearly 500 calories in this recipe.

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.