Irish Recipes

Irish-style oatmeal bar recipe: the delicious Irish flapjack

Easy Irish flapjack recipe: fun and easy to make oatmeal bars for the whole family. Perfect as a breakfast bar, lunchbox filler, post-workout snack or tea time treat!

Irish flapjacks, also known as oat bars or granola bars, are a common snack in Ireland and a very easy one to make at home.

You don’t need special culinary skills or equipment to make them, it doesn’t take long at all to get them ready, and they last a few days, meaning you can reap the benefits of your baking efforts for quite a while.

They are also a perfect lunchbox snack and come with an extra perk: when you put them on, they fill your kitchen with a delicious, homely smell of buttery freshness that, alone, will warm your heart!

We make flapjacks/ oat bars often and we have tested several recipes.

They all sort of worked, it is indeed hard to make a bad tasting oat bar (just look at the ingredients, very little can go wrong) however, some came out a little too gooey, some a little too sweet, so in the end, we settled on one that we like most of all and that therefore we are sharing today.

It is a variation of a vegan BBC recipe that you can find here: that is vegan, while ours uses Irish butter.

But first, a language curiosity about flapjacks/ oat bars!

Close up of oatmeal bars with title 'make at home Irish oatmeal bars recipe (Irish flapcjack)

What is an Irish flapjack?

The answer to the question ‘what is a flapjack’ depends on the nationality of the person you ask!

Here in Ireland and in the UK, a flapjack is an oatmeal bar or a granola bar, granola being the name most commonly used if you mix different types of nuts and seeds to the basic preparation.

They are sweet snacks that can be baked at home or bought in a shop (freshly baked in good cafes or as a factory snack you can buy from the supermarket) and are usually made with oats, butter and golden syrup, sometimes with the addition of fruit, nuts and seeds.

In America, however, I am told a flapjack is similar to a pancake! I am afraid, I had no idea about this until I started reading the background of this recipe so if you are here for an American style flapjack recipe, sorry, I have to disappoint you.

This recipe is for the Irish understanding of flapjacks so what you will end up with are granola bars: they are delicious though so whatever your intention was, I would suggest you give them a try!

What it Irish oats and why use it for oat bars

Flapjacks are common in Britain as well as Ireland however, the Irish version of this treat is my favorite and it all comes down to the use of a special type do oat: Irish oat.

The difference between Irish oatmeal and oatmeal is the preparation of the groats: instead of rolled, they are prepared with a steel-cut process and this means that, when cooked, they retain a crunchier texture and nuttier taste, perfect in bars!

Irish oatmeal flapjacks ingredients: basic Irish oat flapjack ingredients

  • 250g Irish porridge oats (jumbo oats are ok)
  • 120g butter, unsalted
  • 120g light brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp golden syrup
  • A handful of your favourite dried fruies (we used a mix of sultanas and candied orange peel)
  • A handful of chopped almonds / pumpkin seeds if using

Variations and additions

We have used a dired fruit mix that we had since the Christmas holidays in the recipe above but you can easily change the type of dried fruit used to suit your taste. Sultanas, cranberries, and dried apricots all work well.

You can also get creative and add your favorite type of nuts (hazelnuts or almonds for instance) and seeds: pumpkin seeds work amazingly well with this recipe.

Just make sure you maintain the quantities above or, if needed, add a little more golden syrup – not too much though or you will end up with a sticky mess!

How to make Irish oat flapjacks/oatmeal bars: the process

Turn on the oven to 150C so it has time to get hot, then take a baking tin and line it with baking paper, ready to use.

Take a pan and put in the butter, brown sugar and golden syrup.

Put onto low heat and mix with a wooden spoon so that the sugar fully dissolves. Let it get hot but do not allow it to boil. Once you have a smooth mixture, remove from the heat, add in the oat and the fruit/ seeds if using and mix until they are all well coated

Gently, move the mixture onto the tine and spread it evenly: I like it about 1 cm thick but you can make as thin/thick as you wish.

Put in the oven for about 25 minutes: the bars are ready when golden. Take them out of the oven and use a sharp knife to cut them into your preferred shape, either strips/bars or squares.

If you cut them while still hot, you will notice the mixture is soft and easy to work with: it will get crunchy and of the proper oat bar consistency once cold. Careful as, while hot, it is truly hot – do not touch it until cool!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe for Irish flapjack and your oatmeal bars came out delicious! Happy cooking

Irish flapjack printable recipe

Yield: 16 bars

Irish flapjack recipe: oatmeal bars recipe

Irish flapjack recipe: oatmeal bars recipe

Easy to make oatmeal bar recipe, Irish style (Irish flapjack recipe). The perfect treat for the whole family, it works for breakfast on the go, as a lunchbox filler, post-workout pick me up and treat for your tea break!

This super easy recipe requires zero cooking skills and you can even make it with the kids: with no bladed involved, they can get measuring and mixing and then leave the melting to you.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 250g Irish oats (or jumbo oats)
  • 140 gr brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of golden syrup
  • A handful of your favorite dried fruit
  • 120gr butter

Instructions

  1. Preheat the over to 150C
  2. Line a baking tray with baking paper
  3. In a pan, pour butter, sugar and golden syrup and put on a hob on very low heat. As soon as the butter start melting, use a wooden spoon to mix all the ingredients: soon, you will have a deliciously smelling creamy texture!
  4. Take off the heat and fold in the oats and the dried fruit of choice
  5. Spread the mixture on the baking tray, about 1 cm thick
  6. Put in the oven and let cook for about 25 minutes or until golden. When you take the tray out of the oven, you will notice your mixture is not set and you think you made granola flakes rather than bars but don't worry: it will set!
  7. Cut into the desired shape while hot, then leave to cool and then, you will have your crunchy bars! Keep in an airtight container for longer lasting freshness

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 170Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 62mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 2gSugar: 11gProtein: 2g

Please note: the nutritional information for this recipe is an estimate only and should only be used as a guideline

Comments Off on Irish-style oatmeal bar recipe: the delicious Irish flapjack

Céad míle fáilte! A thousand times welcome! I am a travel-loving Italian Mama lucky enough to call Ireland her home. Let my articles help you plan your trip to Ireland and get ready to fall in love with the Emerald Isle, just like I did. With love. M x

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