These super easy Jam Flapjacks are one of my favourite quick and easy bakes. They are sweet and gooey, moist and a little bit crunchy, and the strawberry jam gives them a gorgeously fruity flavour. Perfect!
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I love oats. In pancakes, cookies, as porridge, mixed into smoothies. Whatever.
Oats are filling and tasty and they go with everything! I run a lot, so the energy boost that you get from them is great.
Flapjacks are honestly one of my favourite things to make.
They are so simple, you only need a few ingredients to get a gorgeous sticky treat, and even though they are full of sugar and pretty unhealthy, the oats mean that they are at least more filling than other sweet treats with the same sugar and fat content.
Jam Flapjacks are a big favourite in our house. Robyn especially loves jam and would have it on everything. This Jam Flapjack recipe is easy and always tastes great.
How to Make Easy Flapjacks
Easy Jam Flapjacks are, well, easy to make!
You simply melt the butter, sugar, and syrup together, taking care to make sure there are no lumps of sugar left, and stirring constantly as the mixture heats up, to ensure it doesn’t catch to the bottom of your pan.
I do this over a gentle heat in a small pan on the hob.
As soon as it’s all melted together and smooth (well before it boils) pour it over your oats in a large mixing bowl and stir until all of the oats are wet.
It’s a fairly moist mixture, so there shouldn’t be any dry oats left.
Then I spoon just under half of the oats into a lined tin and use the back of my fingers to press down, compacting the mixture, and pressing it out into the sides so there’s an even, flat layer on the bottom of the tin.
Where Do You Put the Jam in Flapjacks?
There’s nothing better than a Flapjack with Jam Layer, and I like lots of jam!
I spoon 6 good tbsps. onto that flat layer of oats, before spreading to the edges in a nice thick layer.
You might find it easier to use room temperature jam, but because the oats are still fairly warm, spreading jam straight from the fridge isn’t too difficult.
Finally, I spoon on the rest of the oats and again press to the edges with my fingers. Don’t worry if a little jam seeps through as you do this, some is bound to bubble up anyway.
Then, bake in a preheated oven for around 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a little bit crunchy.
If you prefer a very Soft Flapjack Recipe bake for a little less. If you like them very crunchy, bake for longer.
I tend to go for chewy, with just a little crunch on the top when I make Jam Filled Flapjacks.
What Tin Do You Need to Bake Flapjacks?
For my Homemade Flapjacks, I use the same brownie pan (affiliate link) that I use for my brownies and traybakes. It’s a nice size (26cm x 36cm x 4cm), and deep enough for most sheet bakes like this.
I line the pan with reusable baking paper (affiliate link) because Jammy Flapjacks are incredibly sticky and getting them out of the tin otherwise would be really hard.
You could use any deepish baking tin or cake tin, just adjust the time slightly (or the quantities) if your tin is significantly smaller or larger than mine.
Why Are Flapjacks Unhealthy?
It’s all the sugar, syrup, and butter. Oh, and the jam.
They aren’t great. But, as I say they are filling, and oats have plenty of benefits.
Should Jam Flapjacks be Soft When They Come Out of the Oven?
Honestly, it depends on how crunchy you like your flapjacks.
When I make Flapjacks with Strawberry Jam the top is golden brown and almost set, when they come out of the oven. But if you poke them (carefully, the jam gets very hot) they are still soft. They firm up as they cool.
I leave my Flapjacks with Jam in the tin to cool completely so they firm up and are easier to get out.
Why Do My Jam Flapjacks Fall Apart?
Jam Flapjacks with Porridge Oats are always going to be a bit crumbly; they are full of oats.
But you should be able to slice them without them totally falling apart. If your flapjacks are falling apart, it might be because:
- You need to use more syrup, sugar or butter, or fewer oats to help everything stick together.
- You need to cool them fully before trying to move and slice them.
- You might not have pressed them down firmly enough. Really compacting the oats helps them to stick together, removes air from between the oats and makes it easier to get a more solid bar.
- You need to bake for a little longer.
How Do You Decorate Strawberry Jam Flapjacks?
I don’t decorate my Strawberry Flapjacks at all. They are an easy treat and I like to keep them that way.
You could however melt a little white chocolate and drizzle onto the top for Strawberry and White Chocolate Flapjacks.
Are Jam Flapjacks Suitable for Vegans?
So, I thought these were Vegan Jam Flapjacks as long as you use margarine and not butter and skip the white chocolate.
But some research tells me that sugar might also be an issue. However, you can get vegan-friendly sugar, so this recipe should be relatively easy to adapt.
Other Oat Recipes
Jam Flapjacks
Ingredients
- 300 g Porridge Oats
- 115 g Soft Light Brown Sugar
- 150 g Golden Syrup
- 180 g Butter or Margarine
- 6 tablespoons Strawberry Jam
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a deep baking tray.
- Pour the oats into a large mixing bowl.
- In a small saucepan over a gentle heat, melt together the butter, sugar and syrup, stirring constantly until the mix is smooth and even – do not let it come to the boil, or it will start to thicken into caramel.
- Pour this mixture over the oats.
- Mix carefully until the oats are all wet.
- Spoon just under half of the oats into the baking tin.
- Use a spoon or your fingers to press down, and out to the edges until you’ve got a flat, even layer in the bottom of the tin.
- Spoon on the jam and use the back of a metal spoon to spread evenly.
- Spoon on the remaining oats, and use your fingers or a spoon to spread to the edges and press down to a flat, even layer.
- Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
- Leave in the tin to cool completely, before tipping out and slicing.
Nutrition
Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.
