Imagine my surprise when I discovered that “flapjacks” in the USA meant something completely different to the UK.
One day when I suggested making flapjacks as a sweet snack, Scott screwed his face up. “Flapjacks? For dessert?” I soon realised that in the US the word flapjack often means pancake. In the UK, however, a flapjack is an oaty, gooey square made with butter, sugar and syrup.
Throughout my teens and early twenties I treated myself to at least one flapjack a week — often topped with a thick layer of chocolate. Not exactly skinny, but delicious.
A few weeks ago we had a big tub of oats and the hot weather made porridge (oatmeal) unappealing, so I wanted to make flapjacks suitable for breakfast that felt a little lighter. I swapped the usual syrup for honey and used mashed bananas to add natural sweetness.
These flapjacks aren’t strictly health food — I did add a chocolate topping — but without it they’re a healthier option than many cakes. They’re packed with fibre from the oats and contain walnuts for healthy fats, making them a satisfying breakfast or snack.
Banana, Walnut and Chocolate Flapjacks
Recipe by Julia
Servings
9
servings
Prep time
20
minutes
Cooking time
25
minutes
Ingredients
-
3/4 cup (100g) unsalted butter
-
3/4 cup (100g) granulated sugar
-
Pinch of salt
-
2 tbsp honey
-
1 1/4 cups (180g) oats
-
2 bananas, peeled
-
1/3 cup (50g) chopped walnuts
-
200g dark or milk chocolate
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 190C (375F). Line and grease a square baking tin about 8×8 inches.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Pour it into a bowl and add the sugar, honey and a pinch of salt. Stir until combined.
- Mash the bananas with a fork and add them to the butter and sugar mixture along with the oats and chopped walnuts.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 20–25 minutes. The flapjacks should be golden with slightly darker edges but still soft on top when removed from the oven. Allow to cool in the tin.
- When cooled, break the chocolate into pieces and melt it either in short bursts in the microwave (stirring often) or over a pan of simmering water. Pour the melted chocolate over the flapjacks and let it set at room temperature or in the fridge.
- Once the chocolate has hardened, cut the flapjacks into squares and serve.