Peanut butter flapjacks recipe

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Peanut butter flapjacks are an easy bake that takes just 15 minutes to prepare.

peanut butter flapjacks on a board with bowl of peanuts
(Image credit: Getty)
Makes20
SkillEasy
Preparation Time15 mins
Cooking Time25 mins
Total Time35 mins
Cost RangeCheap
Nutrition Per PortionRDA
Calories287 Kcal14%
Sugar15.7 g17%
Fat16.7 g24%
Saturated Fat8.7 g44%
Salt0.35 gRow 4 - Cell 2
Protein3.8 g8%
Carbohydrates31.8 g12%
Salt0.35 gRow 7 - Cell 2

Peanut butter flapjacks are the ultimate afternoon snack if you love the taste of roasted peanuts and sticky, chewy oats. 

Flapjacks can have a slightly nutty taste for some people due to the taste of baked oats. If you’re craving a punchy peanut flavour our peanut butter flapjacks are a must-try. We use crunchy peanut butter but smooth is also fine. You could add a handful of chopped, roasted peanuts if using smooth peanut butter but you still want some added crunch to the final texture of your baked flapjacks. 

Ingredients

  • 300g butter or margarine, plus extra for greasing
  • 200g demerara sugar
  • 100g golden syrup
  • 100g crunchy peanut butter
  • 450g porridge oats
  • 1 tsp vanilla extra
  • Icing sugar to dust

WEIGHT CONVERTER

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Method

  1. Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan, Gas 5). Grease and line a 30 x 20cm rectangular cake tin with baking parchment.
  2. Melt the butter in a saucepan then add the sugar, syrup and peanut butter and stir over a low heat until smooth.
  3. Remove from the heat and stir in the oats and vanilla and mix well.
  4. Pile into the prepared tin and pack down well with the back of a spoon, your hand or a palette knife.
  5. Bake for 25 minutes until lightly golden.
  6. Cool for 10 minutes before marking into 20 bars. Leave to cool completely before removing from the tin and cutting into portions.
  7. To serve, dust lightly with icing sugar, if liked. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Top tips for making peanut butter flapjacks

Peanut butter flapjacks are a simple flavour twist on the classic bake. For more ideas on what you can add to the recipe, read our tips below. We also have advice on how to make peanut butter flapjacks with kids if you need a weekend or school holiday activity that is easy and affordable. 

What flavours go well with peanut butter?

We think peanut butter is delicious on its own but it also pairs well with banana and chocolate. You could add some mashed banana to this recipe when you combine the wet and dry ingredients or a small handful of chocolate chips. 

If you like the combination of peanut butter and jam, you could add some fresh or dried raspberries to the mixture or a swirl of jam. When choosing what peanut butter to use it doesn’t matter if it is smooth or crunchy. 

Try and buy the best peanut butter you can afford and where possible avoid products with lots of added sugar or additives. Some peanut butter may have the oil separated from the solid when you open the jar. It is still perfectly fine to eat just make sure you mix it thoroughly before weighing it out or using it in a recipe. 

What can I use instead of peanut butter?

If you are allergic to peanuts or just don’t like the taste you can use other nut butter such as almond or cashew. You could also use a chocolate spread such as Nutella for an indulgent substitute. You could also use roughly chopped mixed nuts instead of the paste but the final texture may be crunchier and less moist. 

How can kids help make peanut butter flapjacks?

Children can help weigh the ingredients using kitchen scales. This will teach them about the importance of accurately weighing ingredients when baking and can also open up a discussion about numbers and counting. Once the butter, sugar, syrup, and peanut butter mixture is combined and cooled slightly, kids can pour in the dry ingredients and mix to combine. 

If the children are very young you may want to give the mix a final stir to ensure all the ingredients are fully coated. You can let little ones spoon the mixture into the tin and press it into an even layer. Plus, if you choose to decorate or top the flapjacks this is an activity children often enjoy. 

Run out of peanut butter and need to stock up ASAP? This big 900g tub is from Amazon and should keep you going for a short while. Food Writer Jessica Ransom says the deep roast flavour of Manilife is her personal favourite. 

Manilife Peanut Butter Deep Roast Crunchy - View at Amazon

Manilife Peanut Butter Deep Roast Crunchy - <a href="https://amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BCQ91KNW/ref=sspa_dk_hqp_detail_aax_0?psc=1&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9ocXBfc2hhcmVk&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyVDBQN0VIQ08xSlpSJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjcwNzI1MVdXRFNSTTBMS0IySSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzgxMzY0Mk1PVkRWSjFUOTlXVCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2hxcF9zaGFyZWQmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl&tag=hawk-future-21&ascsubtag=hawk-custom-tracking-21" data-link-merchant="Amazon UK"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View at Amazon

This natural peanut butter contains no added sugar or palm oil and it’s made using single-origin peanuts from a family-run estate in Argentina. It can be used in a variety of sweet or savoury recipes but is equally delicious on its own as a snack or with some sliced apple to dunk in.


You could drizzle our chocolate flapjacks with some smooth peanut butter if you enjoy that flavour combination. Alternatively, if you want something that could double up as a breakfast option, our healthy flapjack recipe is perfect. These vegan flapjacks are another tasty option and they are ready to eat in under 30 minutes.

Jessica Ransom
Senior Food Writer

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.