Name: Vegan flapjacks recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: Makes: 12
Cuisine: Baking, British
Ingredients: 250g jumbo oats; 45g desiccated coconut, or a mix of desiccated and flaked; 125g coconut oil or dairy-free spread, melted; 100g light muscovado sugar; 2tbsp golden syrup; 3tbsp dried blueberries; 3tbsp dark chocolate chips

By Rose Fooks

last updated 3 July 2023

Contributions from

Jessica Ransom

Vegan flapjacks are an easy bake that you can share at picnics, parties, or bake sales. This recipe takes under 30 minutes from start to finish.

Traditional flapjacks often use butter as the binding ingredient but these vegan flapjacks use coconut oil instead. Use a dairy-free spread if you prefer as the coconut oil will contribute a subtle flavour. Our vegan flapjacks are flavoured with dark chocolate chips, dried blueberries, and coconut but experiment depending on your preference and budget.

Ingredients

250g jumbo oats
45g desiccated coconut, or a mix of desiccated and flaked
125g coconut oil or dairy-free spread, melted
100g light muscovado sugar
2tbsp golden syrup
3tbsp dried blueberries
3tbsp dark chocolate chips

For the icing drizzle:

3tsp lemon juice
6tbsp icing sugar
Few drops purple food colouring (optional)

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Method

Heat the oven to 180C Fan/Gas 6. Put the oats, coconut, coconut oil, sugar and syrup in a food processor. Pulse until just blended and still quite coarse. Stir in the blueberries and choc chips.
Tip into the prepared tin, pressing down well and levelling the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden and darker around the edges. (For a crunchier flapjack, bake for a little longer.) Mark out 12 bars with a knife then leave to cool completely.
For the icing drizzle, stir together the lemon juice, icing sugar and food colouring, if using.
Cut the flapjack into bars, drizzle over the icing and leave to set. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Top tips for making vegan flapjacks

Our vegan flapjacks have a delicious coconut flavour thanks to the use of coconut oil and desiccated coconut. If you’d like some inspiration for other flavour combinations, read our tips below. You’ll also find suggestions for vegan alternatives to butter, which is a common ingredient in flapjack recipes.

What can I use instead of butter for flapjacks?

Choose a dairy-free spread instead of butter or use coconut oil. If your coconut oil has solidified in the cupboard, simply melt it to a liquid consistency before mixing it with the other ingredients.

Some recipes may also suggest using egg and mashed banana as a binding formula or a mixture of blended, softened dates - however, this isn't suitable for vegans. Golden syrup is a vegan-friendly ingredient that can add sweetness to your finished flapjacks and help all the ingredients stick together.

Is golden syrup vegan?

Yes, golden syrup is suitable for vegans which is why it is used in this recipe. You could also use maple syrup as a substitute or honey if you don’t need the recipe to be vegan.

How can I add flavour to my flapjacks?

You can swap the dried blueberries for dried cranberries, raisins, sultanas, or apricots if you prefer. You could also drizzle these vegan flapjacks with some melted dark chocolate and sprinkle them with chopped nuts or freeze-dried raspberries for a pop of colour. You could also add the zest of some lemon or orange to the flapjack mixture for a low-calorie boost in flavour.

This recipe requires you to use a food processor in step one. If you need to buy this versatile piece of kitchen equipment or are considering upgrading your current one, we’d recommend the Ninja 3 in 1 food processor which was tested for us by freelance journalist and Goodto’s parent tester Grace Holliday.

Our healthy flapjack recipe also happens to be vegan. It uses a combination of nuts, seeds, dates, and cinnamon for a slightly different but still delicious flavour profile. For a pre or post-gym energy boost, make our protein flapjacks which have 5.8g of protein per portion. We also have a huge library of vegan recipes if you need inspiration for plant-based breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.

Rose Fooks is Deputy Food Editor at Future Publishing, creating recipes, reviewing products and writing food features for a range of lifestyle and home titles including GoodTo and Woman&Home. Before joining the team, Rose obtained a Diplome de Patisserie and Culinary Management at London’s Le Cordon Bleu. Going on to work in professional kitchens at The Delaunay and Zedel.

With contributions from