Equipment
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 100 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 80 ml maple syrup
- 60 g soft light brown sugar
- 150 g ripe banana, peeled weight
Dry Ingredients
- 250 g rolled oats, jumbo or porridge oats
- 2 g sea salt
- 3 g ground cinnamon
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 141 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 20 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 8 g
- Sodium
- 52 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 13 mg
- Potassium
- 109 mg
- Calcium
- 22 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 26 mg
- Phosphorus
- 68 mg
- Zinc
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 43 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.07 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 2 mcg
- Water
- 10 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C/320°F fan). Line a 20cm (8-inch) square baking tin with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
Mash the weighed banana thoroughly in a bowl until smooth with minimal lumps.
In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup together. Stir gently until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture bubbles slightly.
Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the mashed banana, then fold in the oats, salt, and cinnamon until every oat is thoroughly coated in the wet mixture.
Transfer the mixture to the lined tin. Using the back of a spoon or a measuring cup, press the mixture down very firmly into the corners and edges to compact it.
Bake in the center of the oven for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the top is set but slightly soft.
Remove from the oven. While still hot, lightly score the surface into 16 squares with a sharp knife. Allow to cool completely in the tin before cutting through and removing.
Chef's Notes
- FODMAP Safety: Ripe bananas are high in fructans, but the portion size here (approx 9g banana per square) is well within the Monash University green light zone (up to ~35g ripe banana is usually tolerated).
- Texture Control: For a chewier flapjack, bake for 20 minutes. For a crunchier bar, bake for 25-28 minutes.
- The 'Press': The most common mistake with flapjacks is not pressing the oats down hard enough in the tin. You want to remove air pockets so the natural sugars bind the oats into a solid bar.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store in an airtight container. Chilling produces a chewier texture.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze separated by parchment paper.
Reheating: Eat room temp or warm slightly in microwave for 10 seconds to soften.
Troubleshooting
Flapjacks crumble apart when picked up
Cause: Mixture wasn't compressed firmly enough or was cut while too warm
Fix: Chill in the fridge for 2 hours to solidify the butter
Prevention: Press mixture down with significant force before baking and cool completely
Cultural Context
Flapjacks are a quintessential British traybake dating back to the early 17th century (though the oat version became standard later). Unlike the American pancake of the same name, British flapjacks are dense, oven-baked bars formed from rolled oats, butter, and syrup.
