These soft and chewy marmalade flapjacks are just the ticket for marmalade fans. Perfect for a mid morning/afternoon treat or for popping into a lunchbox.
I love a flapjack. I feel they are hugely underrated. I’ve made loads of different flavours of flapjacks over the years, although somehow I’ve only shared a few recipes so far – my foolproof fruity flapjacks, chocolate and coconut flapjacks and these gorgeously soft and sticky apple and blackberry flapjacks.
I would never turn down a flapjack (oat bar for my American readers) of any type, but I particularly love this sticky marmalade version. If you love spreading marmalade on your toast, I can’t imagine you not loving this recipe.
This is a perfect recipe for marmalade fans – there is marmalade both in and on top of the flapjack bars. The orange marmalade glaze on top makes the flapjacks extra sticky and gooey!
why you’ll love this recipe
- Made in just one pan
- Perfect soft, squidgy texture
- you can adapt the recipe depending on what you have in your cupboard – see recipe notes below
- Perfect bake for making ahead – they will keep in an airtight tin for about a week
ingredient notes for making marmalade flapjacks
- golden syrup – if golden syrup is hard to find where you live, you can use either honey or maple syrup instead. The golden syrup does give a unique flavour though, so it’s worth trying it if you possibly can.
- rolled oats – I recommend using medium rolled oats for flapjacks – not the “quick cook” type.
- butter – you could use a baking margarine instead, but real butter gives the very best flavour.
- demerara sugar gives a lovely caramelised flavour to any flapjack bar, you could use soft light brown sugar instead.
- orange zest ramps up the orange flavour in these flapjacks – it’s not essential, but it’s so good!
- I had a packet of golden linseeds in my cupboard, so I thought they might be a good addition. You can swap the linseeds for sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds or flax seeds. Or just leave them out if you prefer.
- I love adding dried fruit to flapjacks, so I added a handful of sultanas. If they aren’t your thing, you don’t have to add them.
- you can use whatever orange marmalade you like – fine cut, thick cut, or shredless. I like a dark, chunky Oxford style marmalade.
how to make marmalade flapjacks
Please note this is just a rough guide – full ingredient and instruction list can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step one
Mix the rolled oats, seeds and dried fruit if using and a pinch of salt together in a mixing bowl.
step two
Stir together butter, sugar, orange zest, orange marmalade and golden syrup over a low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.
step three
Add the oat mixture to the pan of melted butter and syrup, stirring well until everything is nicely coated.
step four
Pour into a greased and lined 20cm square baking tin. Using a spoon, press the mixture down well to compact, making sure you get into the corners.
Step five
Bake the flapjacks for about 25-30 minutes or until the edges are beginning to turn light golden. If you oven runs on the hot side, I would start checking the flapjacks after about 22 minutes – they can burn very quickly.
The flapjack should still be quite soft in the middle – that’s absolutely fine. They will firm up quite a lot after they’ve cooled down. Just like chocolate brownies, I think it’s always better to slightly underbake flapjacks rather than overbake them!
step six
Allow the flapjack to cool in the tin for about 10-15 minutes. Stir together 1 tablespoon of marmalade with 1 tablespoon boiling water. Brush this over the warm flapjack, then leave for about 15-20 minutes before cutting into squares.
how to store flapjacks
Stored in an airtight tin or tupperware box at room temperature, flapjacks will keep for up to one week, but I bet they won’t!
did you make this recipe?
I hope you loved it! Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below or if you have any questions about the recipe, please just ask and I’ll do my best to help.
Marmalade Flapjacks
These orange marmalade flapjacks are soft, chewy and delicious. They are great for an mid morning or afternoon pick me up!
Ingredients
- 225g (2 cups + 1 tablespoon) rolled oats (not jumbo - I used medium)
- 25g (2 tablespoons) sesame seeds (optional)
- 50g (1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon) sultanas or raisins (optional)
- pinch of fine salt
- 150g (1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons) butter
- 50g (1/4 cup) demerara sugar
- finely grated zest of one medium orange
- 2 tablespoons golden syrup
- 3 tablespoons orange marmalade
- 1 tablespoon orange marmalade and 1 tablespoon boiling water (for brushing over the top of the flapjack)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160Fan/350F/Gas mark 4. Grease and line a 20cm square baking tin.
- Place the rolled oats, seeds and sultanas if using and pinch of salt in a medium bowl and stir to mix everything together.
- Place the butter, demerara sugar, grated orange zest, golden syrup and 3 tablespoons of the orange marmalade in a large saucepan and allow to slowly melt over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved completely.
- Once the mixture has completely melted, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the oat mixture, stirring well until the oats are coated in the butter-syrup.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and press it down well with a metal spoon, making sure you get into the corners and it looks even. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the flapjack is starting to turn golden brown around the edges. It will still be soft in the middle but crisp up as it cools down. They usually take 25 minutes on the dot in my oven, you might find they need a little less time, or they may take 30 minutes. It depends on your oven.
- Leave to cool in the tin for about 10-15 minutes, then mix together the tablespoon of marmalade and the boiling water. Brush over the warm flapjack. Allow the flapjack to cool for 20 minutes before cutting into squares with a sharp knife (it's much easier to cut them while they are still slightly warm.) However, they will still be fragile, so leave them until they are completely cold.
Notes
you could add golden linseeds instead of sesame seeds if you like (or leave the seeds out altogether.)
These marmalade flapjacks will keep in an airtight tin or tupperware box for about one week.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 348Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 149mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 4gSugar: 20gProtein: 5g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.
My Mum taught me a simple recipe when I was a kid, the basic version of this. One cup of self raising flour, also sugar, also bran, also milk. So I always remembered it, ate it still warm, with butter ! This will be even better when it comes out of the oven!
Sorry, wrong recipe !
Totally yummy – made it with my home made Seville Orange Marmalade and swapped half the oats for granola and took it into work – gone in seconds
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Beware. Quantities in this seem to be wrong. Does not properly fill the tin.
This sounds so so good! Can you post American measuring instructions? I may use chopped pecans in mine. A Scottish mom’s twin daughter🥰
Hi Kate, did you definitely use a 20cm square tin? The recipe is 100% correct and the quantities definitely fit the tin, as shown in the step by step photos.
Done! Hope you enjoy them 🙂