Mary Berry’s flapjacks recipe

Mary Berry recommends heating the butter, sugar, and syrup over a gentle heat and avoiding boiling the mixture otherwise it will become solid and make the final flapjacks firm and crunchy. 

You can also cook for five minutes less in the oven. You can also add a tablespoon or two of flour to the mixture to give them a softer texture, like our chewy chocolate oat squares. Make sure you use gluten-free flour if you want to keep the recipe gluten-free and suitable for coeliacs.

We’d recommend using porridge oats for making this flapjack recipe. They are also referred to as rolled oats and have a smaller, flatter appearance which makes them easier to coat in the wet ingredients and hold their shape once baked and cut.

Oats make a delicious breakfast too, especially when they're paired with fruit  in our apple and cinnamon porridge, or simply with warm milk using our classic porridge recipe. 

Mary Berry recommends letting the mixture sit in the tin for five minutes before baking to allow the rolled oats to absorb more liquid before cooking, this should stop the flapjacks from crumbling once baked. 

If your flapjack is crumbly it is still perfectly edible and will likely taste delicious. Instead of slicing it into bars, you could serve it in bowls with fresh fruit and yogurt to add to your summer desserts repertoire. 

We recommend lightly scoring the flapjacks into your desired portion size while they are still warm. However, do not slice them until completely cool. You could also chill in the fridge for five minutes before slicing as a firmer texture will be easier to work with. 

Food Writer Jessica Ransom – who knows all the best food hacks – says: ‘I like to use a small serrated knife when cutting flapjacks but use whatever you’re comfortable with.’ 

It is essential you properly grease your chosen flapjack tin otherwise they will stick and be difficult to remove. Lining with a sheet of baking parchment with a slight overhang will make it easier to lift the flapjacks out. 

Watch our step-by-step video on how to line a cake tin with baking paper if you are still unsure. You could also use a loose-bottomed tin instead of baking paper. 

Once cool, cut the flapjacks into your chosen size and shape then carefully lift them from the tin. You may find an angled palette knife helps this process.

Children can help weigh the ingredients for this recipe. They can also help combine the wet ingredients in the pan and watch the melting process with an adult's guidance. An adult should pour the warm mixture into the tin but children can then help smooth the mixture with a spoon or palette knife. Once baked and cut, you could also allow children to decorate the flapjacks with melted chocolate and chopped nuts or dried fruit.

Flapjacks aren't the only child-friendly recipe we'd recommend making with your little one. Why not roll up your sleeves and try our easy teddy bear smores, Maltesers biscuits or even our five-ingredient Cheerio peanut butter bars?