Flapjack

Flapjack | Gestational Diabetes UK

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Sweet, crunchy yet crumbly and soft on the inside. This flapjack is packed with all-natural sources of protein and fat to help pair the carbs found in the oats.

I’ve chosen specific ingredients for this recipe to ensure the best texture and taste and, most importantly, to ensure the flapjack is well-paired.

Traditional flapjack is made with porridge oats and a lot of sugar. To make a GD-friendly version, I use much fewer porridge oats and pack the flapjack with heart-healthy fats and protein: coconut, almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. I have also used quinoa in this flapjack, which adds a lovely crisp, crunchy bite and for a lovely sweet fruity hit, soft apricots, which are lower in carbs than most dried fruits and dried goji berries, which are higher in protein and lower in carbs to add a sharp sweet-sour burst.

The flapjack is naturally sweet, especially as I toast the ingredients before using them, which brings out the natural sweetness alongside the goji berries and apricots, but for many craving that insanely sweet flapjack taste, the recipe requires some additional sweetener.

I found the best flavour came from using a brown sweetener alternative. My favourite brown sweetener is one that is currently available to buy in Tesco, Pure Via Bakers Secret Soft Brown Sugar Alternative, currently on offer at half price at £2.50 to ClubCard members (so stock up while you can)! Other brown sugar sweetener alternatives can also be used such as Sukrin Gold, or Truvia Brown. Xylitol or erythritol sweeteners can also be used, but this will alter the flavour slightly as the brown sweetener helps to give that caramelised taste.

The sugar-free syrup I used in this recipe was the Golden Syrup Skinny Foods Co. syrup which is available to buy online or in many discount stores such as Home Bargains or B&M Stores. Other sugar-free syrups can be used, but avoid using real maple syrup, golden syrup or honey as they are far too high in sugar.

Flapjack | Gestational Diabetes UK

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Breakfasts, Snacks

Cuisine: British

Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: cereal, flapjack, granola, protein bar, traybake

Free or Subscription Recipe: Free Recipe

Free from: dairy, eggs, gluten

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Equipment

1 8 inch x 8 inch baking tin
1 flat baking tray

Ingredients

100 grams rolled oats (porridge oats, use gluten-free if you need to follow a GF diet)
50 grams quinoa (dry white quinoa)
50 grams whole almonds chopped
50 grams pecans chopped
50 grams coconut flakes
30 grams sunflower seeds
30 grams pumpkin seeds
30 grams dried goji berries
100 grams dried soft apricots chopped
125 grams coconut oil or butter (plus extra for greasing)
1 pinch salt
90 grams Pure Via brown sugar alternative or xylitol or erythritol
3 tbsp sugar free syrup Skinny Food Co Sugar-Free Golden Syrup

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°c (fan)
Line an 8×8" baking tin with baking paper, greasing the edges with coconut oil or butter, then set aside
Spread the rolled oats, quinoa, almonds, pecans and coconut flakes out on the flat baking tray and toast in the oven for 5-10 minutes until just slightly golden
NOTE: keep a close eye on these ingredients toasting as they will catch and burn easily. Check them after 5 minutes and then continue toasting for 2 minutes at a time until they are ready, then remove the oven and set aside to cool
Once cool enough to handle, place the toasted almonds and pecans on a chopping board and pour the toasted oats, quinoa and coconut into a large mixing bowl
Chop the almonds and pecans into small pieces, then add to the bowl
Add the pumpkin and sunflower seeds and mix all the dry ingredinets together
In a pan on low-medium heat, melt the coconut oil. Once melted, add the brown sweetener and continually stir until dissolved (do not heat at too high temp or the sweetener will catch and burn)
Once the sweetener has dissolved, add 3 tablespoons of sugar-free syrup and stir well. Remove from the heat, but continue to stir until smooth and caramelised then pur over the dry ingredients and stir well to fully coat
Add the dried goji berries and chopped apricots and fold through the flapjack mixture to distribute evenly
Scoop the flapjack mixture into the lined 8×8" pan, flatten out with a large spoon ensuring the mixture is packed tight to the edges and and packed down (this helps to ensure the flapjacks hold together)
Place the flapjack in the centre of the oven to bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden
Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan
Wait for the flapjack to fully cool before attempting to cut, otherwise they will crumble. Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days. The flapjack can be eaten as snacks or crumbled like granola over yogurt or in milk

Notes

Please note that the ingredients in this recipe have been tried and tested to achieve the best possible taste, texture and blood glucose levels. Altering any ingredients will impact the end result significantly.

If you dislike apricots it is best to leave them out completely as other dried fruits are too high in carbs to substitute.

If adding sweetener, please use the sweeteners advised, which will not impact blood sugar levels or cause a bitter aftertaste.

Nutrition