In this recipe, I am going to share creamed coconut flapjacks. Flapjacks are traditional British oat bars. My version is a healthy, exceedingly delicious take on these traditional bars.
They are very common here in the UK. Not to be confused with pancakes in the USA (which are also called flapjacks) British flapjacks are baked in the oven and then cut into sliceable bars.
Our flapjacks here are very similar to what you would call a granola bar in the USA. That means today we are essentially making a delicious batch of coconut granola bars. Yay! I am going to use the word flapjack and granola bar interchangeably in this article. I’ll quickly share some tips before getting right down to the recipe.
How I am making these flapjacks healthier?
Traditionally flapjacks are made with rolled oats, sugar, golden syrup and butter. However, you might have already guessed, we ain’t doing that!
We are going for a healthier version. I substitute a healthier syrup for the golden syrup and sugar. In order to make them vegan, I swap out the butter and use a plant-based oil instead.
What to substitute for sugar or golden syrup in flapjacks?
Instead of the intensity of golden syrup I use healthier sweeteners for these coconut flapjacks. Healthier syrups include maple syrup, coconut blossom nectar or agave syrup, which are all lower than regular sugar or golden syrup on the glycemic index. That means having healthier syrup in your granola bars or flapjacks will spike your blood sugar levels less.
These syrups tend to act as a binder, which is an important part of the coconut granola bar making process.
Creamed coconut is also naturally sweet, which adds to the sweetness of the flapjacks in a gentle way.
Can I use oil instead of butter to make granola bars or flapjacks?
Absolutely yes you can.
You can use most oils in place of butter to make these coconut granola bars. Coconut oil, olive oil and sunflower oil are all good alternatives. The recipe and video below will show you how easy it is.
As I mentioned in a previous paragraph, this recipe also uses creamed coconut, which also acts as a binder in the place of butter. Creamed coconut solidifies at normal room temperature meaning a firmer bar that holds together nicely.
As a butter substitute, I use 50% creamed coconut and 50% oil (usually olive oil or coconut oil).
Using creamed coconut to make flapjacks and granola bars
Coconut flapjacks are born out of my obsession with creamed coconut. I couldn’t resist developing a recipe trying creamed coconut instead of butter or margarine. It worked! And boy they are exceedingly delicious.
Creamed coconut means that this oat bar is infused with the most wonderful naturally sweet, fragrant coconut taste.
What is creamed coconut?
If you have not yet heard of creamed coconut you are in for a treat. You can usually find it in the same supermarket aisle as coconut milk, or in any decent health food shop. Creamed coconut is the same as coconut butter and comes in a solidified block, that melts upon heating. It’s the pure flesh of mature coconuts that have ground into a semi-solid cream.
You can read about it here: What is creamed coconut?
“Creamed coconut comes in a semi-solid bar and melts on heating”
Healthy creamed coconut granola bar flapjacks
A delicious coconut granola bar or flapjack, using creamed coconut, maple syrup and oats.
Ingredients
- 100g creamed coconut
- 400g (4 ½ cups) scottish oats (or quick oats)
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- Pinch sea salt
- 120ml (½ cup) maple syrup (or coconut syrup)
- 120ml (½ cup) olive oil (or coconut oil)
- 2 teaspoons almond essence
Instructions
- Chop the creamed coconut up in to small pieces and put into a heatproof bowl. Put the heatproof bowl into a small pan with about an inch of water. Put the pan on the stove. Heat the water which will quickly melt the creamed coconut in the bowl.
- Add the oats, cinnamon and sea salt to a mixing bowl.
- Add in the oil, maple syrup, almond essence, and, melted creamed coconut. Mixing everything together thoroughly, until all ingredients are evenly combined.
- Line a baking tin with greaseproof baking paper. You can either use one tin about 8 inch x 8 inch or get two small loaf tins (which are usually about 8 inch x 4 inches). The benefit of using two smaller tins is that there is less chance of breaking the creamed coconut flapjack bars when you slice them later.
- Put the mixture in and press it down firmly with your hands. It also helps to press down the a spoon. It is important that you press firmly to help it all hold together when baking.
- Use a pre-heated oven at 180C/350F (fan oven) and bake for 20 minutes.
- When ready take out your bars, leave them in the baking tin and put on a cooloing tray to cool down. It is important to allow this to cool before you slice it. It becomes firmer, holding together much better once it has cooled down.
- Once it is cool, carefully put the baked bar onto a chopping board. Slice into bars or squares.
- This will keep for upto a week in a sealed container. You can also put any extras in the freezer for a later date.
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Hi Ana I’m wondering if the Almond Essence is essential to this recipe? I’m thinking Vanilla essence might be nice with coconut and cinnamon.
Hi Pam,
Thank you for the question. Almond essence is personal preference and works well. Vanilla extract is also an excellent substitute for almond essence. You can also leave it out completely and it’ll still be nice.
I hope that helps. It would be awesome if you try these with your vanilla instead.
Ana x
These were absolutely delicious…but indeed crumbled apart a lot. I’ll try squishing them down even more next time but wonder if more creamed coconut would help.