These easy vegan air fryer golden syrup flapjacks are soft and chewy, lightly crisp around the edges, and packed with buttery golden syrup flavour. Made with just 5 ingredients, they're perfect for lunch boxes (especially Vegan School Lunches), snacks, and easy baking without turning the oven on.
These golden flapjacks take just 30 minutes to make, and you can cut them into chunky bars or smaller bites. For more flapjack goodness without the oven, try my Microwave Jam Flapjacks.
🧾 At-a-Glance - Air Fryer Golden Syrup Flapjacks
✅ Recipe: Golden Syrup Flapjacks (chewy oat bars)
⏲️ Ready in: 30 minutes
👪 Serves: 16 (more if you make them bite-sized)
🍽 Calories: 238
🧾 Main ingredients: Dairy-free butter, golden syrup (or maple syrup), brown sugar, porridge oats, salt
👩🏻🍳 Suitable for: Vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, egg-free, vegetarian
⭐ Why you will love them: These easy flapjacks are golden, oaty and wonderfully chewy, with that classic caramel golden syrup flavour and no long ingredient list or anything complicated.
Summarise & save this recipe:
Jump to:
- 🧾 At-a-Glance - Air Fryer Golden Syrup Flapjacks
- 🧾 The History of Scottish Flapjacks
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5-Star Review
- 📋 Key Ingredients
- 📖 Variations
- 💭 How to Make Air Fryer Golden Syrup Flapjacks
- ♨️ Baking Flapjacks in an Air Fryer
- 💭 Use the Right Baking Paper
- 💭 Air Fryer Golden Syrup Flapjack FAQs
- 👩🏻🍳 More Easy Vegan Snacks Made with Oats
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
🧾 The History of Scottish Flapjacks
Flapjacks are a traditional Scottish recipe. You could say they were a bit of a happy accident. In byegone times (oats were introduced to Scotland as early as 600 AD), houses in Scotland would have something known as a porridge drawer.
In the morning, a big batch of porridge was made and served hot in a bowl for breakfast. Leftover porridge was poured into the porridge drawer (of a wooden dresser) where it would cool and set before it was cut into slabs, like flapjacks.
You can read more about the porridge drawer in the Clan article Porridge a Scottish Staple. For another traditional Scottish recipe, try my Vegan Fruit Scones.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5-Star Review
📋 Key Ingredients
You need just 5 simple ingredients to make these Scottish dairy-free flapjacks in the air fryer.
For the full ingredient list, method, and notes, see the recipe card.
- Oats - You want to use porridge oats or rolled oats (sometimes called old-fashioned oats)
- Golden syrup - if you don't live in the UK and can't get hold of golden syrup, you can use maple syrup
📖 Variations
Here are a few tweaks you can make to this easy recipe for vegan oat bars.
- Sweetener - You could use maple syrup or agave nectar instead of golden syrup.
- Dried fruit- Raisins, sultanas, or cranberries make a good addition.
- Nuts - Walnuts are also good to add to a flapjack.
- Chocolate - Add some chocolate chips; who doesn't love a bit of chocolate?
- Spices - Ground cinnamon or ginger both add a nice warmth to these easy oat bars.
For more air fryer recipes, check out my Vegan Air Fryer Recipes page or get a copy of my ebook Air Fry.
💭 How to Make Air Fryer Golden Syrup Flapjacks
Step-by-step photos. Keep scrolling for the full printable recipe (with full ingredient list and nutritional info).
Step 1
Step 1 - Grease and line your brownie tin, then add the vegan butter to a pan with the golden syrup and brown sugar (or a bowl in the microwave) and heat until melted.
Step 2
Step 2 - Add the oats and a pinch of salt to a large mixing bowl, then add the melted butter mixture.
Step 3
Step 3 - Mix well until the butter mixture is completely combined with the oats, then add to your lined brownie tin.
Step 4
Step 4 - Press the mixture down well (it needs to be well compacted to make sure it doesn't crumble when you pick it up), then bake until golden. Cut into bars, then leave to cool in the tin. Serve and enjoy!
♨️ Baking Flapjacks in an Air Fryer
I usually bake flapjacks in the oven, but now I have an air fryer I want to cook and bake everything in it. If you've bought one too, you'll know what I mean.
Baking in the air fryer is all about having the right size brownie pan that fits your particular air fryer. You can use a baking tin or glass container to bake in the air fryer. Mine is a 20 cm (8-inch) square tin.
Of course, you could bake this in the oven if you don't have an air fryer; just keep an eye on it from 20 minutes onward.
For more easy air fryer recipes, try these oozy Vegan Cheese Toasties for lunch, and these Air Fryer Crispy Chickpeas are a perfect savoury snack for Vegan Packed Lunches or for afternoon tea with a cuppa, try these gorgeous Air Fryer Fruit Scones.
Jac's Top Tip
💭 Use the Right Baking Paper
Baking paper has one non-stick side, and if you use the wrong side, your bake will stick to the paper. However, you can now buy double-sided non-stick parchment paper pre-cut into sheets. It's worth buying to avoid baking fails.
💭 Air Fryer Golden Syrup Flapjack FAQs
These best flapjacks are always chewy. It's ok to have crisp edges, but if they crisp all the way through like a cereal bar, they are overcooked.
Yes, these flapjacks can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free oats.
These flapjacks can be kept in an airtight container for up to a week; they don't need to be stored in the fridge.
Definitely! Individually wrap the flapjacks in parchment paper or baking paper and store them in a freezer-friendly airtight container for 3-4 months. Defrost them at room temperature.
👩🏻🍳 More Easy Vegan Snacks Made with Oats
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Golden Syrup Flapjacks
Ingredients
- 250 g vegan butter or dairy-free spread
- 200 g golden syrup
- 50 g brown sugar
- 400 g porridge oats also known as rolled oats
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Grease and line a brownie pan. Mine is a 20 cm (8 inch) square pan, but you may need a smaller baking tin depending on your air fryer size.
- In a pan melt the vegan butter, golden syrup and brown sugar. Once melted set aside.
- Measure the oats and salt into a mixing bowl and mix.
- Pour the wet ingredients in and mix well until the oats are completely coated.
- Pour the flapjack mixture into the pan and press down firmly to make as even a layer as you can.
- Air fry at 180°C/350°F for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centre is set but still slightly soft. Don't overbake if you want chewy flapjacks.
- Remove from the air fryer and leave to cool in the pan.
- Once cool, you can carefully remove the block from the pan and cut into 16 bars or you could cut into 25 smaller bites.
Notes
- Your air fryer might not be big enough to hold a brownie pan, do measure first to see if one will fit, it not look for one or two smaller pans.
- My air fryer has shelves, if yours does not, then pop something underneath the pan, when you pop it in the drawer to raise it off the bottom.
- The flapjacks can be kept in a cake tin or airtight container for up to a week. I like to wrap them in baking paper.
Nutrition
Anne says
Brilliant recipe, thank you 🙂 It's easy to follow and adjust. I blitzed jumbo oats, added chopped walnuts and raisins and blitzed flax. Oh and swopped syrup for Grape Molasses and warm water so it's less sweet, but still tastes amazing.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh nice idea Anne and I am so pleased you are enjoying them.
Elizabeth says
Is it ok to add fruit and nuts to this recipe
Jacqueline Meldrum says
So sorry ELizabeth, I just spotted your recipe. Yes you can add fruit and nuts.
Jill says
Oh! I was thinking about buying one. I have one saved in my amazon basket actually. I will email you to find out which model you have. Jill
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh yes do and I can give you the exact model.
Fiona says
Hi thanks for this, very helpful, re air fryer model, we are looking to buy one, will use for meat, baking, baked veg etc, & are looking at the Aldi one going on sale soon, has two drawers but not v wide just under £100, or the Tower Xpress pro 11 Ltr from Argos at £150.
What do you think, and is there any other you’d recommend? Thanks very much
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I've not seen the Aldi one. There was a discussion in my Facebook group and apparently the £99 Scoville one from Asda is looking good, as people are saying that is a good brand. I have the Tower 5-1 which I love but was lucky enough to get for about 100 at the start of the year before everyone was looking for them and the prices went up. I definitely recommend getting one with shelves.
Fiona says
I got an air fryer from my husband for Christmas but have only heated food in it so far so lookin forward to try these. F.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh yes, do try making something from scratch in it. I think these are a good place to start Fiona.
Dana Sandonato says
Thank you for this "happy accident"! These were a hit in my house. And since I have Scottish in my bloodline, I love learning new Scot recipes!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Well this is definitely a good recipe for you. Enjoy them!
Michelle says
What an innovative recipe -- loved the addition of the rolled oats! So tasty!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Super easy to and they taste great. Perfect for a mid-afternoon energy boost.
Emily says
I'm loving air fryer recipes lately. These are so fun! I think the kids will be requesting these regularly 🙂
Jacqueline Meldrum says
They are such a handy bit of kit, aren't they?
Eliza says
What a great recipe! I love anything with golden syrup, and my family is going to love these tasty oat bars. Another winner from The Vegan Lunchbox!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Aww thanks Eliza, I hope you all really enjoy them.
Hayley Dhanecha says
Sounds amazing. I will definitely give this recipe a try as I love to try new air fry recipes.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh yes do try them, they are super easy to make and always a treat.
Gary says
Gave this recipe a try today and it is fantastic, flapjack how I remember them as a kid
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I am so glad you enjoyed them Gary. They are definitely similar to a good flapjack, just with blended oats. We are rather addicted to these.
Ellen Irons says
Hadn't a tin the correct size so improvised and melted butter, sugar and golden syrup in the microwave. Only do short bursts otherwise you make burn it. Made for a friend and they loved it will make some more. Easy to follow instructions and I will make again adding banana or raisins for a change.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I'm glad you enjoyed them and well done on making the tweaks work.