Apricot & Coconut Flapjacks (no-bake oat bars)

Traditionally these apricot & coconut flapjacks would be baked, but this modern twist is a soft oat bar that's chilled rather than baked.

Don't they look good?

These soft apricot bars are a twist on traditional Scottish flapjacks with the Caribbean flavours of apricot and coconut.

They are perfect when you need a boost of energy or just something to serve with a cuppa.

And, you don't even have to turn the oven on.

Jump to:

⏲️ Are flapjacks baked?
💭 Flapjack FAQ
📋 What you need to make apricot flapjacks
📖 Variations
🍑 Dried or fresh apricots?
🥣 What holds these oat flapjacks together?
💭 Which size of baking tray?
💭 Non-stick baking paper tip
🧾 Related recipes (more no-bake treats)
🥥 More coconut treats
⭐ Save your favourite recipes for free!
👩🏻‍🍳 How to make apricot and coconut flapjacks
📖 Recipe
Comments

⏲️ Are flapjacks baked?

Traditionally flapjacks are baked, but you may be surprised to hear the original Scottish flapjacks were not baked.

Back when families lived in crofts in the Scotland, families would have what was called a porridge drawer.

A big batch of porridge would be cooked in a pot over the fire and eaten for breakfast and the rest would be poured into the porridge drawer, in a dresser where they would cool and firm up.

They were then cut into bars for the men to take out into the fields with them to eat while they worked.

So making no-bake flapjacks, really isn't a new thing.

Although I use my fridge (it's really a fridge cake) instead of a porridge drawer.

You can read more about porridge drawers in this history of porridge.

💭 Flapjack FAQ

Are flapjacks a British snack?

Flapjacks are popular across Great Britain. They are sold in supermarkets, cafes and bakeries and also made at home, but they were actually created in Scotland, where oats are a staple crop. Oats have been traced in Scotland as far back as 600 AD.

Are flapjacks a healthy snack?

Flapjacks are the perfect snack for a slow-release energy boost from the oats, but like many snacks they contain fat and sugar so should be eaten in moderation.

📋 What you need to make apricot flapjacks

Here are the simple ingredients you need to make these easy no-bake flapjacks.

oats - porridge oats or rolled oats
coconut - desiccated coconut
butter - vegan butter or spread
golden syrup - if you can't get golden syrup you could use maple syrup, but golden syrup has that wonderful caramel flavour
salt - just a touch
apricots
icing sugar (also known as confectioner's sugar)

The full ingredients can be found in the recipe card right after the step-by-step photos.

📖 Variations

Here are a few tweaks you can make to these oat flapjacks.

Raisins - you could add raisins or other soft dried fruits instead of the apricots
Cinnamon - try adding ground cinnamon for a touch of spice
White chocolate - drizzle the top of these oat bars with melted vegan white chocolate instead of icing
Dark chocolate - drizzle the tops with dark chocolate or melt a 100g (3.5 oz) bar of dark chocolate and spread over the top for a chocolate layer

Also, try these air fryer golden syrup flapjacks or microwave jam flapjacks.

🍑 Dried or fresh apricots?

Now there's a good question.

I used soft, dried apricots in these bars. which gives a soft chewy finish with a rich flavour, but you could add fresh apricot.

Chop it finely before adding it and if it's particularly juicy, you may need to add more oats to soak up some of the juice.

🥣 What holds these oat flapjacks together?

The secret to binding this mixture together is the butter and the oats.

The melted butter (vegan of course) soaks into the oats to help bind the mixture and as the bars are chilled the butter in the bar resolidifies.

💭 Which size of baking tray?

A brownie pan (20 cm x 20 cm or 8 inch x 8 inch) is the perfect size for making flapjacks.

You could use a slightly smaller pan (if it's deep) or a slightly larger tray/pan, but then your apricot flapjacks will be thinner.

💭 Top tip for lining the baking tray

You can butter the brownie tin (rub with a little vegan butter all over) to help release the flapjacks, but they are easier to remove if you add a layer of non-stick baking paper.

You can either add one strip of baking paper, the width of the pan (after buttering the pan so it sticks and coats any areas where there is no baking paper) or two strips (one in each direction).

Just make sure there is an overhang, which you can use to gently lift it out of the tray before cutting the flapjacks.

💭 Non-stick baking paper tip

Baking paper or greaseproof paper can be tricky, you may have used it in the past and found your baked goods stuck to it, leaving you feeling frustrated,

The problem is that most baking paper or greaseproof paper is only non-stick on one side only, so use the wrong side and it's useless.

However, you can now buy baking paper which is coated on both sides, which is cut into sheets.

Fabulous stuff. I highly recommend it.

Here are a few more tasty no-bake treats (fridge cakes) to try next.

🥥 More coconut treats

More delicious vegan coconut treats for you to try.

Some of my favourite coconut treats are an easy coconut loaf cake, coconut bites, which are just like a vegan bounty bar, Scottish macaroon bars which have a rather surprising secret ingredient or Scottish rum truffles, which can be made with orange juice rather than rum for children or just as a preference.

I also have a new coconut lime cake with lime drizzle which is rather special.

What are your favourite coconut snacks?

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Apricot & Coconut Flapjacks (no-bake oat bars).

👩🏻‍🍳 How to make apricot and coconut flapjacks

These Step-by-step photos will show you how to make these apricot oat bars. Keep scrolling for the full printable recipe (with full ingredient list, calories and nutritional info).

Step 1

Butter and line your brownie tin (mine is 20 cm x 20 cm or 8 inches x 8 inches). A bit larger or smaller is fine but it needs a bit of depth.
Add the oats to a blender or food processor and whizz until they are finer.

Step 2

Add the fine oats to a large mixing bowl, then add the coconut and salt and mix well.
Add chopped apricots (I cut mine with scissors) and mix again, so they are well distributed and coated in oat flour, which will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the flapjacks.

Step 3

Melt the (vegan) butter and golden syrup together in a pot or in a bowl in the microwave.
Once melted, add it to the oat mixture and stir well to combine. You will notice it is starting to clump together.

Step 4

Press into your lined brownie pan, then score the bars with a knife.
Pop in the fridge for a few hours to chill and set.
Make some icing by mixing icing sugar and water and drizzle (a bit neater than I did) over the flapjacks.
Cut into squares and enjoy!

📖 Recipe