Microwave Jam Flapjacks - Quick and Easy Recipe

Quick microwave jam flapjacks are easy oat bars with a layer of jam that are made in minutes. Great for lunch boxes or an afternoon snack.

Being a good Scottish lass, flapjacks are a regular feature in my kitchen.

There's always a big tub of oats to use in all sorts of recipes.

However, I usually bake my oaty flapjacks in the oven or in my air fryer, but I wanted to see if they would be good in the microwave.

After a few experiments, I got them just right.

I hope you try these chewy oat bars.

They are made in minutes and taste great!

Jump to:

• 💭 Are microwave flapjacks different from regular flapjacks?
• 📋 What you need to make chewy flapjacks
• 👩🏻‍🍳 What you need to make easy jam flapjacks
• 🥄 Which type of jam is best in a flapjack?
• 🍫 What else can you add to a basic flapjack recipe?
• 💭 Can you make gluten-free microwave flapjacks?
• ♨️ Making flapjacks in the microwave
• 🍲 Which dishes can be used for microwave baking?
• 🥘 Size of microwave dish
• 🌡️ Microwave power
• 🥄 Serving flapjacks
• 💭 Storing chewy flapjacks
• 👩🏻‍🍳 More sweet oat snacks
• ⭐ Save your favourite recipes for free!
• 👩🏻‍🍳 How to make Microwave Jam Flapjacks
• Step 3
• 📖 Recipe
• Comments

💭 Are microwave flapjacks different from regular flapjacks?

The recipe is pretty much the same.

Oats, brown sugar for that caramel flavour, golden syrup and butter.

However, I found the texture of microwave flapjacks was better if I added some flour, which isn't in a traditional Scottish flapjack recipe.

I'm not too upset at changing the recipe as they are so, so good.

📋 What you need to make chewy flapjacks

And yes, they have to be chewy.

If they are crisp, then they are more of a cereal bar or a granola bar and nothing like a flapack.

I digress, here's why you will love this simple microwave bake.

• They are chewy - just as they should be
• Quick to make - made in minutes
• Super easy - a child could make them (and the microwave is a safer option)
• Simple ingredients - you don't need anything fancy
• Energy efficient - you will use less energy baking them in the microwave
• Taste amazing - they are just delicious

👩🏻‍🍳 What you need to make easy jam flapjacks

Here are the simple ingredients you need to make an easy jam flapjack.

• Butter - vegan butter or vegan spread (dairy-free margarine)
• Golden syrup - you can use maple syrup, but use golden syrup if you can as it has a wonderful toffee flavour (just don't use corn syrup)
• Oats - porridge oats or rolled oats
• Plain flour - (all-purpose flour) not a traditional ingredient in Scottish flapjacks, but it helps the texture with these microwave oat bars
• Brown sugar - golden brown sugar (demerara sugar), not dark brown sugar
• Salt - just a pinch
• Jam - any flavour

You will find the full recipe and method in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this page.

🥄 Which type of jam is best in a flapjack?

You can pretty much use any type of jam (or jelly if you are in the US).

Homemade or shop-bought jam.

Because this is a quick recipe, I just use whichever jar is open in the fridge.

Usually strawberry jam or raspberry jam.

However, if you want to try making some homemade jam, try my easy raspberry jam or mixed fruit jam that's made with frozen berries.

🍫 What else can you add to a basic flapjack recipe?

As I said the basic recipe is just oats, sugar, butter and golden syrup, but you can add fillings and toppings.

Flapjack fillings

You can mix these into the flapjack mixture.

• Raisins
• Sultanas
• Dried fruit (various)
• Cranberries
• Fresh blueberries
• Fresh raspberries
• Chocolate chips
• Seeds

Jam layer alternatives

Instead of a layer of jam in the middle of the flapjacks, here are a few more ideas, of course, this isn't traditional.

• Chocolate spread
• Biscoff spread
• Peanut butter
• Almond butter

Flapjack toppings

It's not usual to add a topping to a classic Scottish flapjack, but heck why not?

• Dark chocolate - melted and spread as a full topping or drizzled
• Vegan white chocolate - melted and spread over the flapjacks before they are cut
• Sprinkles - sprinkle over any melted chocolate topping

Stay classic or go wild!

💭 Can you make gluten-free microwave flapjacks?

Yes, it is super easy to make these chewy golden syrup flapjacks gluten-free.

Just use gluten-free oats and whizz some of the oats into a flour too.

♨️ Making flapjacks in the microwave

It's super easy to make chewy flapjacks in the microwave, if you have one of course.

Melt the vegan butter and golden syrup in the microwave, then mix into the dry ingredients.

Once the mixture is layered up and pressed firmly into a microwavable dish, it just needs a few minutes of baking, with a rest part way through.

🍲 Which dishes can be used for microwave baking?

It's important to use the right dishes in a microwave.

Glass and ceramic dishes are usually microwave-safe and some airtight containers are suitable too.

You could use any of these.

Just check the bottom for the microwave-safe sign or symbol.

🥘 Size of microwave dish

The dishes I usually use to make these oaty bars are a square glass Pyrex dish or a small ceramic dish.

They are both microwave-safe.

The square glass dish is 20cm x 20 cm (about 8 inches x 8 inches) and the small ceramic dish is 23cm x 16 cm (9 inches x 6 inches).

It's quite a forgiving recipe, you can use a dish a little bigger (flapjacks will be thinner) or smaller (thicker flapjacks).

🌡️ Microwave power

Microwaves come in all shapes and sizes, each with a different power.

Mine is 800 watts.

If yours is a higher wattage, you may want to take the flapjacks out a minute or so early.

If your microwave is less powerful, the flapjacks may need an extra minute or two.

🥄 Serving flapjacks

Flapjacks are pretty much ready to eat as they are once they have cooled down.

They are perfect to add to lunchboxes for kids and adults and they are great with a cuppa.

I have on occasion served them with some fresh berries and whipped cream or crumbled into vegan Greek yoghurt.

If you want to try more flapjack recipes, try my blueberry and lemon flapjacks or my banana, coconut and choc chip flapjacks.

💭 Storing chewy flapjacks

Once cool and sliced into bars, the flapjacks can be stored in a baking tin for a few days or in an airtight container in the fridge.

I've never frozen them, so I won't recommend that.

👩🏻‍🍳 More sweet oat snacks

Looking for more recipes like these microwave jam flapjacks? Try these:

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👩🏻‍🍳 How to make Microwave Jam Flapjacks

These step-by-step photos will show you how to make these quick and easy snacks. The printable recipe follows these photos and tips.

Step 1

• Butter your microwave dish, so the flapjacks don't stick and set aside.
• Add your vegan butter or spread and golden syrup to a microwaveable bowl and microwave until melted.

Step 2

• Add the flour, oats, brown sugar and salt to a large mixing bowl.
• Mix well.

Step 3

• Pour the melted mixture into the oaty mixture and give them a good stir until well combined.
• Spoon just over half of the flapjack mixture into your buttered dish and press down with the back of a spoon until well compacted and with an even surface.
• Add dollops of jam and spread out across the flapjack base.

Step 4

• Crumble the rest of the flapjack mixture evenly across the jam layer and use the back of a spoon to press flat into an even layer.
• Bake in the microwave.
• Leave to cool, then cut and serve.
• Enjoy!