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Home » Baking and Desserts » Squidgy date and coconut flapjacks

Squidgy date and coconut flapjacks

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Squidgy coconut and date flapjacks are a delicious twist on a British tea-time treat, packed with oats and dried fruit, and flavoured with rich date syrup and a pinch of spice.

Have you ever given much thought to flapjacks? These traditional British treats, made with oats and syrup, vary from crunchy to chewy, soft and light to dense and unforgiving.

They can come plain, or studded with fruit or chocolate chips. And be left bare or adorned with a topping. So many options! It seems that flapjack perfection is pretty subjective.

Squidgy coconut and date flapjacks are a delicious twist on a British tea-time treat, packed with oats and dried fruit, and flavoured with rich date syrup and a pinch of spice.

Just to be clear, I’m talking about BRITISH flapjacks – a sort of delicious oaty bar as seen in the photo above – and not American flapjacks which are apparently some sort of breakfast pancake. How confusing.

Anyway….

In search of perfection

Personally, my perfect flapjacks would be not-too-dense but still slightly chewy, sweet but not tooth-achingly so, buttery but definitely not greasy. They would have succulent chunks of dried fruit and would need nothing extra by way of chocolate, icing, or other sugary decorations.

Oh, and they would probably come with a nice cup of tea. 

Squidgy coconut and date flapjacks are a delicious twist on a British tea-time treat, packed with oats and dried fruit, and flavoured with rich date syrup and a pinch of spice.

Flapjack experimentation…

I didn’t have flapjack perfection in mind when I set out to make these coconut and date flapjacks mind you. I was simply looking for a way to use up some date syrup, and wondered if it could be used to replace golden syrup in the flapjacks recipe.

Turns out that yes, it can, and the resulting flapjack is as close to perfection as I’ve yet achieved! Squidgy inside with a slightly chewy crust, and a wonderful fruity, spicy flavour. 

Squidgy coconut and date flapjacks are a delicious twist on a British tea-time treat, packed with oats and dried fruit, and flavoured with rich date syrup and a pinch of spice.

Date flapjacks – what a treat!

These coconut and date flapjacks take almost no time at all to make and are wonderful with a cuppa, or as an afternoon snack, or tucked into a lunchbox or picnic as a sneaky almost-healthy treat.

I say almost healthy – they’re made with oats, coconut, dried fruits and date syrup, so apart from a little sugar and fat, they’re pretty good. Everything in moderation!

They’re also so easy (and foolproof!) that you might even persuade the kids to make a batch themselves. Just make sure you get to eat one (or two) – quality control, right?

Young boy and girl standing at a kitchen counter with their hands in a large bowl of flour.

Ingredients for date flapjacks

As I mentioned, the ingredients for these yummy date flapjacks are all simple kitchen staples – or they are in my house! To whip up a tasty batch yourself, all you will need is:

  • margarine or butter – depending on whether you prefer them to be dairy or parve
  • light soft brown sugar – such as muscovado or similar
  • date syrup – also called silan
  • rolled oats – these are the chunky oats, not the smaller “quick-cook” porridge oats
  • plain flour – also called all-purpose flour
  • desiccated coconut
  • dried fruit – I used chopped stoned dates, dried apricots and raisins but you can add any or all of these, or any fruits you like!
Ingredients for making date and coconut flapjacks - light brown sugar, date syrup, rolled oats, butter, flour, dried fruits, desiccated coconut.

Let’s make a date (flapjack)!

What would your perfect flapjack taste like? Why not try these easy date flapjacks, and see if we agree?!

Squidgy coconut and date flapjacks are a delicious twist on a British tea-time treat, packed with oats and dried fruit, and flavoured with rich date syrup and a pinch of spice.

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Squidgy coconut and date flapjacks are a delicious twist on a British tea-time treat, packed with oats and dried fruit, and flavoured with rich date syrup and a pinch of spice.

Coconut and date flapjacks

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Squidgy, oaty flapjacks made with coconut, date syrup, and dried fruit.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Cake
Cuisine British
Servings 10 squares
Calories 194 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 75 g margarine (or butter if you're not bothered about dairy)
  • 65 g light soft brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoon date syrup (silan)
  • 125 g rolled oats
  • 25 g plain flour (4 tbsp)
  • 35 g desiccated coconut
  • 100 g chopped stoned dates, dried apricots, raisins, or a mixture of dried fruits, all cut into raisin-sized pieces

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a loaf tin with baking paper.
  • Put the margarine, sugar and date syrup into a saucepan and heat over the lowest flame until everything is just melted and mixed together.
  • Remove from the heat, and add all the remaining ingredients to the saucepan. Mix well until everything is well amalgamated.
  • Tip the mixture into the lined tin and spread evenly into the corners. Use the back of a spoon to level the surface.
  • Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20 minutes until the top is just starting to turn golden brown. 
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Remove from the tin while still warm and cut into squares. Serve warm or cold.

Notes

Tossing the chopped dried fruit in a little of the flour before adding to the mixture will help prevent the pieces from sticking together and ensure they are more evenly distributed through the finished flapjacks.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Coconut and date flapjacks
Amount per Serving
Calories
194
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
9
g
14
%
Saturated Fat
 
6
g
38
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Cholesterol
 
16
mg
5
%
Sodium
 
60
mg
3
%
Potassium
 
146
mg
4
%
Carbohydrates
 
27
g
9
%
Fiber
 
3
g
13
%
Sugar
 
13
g
14
%
Protein
 
3
g
6
%
Vitamin A
 
188
IU
4
%
Vitamin C
 
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
 
31
mg
3
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keyword baking, flapjack, oats
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More delicious flapjack recipes

If you’d like to try some more delicious flapjacks, check out the following:

  • Carrot cake flapjacks from Tin and Thyme
  • Chocolate cherry flapjacks from Thinly Spread
  • Chocolate drizzle flapjacks from Fab Food 4 All
  • Fruit flapjack fingers from Family Friends Food
  • Pineapple, banana and chocolate flapjacks from Tinned Tomatoes
  • Vegan chia seed flapjacks from Planet Veggie

I’m linking this recipe up with CookBlogShare.

« Easy smoked mackerel kedgeree
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Raechill

    April 10, 2021 at 6:20 pm

    5 stars
    These flapjacks are delicious. This is best recipe I have found using date syrup, perfect for vegans. My family absolutely loved them.

    Reply
  2. Rita Sharp

    October 28, 2019 at 12:09 pm

    Oh good, thanks for that Helen. So glad I’ve found your fab blog, it’s really lovely 🙂

    Reply
    • Helen

      October 28, 2019 at 3:05 pm

      Thanks Rita ?

      Reply
  3. Rita Sharp

    October 27, 2019 at 8:18 pm

    These look lovely and just what I’d been looking for! Would I be able to substitute organic runny honey for the date syrup Helen?

    Reply
    • Helen

      October 28, 2019 at 11:06 am

      Hi Rita. I’m sure that would be fine. I’ve made flapjacks with honey before and they’re delicious! I hope you enjoy them. All the best, Helen.

      Reply
  4. Kavita Favelle

    August 31, 2019 at 3:28 pm

    Flapjacks are definitely best homemade, I never rate ready-made ones from the shops! love the combination of flavours, I’m a huge dates fan!

    Reply
    • Helen

      August 31, 2019 at 7:20 pm

      Thanks Kavita. I totally agree about homemade being better – and they’re so easy to make at home too!

      Reply
  5. Sisley White

    August 29, 2019 at 12:45 pm

    Coconut flapjacks look so good. I would love to try them. They are on the list to bake this weekend.

    Reply
    • Helen

      August 29, 2019 at 3:40 pm

      Thanks Sisley – they’re super easy and the coconut is really delicious.

      Reply
  6. Janice

    August 29, 2019 at 11:19 am

    Your description of the perfect flapjack is spot on for me too. Bookmarking this recipe to make later, thank you.

    Reply
    • Helen

      August 29, 2019 at 3:39 pm

      Thanks Janice! I hope you enjoy them 🙂

      Reply
  7. Veronica

    August 27, 2019 at 2:42 pm

    I LOVE flapjacks. When I was commuting I used to buy one every morning at the station to eat on the train. I wish I’d had this recipe then, it would have saved me a fortune.

    Reply
    • Helen

      August 28, 2019 at 7:25 pm

      LOL! Thank Veronica. It’s never too late to start making yourself daily flapjacks, I reckon, even if you don’t eat them on the train 🙂

      Reply
  8. Jenny Walters

    August 22, 2019 at 7:47 pm

    I am a flapjack fiend and very particular about how I like them. These sound perfect! Chewy within with a crisp outer. Huge yum! They sound super delicious with the whole date and coconut combo going on! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare

    Reply
    • Helen

      August 22, 2019 at 7:49 pm

      Thanks Jenny! I think there are some strong opinions around flapjacks but I really think I’ve nailed it with this recipe 😀

      Reply
  9. Cathy White

    August 21, 2019 at 12:57 pm

    Yum, I love flapjacks and I have all these ingredients (bar the date syrup) in my cupboard. I’m on it!

    Reply
    • Helen

      August 22, 2019 at 7:49 pm

      Thanks Cathy! I hope you enjoy them!

      Reply
  10. Choclette

    August 17, 2019 at 4:46 pm

    I’ve given a lot of thought to flapjacks over the years and I’ve baked more than my fair share too. These look delicious. Squidgy with coconut and date syrup sound perfect.

    Reply
    • Helen

      August 17, 2019 at 7:28 pm

      Thanks Choclette. I’m definitely a fan of the squidgy flapjack too 🙂

      Reply
  11. Camilla Hawkins @FabFood4All

    August 16, 2019 at 2:11 pm

    What a great combination of flavours, there can’t be too many flapjack recipes for me:-)

    Reply
    • Helen

      August 16, 2019 at 2:21 pm

      Thanks Camilla! I’m totally with you – love a good flapjack, whatever the flavour!

      Reply

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