Making flapjacks in the air fryer is baking at its very simplest. Forget the American pancake of the same name: a British flapjack is a dense, chewy bar of rolled oats, stirred into melted butter, soft brown sugar and syrup. There is neither flour nor egg in it, and you don’t need a mixer or a mixing bowl – just a saucepan and a square tin.
Advertisement: The page displays ads and contains advertising links (affiliate links). See our advertisers here.
In the air fryer the bars get golden edges and a soft, chewy centre with a deep caramel flavour. The secret is to press the mixture firmly into the tin and take it out before it looks done. Below you will find what I have learned, the mistakes that give crumbly or rock-hard bars, and the full recipe at the bottom.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love flapjacks in the air fryer
Flapjacks are the kind of bake you can start without any planning. Butter, soft brown sugar, light syrup, a pinch of salt and rolled oats – that is all it takes, and most people already have it in the kitchen. The mixture is stirred together in the saucepan, pressed into the tin and baked in the air fryer at 160 °C for 15 minutes, without you having to heat up a big oven for one small tin.
I also like that the bars are so sturdy. They don’t fall apart when they are wrapped up and taken along, and with 12 bars from one tin there is plenty for the whole week.
A British flapjack is not a pancake
The name confuses many people. In the US, flapjack is another word for pancake, but in Britain it is a bar of rolled oats that is baked in a tin and cut into squares. It is not the same as Anzac biscuits or oat biscuits either, both of which are biscuits with flour in the dough. A flapjack is thick, dense and chewy all the way through.
My kitchen test of flapjacks
I baked the bars in my Philips XXL, where a square tin of about 18 x 18 cm sits flat in the basket. At 160 °C for 15 minutes the edges turned golden brown, while the middle was still soft and bubbling slightly when the tin came out. Halfway through the baking time I turned the tin half a turn so that the colour was even all the way round. The first time I gave it a couple of extra minutes to be on the safe side, and then the bars turned hard instead of chewy. With 10 minutes of preparation, 15 minutes of baking and an hour of cooling, it takes 85 minutes in total, but the bars mostly look after themselves. If you have a smaller air fryer, use a smaller tin and bake the mixture in two batches.
Take the tin out while the middle still looks too soft. Flapjacks only set as they cool, and that is what gives the chewy bite.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The most common mistake is to press the mixture down too loosely in the tin, so that the oats do not hold together and the bars crumble. Use the back of a spoon, and press firmly and evenly right out into the corners. The next mistake is to bake until the middle feels firm. Then the bars turn hard once they have cooled. Instead, take the tin out while the edges are golden and the middle is still soft. Do not let the butter mixture boil in the saucepan either – that also gives hard bars. The third mistake is about patience: if you lift the bars out while they are warm, they fall apart, and if you cut them completely cold, they break. Cut the mixture once it has set a little but is still warm, and let the bars cool completely in the tin before you lift them out using the baking paper.
How to serve flapjacks
Flapjacks work just as well on an ordinary weekday as when you have guests. Here are my favourites:
- With the afternoon coffee or a cup of tea
- In a lunchbox or rucksack on a trip, wrapped in baking paper
- Coated in melted dark chocolate once the bars are completely cold
- Warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as a quick dessert
Storing and reheating
The bars keep for up to a week in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also freeze them for up to three months and thaw them at room temperature when you want to use them. Flapjacks are normally served at room temperature, but if you want them warm, give them 2-3 minutes in the air fryer at 150 °C. Put a piece of baking paper between the layers so that the bars do not stick together in the container.
Flapjacks are proof that five ingredients and a small tin can become something really special. Press the mixture down firmly, take it out in good time and leave the bars in peace to cool – then you get dense, chewy flapjacks that keep all week.
FAQ
Yes. Golden syrup is the British original and can be used in the same amount. Light syrup gives the same chewy bite and is easier to find in Danish supermarkets.
Usually the mixture has not been pressed down firmly enough into the tin, or the bars were lifted out before they were completely cold. Press the mixture together tightly, cut it while it is still warm, and let the bars cool completely in the tin.
Yes, use gluten-free oats. Butter, soft brown sugar, light syrup and salt are normally free from gluten, but always check the packaging if the bars are to be served to someone with coeliac disease.
Recipe
Flapjacks in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
Keep the screen on and follow the recipe step by step while you cook.
Step 1:
Avoid the screen turning off while you cook.
Step 2:
Start the guide and follow the recipe one step at a time.
Cost of the dish
Prices may vary depending on where you shop.
Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
Does the recipe fit my Airfryer?
If you’re unsure, you can always reduce by one serving in the recipe, or click the 0.5x button.
You can also Ask the AI Chef
It’s easy! Just press the Ask the AI Chef button you see at the bottom.
Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Square pan - approx. 18 x 18 cm
- 1 Parchment paper
- 1 Pot
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Measuring spoons
- 1 Sharp knife
Shopping list
Ingredients
- 125 g butter
- 100 g soft brown sugar
- 3 tbsp light syrup (or golden syrup)
- 1 pinch salt
- 225 g rolled oats (ideally half large-flake and half small-flake)
How to make it
Preparation
- Put 125 g butter, 100 g soft brown sugar, 3 tbsp light syrup and 1 pinch salt in a saucepan. Warm it over a low heat, stirring, until the butter has melted and the mixture has come together and is glossy. Do not let it boil.
- Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in 225 g rolled oats until all the oats are coated in the melted mixture.
- Spread the mixture in the tin and press it down firmly and evenly with the back of a spoon – right out into the corners as well. The more tightly the mixture is pressed down, the better the bars hold together.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C fan.
- Place the tin in the basket and bake at 160 °C for 15 minutes. Turn the tin half a turn after about 8 minutes so that it colours evenly.
- Take the tin out when the edges are golden brown and the middle is still soft and gently bubbling. The mixture will not feel firm yet, but it sets as it cools. If it bakes for too long, the bars turn hard instead of chewy.
Cooling and cutting
- Leave the tin to stand for about 10 minutes, then cut the mixture into 12 bars with a sharp knife while it is still warm. Leave the bars in the tin.
- Let the bars cool completely in the tin, about 1 hour in total. Then lift them out using the baking paper and separate them along the cuts.
Our notes for the recipe
Press the mixture firmly into the tin – this gives the dense, chewy texture, and the bars will not crumble. Take the tin out while the middle is still soft, and wait to lift the bars out until they are completely cold. If the surface browns too quickly in your air fryer, lower the temperature to 150 °C and add 2-3 extra minutes. Variation:
Stir a handful of raisins, chopped dried apricots or chopped nuts in together with the oats, or coat the cold bars in melted dark chocolate. Use gluten-free oats if the bars need to be gluten-free. Serving:
Serve the bars with coffee or tea, or pack them in a lunchbox and take them along on trips. Golden syrup:
The original British recipe uses golden syrup. Light syrup gives the same chewy bite, but if you have golden syrup, it can be used in the same amount. Serving size:
The tin makes 12 bars, which works out at 3 bars per serving. If your air fryer is smaller, use a smaller tin and bake the mixture in two batches.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
Easily share the recipe with others:
Via email or on Facebook
Open the recipe on your phone
Scan the QR code with your phone and get the recipe directly on your mobile while you cook.
Author
Airfryerkogebogen.dk
