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Cinnamon Flapjacks are a great standby for a tasty breakfast, lunchbox filler or afternoon snack and can be made quickly with 6 ingredients.
Cinnamon Flapjacks
Love flapjacks? You’re gonna go crackers for these cinnamon ones.
To make flapjacks Clean and fit the kind of foods I want to be feeding my kids, I use bananas and date paste to make them sweet along with a touch of maple syrup.
What you end up with is a sweet, sticky gooey kinds flapjack that’s very easy to get used to if you’re new to eating Clean.
I used to buy flapjacks from the shops for snacks and the very first time I made homemade flapjacks like this, I sort of knew the kids wouldn’t eat them. I knew I’d eat them, but had resigned myself to the kids taking a bit if time to get used to them. I was wrong! The whole batch went in double time and on the flapjack front, we’ve not looked back since!
It’s important your bananas are really ripe. The riper the bananas the sweeter the flapjack will be. Bananas also become soft and gooey as they ripen as anyone who’s left bananas on the worktop of a while can tell you. And this is good news for flapjacks!
Regular flapjacks are very often made with Golden syrup. I make these with maple syrup, although I use a lot less and use banana and date for the main sweetness.
Are Flapjacks Healthy?
Lots of people ask me if flapjacks really are healthy and the truth is that the answers not black and white. If you’re comparing flapjacks to say, vegetables, you’d have a fairly strong argument for veggies being the healthier option.
However….as anyone who reads my blog often will know, I’m a firm believer that if Clean eating and having the kids eat Real food most of the time, there has to be a little give and take.
We make better food options than we used to. We eat Real food the vast majority of the time. And we also eat snacks. I try my hardest to make those snacks better than they were before.
That doesn’t make them perfectly healthy, it makes them better than we might have had before we started eating Clean.
So are flapjacks healthy? They’re healthier than nearly all shop bought ones. There’s your answer :)
Ingredients
Six ingredients, yep, just SIX!
It takes minutes to get this recipe together and not a lot longer to bake it. The longest part is waiting for it to cool so you can slice it!
Oatmeal
Oatmeal has a higher protein content than other grains and so it’s a good option when you’re making homemade snacks.
I use oatmeal in loads of things but most often in baking and breakfasts.
It’s filling and helps to keep little tummies fuller for longer, it also helps keep my bigger Mom size tummy fuller for longer too and so yep, I often have one of these with a cup of tea right before the kids crash through the front door after school and I’m savouring the last of the quiet time :)
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Date Paste
Date paste is awesome. If you’ve never use dit it’s the easiest thing to make – it’s dates, blended. I love using it in baking as it gives you an unrefined sweetener that had a lovely caramel-y type of flavor.
I usually keep a jar of this in the fridge so I have it to hand, if you’re a date fan I’d recommend you do this, it lasts for ages and you can use it for a load of recipes. Or eat it straight out of the jar…..
Variations
These cinnamon flapjacks are original flapjacks with cinnamon added. There are a few variations you could make to give these a twist:
- Sub the bananas for apple sauce for apple and cinnamon flapjacks
- Drizzle some melted white chocolate over the top of your cooled flapjacks (see photos)
- Try adding half a cup of chopped nuts if you like them for some extra protein and crunch – pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds all work well
- Try adding a quarter of a cup of dried cranberries for a fruity flavor
- Half a cup of raisins works well with these flapjacks
- Halve the cinnamon and add a teaspoon of nutmeg and a quarter teaspoon of ginger for lightly spiced flapjacks
Storing Flapjacks
Flapjacks will keep fresh for 3 days in an airtight tin in the cupboard.
After you’ve baked these, allow them to cool down fully before you slice them and I’d recommend slicing them before you store them.
If you’re drizzling white chocolate over the top, you can do this either before or after they’re cut into slices but you’ll need to let the flapjacks
Grab the FREE 18 Meal Ideas CHEAT SHEET Here!More Flapjack Recipes
- Blueberry flapjacks
- Chocolate flapjacks
- Coconut and cherry flapjacks
- Apple flapjacks
- Healthy original sticky flapjacks
Recipe Tips
- Line your square tin with parchment paper and then butter the parchment paper. This will make it really easy to get your flapjack off the paper and not clump as you remove it.
- The deeper your flapjacks, they’ll be chewy and the gooier they’ll be. If you prefer a crunchier flapjack, use a shallower tin.
- Make sure you press the flapjacks really tightly into the baking tin, this helps them not fall apart after you’ve made them. I use the back of a metal dessert spoon to make sure the flapjack mixture is well compacted into the tin.
- Using a really sharp knife helps keep the flapjack slice neat!
How To Make Cinnamon Flapjacks
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Oatmeal
- 1/3 Cup Butter
- 1/3 Cup Date paste
- 2/3 Cup Banana Very ripe, mashed
- 1 tbsp Ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp Maple syrup 100% pure
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 190c or 375f
- Make your date paste. Simply take your dates and add 3/4 tbsp boiling water. Blend your paste until it’s smooth. Add a little more boiling water if needed, you want the paste to be really thick. Once your paste is blended, add your bananas and blend the mixture together. Put to one side
- Melt your butter and Maple syrup over a low heat. Add the warm butter and maple syrup to the oats and mix
- Pour your banana and date mixture into the buttery oats and mix well. Your mixture should bind well, and be sticky
- Line your baking pan with paper. Rub a little butter on the paper to stop the Flapjack sticking. Push your mixture well into the prepared tin, so it’s compact and even on top
- Bake for around 190c/375f (depending on your oven) for 18 minutes. The Flapjacks will be soft when you take them out of the oven, they’ll harden up as they cool
Cinnamon Flapjacks Recipe
Cinnamon Flapjacks
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Oatmeal
- ⅓ Cup Butter
- ⅓ Cup Date paste
- ⅔ Cup Banana Very ripe, mashed
- 1 tbsp Ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp Maple syrup 100% pure
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 190c or 375f
- Make your date paste. Simply take your dates and add 3/4 tbsp boiling water. Blend your paste until it’s smooth. Add a little more boiling water if needed, you want the paste to be really thick. Once your paste is blended, add your bananas and blend the mixture together. Put to one side
- Melt your butter and Maple syrup over a low heat. Add the warm butter and maple syrup to the oats and mix
- Pour your banana and date mixture into the buttery oats and mix well. Your mixture should bind well, and be sticky
- Line your baking pan with paper. Rub a little butter on the paper to stop the Flapjack sticking. Push your mixture well into the pan, so it’s compact and even on top
- Bake for around 190c/375f (depending on your oven) for 18 minutes. The Flapjacks will be soft when you take them out of the oven, they’ll harden up as they cool