This simple healthy flapjack recipe takes minutes to make and is a wholesome snack that everyone will enjoy. While most flapjack recipes contain a lot of refined sugar, I have used bananas and dates to sweeten mine. These soft flapjacks are bound to be a hit with the whole family.
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Coeliac awareness week & the story behind the recipe
I’ve created this recipe to show that being gluten-free does not mean missing out.
As I write this it’s Coeliac Awareness Week in the UK.
There are an estimated 500,000 people in the UK who are undiagnosed with the condition.
Symptoms range from depression to mouth ulcers and are not all tummy related.
Before you read further I urge you to check out www.isitcoeliacdisease to take an assessment and find out whether you could be one of those 500,000 people.
And one other thing to note…
If you think that gluten is bothering you, do NOT remove it from your diet without going to the GP and getting tested first.
If you are not eating gluten, a test for coeliac disease will come back negative (even if you do have it).
So on to the sugar free flapjacks…
Why have you called it a healthy flapjack recipe?
Most flapjacks contain a lot of refined sugar so although people think they are healthy they rarely are.
To make these flapjacks healthier I have used bananas and dates to sweeten them.
They don’t contain any added sugar.
These are not crunchy but are instead soft flapjacks that don’t damage your teeth when you bite into them!
I used my favourite coconut oil in them, from Coconut Merchant. This sugar free flapjack recipe with coconut oil is therefore different from traditional flapjacks that contain butter or margarine.
Coconut oil has a number of benefits that you can read about here.
Upon trying her first bite of flapjack ‘Roo’ declared they were “magnificent” while ‘Sunshine’ went rarely silent.
High praise from both.
Even Mr M liked them…and he can usually detect and refuse to eat anything that contains coconut.
What do you need to make these flapjacks?
You’ll need very little to make this recipe. It’s perfect for people starting to experiment with baking because it can’t go wrong.
I use a food processor to make this recipe. It’s very handy for making all manor of recipes from my chocolate tiffin to bliss balls and pastry. The various attachments make it ideal for preparing vegetables for dishes like coleslaw and it makes light work of grating cheese too.
You’ll also need a mixing bowl, dish to bake them in and airtight container to store them in. I use these containers to store all my baked goods in because they help to extend the shelf life of them.
That’s it! Get baking.
Oh and if you like this recipe you might like to sign up for my free recipe booklet. In it you’ll find recipes for gluten free pastry, bread, pizza, Yorkshire puddings, Victoria sponge, pancakes and gingerbread.
Other flapjack recipes you might like
I am rather a fan of flapjacks. In fact I have four other recipes for flapjacks right here on my site:
Honey Apple Crumble Flapjacks (Refined Sugar Free, Gluten Free, Can be Vegan):
Gluten Free Flapjacks; A Quick Flapjack Recipe:
Pin my healthy flapjack recipe:
Healthy Sugar Free Flapjacks (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 100 g pitted dates - soaked in 100g boiling water
- 85 g ripe banana - when peeled - about one small one
- 1 tsp vanilla extract - ideally sugar free
- 50 g coconut oil - melted
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 250 g gluten free oats - or 'normal' oats if you can tolerate gluten
Instructions
- Place the dates in a bowl with the boiling water and leave to soak for at least 5 minutes
- Once soaked, tip the dates and water into a food processor or blender along with the banana, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract and bicarbonate of soda. Process until smooth and paste-like
- Tip the paste into a bowl and add the oats.
- Stir to combine, then place the mixture in a greased oven-proof dish measuring approx. 20 x 15cm.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees, 160 degree fan, gas mark 4 for approx. 25 minutes until golden and firm
- Once cool cut up and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days
Notes
Nutrition (Approx)
I shared this with:
Suz Farley says
Loved this recipe, flapjacks were delicious, I did reduce the cooking time so they didn’t go crunchy as one of the reviews stated. These will be a staple in our lunchboxes, thank you so much for the recipe.
Vicki Montague says
Thanks for letting me know! Every oven is different so cooking times are always a guide. Wishing you lots of delicious flapjacks!
Mairit says
How many grams is 1 serving??
They are delish. ❤️
Vicki Montague says
Mmm. I don’t know I’m afraid. The ingredients add up to 485g and I usually cut into 16 but you can cut into however many you like and then do the maths by dividing the total number of grams between the number of slices you make. Glad you like them 🙂
Radwa says
Wow! looks amazing. Thanks for sharing this nice recipe.
Vicki Montague says
You’re welcome 🙂
CJ says
Made these twice – excellent! Stuck to amounts and method – turned out perfect . The second time I didn’t have vanilla extract and so used maple syrup instead. Both times really nice. Thank you for the recipe.
Vicki Montague says
Really glad you liked them. Thank you so much for letting me know 🙂
TEEJ says
Hi there thank you for this recipe. I have made it twice and sweetness was perfect but they are very dry.
My second attempt I added another 15gm coconut oil but they still were dry.
Any suggestions?
Vicki Montague says
Hi there! Perhaps try cooking them for a little less time. All ovens are different so yours may run hotter than mine.
Rosemary says
Sorry me again, Meant to say I don’t like rice flakes as a sub for oats either and was thinking this would be something my husband could whip up as I’m laid up with excruciating sciatica,
Vicki Montague says
Hi Rosemary, how about quinoa flakes? Or you could check out my ‘oatless flapjack’ recipe 🙂
Rosemary says
Hi, could anything else be used apart from gf oats as I can’t tolerate them. They look great and I love bananas too. Lovely for a snack. Thanks
Lianne byrne says
I can’t wait to try this I’ve been looking for awhile now for a low sugar/low calorie flapjack as a snack & these are prefect.
Vicki Montague says
Let me know what you think 🙂
Khadijah Bibi says
Great recipe! Is there an alternative for coconut oil?
Vicki Montague says
You can use butter 🙂
Zelia says
Very yummy. Love the banana!
Fiz says
Thank you so much for this recipe Vicki. I love the natural fruit sources of sugar used. I’m not intolerant of anything however prefer to avoid standard ‘flour’ & wheat for general health reasons so the ingredients you use work great for me. I tried it out & added some desiccated coconut & mixed seeds for added texture. We loved them ! I also drizzled dark chocolate on them.
I’m trying to find a good recipe for my nieces to grab & go for breakfast. They’d prefer something harder with more of a crunch rather than cakey texture. Any ideas of how I can come up with more crunchier bars but still avoiding refined sugars. I’d appreciate any suggestions ! They don’t have any allergies/intolerances.
Thank you!
Vicki Montague says
Thanks for your feedback! I would suggest trying my banana and coconut granola bars…https://freefromfairy.com/chunky-monkey-granola-bars-a-woeful-story/
Fiz says
Thank you for your reply! Hoping to try the bars you linked soon, will let you know how we get on.
They aren’t huge fans of banana flavoured things. I wondered about a more neutral taste, a reader mentioned she uses apple puree, any other suggestions? I guess I use the same amount as per the crecipe?
Vicki Montague says
Yes I think apple puree would be fine although I haven’t tried it. Let me know if you do.
Yvonne Sharp says
Just found your website and this is my first recipe to try. I need healthy lunch boxes and wheat free so these fit the bill perfectly. My 11 year old made them, so straight forward and really tasty a hit with both kids and don’t taste over sweet which I love. I’ve frozen some so hopefully they’ll last a bit longer. Just trying to figure out how to do this with a different flavour to banana and maybe add some nuts. Any ideas?
Vicki Montague says
Hey Yvonne, so glad you like the recipe! I’ve got lots of other flapjack recipes here so I suggest trying them out if you want something different. You might like the chocolate flapjack one…
Sara says
What a lovely recipe!
I’m not the kind of person who posts/comments much, but hey: I found this yesterday, tested it straight away and couldn’t help but share my enthusiasm! Thanks for it: I love all foodie ideas, especially when made challenging due to free from needs – I can only eat dairy-free and used all suggested ingredients, apart from swapping coconut oil for sunflower oil (only cos that’s what I had at the moment!) and 50gr off the total amount of dates for 50gr fruit & nuts mix. Whoa. I love the genuine flavour of natural sugars. Thanks again.
Will make it again!
Vicki Montague says
So pleased you love the recipe! It’s a firm favourite here too. xx
Rebecca says
Can I put more bananas and omit the dates? ?
Vicki Montague says
Why not try? I haven’t but that doesn’t mean it won’t work. Let me know how you get on!
Patricia says
Very delicious. Great recipe they were really tasty! Next time I will add some raisins as I think flapjacks are great with them.
Thank you !
Vicki Montague says
Oh yes, I agree. I love raisins in flapjacks but my son hates raisins! Very annoying.
Vicky Kelleher says
I’ve just made these with just 65g of dates as I avoid sugars, a mix of gf oats , quinoa flakes, buckwheat flakes and Millet flakes. I didn’t have any bicarb so missed that out. Also added some tahini and hemp hearts. I figure they must have lots of protein in them.
Vicki Montague says
Hi Vicky, that sounds amazing! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Dan says
I made these with oats, toasted quinoa, butter, honey, 3 very ripe bananas, suidgy prunes – all organic. Sticking to your quantities but making them into balls then squashing flat. Result is cookie shaped flapjack things – high in protein and my wife loves them after the gym for breakfast. The kids love them too which is great when they don’t have much sugar. Thanks for the recipe and sorry for putting butter in 🙂
Vicki Montague says
Don’t be sorry at all Dan! I would use butter if we didn’t react to it. Sounds fabulous! I’m glad you were able to make the recipe yours and your family liked them. Have a fab weekend 🙂
Tom scott says
I was just wondering could these be frozen and defrosted the night before for the next day? I have seen a similar recipe which states it would be ok but I thought best to ask.
Vicki Montague says
Hi Tom, I don’t see why not! I always encourage people to experiment with recipes :). Let me know!
tibbs says
Firstly, this recipe is not sugar free. There are natural sugars in the dates and banana. While there is no refined sugar added, sugar is sugar regardless what form is takes, natural or refined. Secondly, “flapjacks” is an alternate name for pancakes. This recipe is in line to being a soft bar, not a pancake.
Vicki Montague says
I know it isn’t sugar free…hence why I say it is refined sugar free. Some people avoid refined sugars but not natural sugars in fruit. You can’t have a sweet item without any sugar of any kind! I’ve never heard of a flapjack being called a pancake? In England they are very separate things…and this is a flapjack recipe 🙂
EP says
That was a bit rude! In the UK everyone understands flapjacks to be a kind of oat bar, and as far as I understand it, only in parts of the US is it used to mean a pancake, so I’m not really sure it is something to be criticising someone for when they have provided a helpful recipe at no cost to you!
Katie Taylor says
I made these flapjacks for my 3 kids (1,5 and7) and we all loved them.
Vicki Montague says
I’m so pleased! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Amy says
Just made these and love them! Tried a few different vegan, nut free, sugar free recipes but these will now be our go to. Thank you!
Vicki Montague says
Hi Amy, so glad you like them!
georgie @ georgieeats says
These honestly look incredible! Right up my street – have pinned these so I can make them!! Thanks so much for the recipe 🙂 x
Vicki Montague says
Oh do let me know if you make them! 🙂
Del says
Many thanks for your delicious recipe for the date and banana flapjacks. I added linseed and some sultanas but stuck to your recipe otherwise and im delighted with the end product. I`,m going to work out the nutritional data and then post up so people tracking kcals etc can benefit from the additional info.
Great what you are doing . Congrats 🙂
Vicki Montague says
Ah that’s fab! Thank you so m much Del and I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Emma Ash says
How many people does this recipe serve? Thank you 🙂
Vicki Montague says
I don’t specify because it depends how big you want the flapjacks to be…
Niki says
As I log all my food into fitness pal can someone advise what the calories etc are for this gorgeous recipe
Vicki Montague says
Hi Niki, I’m sorry I don’t provide this information. I’m sure there must be a programme on the internet that will convert recipes for you?
Sudha says
Hi
I tried these & they were delicious. I subbed pureed apples for the banana, same, quantity & added walnuts. My kid loved it. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Vicki Montague says
Oh my that sounds wonderful! I am going to try that too. Thanks for sharing the tip :). I love it when people experiment with my recipes.
Daniel says
Hello, so I was just wondering if there is an easy way to remove the stones from boiling hot dates that have been soaking in boiling hot water? Am I supposed to blend the stones? Is that tasty? I feel like pitted dates or unpitted dates is a more valuable distinction than organic versus non-organic coconut oil or even dare I say it, ripe versus unripe banana. Please could you clarify whether or not the stones should be left in the dates?
Vicki Montague says
If you want an inedible flapjack then leave the stones in. Otherwise I’d use unpitted dates if I were you 😉
MOOV says
These are delicious! I did add a sneaky 1tbs of brown rice syrup, which is not overly sweet, just so I can ease the kids into the sugar free flapjacks. I also added a few sultanas. They loved them. I’ll be turfing out the awful Aldi snack bars my wife keeps slipping in their lunchboxes and replacing them with these, once Granny goes back to the UK and stops plying my bairns with sugar.
Vicki Montague says
Ha! I know that! It’s so hard to get the kids to avoid sugar isn’t it? Everyone seems to throw it at them like it is doing them some good! I’m glad yours liked the recipe. Keep up the good work of throwing out the bought stuff (I need to work on that)!
Maia says
Hi
Could you use date syrup instead of date paste? And how much?
Thanks
Vicki Montague says
I’m afraid I’ve never tried but I’d love to know if you have a go…I’m afraid I don’t know how much to advise you because it is obviously much runnier than paste would be. Good luck!
Claire Shipp says
I make these regularly now for breakfast as love them! Just thought of a little possible addition to the recipe. I added the solid coconut oil I had to the dates and boiling water which killed 2 birds with one stone…
Vicki Montague says
Perfect! I love ideas that speed things up. I’m really glad you like them and what a fab idea having them for breakfast!
Eb Gargano / easypeasyfoodie.com says
Oh I love healthy (ish) treats, and these sound incredible! The chewy flapjacks are definitely the best kind 🙂 Eb x
Vicki Montague says
Thanks Eb!
Charlotte Oates says
These sound lovely Vicki, I need to give them a try for my boys as they probably have a few more treats than they really should so it would be good to edge them towards healthier versions. I’m sure they’d enjoy helping me make them too.
Vicki Montague says
I’m sure they’d like them. Let me know…
Anita says
Hi and thanks for your recipe,
I really like these, and also my 17-year son.
I cut out the banana and added an extra date and a little less oats, and also added cinnamon.
Yummy!
Vicki Montague says
Hi Anita, so glad to hear you and your son like these!
Heather says
I’ve made this recipe twice and just wanetd to say how fab the biscuits are. It’s such a treat to have a biscuit that’s not as dry as dust for a change! My daughter is coeliac and she loves them. Thanks for sharing the recipe – btw, I omitted the chopped nuts and dry fruit and just added a little more ground almond instead, and this worked just as well.
Vicki Montague says
Hi Heather, thank you for letting me know about your successes! I hope you and your daughter enjoy the rest of my recipes!
Jenjen says
I have 14 month old twins who are having to follow dairy free, I am completely new to this so trying lots of things but please forgive my ignorance……..when you state coconut oil melted, is it weighed/measured first or once melted? Many thanks x
Vicki Montague says
Hi there! Sorry for the delay in replying and thank you for asking the question. The weight will be the same whether the coconut oil is solid or melted. I measure it when solid (easier) then melt it in the microwave. I hope that helps! Do let me know if you need any other help and I hope your twins enjoy this and my other recipes!
Emily says
These are so yummy! We’ve just discovered our daughter is lactose intolerant so trying to change our diets to adapt to hers too. My husband was very dubious at first but they went down a treat with all the family! Second time making and added cinnamon and desiccated coconut!
Vicki Montague says
Hi Emily, thank you so much for taking the time to let me know that you and your family like these! I hope you find some other recipes that you all like too! Have a lovely day. Vicki
Sam says
It says 100g of water but we use ml in the UK so not sure on how much water to add?
Vicki Montague says
Hi Sam, I do mean grams. It is the same as ml but when I am measuring things out on the scales I find it easiest to measure out the liquid on them too…that way it is very accurate (rather than peering at a measuring jug!). Let me know how you get on!
melanie says
You used coconut oil in the recipe. Can l use olive oil instead (same quantity?) just that l cannot obtain coconut oil here in Istanbul. If on the rare chance l do find it , it is expensive. Thanks.
Vicki Montague says
Hi Melanie you could try but I am not sure it will work because olive oil is liquid at room temparature and coconut oil is solid much like butter or margarine. You could try but reduce the amount to around 30ml. Otherwise, if you need to keep them dairy free then I would suggest using dairy-free margarine…or butter if you are not dairy free. Good luck and let me know how you get on!
melanie says
Thanks Vicki, it is also difficult to get dairy free butter/marg here and expensive if you do find it. I will try with olive oil but a reduced amount. Thanks again ?
Coral Sirett says
I made these to take to a friend’s house. I love the fact they have no added sugar or syrup. They were really tasty and a great texture. I added some chopped nuts, cranberries (sweetened with apple juice) and raisins. They went down very well. Thanks for a great recipe!
Vicki Montague says
Hi Coral, thank you so much for dropping by and telling me! You have made my day. I love hearing from people who enjoy my recipes. They sound delicious with your added nuts, cranberries and raisins. Mmmmm!
Julie's Family Kitchen says
Vicki these flapjacks sound so delicious and healthy too, the perfect treat for after school.
Vicki Montague says
Yes, I need to make another batch…they went down very well!
Helen at Casa Costello says
Aah I much prefer soft chewy flapjacks to crunchy ones – How incredible that they have silencing properties too! 😉 Really informative post about Coeliac Disease. Thanks for joining in with #Bakeoftheweek once again. Hx ps The badge seems to have disappeared – Let me know if you are having trouble placing it x
Vicki Montague says
You made me laugh! Yes the ability to silence is amazing! Will grab the badge again…not sure what happened there. Sorry!
Vicki Montague says
Thanks so much Kirsty! You are the first person to notice/comment on the header! I am not sure I can look at your site at the moment since I have just started back at square one with my diet…chicken, soup and veg is about all that is on the menu!
International Elf Service says
These look fabulous Emma and another great snack -have book marked this too!
Kate - glutenfreealchemist says
Great texture! I’m definitely in the ‘chewy’ flapjack camp! And these sound pretty yum…. shame you can’t eat them though! There is definitely a movement towards use of more dates right now and I can see that they would pair well with the banana!
Vicki Montague says
Yes, I do miss eating things like this, but then if in the long run my tummy starts behaving itself then that would be great! Your site is definately torture though!
Mandy says
I’m trying hard to get my kids to eat less sugar as it really affects the behaviour of my eldest, so I’m definitely going to try making something like this soon. The 3yo reckons she doesn’t like flapjacks though despite liking oats in general!! #bakeoftheweek
Vicki Montague says
Mmm…call them something else! Oat bakes??!! Let me know how you get on if you try them!
Emma says
These look so good – I’m going to make them tonight! #freefromfridays
Vicki Montague says
How did you get on Emma? Did you make them? I’d love to see a photo if you did!
Carly B says
You have upped the ante on your photography! These look lovely, shall pin for future reference x
Vicki Montague says
Great! Let me know if you get round to trying them…and thanks for the comment on my photos!
Heather says
These look great! I love a squidgey flapjack and with no refined sugar these sound really healthy as well
Vicki Montague says
They are about as healthy as a flapjack can get!!
Vicki Montague says
Ah thank you so much! I’m trying harder!!! It is true, once you remove sugar things are very sweet…I found that last year when I did it and never really got back up to liking ‘full’ sweetness!
Vicky says
This looks delicious and your photos are stunnng! I’m going to be posting a flapjack recipe soon but it isn’t healthy, just healthier! One question – does it taste of bananas?
Vicki Montague says
Hi Vicky, to be honest I don’t know what they taste like because I can’t eat them!!! I am told they do taste of banana…you can’t really disguise it can you? If you don’t like banana I would add a few more dates and a bit more water…and maybe some cinnamon or ginger. Or even use apricots rather than dates with ginger…that would be lovely!!