A soft, oatie Roasted Fruit Flapjack made with roasted summer fruit. Intensely fruity and rich with caramel overtones and a hint of cinnamon. Gluten free. Optional dairy free. Optional vegan.
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Roasted Fruit Flapjack – a favourite recipe with summer fruit
This Roasted Fruit Flapjack is a favourite at Gluten Free Alchemist. A recipe which is perfect for using the abundance of summer fruit and berries…
It is deep and rich with caramel overtones… And bursting with fruity notes from berries and plums that have been roasted with a drizzle of honey, a little brown sugar and a hint of warming cinnamon. The roasted fruit mixed within its soft, oatie base, offers a beautiful pink-purple hue… A treat for the eye as well as the palate.
A flapjack recipe ahead of its time
My roasted fruit flapjack recipe was first developed and posted back in September 2013. It was in my early blogging days and at that time, I was rather impressed with my ingenuity in roasting the fruit before adding it to the flapjack mix.
Eight plus years on and I can still find few, if any flapjack recipes that use roasted fruit. Why? I have no idea! But the roasting process does a wonderful job of intensifying the flavour and aroma of the fruit… And this, in turn, imparts an incredible burst of ‘berriness’ to the flapjack… Which both surprises and delights the tastebuds. Seriously. If you have never tried it, give it a go.
What is a flapjack?
The flapjack we know and love in the UK is NOT to be confused with the American flapjack (which is apparently a pancake)… The traditional ‘British’ flapjack is a traybake made with oats, butter and golden syrup, which is cut into bars or squares after being baked. Not only is it extremely popular, but it is also easy to make… And that makes flapjacks perfect for baking with the kids.
But it is also a recipe that lends itself to variation… with add-ins, switches and ingredient tweaks being incredibly flexible. At Gluten Free Alchemist we have built up quite a range of flapjack recipes… With everything from Chewy Apricot, Apple, Cinnamon & Maple Flapjacks… And Date Flapjack with Apricot and Coconut... To a Healthier Layered Banana Flapjack Cake and… (one of my favourite recipes ever) Vegan Cranberry & Apricot Seeded Flapjacks. We even have an Oat Free Flapjack.
Is Flapjack healthy?
Because flapjack contains quite a high portion of sugar (which most often comes from using golden syrup), I would hesitate to ever describe it as ‘healthy’. However, recipes vary considerably in where they gain their sweetness, so the question of ‘nutrition’ is never that straight forward. These particular Roasted Fruit Flapjacks substitute a significant amount of the usual golden syrup for less refined brown sugar and honey… This not only feels better as a list of ingredients, but provides a rich and caramel hit that (in my humble opinion) elevates it beyond the often over-sweet flapjack experience.
The addition of plenty of summer fruit and a switch of some of the oats for ground almonds also makes this roasted fruit flapjack that little bit healthier… And of course, we should never forget the nutritional qualities brought by the oats themselves… With plenty of fibre, iron, vitamin B and zinc.
Do I have to roast the fruit for this summer fruit flapjack?
Yes. This flapjack recipe has been specifically developed for the addition of roasted fruit. And the roasting process is important not only for texture and flavour, but because it significantly reduces the amount of liquid released from the fruit when the flapjack is baked. Adding unroasted fruit to this recipe will result in a flapjack that does not hold together or taste much like a flapjack.
Can I use other fruit to make Roasted Fruit Flapjack?
Providing you roast the fruit used for this flapjack recipe, it should be pretty flexible to switching out the fruit used. The roasting process intensifies the flavour of the fruit added, so choose fruits that will be enriched by the process. Most stone fruits, berries and autumnal treats such as apples and pears will work well. I would avoid citrus due to its significantly higher juice content and acidity (although a little drizzle of juice when roasting may offer a hint in the background).
Making Roasted Fruit Flapjack gluten free
The main ingredient in a flapjack is oats and for most gluten avoiders and Coeliacs, this is fine. Oats do not contain gluten. However, some people with Coeliac remain intolerant to the avenin protein that oats contain and thus flapjack is not for them. It is possible that an alternative Roasted Fruit Flapjack can be made using buckwheat or quinoa flakes… But I have never tried it… yet!
When it comes to oats however… Even if you can eat them, it remains important that Coeliacs only use oats that are certified gluten free. This will help to avoid any risk of cross-contamination that comes from the growing or milling process.
Can Roasted Fruit Flapjack be made dairy free and vegan?
Yes. To make Roasted Fruit Flapjack dairy free, simply substitute the butter in the recipe for a good dairy free alternative. I recommend using a block alternative such as Stork or Flora baking blocks.
If making the flapjack Vegan, additionally substitute the honey for a good, natural liquid sugar alternative such as Maple Syrup, or Agave Syrup.
The texture and flavour of Roasted Fruit Flapjack
There has long been a debate about whether a flapjack should be soft or crisp, chewy or crunchy… Ultimately how you enjoy flapjacks is a matter of personal preference. But which camp do these Roasted Fruit Flapjacks fall into?
Well… I’d say they are definitely less ‘sticky’ than many flapjacks. They are quite firm in texture, with creaminess from the oats on eating and a slight nuttiness from the ground almonds. Absolutely NOT crisp or crunchy and softer rather than distinctly ‘chewy’.
Roasted fruit flapjack is not over-sweet, but is bursting with fruity, tangy lusciousness from the natural sweetness of the fruit. The slight cinnamon warmth and spice is optional, but I think brings a perfect complementary backdrop.
Ready to make Roasted Fruit Flapjack?
I hope you enjoy my Roasted Fruit Flapjack recipe. If you do make it, let me know. As always, I love to read people’s comments left below and to see photos on social media of how recipes turned out. It makes my day.
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And for lots more recipes and gluten free inspiration, head over to our Gluten Free Recipe Book Index… There are loads of recipes to choose from. And all of them FREE to use.
Enjoy
Roasted Fruit Flapjack
Key equipment
- 9 inch (23 cm) square non-stick baking tin
- oven + hob
- large sharp knife
Ingredients
- 320 g rolled oats gluten free if Coeliac
- 120 g ground almonds (almond meal)
- 80 g oat flour gluten free if Coeliac (make at home by grinding/blending oats to a powder)
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 190 g unsalted butter (or good dairy free alternative)
- 100 g soft light brown sugar
- 70 g golden syrup
- 70 g clear runny honey (or natural liquid sugar alternative if Vegan)
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 300 g roasted summer fruit weight including juice (as made using separate recipe included with the blog post)
Instructions
- Base-line a 23 cm/9 inch square loose-bottomed cake tin (at least 5cm/2inch deep) with baking paper.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4.
- Weigh the oats, almonds, oat flour and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl and stir well to combine. Set aside.
- Put the butter, brown sugar, golden syrup, honey and salt into a medium saucepan and heat on a low heat, stirring frequently until the butter has melted, the sugar has completely dissolved and all ingredients are fully combined. Do NOT let the mixture boil.
- Pour the melted butter-sugar mixture onto the dry ingredients and stir until all the dry ingredients are well-coated and look damp.
- Add the roasted fruit and gently fold into the oat mixture, trying to keep some of the fruit intact as small ‘pieces’.
- Once well-combined, spoon the mixture into the baking tin, ensuring it is pushed into the corners.
- Smooth the top evenly with the back of a spoon, applying gently pressure to compress slightly.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden with the edges just turning a little darker.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.
- While still slightly warm, turn the flapjack out onto a clean chopping surface and cut into pieces using a very sharp knife.
- Leave to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
Roasted Fruit
Key equipment
- Oven
- sharp vegetable knife
- chopping board
- kitchen foil
- oven-proof dish
Ingredients
Roasted Fruit
- 450 g strawberries approx (See NOTES)
- 100 g blueberries approx (See NOTES)
- 4 to 5 plums approx (See NOTES)
- 2 to 3 tbsp honey approx (or natural liquid sugar alternative if Vegan)
- 2 to 3 tbsp soft light brown sugar approx
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200 C/400 F/Gas 6.
- Hull the strawberries and cut into halves or quarters.
- Remove the stones from the plums and cut into quarters (leave the skin on)
- Completely line the base of a large oven proof dish with foil so that the juices that are released when cooking are well-contained.
- Put all the fruit into the dish.
- Drizzle with the honey and sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon over the top.
- Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes until the tops of the fruit are browning slightly.
- When cooked, remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the foil.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party last week (I’m running a little late). Hope we see you there again this week!
You’re welcome
Have a great week x
A brilliant way to add fruit to a classic bake – so good!
Thank you Janice. x
These look incredible! I love the idea of using fresh fruit instead of just dried fruit. I might experiment with a little less sugar, but I know it’s tricky to keep the consistency if I do that. Either way, I’m sure they will taste amazing.
Absolutely Magdalena. And roasting the fruit first seems to preserve it well. Picking tangier fruit seems to temper any sugar. But if you do try making a flapjack with less sugar, do tag me in with the results xx
These look incredibly good Kate. I'm a huge fan of flapjack – especially that which is homemade – but I must confess that I've never tried it withroasted fruits! That said my mouth is watering at the mere thought of it – they sounds (& look truly wonderful!) I definitely need to give them a try. Thankyou for sharing with #BakingCrumbs,
Angela x
Sounds amazing, seriously! Will have to make!
Love this idea. I've got so many autumn fruits, I will be making this at the weekend.
Oh my these look amazing. Thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare
i would never think to roast fruit to put inside a bake! how ingenious! it does make the flapjacks look so colourful and i bet the taste was incredible. thank you for sharing with the GBBO inspired bake along xx
I love the flavour combination and, of course, that is not too sweet. I should try the recipe, as my husband would surely like it too.
Ooo Kate, do you think this would work with rhubarb (my allotment keeps producing loads)!? I love that you've added almonds to this and I'm excited to try it (especially as we've just finished the last flapjack off)! Have you tried freezing it at all (planning ahead)!? Thanks for linking up and sharing at Fiesta Friday this week.
Oooohh yes! It would be lovely with rhubarb. Now why didn't I think of that? Roasted rhubarb in flapjack sound utterly divine.
I have frozen it previously and it was fine…. x
I really should make the boys some flapjacks as they would love them
Oh… you must Louise. Flapjacks are so good! x
Thank you Karen. It was fun to be able to share!
WELCOME to Tea Time Treats and it is lovely to see you engaging with us all at the tea time table! What a LOVELY first entry, and such lovely photos too!
Thanks Katie, Aimee and Alison. The fruit definitely made them less sickly and the potential combinations are endless!
I love the combination of fruit, it sounds fabulous
Mmm… I love how they are filled with Summer berries but with added warming ingredients like cinnamon and brown sugar that lets you know Autumn is on it's way!
Wow these sound fantastic. I love oaty things but agree some flapjacks are far too sweet, I've never thought of adding cooked fruits to flapjack before – brilliant idea!
Must try it