Healthy Flapjacks – A Vegan Recipe with No Refined Sugar

These easy to make Vegan Healthy Flapjacks make the best breakfast… as well as perfect elevenses and a sustaining after-school snack. They have all the flavour and texture of a genuine oat flapjack, but are free from gluten, dairy and refined sugar. Win win! Oh… and did I mention…? There are no dates either 😘

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Vegan Healthy Flapjacks – All the flavour of flapjacks with less guilt

Meet my Vegan Healthy Flapjacks. Gluten Free of course! They are really easy to make… And they offer the full package of soft and comforting chewy flapjack sweetness, but with WAY less guilt! Why? Because these heavenly slices are packed full of the goodness of dried fruits, nuts and seeds, but with no refined sugar. We’ve gone natural without any loss of either texture or genuine flapjack enjoyment. They are the perfect energy boost when you need one. And if you eat them as ‘Breakfast Flapjacks’, they are also guaranteed to put a morning smile on your face.

Oh… And did I mention? There are no dates!.. While I appreciate for some of you, that’s not necessarily something you care about, the recent trend towards ‘putting dates in everything’ bugs me. Sure… I love dates and they have their place. But they can also make food cloyingly sweet and very ‘stick to the mouth’… NOT a quality I appreciate when it comes to flapjacks… even healthy ones.

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What makes these Vegan Flapjacks healthier?

So… What makes these Vegan Flapjacks healthier? I mean… They are sweet like flapjacks, they don’t contain dates and they do contain fat… But let’s be clear. I have not given them a ‘healthier’ label just because they are Vegan.  The ingredients used in my Healthy Vegan Flapjacks recipe have been carefully chosen to avoid refined sugars and dairy fats, while also creating a REAL flapjack.

Alongside the amazing nutritional profile of the oats, they contain a whole array of delicious fruits, nuts, coconut and flaxseed that bring healthy fats, protein, vitamins and minerals to the party.

In place of dairy butter, the recipe uses melted natural coconut oil… And… the usual golden syrup and refined sugars are replaced with a combination of unrefined sugars… Coconut honey or agave syrup (or for non-vegans, bee honey), Maple syrup and coconut sugar. Not only are these better natural alternatives, but they also contribute delicious caramel notes to the flapjacks and support the structure so they hold together with a perfect ‘chewiness’. You don’t get that from dates or banana!

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Breakfast Flapjacks are not pancakes… At least not in the UK

At this point it seems important to clear something up… Whenever I post anything called a ’flapjack’ on social media, I get told that ‘flapjacks’ are pancakes. That may be so in America, but it’s definitely not the case in the UK! These Vegan Healthy Flapjacks are exactly as they are meant to be. Oaty, chewy, fruity bars of yumminess that are eaten held in hand… while sitting, standing or walking.

Are these Healthy Flapjacks gluten free as well as Vegan?

Yes. This recipe for Healthy Flapjacks is not only dairy free, Vegan and refined sugar free, but is also made to be gluten free too… Providing you use gluten free oats. The choice of oats is REALLY important… Especially if being made for someone with Coeliac Disease (Celiac). The way ‘normal’ oats are grown and milled, means they can often become cross-contaminated by other gluten crops and that can make people who are Coeliac sick.

But oats can be a trickier and more confusing issue… Because some people who are Coeliac are unable to eat oats at all… This is because they contain a protein called Avenin which is similar in structure to gluten. For a few people this will cause a reaction. And for this small group, oats should be avoided altogether. But… Because of this… at Gluten Free Alchemist, we developed an Oat Free Flapjack. So, no-one has to miss out on flapjack deliciousness.

Can I use different fruit in these Breakfast Flapjacks?

Yes… Absolutely. The fruit you choose to add to your flapjacks is up to you. Just be sure to switch weight for weight, so that the overall ingredient ratios stay fixed.

When it comes to the nuts, some are ground and some are not. I would advise ensuring that the ground nuts remain ground (even if different nuts are used). I have not tried switching them out for any alternative and cannot be certain whether it will have an impact on texture.

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Ready to make my Vegan Healthy Flapjacks?

If you make my Vegan Healthy Flapjacks, I’d love to hear how you found them. You can leave a comment, rate the recipe and tag me on social media with your thoughts. You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest. (@glutenfreealchemist) #glutenfreealchemist

For everything else, the main Gluten Free Recipe ‘Book’ Index, is our navigational hub… Head over and browse our hundreds of gluten free recipes. All shared for free with our love.

And if you‘re gluten free AND Vegan (or thinking of heading that way), why not check out our dedicated Gluten Free Vegan Index and my post on Gluten Free Vegan – Surviving Veganuary and Beyond

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5 from 14 votes

Healthy Flapjacks – A Vegan Recipe with No Refined Sugar

These easy to make Healthy Vegan Flapjacks make the best breakfast… as well as perfect elevenses and a sustaining after-school snack. They have all the flavour and texture of a genuine oat flapjack, but are free from gluten, dairy and refined sugar.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Bake Sale, Breakfast, Sweet Treats

Cuisine: British, Gluten Free, Vegan

Keyword: dried fruit, flapjacks, nuts, oats, refined-sugar free

Servings: 16

Calories per serving: 188.6kcal

Author: Gluten Free Alchemist – Kate Dowse

Key equipment

• 8 inch/20 cm square baking tin
• baking paper
• oven + hob
• Kitchen scales
• measuring spoons
• Mixing bowls
• wooden/silicone spoon
• Small saucepan

Ingredients 

0.33x0.5x0.66x1x1.5x2x

MetricUS Customary

• ▢ 190 g oats gluten free
• ▢ 30 g dried apple or pear chopped
• ▢ 70 g glacé cherries I used Morello glacé – rough chopped
• ▢ 40 g dried blueberries
• ▢ 10 g milled flaxseed
• ▢ 30 g desiccated coconut
• ▢ 30 g ground hazelnuts
• ▢ 20 g ground almonds
• ▢ 20 g flaked almonds
• ▢ ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• ▢ 60 ml/g apple juice
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla bean paste/extract
• ▢ 85 g coconut oil
• ▢ 50 g coconut honey or agave syrup or non-vegan runny bee honey
• ▢ 50 g Maple syrup
• ▢ 40 g coconut sugar

Instructions

• Base-line an 8 inch/20 cm square baking tin with baking paper.
• Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4.
• In a large bowl mix together the oats, dried fruit, flaxseed, coconut, nuts and salt.
• Add the apple juice and vanilla paste and stir through.
• In a small saucepan, weigh and mix the coconut oil, agave/honey, maple syrup and coconut sugar and gently heat, stirring frequently until the ingredients have dissolved and are almost at simmer point.
• Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly until well blended and the mixture is moist.
• Tip into the baking tin and spread evenly. Press down firmly on the surface with the back of a spoon to compress well.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden and just beginning to crisp round the edges.
• Leave to cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes, before turning out.
• Once cold, cut into pieces with a sharp knife and store in an airtight container.

Notes

* Note: nutritional information is an estimate & may vary according to portion size/ingredient variants.

Nutrition

Calories: 188.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 23.5g | Protein: 2.7g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 45.7mg | Potassium: 106.7mg | Fiber: 2.7g | Sugar: 11.5g | Vitamin A: 0.1IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 22.2mg | Iron: 0.9mg

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© 2019-2026 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