To be confused by healthy homemade flapjacks

[noblegiraffe]

I've read on here quite a few times on healthy lunchbox threads people talking about putting a homemade flapjack in their supposedly healthy offering.

DS starts school next week so I thought I'd give making them a go. Sugar, butter, golden syrup and a few porridge oats.

AIBU to be confused as to what is considered a healthy snack?

3 cm squares and I thought I was stingy on portion size.

Yes it is a bit mean. But necessary. Soupdragons recipe means unless I cut them up the whole lot are gone straight from the oven! I don't know why but cutting them up makes them last (a few hours) longer.

I make mine with creamed coconut instead of butter, and grated apple instead of sugar. They're a bit chewier than normal flapjacks, but disappear just as fast!
I know creamed coconut is probably just as bad as butter, but DS is milk allergic and needs all the calories he can get, and coconut gives a rich taste without being too greasy.

On the strength of this thread, I made some. How the hell do you get them to stick together?
Should I bind it with chocolate?

Yes you don't need butter with the date and banana ones but I add a little as ours are just on the border of average weight, and drop down quickly without extra milk/ cream/ butter added ( probably as they never sit still!)

Oh and I make ours in silicone muffin tray. Perfect portions and no faff of cutting at the right moment

Thanks Maryz.

You know that I am going to die of healthy now...chocolate, condensed milk and pumpkin seeds.

I've just looked at flapjack recipes in the recipe section and can't find Soupdragon's. Where am I going wrong??

Just do granola bars instead, they're relatively "clean" and yummy

I'm drooling at the sounds of all your variations of flapjacks!

Please for the love of god can someone post a link to Soupdragon's recipe!

ElaineVintage

Oh no way! don't ever put butter or oil in them! Bananas, Pitted dates, Oats, shredded coconut, cranberries, honey (only a touch)

Do you have a receipie for that? Sounds AMAZING!

Whois - sure thing :)

Butter and line a baking tray with parchment approx 2cm over the edge. Pop oven on to preheat at 180.

I start by blitzing 2 medium sized ripe bananas with 1 whole cup of pitted dates in a food processor until it makes a smooth paste. (Holland and Barrett sell a condensed pack of pitted dates for a mere 99p... look for the orange packaging)

Then put the date/banana mixture in a bowl and add 2 and half cups of oats, sprinkle in some coconut and cranberries (you could use slivered almonds, raisins or sliced apricots here instead) Tbh I don't use exact measurement here with the nuts and dried but do it to eye/taste.

Last but not least, squeeze in some honey, or half a tablespoon of it if you have a jar. Thoroughly mix all these ingredients together to form a smooth but solid consistency then spread onto your prepared tray. Pat it down tightly and smooth the top with the back of a wooden spoon and bake for 25-30 mins/or until it goes a nice golden brown in top.

x

Oh and you could grate in some nutmeg or cinnamon if your partial to those spices. I just tend to use up what I find in my cupboard. Bit of this, bit of that sort of thing. I'm on my fifth batch now and they freeze up well.

I also discovered a recipe the other day which uses an assortment of seeds. Thought this may be of interest to you too if your looking for healthy options. It's more of a snack bar than flap jack and they are refrigerated overnight before slicing instead of baking, but they do sound pretty tasty...

heneedsfood.com/2011/11/quinoa-fruit-nut-bars

Thanks maryz for the recipe

and thanks also to ElaineVintage for your yummy recipe!

Homemade flapjack may not be 'healthy' as such but it's my staple emergency toddler snack if we are away/out walking etc.

You might have seen me recently shouting "stuff some flapjack in his mouth" at a train station while DS had a complete, awful meltdown. A minute later, calm happy child. Works for me.