Delicious dairy-free and gluten-free vegan coconut flapjacks. They’re sweet and chewy with a crunchy edge and weirdly buttery. If you make them on their own, they’re super quick and easy to make. But the chocolate topping turns them into something a bit more special and is sometimes worth that extra effort.
I first made these vegan coconut flapjacks back in the day when I had to take cakes into work for my birthday. This particular year I made this apricot curd chocolate sandwich cake to take in. However, I also needed something suitable for a vegan colleague to tuck into.
I ummed and I ahhed as to what to make and then ran out of time. This meant I needed something that didn’t take to long to prepare and bake. Flapjacks fit that bill very well indeed. I already knew that coconut works very nicely in a flapjack because of my much loved chocolate coconut flapjacks. So vegan coconut flapjacks it was. To make them a bit more special, I decided to top them with chocolate coconut ganache.
Vegan Coconut Flapjacks
I’d never made flapjacks without butter before, so I was interested to see how they would turn out.
My biggest problem was trying to find a margarine that didn’t have trans-fats in it. As for the question of palm oil, I just had to throw my hands up on that one. Sorry orang utans.
If the ingredients mention vegetable oil, you can bet your bottom dollar this means palm oil. In this case it actually owned up to having palm oil in the ingredients, but it was that or nothing. The trials of trying to buy ethically.
Thankfully, the vegan coconut flapjacks went down a storm. And not just with my vegan colleague. The coconut gives a rich moistness to the bakes and the chocolate topping works even better than I was hoping. It helps to cut through the sweetness of the flapjack base.
To my palate, the margarine gave an authentic shop bought taste, but they were still good.
At the time my thoughts were “I think I’ll just stick to butter”. And for a long time I did. However, as I’ve been getting more and more into vegan baking over the years, I took another look at the recipe.
Blow vegan margarine, I now use coconut oil instead. It works brilliantly, especially as the flapjacks are meant to taste of coconut anyway.
I’ve also taken the rather unusual step to blitz the oats before baking. This seems to make the finished flapjacks chewier and the oats absorb more of the flavours. Only a quick pulse is needed. This gives you a nice varied texture from superfine to whole oats.
And for this method jumbo oats work best.
Vegan Chocolate Ganache
I make the vegan chocolate ganache topping with dark chocolate and a little coconut cream. The topping sets hard enough so that you can eat the flapjacks with your hands, but it’s soft enough not to crack.
The coconut cream gives a subtle flavour to the chocolate and it’s altogether very nice.
It makes a good vegan topping for all sorts of things, although chocolate cake is probably the most obvious.
If you wanted to use it as a slightly softer cake filling, just add three to four tablespoons of coconut cream instead of two.
Vegan Coconut Flapjacks: Step-by-Step
These flapjacks are very easy to make, but if you’re going to add the chocolate ganache topping, you’ll need to allow time for the flapjack base to cool properly and the topping to set.
Step 1. Melt Oil And Syrup
In a large saucepan, melt the coconut oil and golden syrup over a low heat. As soon as it’s melted, give it a stir and turn the heat off.
Step 2. Blitz Oats
Tip the oats into a food processor or blender and pulse briefly a couple of times. You don’t want powdered oats, but a nice mix of textures, including the whole oats.
Top Tip
Use jumbo oats if you can rather than porridge oats. This will give you the best variation on textures and keep your flapjacks nice and chewy.
Step 3. Add Remaining Ingredients
Add the oats, sugar, desiccated coconut and salt to the pan and give it a good stir. Make sure everything is well mixed and the dry ingredients are all covered with the syrupy oil.
Top Tip
I usually use demerara sugar in my flapjacks. But I don’t want the flavour of these ones to muddied by the caramel notes of brown sugars, so I use golden granulated sugar instead.
Step 4. Press Into Tin
Lightly grease or oil a twenty centimetre square silicone mould or line a similar sized tin with baking paper.
Scrape the contents of the saucepan into the tin and press the mixture down with the back of a spoon until you get an even layer.
Step 6. Bake Flapjacks
Place the tin on the middle shelf of your oven and bake for fifteen to twenty minutes. The mixture flapjack base should be golden and slightly darker around the edges. You don’t want to over bake it or you’ll end up with crunchy flapjacks rather than chewy ones.
Expect it to be soft to the touch, so don’t worry that it isn’t cooked. It will firm up as it cools.
Place the tin on a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Don’t attempt to turn the base out or cut into it until it’s cold as it will just crumble.
Step 7. Make Vegan Chocolate Ganache
Break or chop the chocolate bar into small pieces. The smaller they are, the quicker they’ll melt.
Place the chocolate and coconut cream in a bowl that will fit snugly over a pan of hot water. Make sure the water is hot, but not boiling and that it doesn’t touch the base of the bowl.
Leave it for a few minutes, until the chocolate has melted. Give it a quick but thorough stir until it all comes together. Be careful not to over mix though or the ganache might split.
Step 8. Cover Flapjacks
Turn the flapjack base out onto a wooden cutting board.
Spread the ganache over the top of the base with a spatula, knife or back of a spoon. Swirl it around or make it smooth if you prefer.
Leave in a cool place for an hour to set.
Step 9. Cut Flapjacks
When the ganache has set, use a sharp knife to cut the flapjack block into twelve bars.
They will keep well in a sealed container for four to five days.
Other Vegan Sweet Treats You Might Like
- Amaretti
- Blueberry muffins
- Choc chip friands
- Gingerbread chocolate truffles
- Mincemeat muffins
- Roasted hazelnut bliss balls
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make these vegan coconut flapjacks, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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If you’d like more flapjack recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Vegan Coconut Flapjacks. PIN IT.
Vegan Coconut Flapjacks – The Recipe
Vegan Coconut Flapjacks
Ingredients
Flapjacks
- 125 g coconut oil
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
- 200 g jumbo oats can use porridge oats
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 25 g desiccated coconut
- 1 pinch sea salt (I use Himalayan pink rock salt)
Chocolate Topping
- 100 g dark chocolate I use 70% cocoa solids
- 2 tbsp coconut cream
Instructions
Flapjacks
- Set the oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4).
- Melt the oil and golden syrup in a large saucepan over a low heat.125 g coconut oil, 2 tbsp golden syrup
- Pulse the oats in a food processor until their mostly broken up, but some whole oats remain.200 g jumbo oats
- Stir the sugar, oats, coconut and salt into the melted oil until everything is thoroughly combined.100 g granulated sugar, 1 pinch sea salt, 25 g desiccated coconut
- Scrape the mixture into a 20 cm (8 inch) square silicone mould or lined tin.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are turning brown and the centre is golden. It will still be very soft, but will harden as it cools. Leave in the tin to cool on a wire rack.
Chocolate Topping
- Place the chocolate and coconut cream in a bowl suspended over a pan of hot, but not boiling water. Leave for five minutes to melt, then stir until combined.100 g dark chocolate, 2 tbsp coconut cream
- Turn the cooked flapjack block out onto a wooden board.
- Spread the chocolate over the top and leave to cool and set.
- Once set, cut into twelve bars.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Sharing
I’m sharing this recipe for vegan coconut flapjacks with #CookBlogShare, which is hosted by Sew White this week.
Post updated February 2022
nancy says
vegan or not these chocolate treats will be gone in seconds!
Choclette says
Hopefully they’ll last more than a few seconds. But they are very enjoyable.
Katie says
These are insanely delicious!! The perfect vegan treat for any time of year!
Choclette says
You’re absolutely right Katie and so quick and easy to make too – win win!
Emily says
These Vegan Coconut Flapjacks look like the perfect way to start the weekend! I love the crunchy edges with the chocolate topping!
Choclette says
Thanks Emily. These flapjacks have it all, crunchy bits, chewy bits and gorgeous chocolatey bits.
Foodycat says
These look great!
Johanna GGG says
when I grew up my mum often used margarine for baking so I don’t mind using it but now I wonder if there is palm oil in my favourite vegan margarine – the flapjacks sound great – who cares if there is not butter so long as there is a rich chocolate topping
C says
They look great! I haven’t done much vegan baking – like you, I like to use butter and eggs, but I did make some really delicious chocolate avocado cakes that were vegan and amazing!
You’re very thoughtful to cater for all of your colleagues!
Choclette says
Baking Addict – flapjacks are brilliantly versatile, delicious plain or with any number of things added to them.
WLM – Thanks. I don’t really have a problem cooking savoury vegan food, but baking I find more difficult as I do like to use eggs and butter :-S
Working london mummy says
looks lovely! I would balk at cooking for a vegan so well done – and looks delicious too x
Baking Addict says
These look great. I’ve just posted about flapjacks – just plain ones though. I will definitely try adding something else next time.
Choclette says
Jac – Thank you, I was very taken with the coconut ganache and will be using that again and again.
Val – Thanks, you’re right, it’s always good to find something that everyone can eat.
Dom – yes, that’s what I shall try next time.
FreeRangeGirl – thanks
Chele – thanks, surprisingly good I found.
Janice – Thank you
Janice says
That looks like a great traybake, really tasty.
Chele says
They sound delish – not surprised they were such a popular treat.
Dom at Belleau Kitchen says
well they look divine… I was about to say ‘what about sunflower oil’ until I read your last paragraph, bet they taste great with the coconut. x
freerangegirl says
Looking great!
Val says
I’m positive vegan or not, these flapjacks are a favourite and a definite treat!
Jacqueline says
No wonder they went down so well, they sound like such a treat. I love the addition of coconut and the ganache sounds great. A good way of making it vegan. I am going to try these for Cooper.