Healthy Flapjack Recipe...

I made these healthy flapjacks the other day- copying from Mrs Jackson's blog as I was instantly drawn to their low-calorie element. 88 calories a slice?! Even though they were nice, I undercooked them a bit, put whole hazelnuts in them (they needed to be chopped), and overloaded on the dried fruit so the oat to fruit ratio was 2:4, when it should've been 4:2- a very important matter! So, I decided it would be fair to adapt it and perfect it before I do a blog post on it. I admit. I did add some extra ingredients that aren't on the original, just to make them a bit more wholesome and healthy so I can always eat them as a breakfast on the go. Also, with being 88 calories a slice- you can totally afford to put more ingredients in, and if their healthier it's even better. Here is the finished and final healthy flapjack recipe: 

200g/7oz Porridge Oats

300ml Apple Juice

2 tbsp Maple Syrup

2 tbsp Honey

2 tbsp Milled Flaxseed

40g Whitworth's Cinnamon Apples

30g Pumpkin Seeds

40g Chopped Hazelnuts

55g Californian Raisins

55g Dried Cranberries

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees celsius and line a shallow square baking tin with greaseproof paper.

2. Pour the juice, maple syrup and honey into a saucepan and lightly heat until it simmers- stirring it occasionally so it heats through evenly.

3. Once it's simmering, add the porridge oats. If the juice isn't fully absorbed, then heat it lightly so the juice just glazes the oats. 

4. Remove the oat mixture off the heat and add the chopped hazelnuts, cinnamon apples, pumpkin seeds, raisins, flaxseed and dried cranberries. Mix these into the oats- making sure all the ingredients are evenly spread.

5. Pour the mixture into the lined baking tin and push it down into the corners, so it is tightly packed in there!

6. Put in the oven for 40 minutes, until it is golden brown on top and doesn't feel too soft to touch (if you press your finger down in the centre, it should have a chewy/sticky texture and bounce back to it's original shape).

7. Leave to cool before cutting into 9 even squares. This is where a square baking tin comes in handy as it ensures equal sizes!
8. I then put them on a flat baking tray and baked them in the oven for 7 minutes- just to coat the outer edges with a golden brown. This is of course optional, but I like them to have a crunch on the outside and then be soft in the middle.

You can adapt this recipe according to your own taste, or if you want them to have less/more calories. What I love about this recipe is that it is all natural ingredients- even all the sugary stuff. They are perfect for an afternoon/morning snack and stay fresh for about 7 days. I'll definitely be making more of these over the next few weeks whilst I'm still at home because I definitely don't have all of these ingredients and equipment at uni. However, saying that, most of these ingredients are so useful anyway so porridge oats and maple syrup might be on my weekly shopping list from now on!

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