To celebrate world vegan day tomorrow (and halloween today) I’ve devised this completely plant-based flapjack recipe. I’m no Rahul but I’ve bake-tested it and, although I may not get a handshake, I’ve confirmed that it won’t last long (even though it keeps well).
These dairy-free, vegan-friendly flapjacks are delicious. They’re a bit boozy but if you don’t drink then you can replace the rum with tea, coffee or squash. The trick is there’s no butter but they’re still a great treat.
Simply switching some ingredients is a small step you can take to help reduce your use of animal products. As I’m sure you know, cows produce greenhouse gases and a plant-based diet is better for the environment.
I won’t say much more here on why plant-based foods are better all round. For a great write-up (with lots of citations) on the science behind it read this Ecosia blog post. Ecosia are a non-profit search engine that plants trees and respects your privacy (including honouring Do Not Track headers).
Recipe
These are similar to regular flapjacks but with the butter replaced with coconut oil. This normally comes in a wide jar and is a solid white at room temperature. It also adds a subtle exotic flavour that complements the rum brilliantly.
You Will Need
Get hold of the following ingredients and kit. You can substitute the rum and vanilla or even add nuts/seeds. Swap more of the golden syrup for treacle if you like things on the dark side and enjoy a treacle treat.
Ingredients
- 300g coconut oil
- 4 tbsp golden syrup
- 1 tbsp treacle
- 100g raisins
- 100ml dark rum
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 500g porridge oats
- 50g dark chocolate for decoration (optional)
Utensils
- Large saucepan
- Mixing spoon
- Oven dish
- Sharp knife
Steps
This is a pretty simple recipe and should take about half an hour for the main work.
1. Soak
Soak the raisins in the dark rum and vanilla extract. The longer you leave this the better but you can warm it slightly to speed-up the process.
This will stop the raisins burning in the oven and also add flavour. If you use a spiced rum-based drink (possibly featuring a pirate) then you can leave out the vanilla.
2. Melt
Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan until it is clear and runny. Add four generous tablespoons of golden syrup and one of treacle. Gently heat and stir until combined.
3. Boil
Add the rum and raisin tincture to the mix. You may find it starts to boil if there is any un-absorbed rum left, as ethanol has a lower boiling point than water.
Briefly boil off any excess moisture. If you want to reduce the alcohol content then you can do this for longer.
4. Absorb
Turn off the heat and add the oats to the pan. This should be about half a kilo but will vary depending on your variety of oats.
You want to absorb all the liquid with none remaining in the bottom of the pan but without it being too dry that it will fall apart. Stir well to incorporate.
5. Bake
Press the mixture into an oven dish and bake for 20 mins at 180C fan. The time may change slightly based on the dimensions of your dish. Reduce the cooking time for a shallow tray and increase for a deep one.
You want the flapjack to be golden brown. Be careful not to burn it.
6. Cool
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly until safe to handle without gloves.
7. Cut
Slice the flapjack into portions but do not remove from the tray. It is easier to cut when still warm.
8. Decorate (optional)
At this point, you may wish to melt some dark chocolate and drizzle it over the tray of flapjacks. Maybe you could make a spooky pattern such as a spider web.
9. Chill
Chill the tray in the fridge. This will set the flapjacks and allow you to remove them from the tray without them falling apart.
10. Enjoy
Remove from the tray and enjoy. You can store them at room temperature or keep them in the fridge.