My sugar free flapjacks are bursting with apple and cinnamon flavour. They are chewy, nutty and ready in just 30 minutes. A healthy gluten-free breakfast or energy-boosting snack.
I'll never forget the first time I made this recipe. My son ate 3 bars in a row. We all know that kids are the hardest to please when it comes to healthy recipes. If they approve, it means a lot!
First of all, let's clarify something: What is a flapjack?
Surprisingly, this depends on where in the world you are!
In the UK, a flapjack is the same as a granola bar. Traditionally, they are made with oats, butter, brown sugar and golden syrup. However, in the US a flapjack is actually a type of pancake!
There are so many reasons to love these no oat, no sugar flapjacks. Here is a quick summary of the highlights:
- Chewy texture. Just like a proper flapjack made from oats, my version is deliciously chewy. Without oats!
- Autumn flavours. With warming notes of cinnamon, apple and hazelnuts, this recipe is a real mouth party.
- Sugar-free - Instead of dates, banana, honey or maple syrup, my flapjacks get their sweetness from apples and a zero-carb sugar substitute.
- Low in carbs and gluten free - By using nuts and seeds, one flapjack contains just 2.4g net carbs.
- Dairy-free - There is not a hint of butter in these bars.
- Quick and easy - You can make a batch in just 30 minutes.
This recipe has been on the blog since 2017, alongside my keto granola bars. I decided to give it a makeover with new pictures and more detailed instructions.
Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients to make keto flapjacks.
- Hazelnuts and almonds. I chose salted almonds and found that it really lifted the taste. For a deeper flavor dry-roast the nuts in a pan first until golden.
- Ground flaxseed. Make sure it's fresh. I always store ground flax in the freezer.
- Pumpkin seeds
- Apple. I used a small dessert apple, which I peeled and cored. Any apple works.
- Granulated sweetener. My favourite is a brown sugar substitute such as an erythritol monk fruit sweetener blend.
- Egg white. We are using this in place of the golden syrup, to bind the flapjacks.
- Ground cinnamon. Non-negotiable, for that autumn flavour.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
Sugar free flapjacks are ridiculously easy to make. Here are the basic steps, illustrated with photos.
Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for detailed instructions.
Step 1: Put all ingredients into a food processor or blender.
Step 2: Blend! Pulse until you have a mixture with larger and smaller pieces. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl a couple of times.
Step 3: Tip the mixture into a baking tray and press it down firmly with your hands. Don't forget to line it first with parchment paper!
Step 4: Bake in the oven until the top and the edges are golden brown.
I cut my mix into 5 long bars. However, you could also cut it into 10 shorter ones.
Katrin's Top Tips
Taste the dough. Adjust the sweetness if necessary. You may prefer a sweeter granola bar!
Don't slice until cooled. Wait until the baked flapjacks are fully cooled before cutting. They firm up as they cool down.
Use a sharp knife. Cut with a very sharp knife in a firm and downward motion. Wipe the knife between cuts to achieve a clean cut.
Make them crunchy. After 25 minutes my flapjacks were nice and chewy. To make them crunchy, turn them over and bake on the other side for another 5-10 minutes.
Variations
Add additional fat. For a more sumptuous bar, add 1 tablespoon of butter or peanut butter.
Add-ins: Stir in sugar free chocolate chips, sugar free dried cranberries (an alternative to raisins) or other dried fruits such as raspberries or blueberries.
Other flavours: Add a pinch of salt, vanilla extract or pumpkin pie spice.
Different nuts and seeds. Use any nuts or seeds you have available. Pecans work well, or walnuts. Be aware that cashews are higher in carbs than other nuts.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you could use ⅓ cup or 80 grams of sugar free applesauce instead of the apple.
You can use a sugar free fibre syrup in place of the egg white. This has the same sticking power as golden syrup (and makes the recipe vegan as well). I would go for ¼ cup or 4 tablespoons. If you use a syrup, you probably won't need the additional sweetener.
Easy! Make a homemade keto mayonnaise.
Storage
Store on the counter for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Alternatively, freeze for up to 3 months.
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Recipe
Sugar Free Flapjacks
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup apple peeled, cored and chopped (80g). About 1 small apple
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon Golden Erythritol or granulated sweetener of choice. Use more if you prefer a sweeter bar.
- ⅓ cup flax meal 30g
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds 30g
- ⅓ cup almonds 50g
- ⅓ cup hazelnuts 50g
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160 Celsius/320 F.
- Place all ingredients in a food processor or use the attachment of your stick blender. Blend until it's mostly smooth with a few larger pieces of nuts and seeds. You may need to scrape the sides a couple of times. (Taste and adjust sweetness if necessary.)
- Flatten the mix on a baking sheet lined with non-stick parchment paper. My mix measured 5 x 7 inches.
- Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
- Let cool completely before cutting with a sharp, non-serrated knife.
Addie
Since we're whizzing them up anyway, can I use almond meal/flour instead of whole almonds? Ditto for the flax seeds.
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Addie, I would not use almond flour because a few larger nut pieces in the mix makes the bars taste better. Using ground flax is fine.
Addie
I made them today before I read your response to my question. I used flax seeds (will definitely use flax meal next time- the flax seeds remained whole and I didn't like that), cashews, pistachios and pumpkin seeds. When I pulsed the mixture in my food processor it flew all over the bowl so I had to scrape it down a few times. I think I'll use my blender next time. Also, I didn't have your photo in front of me so I made them a bit too thin. I'll try them again, maybe with a bit more sweetener and some cocoa powder, unless you think the coca powder would affect the consistency?
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Addie, if you add the cocoa and more sweetener I'd reduce the amount of flax accordingly so they don't get too dry 🙂
Addie
Yes, that's what I was concerned about - maybe I should omit the flax meal altogether?
Katrin Nürnberger
From my experience, flax is good for binding. But you do also have the egg white. I'd try at least 2 tbsp, alternatively ground chia seeds would also work.
Addie
Hi, Katrin, these look delicious. If using applesauce instead of an apple, how much do you suggest?
Also, for your reader who wants to lower the carbs, these are only 5.9 net carbs when you subtract the fiber!
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Addie, I would stick with the same quantity - around 80g or 1/3 cup of applesauce.
Addie
Ok, thank you!
APRIL R MILLER
Had to stop in and say that I've had wonderful success with your recipe, and it's easy to make variations on it. I have a bunch of apples that I dehydrated that I chop up and use in place of the fresh apple (adding in a bit more egg white and/or water to compensate for the missing moisture). I add apple flavoring when making the cinnamon variation you presented. Some of the variations I tried include cherry flavoring with some Lily's SF chocolate chips added, swapping out half the apple and replacing with chopped dried fruit (adds a bit more carbs), strawberry flavoring with a few dehydrated strawberries, and almond flavoring with dehydrated cranberries. I also tried a savory version with rosemary and salt (no sweetener) which is pretty good. I think next I will try banana flavoring with walnuts.
I cut the bars before baking, and then divide them in 3. I also flip them after they have started to brown, so they get crispy all the way around. I usually make 3-5 batches at a time, mixing up the next batch while the first ones are cooking. After cooled I put in single serve baggies and then into a large freezer bag and into the freezer. This gives me about a month of snack bars if I have 1 a day.
I have almost 100% replaced my commercial low-carb (ha!) snack bars with this recipe and variations. The commercial bars are so sweet that they can set off cravings and hunger, but that is not a problem for me with these bars. At times I can actually eat 1/3 of a bar and not feel compelled to eat the rest immediately - not possible in my high carb days when it was hard not to binge.
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Katrin
April, thank you so much for sharing all your tips and tweaks! So useful for others making this recipe 🙂
Selly
Hello Katrin,
I am new to your website and love the recipes I have read so far....had my first attempt at the Rustic Paleo Bread with coconut flour this weekend! It came out very dense but is great!
As I am fellow Londoner who is on Keto, it is wonderful to see a UK based site dedicated to sugar/low carb options. Often you find a recipe and realise that the ingredients are now what we have readily available in our supermarkets so it can be off-putting.
Anyway my question is: are there some modifications I can make to this Granola Bar recipe to make it much lower in net carbs - can I replace the apple for something else with a fruity profile like blueberries? I am really interested in having variety on Keto but keeping within my own set macros.
I also have a nut allergy so always keen to seen substitution options and quantities for flours/milks/fillings and etc in the notes to.
Your blog and recipes fantastic, thank you for all the work you put into it.
Katrin
Hi! Yes, the Paleo bread is dense and heavy. I slice it thinly and toast it, that way it's best!
If you want to lower the carbs in this recipe, you could take a sugar free syrup instead of the apple and not use the extra sweetener. Sukrin makes a good one. I'm linking to the golden syrup, but there is a clear one too, which is even lower in carbs. You could try using mashed raspberries or blueberries as well, though not sure about the colour of the bars, especially with the blueberries. May not look appetising. Ocado has freeze dried raspberries (bit expensive, but yum), so that could be an option too.
Glad you found my blog!
Selly
Hello Katrin,
Thanks so much for the lovely message and helpful links. I will definitely check out Sukrin out. Alas, aren't most of the best things expensive!
I also wondered if I could add some Sunflower Seed butter to this or coconut oil, or would either make the bar too moist?
Thanks again!
Katrin
Try first with seed or nut butter - I think that would work well and would add some good flavour.
Selly
Oh thank you again. I'll report back when I've tested it. Also found organic freeze dried fruits on a UK site called Healthy Supplies, so will make two batches to see which I prefer. Hopefully not both, or my weight loss plan is doomed. ;o)
Have a lovely evening!
Nadine Jamal
Can i use unsweetened apple sauce instead of apple?
Katrin
Yes, I think that would work well 🙂
Shanila Taylor
Why egg white only? What would happen if you added a whole egg?
Katrin
I wanted the bars to be crispy. If you add the egg yolk too they'd contain more fat and would be softer.
Michelle
I was wondering if there was anything I could substitute the egg white for? My daughter is egg intolerant and I’m trying to find recipes I can make and test before she returns to school. This is a new diagnosis for us. Thank you!
Katrin
Hi! I used the egg white as a binder. You could get yourself Sukrin Fibre syrup and use that instead (you don’t need the granulated sweetener then either). It’s a good-tasting product which I have discovered since posting this recipe.
Marsha
How well would these hold up on a hiking trip? Are they quite firm?
Can I leave out the apple or sub something low carb without affecting how well they hold together?
Thank you!
Katrin
They hold together really well. If you wanted to leave out the apple you could sub with something like the Sukrin Fibre Syrup. It has a good taste and would help firm it up even more. The apple is more for the taste than the texture:)
Ashly
I’m excited to try these!! How big of a portion did you base your nutrition facts on?
Katrin
Hi Ashly, I calculated the nutrition per bar - my recipe made 5 bars in total.
Lisa H.
If I swap it honey for sugar, do I still use one tablespoon? Also, can I swap out the pumpkin seeds and other nuts for cashews and peanuts, do I still use the same measurements?
Thanks
Katrin
Hi Lisa, I'd keep to the same measurements for everything. Then taste your mix and see if you want more sweetness 🙂