Double Ginger and Honey Flapjacks (British Style)

These hearty bars will keep you energized for the No Kings rallies Saturday.

For everyone headed out to a No Kings rally on Saturday, I have a recipe to keep you energized as you fight the good fight: British flapjacks.

British flapjacks are unlike American flapjacks. Instead of a pancake, they are an oaty bar cookie. You know what else is different between Britain and America? Britain is supposed to have a king. Unlike, say, here, where we said toodles, ta-ta, and cheerio to a monarch 250 or so years ago. But I digress.

These oaty treats resemble a soft granola bar, but, thanks to butter, brown sugar, and honey, don’t taste anything like them. I added candied and powdered ginger for fall flavor and pumpkin seeds for texture and, sure, a bit more nutrition. The result is a deeply satisfying, chewy bar cookie with rich notes of buttery caramel and ginger.

You can, of course, add your own touches to the recipe, such as chopped walnuts, dried cherries, or sunflower seeds.

Once the December holidays roll around, I’ll be cutting these flapjacks into finger-width bars and dipping half in dark chocolate. I might even share them.

Note: Do not tell the publishers of my new cookbook, The Secret Life of Chocolate Chip Cookies, that there are no chocolate chips anywhere to be seen in this recipe. Luckily, there are over 60 recipes for chocolate chip cookies, cakes, and other treats in the cookbook, so we don’t have to go without.

Double Ginger and Honey Flapjacks

Makes 20

What You’ll Need:

4 ounces (125 grams) unsalted butter

½ cup (100 grams) light brown sugar

1 heaping tablespoon honey

2 ¾ cups (225 grams) rolled oats (not instant!)

¼ cup (40 grams) raw pumpkin seeds (optional)

2 teaspoons ground dried ginger

3 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger

Pinch or two of salt

What You’ll Do:

1. Heat the oven to 325°F/170°C. Lightly butter an 8”/20 cm square pan, and line it with parchment paper.

2. To a medium-sized pot, add the butter, brown sugar and honey and cook over low heat, stirring, until everything is melted and syrupy.

3. Remove the pot from the stove and add the oats, pumpkin seeds (if using), dried ginger, crystallized ginger and salt. Mix until the oats are evenly coated. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press the mixture down firmly and evenly.

4. Bake for about 25 minutes (times vary, as ovens vary!), until the edges begin to brown and the rest of the flapjacks are evenly golden.

5. Remove from the oven and lightly score into 2” x 1” (5 cm x 2.5 cm) bars while still warm. This will make it easier to cut when they are cool. Store in an airtight container for up to three days. After that, they will still be good–just warm them in the microwave for a few seconds to soften.

Marissa Rothkopf Bates writes about food for the New York Times, Newsweek (RIP) and Publishers’ Weekly among others. Her newest book, “The Secret Life of Chocolate Chip Cookies,” is available for pre-sale wherever fine books are sold. Find her on Substack here.

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