These chia seed flapjacks are my healthiest flapjack recipe ever! Delicious and chewy, they are ideal for a healthy breakfast on the go. They are high in fibre, rich in essential fats, and low in added sugar. Flapjacks with chia seeds are the perfect recipe to keep you feeling full and energised.
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What you'll love about the recipe
- These chia seed flapjacks have a satisfying texture. You can vary the flavours to suit with additional spices, seeds and dried fruit
- An easy-to-carry healthy snack or breakfast bar. They are gluten free, dairy free and nut free so are ideal for lunch boxes
- Chia seeds add a lot of extra nutrition to these tasty flapjacks. Chia seeds are one of the best plant sources of omega 3. They are also very rich in fibre which is great for digestion and will keep you feeling full. Chia seeds are a good source of plant protein and essential minerals such as calcium
- Healthy chia seed flapjacks are made without butter and are very low in saturated fat
- Just 138 calories for a substantial snack or breakfast
- Very quick and easy to make
Ingredients
Chia seeds. I used whole black chia seeds, but you can also use ground seeds if you prefer.
I love using chia seeds. They make a great instant jam, can be added to energy balls and are incredibly nutritious.
Oats. You can use rolled or old-fashioned oats to make chia seed flapjacks. Instant oats are not so good as they are very fine and the flapjacks won't have their lovely chewy texture.
For gluten free chia flapjacks, use oats that are certified gluten free and have been processed separately from other grains.
Banana. You'll need a really ripe banana for this recipe as it'll have much more flavour and sweetness.
Olive oil. I've chosen olive oil for this recipe to reduce the saturated fat and increase the healthy monounsaturated fat. Although extra virgin olive oil has a relatively strong taste, it's really not noticeable in these flapjacks.
If you prefer you can use another healthy oil or melted butter instead.
Honey. There are just 3 tablespoons of honey in the recipe to add extra sweetness. Use maple syrup if you prefer. If you want to substitute another type of sweetener, use a liquid rather than a powder.
Optional ingredients
- Add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or mixed spice if you like the flavour
- You can also add nuts and dried fruit to the recipe. Try about 50g of chopped nuts or 75g of your favourite dried fruit. Or add extra seeds such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds
How to make chia seed flapjacks
Line a 18 x 18cm square baking tray with baking paper to make it easy to remove the cooked flapjacks. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees (140 fan).
Peel and mash the banana in a large bowl. I just use a fork, but you could also use a potato masher.
Stir in the oil and honey. If you want to add ground cinnamon or spices, add them now as they'll be easier to mix in.
Add the oats and chia seeds. Stir well to mix.
Transfer the mixture to the lined baking tin. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon and press down well so that the mixture is stuck together. Don't forget the corners!
Bake for 20 minutes until golden.
Leave your chia flapjacks to cool in the tray as they'll be more fragile when hot. Once cool, remove from the tray and cut into 12 bars or squares.
Serving and storage
I honestly think there should be no guilt at all about eating chia seed flapjacks for breakfast. If you think about it, they are like a nutritious bowl of oatmeal, and much healthier than most bought cereal bars! You could always add a smoothie for extra protein and dairy!
Chia seed flapjacks are also ideal as a post-workout energy bar. Or enjoy them as an energizing snack at any time of day.
Store the flapjacks in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. If you want to store them for longer, wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Chia seed flapjacks are made with healthy wholegrain oats and omega-rich chia seeds. In addition, they are very low in saturated fat and added sugar.
Ideally yes, store the opened chia seeds in the fridge, as it will protect the beneficial oils.
Yes, just to avoid confusion, these are British flapjacks which are cereal bars made with oats. They are quite different to US flapjacks which are a kind of pancake.
Other healthy breakfast recipes
You might also like this healthy bircher muesli recipe with chia seeds which can be made the night before. If you make it in a lidded jar, it's also great for breakfast on the go. Or why not try some of these healthy breakfast muffin recipes?
There's also lots more healthy flapjack recipes here.
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Recipe
Healthy Chia Seed Flapjacks
Equipment
- 18 x 18 cm baking tin
Ingredients
- 1 large banana very ripe
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 200 g porridge oats
- 50 g chia seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees (140 degrees fan). Line an 18 x 18cm baking tin with baking parchment.
- Peel and mash the banana into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the oil and honey or maple syrup.
- Stir in the oats and chia seeds and mix well.
- Spoon into the lined baking tray. Smooth out and press down firmly with the back of the spoon.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin.
- Cut into 12 flapjacks.
Notes
- Add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or mixed spice if you like the flavour
- You can also add nuts and dried fruit to the recipe. Try about 50g of chopped nuts or 75g of your favourite dried fruit. Or add extra seeds such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
Janice says
Hi Wendy, how many grams of a large smashed banana? Can I make them into cookies instead? Thank you.
Wendy Faulkner says
Hi Janice, I've assumed a banana of about 150g. You could make them into cookies, but you might find it a bit harder to compact the mixture so they stick together well. Maybe press the mixture very firmly into balls before flattening them into thickish cookies.