Anna Louise A ginger flapjack takes everything that makes a plain flapjack good — the buttery, golden, slightly chewy rolled oats, the caramel sweetness from the golden syrup — and adds a double hit of ginger that transforms it into something genuinely exciting.
Ground ginger for warmth throughout, stem ginger for bursts of intense, fiery sweetness — together they give a flapjack that is impossible to eat just one of.
Mary Berry’s ginger flapjacks recipe uses both types of ginger and adds a third element — a drizzle of dark chocolate over the cooled flapjacks — that is optional but completely wonderful.
The dark chocolate’s slight bitterness balances the sweetness of the syrup and the heat of the ginger in a way that makes the whole thing taste considerably more sophisticated than the three-minute preparation time suggests.
This is the traybake I make most often when someone needs feeding quickly, when the biscuit tin is empty, and when I want something that will be eaten immediately and requested again within the week.
What Makes These Ginger Flapjacks Different
Double ginger. Ground ginger gives a sustained warmth throughout the flapjack. Stem ginger gives bursts of intense, slightly fiery flavour. Together they give a depth and complexity that neither alone provides.
The right ratio of butter to syrup. The balance between butter and golden syrup determines the texture of the finished flapjack — more butter gives a crumblier result, more syrup gives a chewier one. The ratio in this recipe gives a flapjack that is sticky and chewy with a slightly crisp exterior — the ideal texture.
Dark chocolate drizzle. Optional but highly recommended. A thin drizzle of good quality dark chocolate, set in a pattern over the cooled flapjacks, adds visual appeal, flavour contrast, and makes them look considerably more impressive.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Ginger Flapjacks
For the Flapjacks
- 250g unsalted butter
- 200g golden syrup
- 150g soft light brown sugar
- 350g rolled oats
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp mixed spice
- 100g stem ginger in syrup, drained and finely chopped
- Pinch of fine salt
For the Chocolate Drizzle (Optional)
- 100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), melted
How to Make Mary Berry Ginger Flapjacks — Step by Step
Step 1 — Preheat and Prepare
Preheat your oven to 160°C / 140°C fan / Gas 3. Grease a 30x20cm traybake tin and line with baking parchment, leaving an overhang at the sides.
Step 2 — Melt the Wet Ingredients
Place the butter, golden syrup, and soft light brown sugar in a medium saucepan over a low heat. Stir gently until the butter has melted, the sugar has dissolved, and everything is combined into a smooth, glossy, golden liquid. Do not let it boil.
Remove from the heat.
Step 3 — Combine
Add the rolled oats, ground ginger, mixed spice, chopped stem ginger, and salt to the melted butter mixture. Stir thoroughly until every oat is completely coated — the mixture should look uniformly dark golden and fragrant.
Step 4 — Press and Bake
Tip the mixture into the prepared tin. Press down firmly and evenly with the back of a spoon or the base of a flat glass — the flapjacks must be compacted firmly and evenly for them to hold together when cut.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the edges are deep golden brown and the centre is a slightly paler golden — it will look slightly underdone in the centre. This is correct. A flapjack that looks fully set in the oven will be hard and crumbly when cool. Remove while the centre still looks slightly soft.
Step 5 — Score Immediately, Cool Completely
The moment the flapjacks come out of the oven, score into bars or squares with a sharp knife — while the flapjack is still soft and pliable. Once cool, it will set firm and be much harder to cut cleanly.
Leave to cool completely in the tin — at least one hour. Do not attempt to remove or finish cutting until completely cold and set.
Step 6 — Drizzle with Chocolate (Optional)
Once completely cool, lift the flapjack slab from the tin using the parchment overhang. Place on a board.
Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water. Pour into a small piping bag or a paper cone, or simply use a spoon. Drizzle in thin lines across the surface in a zigzag pattern. Leave to set at room temperature — about twenty minutes.
Cut along the scored lines with a sharp knife.
My Top Tips For Best Mary Berry Ginger Flapjacks
Remove from the oven while the centre still looks slightly underdone. The residual heat of the tin continues to cook the flapjack after it comes out of the oven, and the flapjack sets firm as it cools. A perfectly golden flapjack at 20 minutes will be a hard, crumbly flapjack once cold. Remove it slightly before it looks done.
Score immediately on removal. Within thirty seconds of coming out of the oven, score the flapjack into portions. Once set, cutting flapjack causes it to shatter rather than cut cleanly. The score marks are your guide — cut along them fully once the flapjack is completely cool.
Press firmly and evenly. A flapjack mixture that is not compacted firmly enough does not hold together when cut. Use the base of a flat glass, pressing with real force, to ensure the mixture is dense and compact before it goes into the oven.
Use both ground and stem ginger. Ground ginger gives warmth throughout. Stem ginger gives intensity in bursts. Using just one gives a less interesting result. Use both.
Let the chocolate drizzle set before cutting. If the chocolate is still wet when you cut the flapjacks, it smears. Twenty minutes at room temperature gives a set drizzle that cuts cleanly.
Serving Suggestions
As a mid-morning snack with coffee. In a lunchbox. As an after-school treat. As part of a bake sale — they sell extremely well. As a gift in a small box tied with string — ginger flapjacks are one of the most appreciated edible gifts.
How to Store Mary Berry Ginger Flapjacks
At room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They remain chewy and sticky throughout.
In the freezer: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature for one hour.
Mary Berry Ginger Flapjacks Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 160°C / 140°C fan / Gas 3. Grease and line a 30x20cm tin.
- Melt butter, golden syrup, and brown sugar gently in a saucepan over low heat until smooth and combined. Do not boil. Remove from heat.
- Add rolled oats, ground ginger, mixed spice, stem ginger, and salt. Stir thoroughly until every oat is coated.
- Tip into prepared tin. Press down very firmly and evenly with the base of a flat glass.
- Bake 20–25 minutes until edges are deep golden and centre still looks slightly underdone.
- Score into bars or squares immediately on removal. Cool completely in tin — at least 1 hour.
- Drizzle with melted dark chocolate if using. Set 20 minutes. Cut fully along scored lines.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use porridge oats instead of rolled oats?
Porridge oats give a finer, slightly more dense flapjack. Rolled oats give a more textured, more interesting result. Both work — rolled oats are preferred for the best texture.
Can I leave out the stem ginger?
Yes — increase the ground ginger to 3 teaspoons to compensate for the lost intensity. The result is good but less complex than the version with stem ginger.
Why are my flapjacks crumbly?
Either they were overbaked and too much moisture evaporated, the mixture was not pressed firmly enough before baking, or the ratio of butter to syrup was slightly off. Remove at 20 to 25 minutes and press very firmly before baking.
Can I make chocolate ginger flapjacks instead of just drizzling?
Yes — melt 100g of dark chocolate and spread it in an even layer over the completely cooled flapjack before cutting. Or line the base of the tin with melted chocolate, let it set, then press the flapjack mixture on top and bake as directed.
Can I add crystallised ginger instead of stem ginger?
Yes — crystallised ginger, finely chopped, gives a slightly drier, slightly less intense result than stem ginger but works well.
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