The Best Chewy South African Oat Crunchies Recipe

5 from 2 votes

The Best Chewy South African Oat Crunchies Recipe

If you love homemade, comforting treats, this easy South African oat crunchies traybake recipe is for you! Soft, buttery, chewy in the middle, and golden brown and crisp around the edges - it's made with rolled oats, coconut, flour and a touch of golden syrup.

It's perfect for sharing, a sweet treat with tea, or even a nostalgic bake sale favourite.

Prep Time5

Cook Time32

Total Time37

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, canapes, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: South African

Keyword: crunchie bars, crunchies, crunchies recipe, crunchies with oats, oat bars, oat crunchies

Servings: Squares

Calories: 207kcal

Author: Vikkie Lee

Equipment

Large baking tray - approx A4 sized and 2" deep
Mixing bowl
baking paper
Saucepan

Ingredients

250 g Butter 1 cup
4 tablespoon Golden syrup
160 g Plain flour (All Purpose) 1 cup
220 g Rolled oats 2 cups
120 g Desiccated coconut (1 + ⅓ cup)
130 g Granulated sugar (⅔ cup + 1 tbsp)
50 g Soft light brown sugar (¼ cup)
1.5 teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
¼ teaspoon Sea salt
½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon

Instructions

First, preheat to 160°C fan / 180°C conventional. Line a 9×13 inch tray or cookie sheet with baking paper.
In a saucepan, gently melt butter with golden syrup over low heat. Stir until combined and remove from heat.
250 g Butter, 4 tbsp Golden syrup
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, rolled oats, desiccated coconut, brown sugar, granulated sugar, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), salt, and cinnamon.
160 g Plain flour (All Purpose), 220 g Rolled oats, 120 g Desiccated coconut, 130 g Granulated sugar, 50 g Soft light brown sugar, 1.5 tsp Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), ¼ tsp Sea salt, ½ tsp Ground cinnamon
Next, pour the melted butter syrup mixture into the dry ingredients.
Now stir until fully coated and sticky.
Press the oat mixture evenly into the prepared tin (about 2-3 cm thick).
Then bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Edges should be slightly darker - note: it hardens while cooling.
Let cool in the tray for 10 minutes, and transfer to a cooling rack and cut into squares. Then cool completely before serving.

Notes

Tips:

A common first time mistake is overbaking because the crunchies may seem unset in the oven. Remember, they firm up as they cool. For a softer, slightly less chewy texture, bake for 20–25 minutes.
If you prefer a firm chew, you can swap pure butter for butter spread mixed made with butter, rapeseed oil and water
If you prefer oat crunchies without coconut, try this delicious seeded version which has has extra crunch: mix in 30g pumpkin seeds, 30g sunflower seeds, 25g sesame seeds, 25g flaxseed - I shared at a village event, and everyone loved them! (Or swap for dried fruit!)
Cut the oat crunchies traybake into however large or small squares as you wish 10 minutes after cooling with a serrated knife - it's great for serving at a party, local event, etc.

Nutrition