Vegan Sultana & Chocolate Flapjack

My best friend recently went vegan. When she first mentioned her planned change to me, I was supportive of course, but also shrivelled up a little inside because WHAT AM I GOING TO BAKE HER NOW!? I love baking for my friends, and they're always really happy to try my creations, so one of them turning vegan threw a slight spanner in the works and presented a new challenge.

I don't have much experience with vegan baking. I know the stereotypical view of vegans is that they eat green coloured food and not much else, but I knew that couldn't really be the truth. I did some looking around and found out that vegan baking is not as difficult as it sounds. There are plenty of alternatives to butter, milk and eggs and everything can be just as tasty as the real thing.

I don't know about you, but I was really surprised when I found out that flapjack could be vegan! The basic recipe for this flapjack is from a colleague of mine and I've had so much fun the past few weeks adapting it and adding all kinds of different flavours and ingredients. I've tried it with banana, I've tried it with apricot, but this simple sultana and chocolate flavour is by far my favourite. You sometimes can't beat a classic, traditional flavour combination and there's definitely nothing wrong with a plain flapjack, jazzed up a little with some fruity and sweet elements.

I recommend any vegan to try this recipe ASAP. You'll never go back! The flapjack is moist in the middle and crispy on top. Being vegan doesn't affect the flavour at all either. That sweetness is still there and it isn't dry, crumbly or bland. In a nutshell, it tastes like any other flapjack.

Try it for yourself and make it a recipe you keep with your forever!

INGREDIENTS

260g soya spread
260g sunflower spread
300g muscovado sugar
3 tbsp golden syrup
750g oats
Pinch of salt
150g sultanas
Vegan chocolate for drizzling

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 160˚C (fan) and line a deep rectangular tin with greaseproof paper. In a large pan on the hob, melt together the soya spread, sunflower spread, sugar and golden syrup. Remove from the hob once melted. Add the oats a quarter at a time, mixing in fully each time. Add the raisins. Place the mixture into the lined tin. Press into the corners and level out before placing in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and crispy on top.

Allow to cool completely before drizzling melted chocolate over the top. Let the chocolate set completely, then remove flapjack from the tin and cut into 12 equal sized pieces.