This post was first written in June 2013 and updated in June 2021.
A very, very variable recipe, for oaty biscuits. Much, much too moreish – and although they are only 1p a biscuit, could make it not frugal as they get scoffed too quickly 🙂 especially warm and delicious straight from the oven mmmmm
Some of the hundreds of oaty biscuit flavour variations you could try
Add to the oaty biscuit mix:-
- A tsp ginger, fresh, preserved or dried
- Or cinnamon, mixed spice or ground cloves
- Chopped nuts of any kind
- A handful of any dried fruit – dried cranberries, sour cherries, raisins, currants or chopped apricots
- Chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
- Cocoa
- Smarties
- Jelly tots
- Mini marshmallows
- Sprinkles
- Etc etc etc
Should I use butter or oil to make oaty biscuits?
I often use a neutral oil to make these, rapeseed oil or a light olive oil. The oil version oaty biscuits have a short texture which we both like. Use a butter or margarine and the texture will be softer, and gorgeous in a different way!
I’ve reduced the original amount of sugar from 200g to 150g in line with current thinking
Large chocolate oaty biscuits
I replaced 30g of the flour with cocoa powder in this chocolate oaty biscuits version. I also divided the mixture into 12 to make a dozen much larger biscuits. These larger biscuits needed 20 minutes in the oven rather than 15. They’re still warm and my husband has eaten two already!
Large raisin / sultana oaty biscuits
This version is also larger oaty biscuits. I added a big handful of sultanas to these ones and as I’d run out of oil, I used butter in this batch. Lovely crisp texture and buttery flavour
This recipe is from Meal Plan 1, Meal Plan 3, Meal Plan 7 and Meal Plan 8, complete 7 day plans for 2 adults. Contains 3 meals a day, plus snacks , all recipes and a shopping list
Do You Like Oaty Things?
Perhaps you’d like these vegan oat bars. A flapjack with a jammy layer, or a savoury layer of caramelised onions, chutney or curry
Or these savoury flapjacks which are deeply savoury, very delicious and could be used as breakfast, with or for lunch or as an anytime snack. They would be very good with a soup too.
Savoury flapjacks, fragrant with rosemary, caramelised onions and sweet chilli, 15p
Ingredients
- 200 g self- raising flour
- 200 g oats
- 150 g sugar
- 200 ml veg oil
- 2 tbsp hot water
Instructions
- Simply bung everything in a bowl and mix together very well.
- Use the same weight of butter, spread or coconut oil instead of the oil if you prefer.
- Using your hands, make walnut sized pieces and place on greased baking trays. You can either leave them walnut shaped, or flatten them out to biscuit shape
- Bake at 180C fan for 15 minutes. Click to start a 15 minute timer
Want larger biscuits?
- Substitute 30g flour with cocoa, divide the mixture into 12 and bake for 20 minutes for these chocolatey biscuits
- Or add a handful of sultanas and another of crushed walnuts for these fruity/nutty biscuits
Equipment Needed
Notes
- A tsp ginger, fresh, preserved or dried
- Or cinnamon, mixed spice or ground cloves
- Chopped nuts of any kind
- A handful of any dried fruit - dried cranberries, sour cherries, raisins, currants or chopped apricots
- Chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
- Cocoa
- Smarties
- Jelly tots
- Mini marshmallows
- Sprinkles
Moira – ginger and cinnamon sounds amazing!
I make these often so easy, just made two batches one with ginger and cinnamon and one with cocoa. Only thing I find it is easier to weigh the oil ie 200g
Hi Victor – thank you so much for your lovely feedback. I’m so glad you enjoyed making – and eating! – your biscuits. It is a very variable recipe and I seem to make a different type each time I make them.
Agree about scoffing too many of them! Like most home baked goods – much too moreish!
Absolutely brilliant recipe …. and variations given as well.
I would normally try different variations anyway but it is great to see a published recipe that isn’t suffocatingly constrained and unimaginative restricted and dogmatic!
LOVELY friendly yet informative manner in the way the discussion (yes, rather than someone dictating to the reader, this is MUCH more inviting and comfortable) is presented.
I’ve been making oat fruit and nut ‘biscuits’ for ages (my own made up recipe) and even though they are enjoyable and very edible, I wondered why they never quite worked out as expected. I had no problem with flour based biscuits.
Now I know why! You’ve saved the day for me. I never included flour.
Yours are exceptionally tasty and have a lovely consistency. I added ginger AND cinnamon – took a chance with my first try – all or nothing! Thankfully I was rewarded with the best biscuits of any kind that I have ever made.
I stupidly used too much sugar in error (200g of demerara as it’s the only type I use) instead of the sensibly recommended 150g, but that had the benefit of preventing me from scoffing the lot in one sitting! But I know exactly how to adjust it next time – i.e. stick to the recipe for the basic proportions!! Maybe even try 100g?
I used full butter as well which made them very rich and yummy. I’m keen to try the crunchier oil-based ones as well as that is the recipe that I was looking for – but when I saw the butter option I could not resist. I shall make both in future for their different yumminess! Maybe even try a half and half.
I need to buy a decent biscuit tin now – and then hope that I keep them long enough to actually use it.
I looked for British sites and specified ‘biscuits’ in my search, which only a handful of sites produced. Some stated biscuits but included the American word as well, which I resented, and worst of all the supposedly BRITISH BBC that we all pay for and is supposed to serve us, used the American word as well which made me furious. You didn’t so why do they feel it necessary or desirable to do so? There’s no point in writing to them as they have become increasingly obsessed with that country over the years and an organisation that I had the highest regard for has lost my trust and indeed caused me to begin to hate them for their infatuation.
Thank you for using ENGLISH and a very natural, fluid, pleasant, inviting and enjoyable manner. AND of course for the BEST recipe that I found when looking for one that would make me happy – and indeed drew me into the page when I found it.
Oh, and I love site and even the thoughtful inclusion of a timer; very imaginative and useful.
That sounds a lovely combination. I daren’t make any very often, I scoff too many!
I made these last week for the umpteenth time. Very delish, but didn’t last very long.
I used a TSP of mixed spice, a handful of mixed fruit and some chopped mixed nuts. I sprinkled the tops before baking with Demerara sugar mixed with half teaspoon of mixed spice.
I love that these are customisable. This time I used Olio-type spread, approx 285g, but it works equally well with oil.
I made them ping pong ball sized and flattened them slightly with a fork.
It made 22. I baked for 20 mins.
Yum.
Thanks for your recipes, which I use a lot.
Might need to be pressed more firmly, or was there maybe a little too much flour or oats?
I think I went a bit wrong! Maybe need wee bit more oil as they didn’t come together well…first time baking with oil….but will persevere..they are edible just some are broken nuggets!!!lol
half oil and half butter is interesting, what was the texture like? Were they short or crispy, or somewhere in the middle?
Just made a batch of these and they are lovely. I used half oil and half melted butter as that was what I had in. Will definitely make them again with some of the variations.
That sounds lovely, pumpkin seeds would work very well
These oaty biscuits are delicious with pumpkin seeds added. I found mine cooked in less than fifteen minutes in a fan oven.
Hi just made these, great added cinnamon to them. I have been looking for a oat biscuit recipe for a while none have turned out as good as these. Next time I will cut back on the sugar as I don’t have a sweet tooth.
I know what you mean, I can’t make them, eat too many!
Just made these and they are delicious. Seems like a lot of oil though (200g). They are really crumbly and sweet (my sweet tooth loves you!). They may not last the week… LOL
Yes, that’s right. Not steel cut oats. They are the rolled oats
I’m still eating that soup, taking it out of the freezer, working through that stash!
We had a lovely Christmas, I love all that family time., makes me feel all warm and fuzzy
Hello,
Are “porridge oats” what we in the States call “old-fashioned” or “rolled” oats? (I’m assuming they’re NOT steel-cut oats aka Irish oatmeal in the States), but please correct me if I’m wrong.
Hope you had a Merry Christmas! I’m enjoying reading your many clever ideas for Christmas leftovers; that soup for leftover day 1 looks delicious!
Have some in the tin right now, and trying not to have any. They are scrummy! Good luck with your fund raiser
Will be making these for a charity coffee morning on Wednesday 🙂
they are much too moreish, one just isn’t enough!
those additions sound lovely
Just made some of these (and sneaked one still warm from the oven) GORGEOUS! Added lemon zest, a little lemon juice and some cinnamon, got away with the extra liquid as my flour was overly dry anyway. This made loads too!
I find them much too moreish and have to lock them in a tin 🙂
just made these (with spread instead of veg oil as that’s what I had)
and they are delicious! Thanks! 🙂