Easy Scottish oatcakes recipe | Cooking with my kids (2024)

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Scottish Oatcakes are really simple to make and a great bake for kids. They get to get their hands messy and, it’s nice to bake something that’s a bit healthy!

Easy Scottish oatcakes recipe | Cooking with my kids (1)

Scottish oatcakes are a great bake for kids. With only a few store cupboard ingredients, and no added sugar, they’re the perfect snack kids will love getting to make. We always have a packet of oatcakes in the house somewhere, but if you’ve got a little bit of time, these homemade oatcakes will beat shop bought ones any day.

Oat cakes are really simple to make and a great bake for kids. They get to get their hands messy and for once, it’s nice to bake something that doesn’t contain any sugar!

What are Scottish oatcakes?

Scottish oatcakes are a simple, savoury biscuit made from porridge oats. There’s nothing cake like about them, think more like a cracker.

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How can kids help make these Scottish oatcakes?

This is a pretty simple recipe for kids to make. With only a few ingredients, there’s only a few steps to follow so even young children can help bake them.

It’s really hands on, which can be a great experience for kids. They’ll get the chance to rub the butter and flour together with their fingers which is a job my kids always enjoy. Just like with their playdough, they can roll the oatcakes out, before using their cutters to cut them. And unlike some other more delicate biscuits, these oatcakes are a bit more robust so good for children’s rough handling.

Are oatcakes healthy?

Oatcakes are full of rolled oats and contain no added sugar, so they’re a lot healthier than some of the other bakes we have on this site, making them the perfect bake for kids.

What should I serve oatcakes with?

These oatcakes are a great snack on their own or with a little bit of butter or margarine spread on them. You could also serve them, like you would a cracker with some cheese, or chutney.

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What other Scottish recipes can I make?

If you want to browse some of our other Scottish recipes you can find them all together in one place, or check out our favourites:

Millionaire’s shortbread
Cranachan
Oat cakes
Empire biscuits
Scottish shortbread
Scotch broth
Shortbread fingers
Potato scones
Chocolate chip shortbread

Useful equipment

You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these Scottish oatcakes:

Digital scales
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Rolling pin
Cutters
Baking tray
Wire rack

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Serves: 20 biscuits

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 20 minutes plus 20 minutes baking

Easy Scottish oatcakes recipe | Cooking with my kids (4)

Ingredients

75g (1/3 cup) butter
100g (3/4 cup) plain / all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
225g (2 1/2 cups) porridge/rolled oats
Water

How to make Scottish oatcakes

Preheat your oven to 190C/180C Fan / 350 F and grease or line a few baking trays.

Rub in the butter and flour.

Get your kids to measure the flour and add it to a large mixing bowl. Measure the butter and give your kids a butter knife to cut it into small pieces before adding that to your bowl.

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Using fingertips, rub the butter and flour together until your mixture looks like breadcrumbs. While your kids are doing that, add the salt to the mixture.

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Add the oats.

Measure the oats into a small bowl. If you want a coarser oatcake you can add them to your mixing bowl straight away. If, like us, you like your oatcakes to be a bit finer use a small mixer to blast the oats to a finer consistency before adding them to your bowl. We did half our oats to a fine powder, and the other half a little less to there was still some bite.

Add some water to your mixing bowl and, using your hands, bring the mixture together into a ball. You’ll need roughly between 60ml and 90ml. Don’t add so much that your dough becomes sticky.

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Start mixing the water in with a wooden spoon, before working the dough a little bit to make it come together into a ball.

Easy Scottish oatcakes recipe | Cooking with my kids (8) Easy Scottish oatcakes recipe | Cooking with my kids (9)

Bake the oat cakes

Get your kids to roll the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface until it is around 3mm thick.

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Cut out the oat cakes using a round cutter. You can choose the size you like, but we used one that was roughly 7cm.

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Bake the oat cakes in the oven for 15-20 minutes. They’re ready when they’re starting to turn slightly brown at the edges and aren’t soft any more.

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Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes. Put them on the wire rack to cool completely.

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Serve and enjoy.

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Easy Scottish oatcakes recipe | Cooking with my kids (15)

Scottish oat cakes

Easy Scottish oatcakes recipe | Cooking with my kids (16)cookingwithmykids

Oat cakes are really simple to make and a great bake for kids. They get to get their hands messy and, it's nice to bake something that's a bit healthy!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Snack

Cuisine scottish

Servings 20

Calories 52 kcal

Ingredients

  • 75 g butter
  • 100 g plain flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 225 g oats
  • Water

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 190C/180C Fan / 350 F and grease or line a few baking trays.

    Rub in the butter and flour.

    • Measure the flour and add it to a large mixing bowl. Measure the butter and give your kids a butter knife to cut it into small pieces before adding that to your bowl.

    • Using fingertips, rub the butter and flour together until your mixture looks like breadcrumbs. While your kids are doing that, add the salt to the mixture.

    Add the oats.

    • Measure the oats into a small bowl. If you want a coarser oat cake you can add them to your mixing bowl straight away. If, like us, you like your oat cakes to be a bit finer use a small mixer to blast the oats to a finer consistency before adding them to your bowl. We did half our oats to a fine powder, and the other half a little less to there was still some bite.

    • Add some water to your mixing bowl and, using your hands, bring the mixture together into a ball. You'll need roughly between 60ml and 90ml. Don't add so much that your dough becomes sticky. We had to work the dough a little bit to make it come together into a ball.

    Bake the oat cakes

    • Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface until it is around 3mm thick. Cut out the oat cakes using a round cutter. You can choose the size you like, but we used one that was roughly 7cm.

    • Bake the oat cakes in the oven for 15-20 minutes. They're ready when they're starting to turn slightly brown and aren't soft any more.

    • Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes. Put them on the wire rack to cool completely.

    Keyword biscuit, healthy

    Pin Scottish oat cakes for later

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    Similar recipes

    If you liked these oatcakes you’ll love our melting moment biscuits and our other easy biscuit and cookie recipes.

    This recipe was first published in May 2020, and updated with new pictures in October 2024.

    Easy Scottish oatcakes recipe | Cooking with my kids (2024)

    FAQs

    Can toddlers eat oatcakes? ›

    Yes, assuming they are not allergic to Avenin, the same recommendations apply to children as they do to adults (see above). As oats are rich in soluble fibre, ensure your child drinks plenty of fluids through the day too.

    Are Scottish oatcakes healthy? ›

    Deliciously packed full of coarse, wholegrain oats, they're high in soluble and insoluble fibre. Not only that, but they are full of complex carbohydrates and rich in vitamins and minerals giving you a wholesome boost to help you get the most out of your day.

    Do oatcakes spike blood sugar? ›

    As we have seen, oats are a superb food choice for blood sugar control. You can eat them as oat flakes (cold) or soak and cook them to make porridge. Oatcakes are the best 'bread' choice, for example, with your scrambled or boiled egg, or as a snack during the day with a high-protein spread such as hummus.

    What can you eat oatcakes with? ›

    The simplest thing to do with them would be to grate some cheese and add fried onions and mushrooms. You could also try spinach or peppers, hummus or perhaps some tinned salmon.

    Are oatcakes healthier than bread? ›

    1. Lots of calories – there are about 80-100 calories in a slice of bread and about 40-50calroies in an oatcake. Also condiser that a bagel or croissant can have 3-4 times the number of calories than a single oatcake and have very little fibre.

    Why are oatcakes so high in calories? ›

    As oatcakes are flour based, most of the calories they contain come from carbohydrates. Having said that, they're also a great source of fibre.

    Are oatcakes Irish or Scottish? ›

    Oatcakes have been a staple of the Scottish diet since at least Roman times and probably long before. In the 14th century, Jean le Bel accompanied a French count to England and Scotland, and describes nuns making "little pancakes rather like communion wafers", and this is thought to describe the making of oatcakes.

    Do oatcakes help you sleep? ›

    Oatcakes with cheese are a great bedtime snack as it contains complex carbohydrates and protein to optimise tryptophan levels.

    Are oatcakes good for the gut? ›

    Oats are one of the foods that can help keep our gut happy. They're high in gentle fibre, which not only helps us stay regular, but also 'feeds' the friendly bacteria in the gut. These bacteria then make a substance called butyrate, which helps keep the gut lining healthy.

    Are rice cakes or oat cakes better? ›

    Oatcakes are generally higher in fibre than rice cakes. By choosing them instead, you'll feel fuller for longer, benefit from a slower release of energy and embrace all the goodness of wholegrain oats.

    Are oatcakes and peanut butter healthy? ›

    Sugar-free and filling, oatcakes are the perfect solution to nagging hunger pangs. Team with protein-rich peanut butter for an added hit of healthy fats.

    Are oatcakes bad for cholesterol? ›

    Oatcakes are a brilliant base for a snack, because oats contain soluble fibre, which helps to lower cholesterol. They're also low in saturated fat and if you combine them with other healthy foods, you can make a really nutritious, filling snack.

    What do you put on top of oatcakes? ›

    A grating of chocolate on top is the final touch. You can also mash bananas (adding a squeeze of lemon juice to avoid them going brown) and add chopped walnuts and a drizzle of honey. A nice and healthy sweet option is to use our mini oatcakes to create healthy little cream desserts.

    What do Scottish oat cakes taste like? ›

    The taste of oatcakes is unique. They have a magical flavor that is sweet, but not too sweet, and a bit salty. Part dessert, but mainly a snack, oatcakes are cookie-like but sort of cracker-like too—very much like hobnob biscuits. These oatcakes are perfect with a cup of tea or a cup of coffee.

    Are oatcakes good for GERD? ›

    Oats also absorb stomach acid and reduce symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

    What foods toddlers should not eat? ›

    What Foods Should We Avoid?
    • foods with added sugars and no-calorie sweeteners, including sugar-sweetened and diet drinks.
    • high-sodium foods.
    • unpasteurized juice, milk, yogurt, or cheese.
    • foods that may cause choking, such as hot dogs, raw vegetables, grapes, hard cheese, popcorn, and nuts.

    Is it OK to eat 2 year old oatmeal? ›

    Shelf life of oatmeal

    Similarly to dried rice or pasta, commercially processed and uncooked rolled, quick, or steel cut oats will typically last at least 12 months — and up to 2 years if the package remains unopened or the oats are stored in an air-tight container (2).

    Which oats is best for 2 year old? ›

    If offering uncooked oats, then plain rolled or instant oats offer a better choice from a food safety perspective.

    Can I give my 2 year old oat milk? ›

    The NHS say that you can give your child unsweetened calcium-fortified milk alternatives, such as soya, almond and oat drinks, from the age of one as part of a healthy balanced diet.

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