Scottish Oatcakes are a delicious and versatile snack that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. They are made with simple ingredients that are readily available and are quick and easy to prepare.

Scottish Oatcakes are a great source of fiber and protein, making them a healthy choice for a snack or light meal. Enjoy them plain or topped with a variety of ingredients such as butter, cheese, honey, or jam.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy: This recipe takes only minutes to put together, with the food processor doing most of the work.
- Simple ingredients: Simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand are used in this delicious Scottish treat.
- A healthy snack: Packed with wholesome oats, these oatcakes offer a healthy alternative to many store-bought snacks while still satisfying your cravings.
- Versatile: This recipe can be easily customized with different toppings to suit your personal preferences and dietary needs.
Ingredients: Here’s What You’ll Need
No need to run to the grocery store to make this recipe because you probably already have the ingredients on hand.
- Oats: The main ingredient in this recipe is old-fashioned oats.
- Other Dry Ingredients: I also used all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, fine sea salt, and baking powder. I know that traditional Scottish Oatcakes do not include flour. However, I added flour to help bind the dough.
- Wet Ingredients: The wet ingredients consisted of unsalted butter and water. I included the butter to add some richness to the oatcakes.
Steps: Here’s How I Made the Scottish Oatcakes
- I started by pulsing the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in my food processor fitted with the steel blade several times.
- Then, I added the oats to the food processor. I pulsed the mixture five or six times until the oats were coarsely chopped.
- Next, I added melted butter and hot water to the food processor. I pulsed the mixture about five times until the ingredients were moistened. At this point, the dough was quite crumbly.
- I gathered the crumbly dough into a ball and placed it on a floured piece of parchment paper. Then, I covered the dough with another piece of parchment paper and rolled it to a ⅛-inch thickness. Scraps may be rerolled and cut until all dough is used.
- Once I had rolled the dough, I cut it into 2 ½-inch rounds and transferred the cut dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- I baked the oatcakes in a preheated 325°F oven for about 24 minutes until they felt firm to the touch. I removed the oatcakes from the oven and transferred them to a wire rack to cool completely.
I ended up with 20 absolutely delicious Scottish Oatcakes. Yum!
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
The best oats to use in this recipe are Scottish oats. However, they may be difficult to find. You could also use steel-cut oats but would need to alter the recipe somewhat. I’ll explain this below in the Tips and Tricks. I’ve not tried this recipe with quick oats, so can’t comment on how they would work.
I’ve made this recipe with both ⅛-inch thickness and ¼-inch thickness. While both work, I prefer the thinner thickness. It’s really a matter of preference.
Store your oatcakes in an airtight container at room temperature. They should stay fresh for up to one week. You can also freeze them for longer storage – just be sure to separate the layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
These Scottish oatcakes are mildly nutty and earthy due to the use of oats as a primary ingredient. The flavor is predominantly savory. Their texture is a delightful combination of crisp and crumbly, making them the perfect base for various toppings.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- I highly recommend weighing the oats and the flour in this recipe. The reason is that different ways of measuring can yield different quantities.
- You can use the same weight of steel-cut oats as old-fashioned oats in this recipe, but you will need to alter the recipe somewhat. First, start with the steel-cut oats in the food processor and process for about two minutes to break up the steel-cut oats. Second, reduce the amount of water to three tablespoons. Then proceed with the remaining ingredients and directions.
- I’m not very good at judging the dough’s thickness when I’m rolling it out. Therefore, I like to use rolling pin thickness rings that fit on the ends of my rolling pin. I’ve had mine for years, and they come in 1/16-inch, ⅛-inch, ¼-inch, and ½-inch thicknesses. Just search for rolling pin thickness rings, and you’ll see a number of different options.
- When I’m rolling out most types of dough, I like to cover the dough with parchment paper. The parchment paper doesn’t stick to the dough and helps keep the rolling pin clean.
- I haven’t tried making these oat cakes with gluten-free flour. However, I suspect that gluten-free flour would work in this recipe.
Two Delicious British Toppings for Oatcakes
While there are many different toppings that would work well on these oatcakes, two British toppings come to mind. One that had its origins in Scotland is Seville Orange Marmalade. The other is Classic English Lemon Curd.
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Scottish Oatcakes (A Quick and Easy Snack)
Equipment
- Food Processor fitted with steel blade
Ingredients
- ½ cup (2.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt (See Tip 1)
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ⅓ cups (5 ounces) old-fashioned oats (See Tip 2)
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons, 2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup (2 ounces) hot water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Process flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a food processor fitted with a steel blade until well combined, about 4 pulses.
- Add oats to the food processor and pulse five or six times until the oats are coarsely chopped.
- Add melted butter and hot water. Pulse until the ingredients are moistened. The dough will be crumbly at this point.
- Gather the crumbly dough into a ball and place it on a floured surface. Cover the dough with parchment paper and roll to ⅛-inch thickness. Cut into 2 ½-inch rounds with a biscuit cutter and place cut oatcakes on the prepared baking sheet. Scraps may be rerolled and cut until all dough is used. (See Tip 3)
- Bake in a preheated 325°F oven for 24 to 25 minutes or until the oatcakes feel firm to the touch. Remove from the oven; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Yield: 20 Scottish Oatcakes. (See Tip 4)
Video
Tips/Notes
- May substitute table salt for fine sea salt.
- May substitute steel-cut oats for old-fashioned oats with the following changes: (1) start by processing the steel-cut oats in the food processor for 2 minutes; (2) reduce the amount of water to 3 tablespoons. Proceed as above.
- May cut the oatcakes to ¼ inch thickness if desired. The thicker oatcakes will not be as crispy, though.
- Store oatcakes in an airtight container for up to a week.
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