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Oatcakes are a Scottish pantry staple - crisp, crumbly and full of oaty goodness. Made with just a few simple ingredients, they're perfect for snacking, topping or serving alongside hearty meals.
I always bought oatcakes when I lived in Scotland, but since emigrating, they've been hard to come across (or expensive to buy) - so I started making my own. Many batches later, I finally had a recipe that reminded me of home.
Looking for more Scottish recipes? Try our Scotch Pancakes or our Tattie Scones.
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Reasons to Love This Recipe
- Easy recipe with simple ingredients
- Freezer friendly - great for batch cooking
- Perfect for lunchboxes
- Versatile - enjoy on their own or with sweet or savoury toppings.
Ingredient Information
- Oats: Use a mix of steel cut (pinhead) and rolled (old fashioned) oats, or if you can find Scottish Oatmeal, that's perfect. See "more about oats" section for more info.
- Butter: Adds richness, but can be replaced with oil for a dairy-free alternative.
- Salt: Optional, skip if making for a baby.
- Warm Water: To bind the dough together.
More About Oats
Every country seems to have their own selection and names for different varieties of oats, which can make oat recipes confusing. The type of oat you use affects the texture and outcome of your oatcakes.
Traditional Scottish oatcakes use Scottish oatmeal, which is oats ground to a coarse or medium texture. This isn't always easy to find outside Scotland, so I tested more common oats like rolled oats and steel-cut oats.
Here's what I discovered
- 100% steel cut (pinhead) oats (blended): Dough was crumbly but made textured oatcakes.
- 100% rolled (old fashioned) oats (blended): Easier to work with but softer, less textured oatcakes
- 50/50 steel cut and rolled oats (blended): Best texture and family favourite.
Step by Step Instructions (With Images)
- Blend Oats: Add oats to a food processor or blender and blitz until you have a coarse, flour-like consistency.
- Mix with Butter: In a mixing bowl add the ground oats and melted butter and gently mix until combined.
- Add warm water & knead: Gradually add water and mix until the oats absorb the liquid and a dough forms.
- Roll and cut: Roll the dough out on a floured surface to approx. 3mm (⅛ inch) thick. Use cookie cutters to cut into rounds (or preferred shape).
Serving Suggestions
The great thing about oatcakes is that they can be enjoyed in many different ways and at any time of the day. Enjoy them with sweet or savoury toppings, crumbled into soup or as part of a cheese board.
Some topping suggestion include
- Cottage Cheese Egg Salad
- Mashed Avocado and Tomato
- Peanut Butter & Raspberry Chia Jam
- Cream Cheese & Strawberry
- Hummus and Carrot
- Tuna Salad and Cucumber
- Butter, Cheese & Grape
- Cottage Cheese and Tomato
- Nut Butter, Banana and Cinnamon
Storage Instructions
Store homemade oatcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. For longer storage, you can freeze them - place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months.
Recipe FAQs
Oatcakes can be suitable for babies, 6months +, as long as your baby is developmentally ready for finger foods, and the recipe is appropriately modified.
For babies, it's important to make them softer, soft enough that they can be easily flattened between your fingers. For a baby I would suggest
- Rolling the dough thicker (around ¾ cm) to create a softer texture.
- Use only rolled oats for less textured oatcake.
- Skip the salt to keep sodium levels low
- Cut into finger to make them easier for baby to hold
- Try serving with sweet or savoury purees to dip into for added flavour and variety.
For informational purposes only - each baby develops at their own place. Make informed decisions for your baby and consult a professional for personalised advice. Always provide a safe eating environment and watch your baby closely while eating.
Oatcakes have a nutty, wholesome flavour and a dry, crumbly texture. They're savoury rather than sweet - so don't be fooled by the word "cake"! They aren't an indulgent treat, more a humble snack that pairs great with cheese, soup or spread of choice.
Oatcakes can vary in texture .They can be rough to fine, depending on they type and how the oats are ground. They can be slightly chewy, crumbly or crispy depending on water content, and how thick they are rolled out and how long they are bakes.
This recipe produces an oatcake that is crunchy with a medium to rough texture.
Gluten free - although oats are naturally gluten free, most commercial oats are processed in facilities that also process wheat, barley and rye. The gluten in these ingrediesnt can contaiminate oats. Make sure to buy gluten free oats if intolerant.
Dairy Free - You can replace butter with a different fat (eg olive oil or lard)
Cracker and Bite Recipes to Try
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Oatcakes
Ingredients
- 95g (½ cup) Steel Cut (Pinhead) Oats * SEE NOTE 1
- 95g ( 1 cup) Rolled (old fashioned) Oats
- ¼ tsp Salt (Optional)
- 28g (2 tbsp) Butter (melted) *SEE NOTE 2
- 75ml (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) Hot water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190℃ / 375℉
- Add the steel cut oats to a food processor and blend until you achieve a coarse flour-like consistency,(see picture above for video for illustration). *SEE NOTE 3
- Add the rolled oats to the blender and continue to blend until they also represent coarse flour.
- In a large bowl, mix together the blended oats and salt (if using). Add the melted butter and use your fingers to mix it through the oats until coated.
- Add the hot water and knead the mixture together. It will feel very wet, to begin with, but as you continue to mix the dough, the oats will absorb the water. Continue to knead until the mixture no longer feels sticky. *SEE NOTE 4
- Form into a ball, sprinkle the work surface with some extra blended oats (or flour) and roll out to approx 3mm (⅛inch) thick.
- Cut your oatcakes with a cookie cutter into your desired shape. *SEE NOTE 5
- Carefully place your oatcakes onto a baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes, until dry and lightly golden. (Turn oatcakes after 15 mins)
Video
Recipe Notes
- See above post for information on oats. The type of oats you use, and how much you blend them, will affect the texture of your oatcake. This was our preferred combination and ratio. If you decide to change the oats, replace them by weight (total weight 190g), as different oats yield different cup measurements.
- You can replace the butter with a different fat (e.g olive oil) to make dairy free.
- The steel cut oats take a while to break down, I blended mine for around 5 mins. The rolled oats break down very quickly.
- I used 75ml of water. If the dough is too dry and not rolling then you may have to add a little more, 1 teaspoon at a time.
- The pictured oatcakes were made using a circle cutter with a diameter of approx. 5.5 cm (2¼ inches). I have however successfully made smaller and larger ones too.
Richard R
The finished product was very good, I found the rolling out difficult and had to add the extra water. I made them about 3" which surely cut down on the quantity but that of course was expected. I have loved oat cakes since I was a child, believe me that was a long time age. These Oat cakes are great, I have to practice more, but they are what I remember. I will definitely be making more.
Thank You!
Amy
Thanks for your feedback, Richard. I'm so glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Lydia Giangregorio
These are perfect!! My mom and I have searched high and low for an oatcake recipe that rivaled the kind you can buy in the UK. We made using all gluten free oats for a gluten free oat cake, they came out crispy and delicious.
Amy
Thanks Lydia, I'm glad you stumbled across this recipe and enjoyed them.
Susan G.
What a great recipe. Followed the recipe exactly except I used the food processor to also mix/knead the dough. Tasty why to add oats to your diet!
Amy
Fantastic, thanks Susan 🙂
Sandi T
This recipe is spot on to my Mothers' but I didn't flip them after 15..I simply baked them for 27 min and they were great. Since having to go on a GERD diet for the past month and change, oats were recommended but I absolutely cannot stand the texture of oatmeal. Having one or two a day fits the fibre quota nicely and without the slimy texture of oatmeal 🙂
Wendy
Hi Amy - just to clarify - if I use all rolled oats I would measure 2 cups for this recipe in total? If I used all steel cut oats I would measure 1 cup for this recipe in total? Would the liquid or oil amounts change too? Thank you so much.
Amy
Hi Wendy, as long as you keep the weight of oats the same the liquid will stay the same. Do you have scales? You can use any ratio of oats as long as you total 190g. 🙂
Laura English
I am just making these for my baby (9 months to try) but how long will they keep for? Thank you
Amy
Hi Laura, you can store them in the freezer for up 2 months. 🙂
Beatrice S.
The oatcakes were delicious! Crunchy, wholesome, ever so slightly sweet- in short, perfectly oaty! I had two for my breakfast this morning: one with guacamole and tomato and the other with homemade almond butter and blueberries. Scrumptious! I am from England, so I can purchase these fairly easily but nothing beats homemade!
Amy
Sounds delicious Beatrice, thank you 🙂
Nancy Toran
Fabulous recipe!! Even better the 2nd day!! (My batch didn't last the whole 2nd day). I do think they need s bit more salt, but I'm a bit of a salt monster
Amy
Thanks Nancy, so glad you liked them 🙂
Nancy Toran
I ADORE THEM!! I also just realized that you out in the weight of the ingredients!! Yey!! I don't know how I missed that the first time!! I'm making another batch today because these divine oatcakes don't last more than 2 days in my house!! Thank you, thank you again dear lady!! ❤️❤️
JoAnne Arnold
1/4 t. salt made a very bland and flavorless oat cake. If I make them again I will add more salt.
Jane
Perfect oatcakes! One wee thing: I had a devil of a time re-rolling the scraps, they just wouldn't stick back together. Any tips? Bar that though, absolutely perfect as written! If I had a neater cutter, I could pass them off as Walkers.
Amy
Thank you Jane, I'm so happy you enjoyed them. I just gathered the scraps together and rolled out again for cutting. If too dry I'd try adding a drop of water to see if that helps. 🙂
Jill Weber
What are "blended" oats?
Amy
Hi Jill, this is just when the oats have been blitzed in a blender/food processor to a coarse flour-like consistency. The pictures were just a visual guide of what they looked like once blended. The recipe card is at the bottom of the post and gives all ingredients and steps. Thanks, Amy
Irene
Fantastic recipe, love the texture AND flavor. Used 1/2 olive oil 1/2 butter. I actually mixed them using the a dough hook, it worked great. I made them slightly thinner & therefore they took a little less time to bake, I just kept an eye on them to make sure they didn't get too brown. My friends love them as well. Thanks so much!
Amy
Great to know, thanks Irene 🙂
Martha Hayward-Mintz
Heads up and hello from America!
This recipe has a typo- it says "1/2 cup" steel cut and "1 cup" rolled, when they both should be 1/2 a cup. I made it without looking at the correct gram measurement and ended up with some very dry but flavorful hockey pucks. I'll change my review once I have a chance to make it properly, but if you follow the recipe as-is using the cup measurements you're going to be in for a surprise!
Amy
Hi Martha,
Thanks for your comment, I appreciate all feedback. Although I always recommend using weights for more accuracy the cup measurements detailed are correct (half a cup of steel cup oats weighs a lot more than half a cup of rolled oats). Before making this recipe had you ever tried Scottish Oatcakes? If you didn't read the whole post I have given a little information on the history of oatcakes and what to expect from them. I have also discussed oats in detail (as sometimes recipes don't translate from country to country) and I have added process shots. Did your dough look like mine? I'd love to know if you have more luck the next time you make them.
Gemma
Love making these - so easy! Today I made them with Harrissa spice, taste amazing!
Amy
Sound lovely, I'll have to try this 🙂
CJ Wu
We fell in love with oat cakes during peak bagging trips to Scotland. The daily mantra was “oatcakes, oatcakes, oatcakes for all”. These are easy and excellent. I’m rolling them a bit thicker. They travel better that way for me. Thanks a bunch!!!,
Amy
Oatcakes for all! Glad you enjoyed them 🙂
K N
I was very pleasantly surprised by this recipe. Very easy to make and the cakes are delicious! I portioned the mixed dough into balls and flattened them with a tortilla press rather than rolling them out and cutting circles. They worked great with both sweet and savory toppings. I might make them a little thicker next time as mine came out more like a cracker, but this is definitely a recipe I'll be making regularly.
Amy
Thank you! I love the idea of using a tortilla press!
Dara
Looking forward to making these! Can the mixing and kneading etc be done in the food processor too?
Amy
Hi Dara, I haven't actually tried and so can't say for sure. If trying, I'd switch to the plastic blade for the mixing. I hope it works!
Becka
Can’t wait to make these this weekend! Can they be frozen? How long would they keep in the refrigerator?
Amy
Hi Becka, the oatcakes freeze well and that is how I store them. I'm unsure how long they would last in the refrigerator, sorry.