Scottish Oatcakes
Scottish Oatcakes can easily be made in your kitchen and are naturally gluten free. Perfect for breakfast, brunch a snack or cheese platter.
You should really get to know Scottish oatcakes.
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What are Oatcakes?
Oatcakes are truly unique, not being a cake in any way, shape or form, and not really being what we would term a “cracker”. Oatcakes, which are made from ground oats, are in a class by themselves. If you’ve never tasted a real Scottish oat cake, put it on your culinary bucket list, or your baking list.
You can make them yourself using the recipe that follows (it is extremely easy using a food processor). However, you should know that not only are they really versatile and delicious, they are sugar free, gluten free and really quite nutritious, and healthy. They pair perfectly with cheeses, but also jam and butter. You can eat them with soups, too, like red lentil soup or cream of broccoli.
I’m a bit of a nut about oats and oatmeal, so check out how to make oatmeal (taste better).
I have seen recipe for “oatcakes” which are like soft pancakes, but they are NOT SCOTTISH OATCAKES; do not be misinformed.
This is my award-winning dessert recipe using oatmeal: sticky toffee porridge!
Scots are particularly passionate about our food (and drink), so I don’t want you to be confused about this traditional Scottish baked good.
What are Scottish Oatcakes Made of?
Scottish oatcakes are simple fare made of oats, lard (or butter or oil), a little leavening and water. They are easy to make at home.
Are Oatcakes Good for You?
Absolutely, oatcakes are very good for your health! Oatcakes are essentially almost all oats, which contain vitamin B1, B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, zinc and more minerals. You can read more about it on Nairns oatcakes website.
Try making porridge like a Scot using this delicious recipe!
You may also enjoy more of my Scottish recipes.
I usually just eat them with butter, and when using a really good quality butter. The flavor of the oatcakes is simply enhanced. Of course, they can also be served with jam, marmalade or honey, or alongside soup, or with cheese. They are savory, but can be sweetened with the topping you choose, so I hope you do choose to give them a try!
Scottish Oatcakes
adapted by Christina Conte from an old Scottish cookbook makes 1 dozen triangular oatcakes
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- steel cut/pinhead oatmeal (with a little extra for sprinkling on workspace, once ground)
- Kosher or sea salt
- butter (or lard) or (Miyoko’s) vegan butter for vegan oatcakes
- baking soda
- hot water
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)
Make the Dough
Place the oatmeal in a food processor and process until it has become like flour; a few hard pieces are fine. I love Hamlyn’s pinhead oats from Scotland.
Add the salt, butter, and baking soda and begin to process.
Then add the hot water through the feed tube.
Just add enough water until the mixture comes together.
Sprinkle some oatmeal flour on the workspace, and working quickly, divide the mixture in two.
Shape the Oatcake Dough
Roll out into a round shape, about 1/4″ thick and cut into sixths. Repeat with the second half.
You can trace around a plate for clean edges if you like. As you can see in the lower left photo below, I trimmed one and not the other. A large cake lifter is excellent for moving the oatcakes to the tray, as well as moving cakes.
Bake the Oatcakes
Place on a baking sheet (I use a silicone mat), and bake for about 20 minutes.
Allow to cool, then store in a tin.
You can warm them in the oven just before serving, or just as they are with butter, jam, or cheese. The slate board and old fashioned scale are both very Scottish props.
Aren’t they lovely?
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Christina's Scottish Oatcakes
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ c steel cut oatmeal pinhead oatmeal or oat flour
- ½ tsp Kosher or sea salt
- 1 oz butter or lard
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 4 Tbsp hot water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)
- Place the oatmeal in a food processor and process until it has become like flour; a few hard pieces are fine. If using oat flour, proceed to step 3.
- Add the salt, butter, and baking soda and begin to process.
- Then add the hot water through the feed tube on top until the mixture just comes together.
- Sprinkle some oatmeal flour on the workspace and working quickly, divide the mixture in two.
- Roll out into a round shape, about 1/4" thick and cut into sixths. Repeat with the second half.
- You can trace around a plate for clean edges if you like.
- Place on a baking sheet, and bake for about 20 minutes.
- Allow to cool, then store in a tin.
Notes
- Nutrition info using butter (not lard).
- You'll need a little extra oat flour for sprinkling on workspace.
- You can use Miyoko's vegan butter for vegan oatcakes.
- You can see from my photos the difference from trimming vs not trimming.
Nutrition
Not sponsored, I just love Hamlyns porridge!
Life in LA…
I was lucky with a shot of this little hummingbird as I was taking pictures of my oatcakes!
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My Brother and I were taking about a bakery we had in Pacific Grove CA. (Monterey county) ‘The Scotch Bakery’
Where as kids our Mom would take us to have Scottish Oat Cakes & OH how we *loved* them. I am So happy to have found this blog!
I really want to try this recipe because they looked exactly like these! However, I do remember a slight sweet taste – maybe I will add a little sugar? Thank you!
Hi Caitilin! I’m glad you found my blog, too! Yes, if you’d like your oatcakes a little sweet, just add a tiny bit of sugar, as they won’t need much. I prefer savory, which is why I shared this recipe-it’s more traditional. Enjoy, and let me know how they turn out! CC
I added 1.5 TBS of sugar as well as some sprinkles on top before baking. Perfect! I too had issues with my very old Cusinart (1988!) not being able to grind the Oats down, so I used my dry Vitamix canister and the oat mixture came out perfect!
I do notice another issue hoping you can help me with – one round comes out perfect the other kind of breaks up- any ideas would be helpful, too much water – not enough? Thank you so much
Hi Caitilin, yes, the VitaMix dry canister would be perfect! It is a crumbly mixture, but maybe a tiny bit more water might help. So glad you liked them though!! :)
Great recipe ,my fav
Thanks, Frances!
lovely oatcakes and looking yummy in photos
Thanks so much!
Thank you for the recipe. Had just made some little biscuit like things and tasted so addicting. Had some Scottish oats soaking for a day and added some lamb fat had saved and dribbled the batter into a skillet. Does it change if stir or work the dough or batter?
Thank you
Is rendered beef fat sold and what is it called?
Hi Lynn, I’m not sure if it does change the the texture if it’s worked into the dough. I’d give it a try. The beef fat is called lard. Good luck!
Pork fat is lard. Beef fat is tallow
Holy cow (no pun intended)! I can’t believe I wrote that, Robert! You are correct, and I know that, too. Must have still been partially asleep when I answered Lynn! Thank you! ;)
I thought it all was called lard and depended what stage of process called tallow. So then a different name when using the
fat from sheep ? Am saving when make soup from the sheep neck bones.
Thank you
Now that I don’t know, Lynn! I’ve actually never heard of using sheep’s fat, in fact if anything I don’t think it’s actually used.
I am crazy about oatcakes Christina. You know, after all those years I’ve never whizzed up the oatmeal in a mixer to make it lovely and smooth. I must try this next time – yours look so delicious!
They’re so easy to make, you’ll love them!
Thanks for this easy recipe! For some reason I couldn’t get my steel-cut oatmeal to grind small enough in my food processor (maybe the blades are getting dull?), so when I added the wet ingredients it created a lumpy, mushy mess. The next time I tried the recipe, I bought Bob’s brand oat flour and used 1 cup of that plus 1/3 cup of the processed steel-cut oats.
Were you using a really large food processor for a small amount of oats, ZD? Sometimes there’s not enough in the large bowl to work properly. If this is the case, I’d do a large amount of oats and just keep the unused flour for the next time you make them. Hope the second ones turned out better!
I made rye-cakes this morning, using your oatcakes recipe. Very tasty! I plan to buy oatmeal and make them again. (Here you can see my work today: http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_e19378ad0102uxzc.html I know it looks not tempting. I could not bake them as you do, because I just moved to China and no oven in my rental flat. Instead, I cooked them in a nonstick frying pan. It worked!) Thank you for the recipe sharing.
I looked at your blog and I’m sorry I can’t comment, because I can’t read what looks like Korean to me :( Thank you for letting me know and I’m so happy you liked the recipe! :) CC