Highland Oatcakes

Name: Highland Oatcakes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Scottish
Ingredients: 150 g coarse oatmeal; 100 g medium oatmeal; 40 g Unsalted butter; 120 ml boiling water; 0.5 tsp Fine sea salt; 0.25 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 0.5 tsp clear honey; 25 g fine oatmeal

Crisp, wholesome Scottish Highland oatcakes made with coarse oatmeal, butter, and hot water. Perfect paired with mature cheddar cheese, hearty soups, or smoked salmon.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· Highlands

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 35 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 210 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

150 g coarse oatmeal — rough stoneground Scottish oatmeal
100 g medium oatmeal — ground Scottish oatmeal
40 g Unsalted butter — diced, or substitute beef dripping
120 ml boiling water — freshly boiled from the kettle
½ tsp Fine sea salt — for seasoning
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda — for a light, crisp texture
½ tsp clear honey — heather honey preferred
25 g fine oatmeal — for dusting the work surface

Equipment

•Baking tray
•Rolling pin
•7cm round cutter
•Mixing bowl
•Wire cooling rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 210 kcal
fat: 9 g
carbs: 26 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 5 g
calories: 210 kcal

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2
Combine the coarse oatmeal, medium oatmeal, salt, and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl.
3
Melt the diced butter and honey in the boiling water inside a small heatproof jug.
4
Pour the hot buttery liquid directly into the oatmeal mixture.
5
Stir briskly with a wooden spoon until a soft, warm dough gathers together.
6
Dust a clean work surface liberally with fine oatmeal.
7
Turn out the dough and roll it out gently to five millimetres thickness.
8
Cut rounds using a seven-centimetre cutter and place them onto the baking tray.
9
Bake for eighteen to twenty minutes until edges are crisp and lightly toasted.
10
Transfer the oatcakes onto a wire rack to cool and crisp up completely.

Chef's tips

Work quickly while the dough is still warm, as oatmeal absorbs water rapidly and crumbles if allowed to cool. If the dough breaks apart during rolling, simply work in an extra teaspoon of boiling water.

Ingredient substitutions

unsalted butter → rendered beef dripping or lard for a deeper, traditional savoury note
coarse oatmeal → rolled porridge oats pulsed briefly in a food processor

Storage

Keep in an airtight metal biscuit tin at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Reheating

Warm on a baking tray in a low oven at 150°C for five minutes to restore crispness if exposed to humidity.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Letting the dough cool down before rolling, which causes the edges to crack severely.
•Rolling the dough too thickly, which makes the oatcakes chewy instead of snappy and crisp.
•Using entirely fine flour or instant oats, losing the signature rough Highland texture.

Serving suggestions

Serve with sharp Scottish mature cheddar and red onion marmalade.Enjoy alongside a piping-hot bowl of Scotch broth or potato soup.Top with crowdie (a fresh, soft Scottish curd cheese) and smoked salmon.