These healthier seeded crunchies are adapted from my grandmother Betty’s best-ever crunchies recipe. They’re buttery and delicious, with the seeds adding amazing texture and taste. With wholesome oats and coconut, they feel indulgent yet nourishing. Made by hand in just one bowl, they’re perfect with tea or tucked into lunchboxes.
I didn’t think I could love crunchies more than the original, but these have become my favourite. I reduced the butter slightly and replaced some oats and coconut with seeds. I still wanted the signature buttery sweetness, though, and added a touch more salt to enhance the flavours and balance the sweetness.
Why You’ll Love This Healthier Seeded Crunchies Recipe
- Simple to make and quick to bake
- Packed with nutritious seeds and oats
- Easily adaptable to suit your taste
- Perfect for meal prep and snacks on the go
- Deliciously crispy or chewy, depending on how you bake them
What You’ll Need
- Flour (all-purpose or cake flour)
- Whole flaked oats
- Desiccated coconut
- Chia seeds
- Flaxseeds
- Sunflower seeds (raw)
- Pumpkin seeds (raw)
- Salt
- Salted butter
- White or light brown sugar
- Golden syrup or corn syrup
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Vanilla extract (optional)
How to Make Healthier Seeded Crunchies
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F and grease or line a 23cm x 33cm baking tray (or 20cm x 30cm for chewier crunchies).
- Mix flour, oats, coconut, seeds, and salt in a bowl.
- Melt butter, sugar, and syrup in a pot, stirring until combined and bubbling.
- Stir in bicarbonate of soda until it foams.
- Pour wet ingredients over dry and mix thoroughly.
- Press the mixture evenly into the baking tray.
- Place in the oven, then immediately reduce the heat to 160C/320F.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, covering with foil halfway through to prevent overbrowning.
- Allow to cool slightly before slicing into bars.
FAQs for Healthier Seeded Crunchies
Can I freeze these crunchies?
You can freeze crunchies in an airtight container or thoroughly wrapped for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature.
How do I get crunchier crunchies?
Bake for the full 25 minutes until golden brown. Bake for a further 3 – 5 minutes if they have not reached this stage. Keep a close eye, as crunchies can go from brown to burned very quickly. This is why I prefer to loosely cover the tray with tin foil from around 12 minutes into the baking time.
Can I reduce the sugar?
You can reduce the sugar slightly for a less sweet snack, but bear in mind that the sugar is what gives these crunchies their signature crunchy texture. You could also swap some of the sugar with honey if you prefer.
Substitutions & Variations
- Swap seeds for your favourites and use any seed you like in whatever ratio, just match the total weight of 135 grams. Sesame seeds or hemp seeds work well. Note that if you only use bigger seeds, such as sunflower and pumpkin, this could cause the crunchies to be more crumbly, as the smaller flax and chia seeds incorporate into the mixture very well.
- Replace butter with coconut oil or margarine for a dairy-free/ vegan option.
- Add dried fruit, such as raisins, cranberries or dates for extra sweetness (this will prevent the crunchies from getting very crispy).
Storage Instructions
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
- For long-term storage, freeze and defrost as needed.
More Biscuits and Bar Recipes
Try a few more of my delicious biscuits, cookies and bar recipes.
This recipe makes 16 big or 24 smaller crunchies.
- 120 grams flour – all-purpose or cake flour
- 150 grams whole flaked oats
- 60 grams of desiccated coconut
- 35 grams of chia seeds
- 30 grams of flaxseeds
- 35 grams of sunflower seeds raw
- 35 grams of pumpkin seeds raw
- ¼ tsp salt
- 200 grams salted butter
- 190 grams of white or light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp golden syrup or corn syrup
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
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Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease or line a large 23cm x 33 cm (9 inch x 13 inch) baking tray with parchment paper. This will make a thinner and slightly crispier crunchies. To make thicker, chewier crunchies use a smaller tin or around 30cm x 20cm (or equivalent).
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To a large bowl, add the flour, oats, coconut, seeds and salt and give this a good mix.
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In a medium-sized pot, melt the butter. Then add the sugar and the golden syrup. Mix until it is well combined and the butter is bubbling. Add the bicarb and stir mix continuously until it foams up into a mallow-like texture.
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Immediately pour this into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until all traces of the flour are incorporated.
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Decant this into the lined baking sheet and spread out. Press the mixture down to create an even layer.
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Put the tray in the oven and then immediately turn the oven down to 160C/320F. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Cover the tray with foil from about 10 – 13 minutes into the prevent overbrowning. If the crunchies are not golden brown, particularly around the edges, then bake for a few more minutes until they are. To make very crispy crunchies, you will want to bake on the longer side, and for chewier ones, you will bake them on the shorter side.
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Remove and allow the tray to cool on a cooling rack.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
- For long-term storage, freeze and defrost as needed.
Sam Linsell is a 3 x cookbook author, food stylist and photographer.
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