The Testosterone Blueprint
Back to recipes

Homemade Scottish Oatcakes with Almond Butter

Crisp, nutty homemade Scottish oatcakes made with oats, olive oil, salt, water and a pinch of bicarbonate of soda, served with a spread of almond butter. A simple vegan snack with nearly a quarter of your daily magnesium in each serving.

Snack

40

Serves 6 (2 oatcakes each)

A stack of golden homemade oatcakes on a white cake stand, with oat stalks, a linen cloth and small jars of nut butter on a rustic wooden table

Ingredients

  • 200g/7oz medium oatmeal (about 1¼ cups; Scottish oatmeal in the US), or 200g/7oz/2½ cups rolled oats blitzed to a coarse meal (use oats labelled gluten-free if needed), plus a little extra for rolling
  • A quarter tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
  • Half a tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp (30ml) olive oil
  • About 100ml/scant ½ cup just-boiled water
  • 90g/3oz/6 tbsp smooth almond butter, to serve

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan, 375F) and line a baking tray (baking sheet) with baking paper (parchment paper).
  2. Mix the oatmeal, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a bowl. Add the oil and enough of the hot water to make a firm dough that holds together, mixing with a spoon. Leave for 2 minutes so the oats absorb the water.
  3. Dust the work surface with a little oatmeal and roll the dough out to about 5mm/¼in thick (it is easier between two sheets of baking paper). Cut into rounds with a 7cm/2¾in cutter, re-rolling the trimmings, to make about 12 oatcakes. Sprinkle a few oats on top and press them in lightly.
  4. Lay on the tray and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turning halfway, until firm and golden at the edges. Cool on a wire rack; they crisp up as they cool.
  5. Spread each oatcake with almond butter and serve 2 each. Plain oatcakes keep in an airtight tin for up to a week.

Why it works

Two oatcakes with almond butter give you about 5g of fibre and 8g of protein for 261 calories. Scottish oatcakes are traditionally made with nothing more than oatmeal, fat, salt and water.

Why the sleep tag, and its limits. A serving provides roughly 80 to 90mg of magnesium from the oats and almond butter, nearly a quarter of the 375mg daily reference intake. Magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue (an authorised health claim). Links between magnesium intake and sleep quality are reported in studies, but the effects are modest, so treat this as a sensible evening snack rather than a sleep remedy.

Are oats gluten-free? Oats themselves are naturally gluten-free but are often contaminated with wheat. Choose oats labelled gluten-free if you need to avoid gluten. A small number of people with coeliac disease also react to oats themselves, so check with your doctor or dietitian if you are unsure.

Getting them crisp. Roll the dough thinly and bake until the edges are golden. Oatcakes firm up as they cool, so do not worry if they feel slightly soft straight from the oven.

Not tagged for blood sugar, though with 20g of carbohydrate and plenty of fat and fibre they are a filling snack. Contains tree nuts (almonds) and oats (use certified gluten-free oats if needed). For other snacks, try the pumpkin seed oat bites or the gluten-free seed crackers.