Scotch Teas
By Kath Dedon
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How about a quick treat that’s perfect for tonight’s dessert or tomorrow’s lunch box? Scotch Teas are made with only 5 ingredients….and you probably already have them at home!
My mom used to make Scotch Teas when she wanted to make a quick cookie. I’m not sure of the exact origin of her recipe, but my notes say that it’s from a pre-1946 Better Homes & Gardens cookbook.
With butter, brown sugar, and rolled oats for the main ingredients, Scotch Teas deliver rich, delicious flavor for very little effort. Enjoy!
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Update (4/8/13): I made these again yesterday using King Arthur’s maple sugar instead of brown sugar. They were delicious and quickly gobbled up after dinner last night. Which is unfortunate, because I would have dearly enjoyed one with my morning coffee today!
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Scotch Teas
(Adapted from one of my mom’s recipes, attributed to an old Better Homes & Gardens recipe)
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(Made with gluten free rolled oats, Scotch Teas can be enjoyed on a gluten-free diet.)
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Makes 16 – 20 squares
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½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar (or 1 cup maple sugar)
2 cups rolled oats (regular oatmeal, not quick-cooking) quick-cooking oats
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
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1. Preheat the oven to 350˚.
2. Melt the butter in a pan.
3. Add the brown sugar, and stir until it is dissolved and well-blended.
4. Stir in the oats, salt, and baking powder.
5. Spread in an 8×8-inch baking pan.
6. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, until lightly browned.
7. Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes; cut into squares while still warm. Allow to cool completely before serving.
In the kitchen with Kath 
Yum! These might not be good for my diabetes, but they definitely look tasty! I’m imagining them with either white chocolate chips or raisins or dried cranberries, too. Mostly that last one, my current favorite indulgence.
I’ve never tried adding anything to the cookies, Wendy, but I bet your suggestions would be great!
These look really good, I can’t wait to make them. Unfortunately I don’t have oats on hand, but they are going on the shopping list right now. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Hope you enjoy them, Jess!
You would be right! I do have all those ingredients. Love these kind of recipes. I’m making these TONIGHT!!!
Don’t you love it when you have everything you need for a recipe?
These taste like the crisp on apple crisp! Deelish! 🙂
Thanks, Laura! Glad you liked them! 🙂
These look delicious. I love oatmeal treats – yum!
I haven’t had these in years. Yours look wonderful and I know they are delicious. I’d love to have one with tea or coffee. I hope you have a great weekend. Blessings…Mary
These look fantastic!
these may not be good for my hips, but I’m sure they’ll be good for my appetite! you can never go wrong with butter and sugar.
We call these “flapjacks” here in the UK. Your recipe does looks very yummy though so I think I’ll try it!
I can’t tell you how excited I am to find this recipe! I made these constantly as a teenager nearly 20 years ago from one of my mother’s old BHG cookbook “encyclopedia” sets (I’ll admit that many times I made them to impress a guy I liked who thought these bars were one of the tastiest thing he’d ever eaten 😉 ) I moved off to college without copying the recipe and mom got rid of the books while I was away. I’ve been looking for this recipe ever since! Can’t wait to make them again and see if my husband likes them as much as my former crush 🙂
Bran, I hope this recipe turns out to be the one you were searching for. It really is good! It’s so fun to rediscover old family favorites, isn’t it?
Hmmm, I love flapjacks!! My recipe is similar, but I usually add a bit of ground ginger and lemon zest. I think I will have to make some soon 🙂
I have a recipe very similar to this passed down from my Grandmother. The recipe is identical to the recipe you’ve posted here, however in my recipe you sprinkle semi-sweet chocolate chips over the baked oat bars and allow them to melt as the bars cool. Once the chocolate is melted, you spread it evenly over the bars and sprinkle chopped walnuts on top. Cut into small squares and then place the pan in the fridge to set the chocolate topping. Once the chocolate is set, remove from the refrigerator and remove squares from the pan. This is a delicious recipe that I make every Christmas for my family. I’ve always wondered where my Grandmother got this recipe, and I’m fairly certain now that this recipe must be a variation of the Scotch Teas recipe found in the BHG cookbook. Thank you for sharing!
That just sounds like a fantastic variation, JSH! Thanks for sharing!
Kathdedon, I used to make these as a teenager for my little siblings. They are sooo good! What was the ratio you used for the molasses? That sounds wonderful, tasty and healthier.
I’m not sure I understand your question about molasses, Brigitte. My mom always used brown sugar. I substituted 1 cup of maple sugar for the brown sugar. It can be found at well-stocked grocery stores in my area, but I really like King Arthur’s. http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/maple-sugar-8-oz
I’ll bet you were the favorite sister! 🙂
I grew up on these and just recently started making them again-they’re so good! I have trouble cutting them , though. I follow the directions to the letter, yet I always end up with more crumbs than squares! Frustrating! Does it matter if I use dark as opposed to light brown sugar?
They are a bit fragile, Austin. I find it’s easiest to cut them while they’re still warm. I let them cool in the pan for about 15 minutes and then cut them into squares. I then let them cool completely before removing them from the pan.
Made another batch using a stick of margarine instead of butter, and light brown sugar instead of dark – Success!!!! I really think it’s the sugar – I don’t think the dark melts properly, and that’s why it just crumbled. Who knew!?!
So interesting! Thanks for letting me know. I actually use maple sugar because my husband has a sensitivity to cane sugar (white or brown), and it works well.