Oaty ginger slice
(Click here for the gluten-free version)
I found the recipe for this slice hand-written over 15 years ago in our family recipe book, way before the internet was around. I’ve since discovered the original version was Jo Seagar’s recipe – an amazing Kiwi cooking icon to be admired! There are a few versions of it floating around now, this is my slightly tweaked one. Somewhere between ANZAC and ginger crunch, it really is the most gorgeous recipe – super easy to make and a little too easy to eat, as well.
Base
150g butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
3/4 cup plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 cups whole oats
3/4 cup desiccated coconut
Icing
125g butter
3 tbsp golden syrup
5 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 – 2 cups icing sugar, sifted
Method
Preheat the oven to 180c. Line a 32cm x 22cm slice tin with baking paper.
Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a large saucepan over a medium heat, stirring gently to combine. Remove from the heat.
Sift the flour, baking powder and ginger into the pan with the buttery mixture. Add the oats and coconut, and stir to combine. Press the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth out with your fingers, or the back of a spoon. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and leave in the tin.
To make the icing, gently melt the butter and golden syrup in a saucepan over a medium heat. Remove from the heat and sift in the ginger and icing sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine to form a thick, smooth icing. Tip on to the warm slice and press out flat. Leave in the tin to cool then cut into slices. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week (a ludicrous notion – I bet it won’t last 2 days).
Hi Chelsea
This recipe is delicious but any idea why my base crumbles and falls apart?? Thanks
This is just so good – we ate a ginger crunch down in the South Island recently that was made with rice flakes and nuts in the base so I’ve added some rice flakes to your gluten free recipe and it’s just delicious. Thanks Chelsea.
Wonderful! x
Such a great recipe, have used it for years and making tonight for a work pink fundraising bake sale for breast cancer tomorrow. Love it!
I’m finding the icing cracks when I cut it, doesn’t have nice smooth edges. Any tips, thanks
A hot knife could work! x
Our family absolutely loved this. Will this freeze ok?
Yes, in an airtight container! x
Lovely recipe; I used Nuttelex in place of butter and gluten-free plain flour, but otherwise changed nothing. I made a triple batch of the biscuit base and a quadruple batch of the ginger icing, and baked the base at 180C for 30 minutes. It was well received at the work do, although I do wonder how fondly New Zealand likes their ginger- the icing hits like a fist! :D
Amazing! x
I have made this beautiful slice many times and absolutely love it! Today I got distracted while doing the icing and my butter seems to have separated and is sitting on top. Help! Is there anyway to save this Chelsea?
It could have gotten too warm. Chill it for a little bit a rewhip x
Best oaty ginger slice recipie!! All time fave
Thank you x
Love this recipe, thank you so much! Just wondering – I have a bit of trouble with the icing, not quite sure what I am doing wrong?! The butter doesn’t seem to mix into the icing and pools on top / splits out…any tips??
You may need to add more icing sugar until it mixes into a smooth paste
Could you substitute GF Flour for the flour if you are happy to have rolled oats.
There is now a GF version linked on the recipe page x
Hi chelsea.
Just wondering if i make half the mixture, will it still work out? X
Yes, but use a smaller tin too x
Oh my goodness, this is amazing!!
I have made this so many times and love it!! Every time I make it for people it’s always a hit. This second lockdown has caused me to make it way too much ????????
My eldest daughter & grandson were part of our bubble. She made this during lockdown. It was delicious and needless to say was consumed fairly quickly ❤
Wow this is so good our fam loved it we put it is our school lunch boxes and it is gone by the time we get home
My family and I are huge ginger lovers so I had to more than double the ground ginger in the icing to really get that proper ginger kick. The base is so yummy, much better than the classic crunch base.
Tried this yesterday at my friends house. Can’t get it out of my mind.
Beautiful. The oats just make it.
Perfect.
Thank you! x
super yummy recipe used it heaps and all ways goes rite
This looks amazing! I’m going to make it to take on our camping holiday (will be stored in the fridge)
If I double the recipe will it alter the cooking time?
Hi Chelsea, I didn’t read all the comments, but another variant for the icing is to whip it and make it like a butter cream, its a sort of pale creamy colour and if whipped can make the topping quite high and gives another texture to the mix. One of our all time classics x
Hi Chelsea
I think this receipt or a similar version has been around in country Womens receive books long before Jo Seagar. My grandmother had it and she was born the same year as the Queen mother.
Dale
Thanks for this fabulous easy recipe! Made it this morning and it turned out perfect! I will add this to my list of best chelsea recipes, along with your pork belly recipe!
I love that your recipes are easy to follow and reliable, the end product is always as great as you say it will be.
Hi, just wondering if you think it’s possible to substitute coconut oil for butter in this to make it dairy free?
You could try nuttelex or olivani x
Hi Chelsea
Beautiful base. I have tried the icing twice and when I have put the wet ingredients with the dry it has a split look – the butter separates. Can you give me some advice please? The icing looks so good on yours I want to succeed!
Try to not heat the butter too hot x
Made this for round 1 of a bake-off competition at work today and it was a huge hit! So delish and lots of people have asked for the recipe. It was really easy to make too and sliced beautifully. I am through to the finals – so thank you!!!
Absolutely gorgeous recipe Chelsea – I think one of the sections at Christchurch Central Police is fueled predominantly by this slice! Definitely the most requested for the regular section shouts I end up doing for my partner.
Hi Chelsea,
This happens to be my favourite slice recipe. I frequently make as a treat for friends and family.
We all love it. :)
Hi is this recipe only online or is it in one of the cookbooks :)
You can find Oaty Ginger Crunch in At My Table or a Ginger Slice in Supergood x
This recipe is so delicious I’ve made it three times in three days and I’m not even a ginger fan! I was looking for a recipe with oats for a family member who’s just given birth who likes ginger. I chopped up most of it to take it into her and we ate the left overs. Hubby asked me to make more the next day for a shared morning tea at his work and then everyone who tried it wants more! I’m so glad I found your recipe.
Awesome Tanya, thanks :)
Chelsea, seems like that icing has twice as much icing sugar than needed? It works well with 1.5 cups.
Dave
Hi Chelsea,
This is an awesome recipe and my mother-in-law just LOVED it. She is not of the internet generation and was wondering if this recipe is in any of your cookbooks, and if so, which one please?
Thanks
Yes, its in At My Table :)
Searched around online to find a ginger crunch recipe just like my nana used to make – tried your recipe with the oats, and it is even better! I now make this ginger crunch every other week for the girls school lunches (well, with the ‘intention’ of it being for the school lunches) – lucky if it lasts 2 days!! Thanks for sharing xx
Can an elderly person eat it ?, just wondering because i want to make it for my grandmother.
Thanks.
I don’t see why not!
Hi Chelsea,
This recipe looks amazing. To make it dairy free, how much olive oil should I use? Thank you.
Best to use a dairy free spread in the same quantities as the butter x