BAKE: Homemade Herb & Cheese Oatcakes
- Herb & Cheese Oatcake Ingredients
- Kitchen Equipment Needed
- How to Make Homemade Oatcakes
- Storage Instructions & Make-Ahead Tips
These homemade herb and cheese oatcakes are a simple little nibble that’s perfect to keep around for snacking… except I can’t seem to “keep them” around (a little mouse keeps eating them all. It’s me, I’m the mouse). They’re packed with whole grain oats, wholesome sharp cheese, a bit of butter, and lightly seasoned with thyme, sea salt, and cracked black pepper.
You’ll love these hobbity little snacks on a cheese plate or charcuterie board, to nosh on with tea or cocktails or at your next picnic, or to stash in your rucksack and take on a trek with you (whether an easy stroll in a local park, or walking all the way to Mordor… you do you). Pair them with some fig jam, coriander & salted caramel pear butter, spiced pear chutney, or cranberry mustard.
Whether the shire you yearn for is in Middle-earth, Midlothian, or the Midlands, you should probably make some herb & cheese oatcakes to take you there (even if only in your imagination). Or, just because they’re damn delicious!
Herb & Cheese Oatcake Ingredients
Oats:
Scottish oatcakes are traditionally made with either pinhead oats (similar to steel-cut oats) or “oatmeal”… which does not mean the same thing as oatmeal in the US. You can also find many variations and it can get a bit confusing! For this oatcake recipe, we’re starting with old-fashioned rolled oats, which are easy to find almost everywhere. We’re going to roughly grind half of them (this is quick and easy with a food processor, or you can do it in batches in a blender).
Oats are very nutritious, and rich in soluble fiber, minerals, and slowly-digesting starch which can leave you feeling full longer. Perfect to fuel your grueling trek to Mordor or just to make it from tea to dinner without tummy rumbling (or from breakfast to second breakfast and then to elevenses)?
Cheese:
A sharp white cheddar is fantastic in these, but you can use other hard melty cheeses if you prefer. A nutty Emmental, Gruyere, or Jarlsberg would be terrific.
Butter:
I baked these with salted butter. If you only have unsalted butter, you may want to add a pinch more salt. The butter adds flavor, tenderness, and most importantly, is what makes these bake up into crisp little crackers.
Water:
Boiling water will soak into the oats and melt the cheese to make a soft, workable dough. It will seem too wet, but will soak up the excess water during the brief resting period before rolling it out, so don’t panic when it looks very stick.
Seasoning:
I’ve kept these very neutral with just some dried thyme leaves, freshly cracked black pepper, and Himalayan pink salt. These go well with sweet or savory conserves & jams, soft cheeses, and fruit. You can also vary the seasonings if you like. Rosemary and lemon zest would be nice, or garlic, sundried tomato powder, and basil with parmesan cheese… you can get creative with this base formula, but try the thyme ones first!
Kitchen Equipment Needed
food processor, blender, or grain mill:
It’s hard to find “oat meal” that isn’t just rolled oats in the US. For this oatcake recipe, we use all rolled oats, but roughly grind half of them in a food processor, blender, or grain mill. This gives a nice whole grain, rustic texture to these oatcakes, and they hold together nicely and make an easy to handle dough. If you have a source for coarsely milled oat flour, you could substitute that for half of the rolled oats.
rolling pin & round or shaped cutters:
To get thin, uniform cakes, you’ll want a rolling pin, dowel, or wine bottle to roll these out. A bench scraper or thin spatula is also very helpful. I used a 2″ flower cutter for most of my oatcakes, along with a small round biscuit cutter. You can cut these out into fanciful shapes with small cookie cutter or use a floured juice glass or jelly jar if you don’t have small round or shaped cutters. Stick to shapes that are no more than 4″ though, as larger cakes will burn on the edges before drying out and baking through in the centers.
cookie sheets or half-sheet pans and liners:
I like to bake my cookies on half sheet pans with silicone liners. Parchment paper works great too! If you have non-stick pans, you can use those instead, or use a bit of butter or pan spray on regular pans to make sure that your cookies don’t stick.
How to Make Homemade Oatcakes
step one:
- Unless you have a source for oat flour, coarsely grind about half of your rolled oats until they’re broken up and floury. You can do this in a food processor, in small batches in a blender, or with a grain mill if you have one.
- Grate your cheese and melt the butter, and bring a kettle to a boil with at least a cup of water.
step two:
- In your food processor (or a mixing bowl or stand mixer with paddle attachment) combine the oat flour, rolled oats, salt, pepper, and herbs and pulse or stir a few times to mix.
step three:
- Add the grated cheese and pulse two or three times or fold and mix lightly again.
- Pour in the melted butter and pulse just until combined.
step four:
- Add the boiling water (carefully) while mixing just until incorporated. The dough will be wet, sticky, and coarse, but will thicken and become easier to handle as it soaks up the water.
- Let the dough rest, covered, for 3-5 minutes to absorb the water.
step five:
- Preheat the oven to 350 ℉ & line two half sheet pans with silicone liners, parchment paper, or baking spray.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (use more oat flour for gluten free oatcakes, or whole wheat or regular flour if you prefer). A silicone mat works well but you can also use a clean countertop or dough board.
step six:
- Pat the dough out into a rough rectangle, then roll it out. I like to make these thin and cracker-like, about 1/4″ thick, but you can make thicker oatcakes if you prefer.
step seven:
- Using a small round or shaped cookie cutter, cut out your oatcakes and transfer them to a baking sheet (spray the baking sheet or line it with a silicone mat). Use a thin spatula or bench scraper to lift and move the oatcakes if they are stuck to the surface and to keep from tearing them.
step eight:
- Bake the oatcakes until the cheese is lightly browning and they are beginning to toast around the edges. They will crisp up more as they cool.
Storage Instructions & Make-Ahead Tips
These are delicious while still warm from the oven, but will keep in an airtight tin or container for a week or three (I’ve never had them last that long without getting eaten, though… they might keep longer!).
Make sure they are completely baked through, dry, and cooled before storing them. If you put them away warm, the condensation will make them soggy and more likely to spoil.
You can also freeze them for longer storage, and warm them gently in the oven or a toaster before serving to crisp them up, or just let them thaw and enjoy.
Homemade Herb & Cheese Oatcakes
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups rolled oats (divided- grind 1 ¾ cups)
- 4 oz sharp white cheddar (or other hard melting cheese) about 1 cup, grated
- ¾ tsp sea salt (use 1 tsp for unsalted butter)
- ½ tsp thyme leaves
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 5 tbsp butter (melted) 2 ½ oz
- ¾ cup boiling water
Instructions
- Unless you have a source for oat flour, coarsely grind about half of your rolled oats until they’re broken up and floury. You can do this in a food processor, in small batches in a blender, or with a grain mill if you have one.
- Grate your cheese and melt the butter, and bring a kettle to a boil with at least a cup of water.
- In your food processor (or a mixing bowl or stand mixer with paddle attachment) combine the oat flour, rolled oats, salt, pepper, and herbs and pulse or stir a few times to mix.
- Add the grated cheese and pulse two or three times or fold and mix lightly again.
- Pour in the melted butter and pulse just until combined.
- Add the boiling water (carefully) while mixing just until incorporated. The dough will be wet, sticky, and coarse, but will thicken and become easier to handle as it soaks up the water.
- Let the dough rest, covered, for 3-5 minutes to absorb the water.
- Preheat the oven to 350 ℉. Line two half sheet pans with silicone liners, parchment paper, or baking spray.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (use more oat flour for gluten free oatcakes, or whole wheat or regular flour if you prefer). A silicone mat works well but you can also use a clean countertop or dough board.
- Pat the dough out into a rough rectangle, then roll it out. I like to make these thin and cracker-like, about 1/4″ thick, but you can make thicker oatcakes if you prefer.
- Using a small round or shaped cookie cutter, cut out your oatcakes and transfer them to a baking sheet (spray the baking sheet or line it with a silicone mat). Use a thin spatula or bench scraper to lift and move the oatcakes if they are stuck to the surface and to keep from tearing them.
- Bake the oatcakes about 30-35 minutes until the cheese is lightly browning and they are beginning to toast around the edges. They will crisp up more as they cool. The actual baking time will vary with the size and thickness that you made your cakes (smaller or thinner shapes will bake faster, larger or thicker cakes will take longer to bake through).