Nova Scotia Oatcakes

4.62 from 47 votes

These Cape Breton-style Nova Scotia oatcakes are thin and crisp, just like the ones you’ll find along the western coast of the Island.

Prep Time15

Cook Time16

Total Time31

Course: Cookies & Bars

Cuisine: Nova Scotia

Servings: servings

Calories: 123kcal

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
Place the rolled oats in a food processor or high-speed blender. Pulse up to 10 times to break the oats down slightly. Do not grind them into a fine powder.
Transfer the oats to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir on low speed with the paddle attachment until well combined.
Use your fingers to pinch the shortening into small pieces, adding them directly to the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until the shortening is well distributed and the mixture is coarse and crumbly.
With the mixer running on low speed, slowly drizzle in the cold water. Continue mixing on low until a soft dough forms and begins to clean the sides of the bowl.
Lightly flour a countertop or sturdy surface. Shape the dough into a disc, place it on the floured surface, and sprinkle it with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough as thin as possible without tearing, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Use a clean, empty SPAM tin to cut out 16 oatcakes, re-rolling the scraps once. Arrange them in 4 rows of 4 on the prepared baking sheet. They won’t spread, so it’s fine to place them close together—just don’t let them touch.
Bake the oatcakes for 16 to 18 minutes or until pale golden on the edges and bottoms. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

These oatcakes can be served sweet or savoury.
I’ve also tested this recipe using all butter and a mixture of half butter and half shortening. The all-shortening version in the recipe card tastes the most like traditional Cape Breton oatcakes.
Using a clean SPAM tin as a cookie cutter gives the oatcakes their signature shape.
When cutting the oatcakes, you must wiggle the tin slightly to get a clean cut.

Store fully cooled oatcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you want to freeze them, place them in a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before serving.