The crunchiness of Anzac Biscuits goes back to the roots of when they were invented – by soldiers’ wives who needed a biscuit recipe that would stay fresh for the months that it would take to reach soldiers overseas back in the early 1900’s.
The warm sweetness from the golden syrup combined with the wholesome goodness of oats and coconut is a flavour that is unique to this crunchy Australian biscuit!
Anzac Biscuits
Australia’s favourite biscuit! We love them for their buttery caramel flavour, how crunchy they are, that it’s a forgiving recipe and the history – this is a biscuit that Aussies make to commemorate ANZAC Day.
“ANZAC” stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. And ANZAC Day – 25 April 1915 – is Australia’s most important national occasion each year, marking the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War during which we suffered heavy casualties.
It is said that the wives of soldiers came up with the original Anzac Biscuits using ingredients such that the biscuits stayed fresh for the weeks it took to reach the soldiers overseas. I’m told that the original Anzac biscuits were as hard as a rock, so hard in fact that some soldiers would grind them up and use them as porridge.
I think Anzac biscuits as we know them today are much more to my liking! 😅
Here’s what you need (not much!)
Golden syrup
The only ingredient that might not be familiar to those outside of Australia and the UK is golden syrup. It’s an amber coloured syrup with the consistency of honey, and it has a toffee flavour. It has a bit of a harsh edge to the flavour so I only use it for baking, though some people use it in place of maple syrup for things like pancakes.
Best substitute for golden syrup is a combination of light molasses or treacle, plus honey. I use 1 part molasses or treacle, and 3 parts honey – the flavour is nearly identical, and the colour is very similar (a bit darker).
How to make Anzac biscuits
The making part is very straight forward – melt butter with golden syrup, add the baking soda then mix it into the dry ingredients. Roll into balls, flatten and bake!
Should Anzac biscuits chewy or crisp??
Apparently, the question of whether Anzac biscuits should be crisp or chewy is a topic of huge debate. 🤷🏻♀️
In my world, there’s no question. Anzac biscuits should be crispy, crispy, crispy!!! Just like the original created by the soldiers’ wives over a century ago! 🙂
But actually, if you want chewy it’s very simple – just reduce the bake time by a few minutes.
See? Anzac biscuits for all! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Anzac Biscuits (Golden Oatmeal Cookies)
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup desiccated coconut , unsweetened
- 3/4 cup white sugar , preferably caster / superfine
- 150g / 5oz unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp golden syrup (Note 1)
- 1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate soda)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan forced)
- Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
- Mix dry: Mix flour, oats, coconut and sugar in a bowl.
- Melt butter and golden syrup: Place butter and golden syrup in a saucepan over medium high heat and stir until butter has melted.
- Baking soda: Add baking soda and stir to combine – it will fizz up, this is normal. Immediately remove from heat.
- Biscuit dough – Pour butter mixture into flour and mix until just combined. The mixture will be crumbly but should stick when you press together.
- Form patties – Scrunch / press 1 tablespoon of the mixture into balls, then flatten into patties. (Thinner = crisper, thicker = chewier centre, crispy edges) Place balls, 2.5 cm/1" apart, on prepared trays.
- Bake for 15 minutes, swapping trays halfway during cooking, or until deep golden. (Bake 12 min for chewy biscuits!)
- Cool to crisp – Stand on trays for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool – they harden as they cool!
Recipe Notes:
- 1 tbsp light molasses + 3 tbsp honey or light corn syrup
- 1 tbsp treacle + 3 tbsp honey or light corn syrup
Nutrition Information:
Anzac biscuits originally published July 2014, refreshed in 2019 and 2020. Updated with new photos, new video and most importantly, Life of Dozer section added! No change to recipe.
More must-try biscuit and cookie recipes!
Life of Dozer
When you watch my recipe videos, just know that Dozer is always just out of the frame!
Sad to see no NZ flag in your photos 🙁
Ordered! 🙂 N x
Thanks so much, Nagi xx They will also come in handy when you post a Pavlova recipe 😉 😉
Done! YEARS ago! https://promotown.info/pavlova-recipe/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Sorreee Carol! I don’t have a NZ flag. I will order some online right now so I have them for next year ❤️ N x
Hi! just wanted to know how to substitute golden syrup? Can I just use honey alone? I don’t get molasses or corn syrup.
Dear Nagi, please do not be offended by this comment — ANZAC is spelt with all capital letters as it stands for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps.
Anzac is considered disrespectful. Love your recipes – Alan
Alan, I honestly had no idea. In all the reading I have done in my time, I have never come across that. So Anzac Day should actually be ANZAC Day?? What about ANZAC biscuits??
Nagi, so to make golden syrup, we just need to mix molasses and honey or do we need to boil them together?
Hi Mita! Just plonk them straight into the saucepan with the butter 🙂 No need to mix them or boil them separately beforehand! Just made a batch today with molasses – so good! N x
Best Anzac biscuits I have tasted. I don’t like them chewy and these crisp delights are exactly what I like. Many thanks for sharing your great recipe.
Woah! you made them so quickly!! So glad you enjoyed it Chris – N x
I am sorry Nagi, but for me, ANZAC biscuits should be chewy, because that is the way I love them! But it is certainly a topic of hot debate, and I can respectfully agree to disagree!
Interestingly, ANZAC biscuits are the highest possible value treat for my dogs when I train them. So much sugar that they only get tiny bits and only occasionally, but still, they are like an illicit drug for dogs.
Ha! Let’s agree to disagree!!! I am such an advocate of CRISPY that if they lose crispiness after a week or so, I put them back in the oven to recrisp!! Dozer rates anything sweet VERY highly. I wish he held carrots in such high regard 😂
Nagi,
For overseas folk. These biscuits have to be called “biscuits” not cookies, the acronym ANZAC is now regarded as a word in Australia, the recipe has to be the correct recipe (as described by you), selling biscuits that deviate from the recipe can cause you to be fined (about $50k) and the Commonwealth of Australia has copy right to the name Anzac Biscuits. Here is a link to an article covering this.
https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/eat/crackdown-on-cooks-cafes-and-bakeries-which-tamper-with-the-anzac-biscuit-recipe/news-story/581cc50c23622a6ee44823c94662bec4
Some folk think that this is too serious but consider how other countries regard some of their important dates/events e.g. 4 of July for USA people.
On that note I love Anzac Biscuits.
Bart
Interestingly the linked article has several references to “Anzac” rather than “ANZAC”. In the 30 years I lived in Australia, I never heard that it was offensive to use small case letters for the acronym. Having said that, acronyms are usually capitalised. Fine points.
Thank you for tomorrow ! I am a hugely proud army brat ! If I may be an awful skite my ANZACs have always been renowned – one of my few forays into any baking sphere during any year . . . you have made this simple . . . lest we forget . . . at the going down of the sun and . . .
Army brat! Father or mother or both?? Either way – so thankful for their service. Australia wouldn’t be Australia if it weren’t for people like them – N x ❤️
Nagi – do you ever make a recipe a zillion times and then all of a sudden have an EPIC FAIL? I’ve made your Anzac cookie recipe so often and just love it. Yesterday, I was in a hurry and distracted. I grabbed a scoop that was too big and didn’t focus on the huge mounds on the baking sheet until I’d measured them all out. I just thought, oh well, they will be huge and I’ll just bake longer. Oops. The mounds all melted into one giant sheet. And they nearly burned. I had to cut them apart into cookie size crackers with scissors. And they were very greasy – I obviously didn’t even focus on the mixture texture and add more flour. I was making them for an event tomorrow so I made another batch today – absolutely perfect as usual. Lesson learned … focus on Nagi’s recipe even if you know it by heart! p.s. so glad to see Dozer back to normal.
Gosh yes. And it happens too often ON CAMERA too!! Yesterday I was filming an avocado strawberry salad. Got right to the end – and realised I had left out the avocado 😩 My favourite chocolate cake? I forgot eggs . Didn’t realise until after it was in the oven and I saw them sitting on the counter. And I know that recipe off by heart! That’s just life 🙂 PS I had a bit of giggle at the vision of you cutting a giant Anzac biscuit sheet! Sorry!! It’s just I can relate, having done some major save-attempts in my time!!
Easy recipe that gives you chewy and crunchy delicious treats! I had to add a bit more butter which took care of the dry and too crumbly mixture. Will be baking another batch to share with workmates!
Delicious – I used Tasmanian Leatherwood Honey and shredded coconut as that is what I had and I had to add more butter as well to form the mixture. Susan
Oooh! I’m so pleased to hear that Ev! N xx
I didn’t want to add more butter. I added an egg instead. Turned out go
Hi Morin, I’m sorry I don’t know, I haven’t tried that and I’m just not sure it will work. Sorry!
This is the ideal biscuit recipe for people who are allergic to soy, nuts, dairy and eggs. Substitute a dairy-free spread such as Nuttelex for the butter and they taste just as good.
That’s such a great tip, thank you Veronica! 🙂
thxx b