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Anzac Biscuits

By Nagi Maehashi
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Published23 Apr '20 Updated8 May '25
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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!

Overhead photo of Anzac biscuits on a cooling rack, fresh out of the oven

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!)

What goes in Anzac biscuits

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!

How to make Anzac Biscuits

Close up of Australia's favourite biscuit on a cooling rack - Anzac Biscuits

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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Close up of Australian Anzac biscuits

Anzac Biscuits (Golden Oatmeal Cookies)

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin
Prep: 15 minutes mins
Cook: 15 minutes mins
Total: 30 minutes mins
Cookies
Australian
4.94 from 208 votes
Servings16 – 18
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 146
Recipe video above. The great Aussie Anzac biscuits!! Crispy on the outside, a little chewy in the middle, buttery, with a beautiful deep golden colour with a toffee flavour. They will stay crispy on the edges for a week and though they will soften, still fresh for another week. Re-crisp with a quick blast in the oven!
Sweetness – Some readers have commented they find these too sweet. I really don't find them too sweet, I was not brought up with very sugary desserts. If you reduce sugar, you will lose crispiness and the cookie will be more crumbly ie texture not as Anzac biscuits are intended to be!

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)
Prevent screen from sleeping

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. Golden syrup – amber coloured sweet syrup primarily used for baking purposes in Australia and in the UK. Has a caramel-like flavour. Best substitutes:
  • 1 tbsp light molasses + 3 tbsp honey or light corn syrup
  • 1 tbsp treacle + 3 tbsp honey or light corn syrup
2. Oats & batter consistency – Different brands of oats can have different levels of absorbency. Your dough should be firm enough so that you can roll it into balls without it sticking to your hands, but pliable and wet enough so that you can flatten the balls without the dough crumbling. If your dough is too sticky, add more flour, if it is too dry, add more melted butter. Don’t worry about playing around with this recipe – it’s a pretty forgiving biscuit dough!
3. Storage – Anzac cookies stay crisp for about a week in an airtight container. After that, they soften a bit but are still good! If the biscuits go soft, they can be crisped up in the oven – 5 minutes at 180C / 350F.
4. Nutrition per biscuit.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 19gCalories: 74cal (4%)Carbohydrates: 14.3g (5%)Protein: 1.1g (2%)Fat: 1.6g (2%)Saturated Fat: 1.2g (8%)Sodium: 56mg (2%)Potassium: 30mg (1%)Fiber: 0.8g (3%)Sugar: 6.9g (8%)Iron: 0.5mg (3%)
Keywords: Anzac biscuits
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

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.

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585 Comments

  1. Linda says

    November 18, 2023 at 3:56 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe & my go to recipe for Anzac’s.
    I got the biscuits out of the oven went away for several minutes & came back to put them onto a cooling rack & 4 of the biscuits had disappeared. Someone couldn’t wait until they had cooled before trying them, he said they are delicious by the way.

    Reply
  2. Zulaikha says

    November 17, 2023 at 1:41 pm

    5 stars
    I love your recipe.

    Reply
  3. Pandora says

    November 16, 2023 at 3:29 pm

    You need to change your description of Anzac bikkies as the info is not accurate.
    Anzac bikkies weren’t shipped to soldiers. Soldiers ate “hardtack” bikkies that were extremely hard and kept for a very long time. Some from the WWI period are still kept today. Some were decorated with crochet and drawings on them. Anzac bikkies were made by volunteers to sell at fetes, galas, etc to raise funds for the Army in support the troops in Gallipoli. They don’t keep as well as soldiers “hardtack” bikkies (which were like eating cement blocks).

    Reply
    • Angela says

      July 7, 2024 at 3:11 pm

      My grandmother used to talk about making ANZAC biscuits in a group of ladies in world war 1 and sending them off to the soldiers. This was back in the early 60’s when she talked about it, she passed in 1972.They were definitely called ANZAC biscuits.

      Reply
    • Sally says

      April 28, 2024 at 1:40 pm

      Hi Pandora, here is some info that confirms anzac biscuits were sent to soldiers. Likely they got both the hardtack and the Anzacs – although they were called ‘soldier’ biscuits at the tine.

      https://anzacday.org.au/ww1-ANZAC-biscuits

      Reply
  4. Lia Pedetti says

    November 7, 2023 at 11:36 am

    5 stars
    Classic, delicious, easy to make

    Reply
  5. Donna Drew says

    November 5, 2023 at 3:10 am

    5 stars
    I’ve been wanting to make these for so long and they were fantastic! I reduced the sugar to 75g and could have used 50g. The golden syrup is a must – hubby ate 3 straight off! Thanks Nagi – another cracker!

    Reply
    • Lachlan Storch says

      April 24, 2024 at 9:27 pm

      5 stars
      This website was the reason I started cooking. I made ANZAC biscuits in 2018 and they were excellent

      Reply
  6. Cookies says

    October 15, 2023 at 4:57 am

    So, do I bake each tray for 7.5 minutes?

    Reply
  7. s says

    September 18, 2023 at 1:33 pm

    5 stars
    these cookies were so much better than the store bought and I would definitely make it again : )

    Reply
  8. Diane C. says

    September 8, 2023 at 4:29 am

    5 stars
    I just came back from visiting New Zealand for five weeks. These cookies were everywhere. As soon as I returned home, I found this recipe. They were GREAT!! I used the substitutes recommended (molasses and honey) and only baked for 8 min. to get a soft and chewy version. I added chocolate chips to one batch and everyone agreed that they taste better without. I’ve been sharing this recipe with everyone as I share the tales of my adventures. New family favorite and one I plan to add to my Christmas cookie baking list. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Naomi says

      April 28, 2024 at 5:07 pm

      Ha ha ha my inner Australian purist nearly cried when I read you put choc chips in them! They’re not that kind of biscuit (cookie)!
      Glad the tastebuds self-corrected.

      Reply
  9. Tanya says

    August 28, 2023 at 4:40 am

    5 stars
    Thanks so much Nagi. They were wonderful and crispy. I had always used my grandmother’s recipe – but it will be your recipe I will be handing down to my children.

    Reply
  10. Mike says

    July 21, 2023 at 6:32 pm

    4 stars
    I absolutely love ANZAC bikkies but as per the recipe they are waaaaay too sweet for me. This time I experimented a bit and used 1/2 cup of sugar and reduced the butter to 115gm with 2 tbsp of golden syrup and they’re just right. (Oh and 2 tsp of powdered ginger in with the dry ingredients – love that spicy hit!).
    No criticism of the recipe but just posting this up for anyone that is like me and wants to reduce the sweetness 🙂

    Reply
    • Reigh says

      May 25, 2024 at 7:27 pm

      Thanks Mike, I dropped the sugar to 100gm but used the stated amount of butter and found them oily to roll and still a bit oily to eat. Hearing you dropped the butter too confirms my thoughts in that direction for if I make them again.

      Reply
    • Anne says

      April 25, 2024 at 10:12 am

      Thank you Mike. I also prefer less sweet and was thinking that 1 cup of coconut plus 1 cup of sugar would be very sweet. Thank you for the proportions. I can’t wait to try your version

      Reply
    • Tali says

      July 22, 2023 at 1:23 pm

      Thanks Mike, my tastes run the very low side of sweet so yours is the comment i’m forever searching for in the comments before I bake/cook. Thanks for taking the time and posting your results!

      Reply
  11. Mel says

    June 29, 2023 at 3:56 am

    Hello from Barbados. I tried them using the ingredients I had on hand: 1 cup Bob Red Mills 1 to 1 AP GF flour; 1/2 cup ground peanuts; 1/2 cup of coconut milk powder; half cup 1 tsp molasses and 3 tbsp agave syrup. I added a further 2 tbsp of GF flour after the mixture was too “buttery” and oozed when I put them in the oven. I also put the mixture in the fridge between batches and the spreading was not as significant when not chilled. Probably too many substitutions to be the real thing but I enjoyed the biscuits. Thanks 

    Reply
  12. Rensina says

    June 20, 2023 at 8:34 pm

    Thank you Nagi x

    Reply
  13. Cheryl says

    May 20, 2023 at 8:36 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely the best Anzac recipe I have ever tried! My son ate 99% of them before I even got a ‘look-in’. Hence, baking more tomorrow. Thanks Nagi once again – you’re a legend!

    Reply
  14. Alison Elias says

    May 9, 2023 at 8:41 pm

    5 stars
    First time making ANZAC biscuits here in the West of Scotland these are fab !!
    Already made them again and substituted half the coconut for dried cranberries!
    Family all
    Love them too !

    Reply
  15. Jeanne Dyson says

    May 7, 2023 at 3:07 pm

    Nagi, these are the best Anzac bikkies ever!! So crunchy and tasty that all my friends love them and want the recipe. I’m directing them to your website to check out all your other fantastic recipes. Thank you for sharing so many woderful recipes with us .

    Reply
  16. Michelle Spencer says

    May 7, 2023 at 1:56 pm

    5 stars
    Fantastic Nagi! I cooked half for 10 mins & half for 15. Left the 2nd tray in the oven for 5 more mins after I turned it off. Used raw caster sugar because Its what I had.

    Reply
  17. Elizabeth says

    May 2, 2023 at 9:47 pm

    Your delicious Anzac biscuits scored a first prize!! Thank you- reminded one of the judges of his childhood

    Reply
  18. Kaylyn Burfird says

    April 30, 2023 at 10:38 am

    I can’t est fats or oils.
    Is the butter essential to the crunch of the cookie…..mudt be hard and crunchy for me.
    Could butter be reduced to 2 oz and still work?
    Thank you

    Reply
  19. Ashleigh McLean says

    April 29, 2023 at 1:29 pm

    5 stars
    Best Anzac cookies – make half soft and half crispy so everyone is happy! Often only use 1/2 the required sugar for the kids – can’t taste the difference. Another great recipe!

    Reply
  20. Fiona Wheeldon says

    April 27, 2023 at 9:05 am

    5 stars
    Wow! At the young age of 60, finally found an anzac recipe that really delivers on crunch!
    Just perfect. I used browned butter as per another of your re ipes, brown instead of white sugar, then drizzled with dark chocolate once cooled. 👌

    Reply
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