ANZAC Biscuits Recipe (2024)

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Traditional ANZAC Biscuits, crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy in the middle!

ANZAC Biscuits are a popular biscuit (cookie) in New Zealand and Australia, dating back to World War I. The recipe is shared between the two countries unlike the controversy of the Pavlova! They are commonly made on ANZAC day and the days leading up to commemorate the day, but are also enjoyed year round.

What Are ANZAC Biscuits

The chewy biscuits are made from flour, oats and coconut as a base and combined together with butter and golden syrup. The biscuits are slightly crunchy around the edges but soft and chewy in the middle. The name ANZAC refers to Australia and New Zealand Army Corps.

Why these are the BEST ANZAC Biscuits

Soft and Chewy on the inside while being crunchy around the edges
Filled with the perfect ratio of oats and coconut
The biscuits will keep for up to two weeks
Super easy and simple to make

ANZAC Biscuits History

ANZAC Biscuits have a huge history in New Zealand and Australia, dating back to World War I.

Why are ANZAC Biscuits called ANZAC Biscuits?

The first recipes for ANZAC Biscuits were just called rolled oat biscuits and it wasn’t until after the war that they were named. ANZAC stands for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps so the name was given as they were the biscuit of the war.

Who made ANZAC Biscuits?

It was often believed that the biscuits were baked by women at home and sent off to troops in Gallipoli, but this wasn’t actually the case. The troops did have biscuits during the war but these were called ship’s biscuit and would break your teeth! There are stories of soldiers breaking these up into hot tea to make trench porridge!

ANZAC biscuits actually become popular being sold at galas and public events back home to raise money for the war effort, 6.5 million pounds was raised from New Zealand!

After the war had finished the biscuits were still very popular so they were given the name ANZAC biscuits! It wasn’t until later years that published recipes were found, the first being in 1919 for ANZAC Crispies in a New Zealand cookbook.

Why are ANZAC biscuits long lasting?

The biscuits contain shelf stable ingredients, flour, oats and coconut which packed them full of energy. No eggs were used as food was heavily rationed which also helped them keep for a long time.

ANZAC Biscuits Tips and Tricks

If you don’t have golden syrup where you live (this is really only a common ingredient in NZ, Australia and the UK) you can substitute with equal amounts and maple syrup or honey.
Keep a close eye on the biscuits, they will go from under baked to burning pretty quickly! They should only need about 15 minutes in the oven but every oven is different so its important to keep checking them.
The biscuits will puff up the oven but they will collapse as they cool! If you want them even thinner and crispier you can rap the tray on the work surface and few times when they come out of the oven.
Chocolate chips, nuts or raisins can all be added to this recipe!
This recipe makes a perfect base to slices and bars! Next time you make chocolate caramel slice try switching out the shortbread base for ANZAC. Press the dough into a square baking pan and bake for about 15-20 minutes at 180C / 350F or until the top turns golden brown.

Variations

Crunchy ANZAC Biscuits

To make super crunchy ANZAC Biscuits increase the oven temperature to 180C/350F and bake the biscuits until golden brown. Increasing the oven temperature will make them spread faster, creating a flatter biscuits which is much more crunchy.

Chocolate ANZAC Biscuits

Chocolate makes everything better and these biscuits are no exception. There are two ways to add chocolate to this recipe.

Add 1/2 cup or 125g of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate to the dry ingredients when making the biscuits.
Dip the cooled biscuits half way into melted chocolate or drizzle melted chocolate over the biscuits.

Raisin ANZAC Biscuits

Raisins pair really well with the oats in this recipe. Add 1/4 cup of raisins and cranberries to the dry ingredients and follow the recipe as normal.

Chewy ANZAC Biscuits

ANZAC Biscuits are know for being super soft and chewy! The wet ingredients are melted together and baking soda or bicarbonate of soda is added which froths the mixture up (similar to when you make hokey pokey or honey comb). This is what creates that chewiness!

ANZAC Biscuits Ingredients

1 Cup / 125g Flour
1 Cup / 80g Desiccated Coconut
1 Cup / 90g Rolled Oats – Old fashioned oats or quick oats can also be substituted
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Cup / 200g Brown Sugar
8 Tbsp / 1 Stick / 115g Butter
2 Tbsp / 50g Golden Syrup – Equal amounts of maple syrup or honey can be substituted
2 Tbsp Water
1 tsp Baking Soda

How to Make ANZAC Biscuits

Preheat the oven to 170C / 340F. Line a baking sheet.

In a medium sized bowl combine the dry ingredients, the flour, coconut, oats, salt and brown sugar. Set to the side.

In a small saucepan add the butter, golden syrup and water.

Heat over medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is bubbling.

Remove from the heat and add in the baking soda. Quickly give it a mix with a wooden spoon, the mixture will start to bubble up and become frothy.

Pour the frothy mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and use a wooden spoon to fold the biscuit dough together.

Roll about 1 1/2 Tbsp amounts of dough into balls and place on the baking sheet. Leave a lot of room in between each of the dough balls as the biscuits will spread in the oven.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until the ANZAC biscuits are turning golden brown.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and leave the biscuits to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Storing

Store the biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.

FAQ

Can the biscuits be frozen?

Yes you can freeze the baked cookies. Place in an airtight container or freezer bag and into the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the biscuits defrost fully at room temperature before enjoying.

Does the dough need to be chilled?

Nope! After combining the ingredients the biscuits can be baked immediately. There is no need for the dough to be chilled or rested, the biscuits turn out better when baked immediately.

Where do ANZAC Biscuits come from?

ANZAC Biscuits come from Australia and New Zealand. They were created during World War I.

Can the recipe be doubled?

Yes the recipe can be doubled, tripled or even halved depending on how many biscuits you would like to make. The ANZAC dough doesn’t keep well so if you are doubling the recipe make sure you are baking the biscuits right away.

More New Zealand Recipe

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Bacon and Egg Pie
Peppermint Slice

ANZAC Biscuits

Yield: 18 Biscuits

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 Cup / 125g Flour
1 Cup / 80g Desiccated Coconut
1 Cup / 90g Rolled Oats
1 Cup / 200g Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
8 Tbsp / 1 Stick / 115g Butter
2 Tbsp Golden Syrup
2 Tbsp Water
1 tsp Baking Soda

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 170C / 340F. Line a baking sheet.
In a medium sized bowl combine the dry ingredients, the flour, coconut, oats, salt and brown sugar. Set to the side.
In a small saucepan add the butter, golden syrup and water
Heat over medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is bubbling.
Remove from the heat and add in the baking soda. Quickly give it a mix with a wooden spoon, the mixture will start to bubble up and become frothy
Pour the melted butter mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and use a wooden spoon to fold the ANZAC biscuit dough together.
Roll about 1 1/2 Tbsp amounts of dough into balls and place on the baking sheet. Leave a lot of room in between each of the dough balls as the biscuits will spread in the oven.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until the ANZAC biscuits are turning golden brown.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and leave the biscuits to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Storing

Store the biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Notes

Variations

Crunchy ANZAC Biscuits

Chocolate ANZAC Biscuits

Chocolate makes everything better and these biscuits are no exception. There are two ways to add chocolate to this recipe.

Add 1/2 cup or 125g of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate to the dry ingredients when making the biscuits.
Dip the cooled biscuits half way into melted chocolate or drizzle melted chocolate over the biscuits.

Raisin ANZAC Biscuits

Raisins pair really well with the oats in this recipe. Add 1/4 cup of raisins and cranberries to the dry ingredients and follow the recipe as normal.

FAQ

Can the biscuits be frozen?

Yes you can freeze the baked cookies. Place in an airtight container or freezer bag and into the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the biscuits defrost fully at room temperature before enjoying.

Does the dough need to be chilled?

Nope! After combining the ingredients the biscuits can be baked immediately. There is no need for the dough to be chilled or rested, the biscuits turn out better when baked immediately.

Can the recipe be doubled?

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 18Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 158Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 193mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 2g

Nutrition Information is estimated and not always correct

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FAQs

What to use instead of golden syrup in Anzac biscuits? ›

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).

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What makes Anzac biscuits crunchy or chewy? ›

According to taste.com.au Food Editor Miranda Payne, the traditional Anzac biscuit was the harder, crunchy version. Over time, the original recipe was modified with variations being cooked for less time (making them chewier) or adding more sugar (so they're super crispy).

Why were eggs not used in Anzac biscuits? ›

A point of interest is the lack of eggs to bind the ANZAC biscuit mixture together. Because of the war, many of the poultry farmers had joined the services, thus eggs were scarce. The binding agent for the biscuits was golden syrup or treacle.

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What if Anzac biscuit mix is too dry? ›

Don't let the mixture stand around.

So, make sure you roll and bake the mixture as soon as possible after mixing to make rolling and flattening of the biscuits easy. If it does get a little dry you can just mix in another tablespoon or two of water to help make it a little more pliable before shaping.

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What are Anzac biscuits called in America? ›

The recipe for Anzacs is legally protected by the Australian and New Zealand governments, and Aussies and Kiwis alike seem to go up in arms (hopefully not literally) when their national recipe is tampered with, or when the biscuits are called 'cookies' (by pesky Americans, no doubt).

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What are navy biscuits? ›

'Hard tack' was, however, the most well-known term for the ship's biscuit. The ingredients were stone ground flour, water and salt, which were mixed into a stiff dough, baked in a hot oven for 30 minutes and then left to harden and dry.

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What is a substitute for golden syrup in Anzac biscuits? ›

The golden syrup can be substituted and you could use (liquid/runny) honey or agave syrup. But we would mention that honey can have quite an assertive taste when used in cooking, so try to use a very mild-flavoured honey and we would mention that the cookies will not taste exactly the same.