Anzac Biscuits

These quick, easy, from-scratch, homemade chewy Anzac biscuits are filled with the delicious flavor of golden syrup, oats, and coconut.

These golden syrup biscuits or cookies are very popular here in New Zealand and in Australia. And are quite popular around ANZAC Day.

This super easy Anzac biscuit recipe can be used to bake individual biscuits or turned into a slice. These delicious Anzac cookies can be crunchy or chewy - depending on how you bake them.

For a less sweet version of this cookie, check out my Crunchie recipe, which is basically an Anzac slice.

Recipe Development Notes

When we first landed in New Zealand, we picked up a packet of Anzac biscuits for an afternoon treat. As soon as I opened the packet I could smell the golden syrup goodness and after my first bite knew these were basically crunchies in a cookie form.

When I first looked at my recipe for my crunchies, I realized they were very similar to Anzac biscuit recipes. So I kept my original recipe for my Anzac cookies and played around with oats to coconut to flour ratio for my crunchies.

Ingredients

Check out the recipe card for full details.

• Standard grade or plain flour is used to bind all these ingredients together.
• Butter gives the cookie a nice rich flavor, but I have made these biscuits using baking margarine and it works perfectly fine which results in a vegan Anzac biscuit.
• Butter adds flavor, softness, and moisture and sometimes aids in the leavening of baked goods. I use New Zealand butter in my recipes, which has approximately 82% butterfat and can be very yellow (similar to European or Irish butter). Butter cannot be substituted with butter or margarine spreads, but it can be substituted with baking margarine. If using salted butter you can leave out the additional salt in the recipe.
• The golden syrup adds a nice light syrup flavor, but if you want an Anzac biscuit without golden syrup you can substitute it with honey or maple. Keep in mind that maple syrup is usually thinner than golden syrup and you may need to add another 25 to 50 grams of flour to compensate for the additional moisture.
• Baking soda gives this biscuit the little bit of a lift it needs.
• White and brown sugar together add a nice crunch and depth of flavor.
• Rolled oats or old-fashioned oats for these delicious biscuits.
• Unsweetened desiccated coconut is the other major flavor component of these cookies. If you want an Anzac biscuit without coconut, replace the coconut with an equal amount of oats.
• NOTE - For dairy-free ANZAC biscuits use margarine and water.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 180°C/355°F. Line a baking tray with baking paper or parchment paper.

Step 2 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, coconut, cinnamon, sugar, and salt. Stir together to evenly distribute the ingredients.

Step 3 - Melt the butter either in the microwave or on a stovetop. Once melted, add in the golden syrup and stir until combined.

Step 4 - Combine the baking soda and water or milk. Pour into the butter mixer and stir until combined.

Step 5 - Immediately add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

Step 6 - Roll out dough balls about 2 - 4cm in size and place them on a lined baking tray/plate. Flatten with fingers until the biscuit is about 1cm tall. Rest in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes to allow the butter or margarine to set (Optional extra)

NOTE - Resting the biscuits in the fridge sets the butter/margarine and results in a nice chewy Anzac biscuit.

NOTE - if you don't refrigerate the biscuits, they will spread thinner during the baking, will require a slightly shorter baking time, and will result in a crunchy crispier Anzac biscuit.

Step 7 - Place biscuits on a prepared baking tray, about 5 to 7cm apart. Bake the biscuits for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the biscuits.

Step 8 - Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking tray. The biscuits will set as they cool.

NOTE - For picture-perfect biscuits or cookies, take a cookie cutter larger than the cookies and scoot around the cookies to make the edges smooth and round.

Making an Anzac Slice

To make an ANZAC slice, grease and line a 9"x9" (23cmx23cm) square cake tin or slice tin (27cm x 18cm). A tin lined with an overhang allows for easy removal of the slice once baked.

Follow Steps 1 through 5. Then press the biscuit dough into the prepared pan and smooth it out to the edges. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

Storage and Freezing

Store these biscuits in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Alternatively, these biscuits can be frozen by wrapping them in cling film and tin or aluminum foil for up to 3 months.

ANZAC Biscuits FAQ

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