These Anzac Biscuits are golden oat-and-coconut biscuits made with butter and golden syrup, with crisp edges and a chewy center. They come together with simple pantry ingredients, one mixing bowl, and one saucepan for an easy Australian-inspired bake.
These are the Anzac biscuits I want beside a hot cup of coffee. They’re thin and golden, packed with rolled oats and coconut, with crisp edges and a slightly chewy center. Golden syrup gives them a deep caramel-like sweetness that regular sugar alone just can’t quite match.
And there are no eggs in the dough, which is traditional for this style of biscuit.
That isn’t unusual for Anzac biscuits. The Australian War Memorial describes the familiar sweet version as traditionally eggless, built around ingredients such as rolled oats, flour, coconut, butter, golden syrup, bicarbonate of soda, and boiling water. Australian War Memorial – Anzac Biscuits.
If you want another nutty biscuit to put beside coffee, try my Greek Cretan Biscuits. For a more classic buttery cookie, my Shortbread Cookies are simple and melt-in-your-mouth tender.
For something with oats plus chocolate, these Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies are soft and chewy, while my Raspberry Jam Oat Bars use oats in a completely different buttery crumble situation.
Ingredients
How to Make Anzac Biscuits
- Heat the oven. Preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a big bowl mix flour, sugar, desecrated coconut, rolled oats and soda pop. Stir until evenly mixed.
- Melt the butter and syrup. Melt the butter with the golden syrup in a small saucepan over medium low heat, and stir to combine evenly.
- Combine wet + dry. Add the hot butter-syrup mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula. Stir it with a spatula until you have a thick, homogenous dough.
- Portion and flatten. Scoop the dough into portions and, if necessary, roll gently into balls before flattening them to thin rounds (they puff a bit as they bake).
- Bake. Spread out on the prepared cookie sheet with some space in between. Bake 10–12 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool to crisp. Allow the cookies to cool for 5–10 minutes on the pan before removing to a rack. They crisp up as they cool.
Crispy or Chewy Anzac Biscuits?
Both versions have their fans.
The Australian War Memorial specifically notes that people argue over whether Anzac biscuits should be served crunchy or soft.
For chewier biscuits, keep them slightly thicker and take them out when the edges are golden but the centers are still a little soft.
For crispier biscuits, flatten them a little more and bake slightly longer.
Just remember that the biscuits continue firming as they cool.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Using too much baking soda, which can give the biscuits a bitter taste.
- Not melting the butter and golden syrup smoothly before mixing.
- Overmixing the dough, which can make the biscuits tough.
- Making the biscuit balls too large, so they spread unevenly.
- Baking too long if you want chewy Anzac biscuits.
- Removing them from the tray too early before they firm up.
- Storing them before they are completely cool, which can make them soft.
What To Serve With Anzac Biscuits
Anzac biscuits are especially good with hot coffee or black tea, which balance their buttery, caramel-like sweetness. For dessert, serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or simply enjoy them on their own once they have cooled and crisped around the edges.
FAQs
The biscuits can spread too much if they are flattened very thin or if the butter mixture is still extremely hot when added to the dry ingredients. Let the melted mixture cool for 2–3 minutes if necessary before combining.
Yes, but the texture will be softer and less chewy. Rolled oats give Anzac biscuits their more traditional hearty texture.
Yes. They will still feel slightly soft when they first come out of the oven, then firm and crisp as they cool on the tray and rack.
Yes. Smaller biscuits will bake faster, so start checking them around 8 minutes and remove them once the edges are golden.
Yes. Shape and flatten the dough portions, freeze them on a tray until firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag. Bake from frozen, adding about 1–2 minutes if needed.
Let the biscuits cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. Keeping moisture out will help preserve their crisp texture.
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Anzac Biscuits
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, desiccated coconut, rolled oats, and baking soda until evenly combined.
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the golden syrup, stirring until smooth.
- Pour the melted mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until a thick dough forms.
- Scoop portions, place on the cookie sheet, and flatten into thin rounds.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Cool on the pan for 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely and crisp up.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- For crispier cookies, bake 1–2 minutes longer (watch closely near the end).
- For a slightly chewier center, remove when edges are deep golden and centers look just set.
- Golden syrup gives the classic flavor; light corn syrup can work in a pinch with a slightly different taste.
- Let cookies cool fully before storing so they stay crunchy.
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Let us know how it was!Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
