Anzac Biscuits
Chewy oat-and-coconut biscuits bound with golden syrup.
About Anzac Biscuits
Rolled oats, coconut, flour and golden syrup are baked into chewy, keeping biscuits famously sent to soldiers in the First World War. They remain a beloved tradition in Australia and New Zealand.
🏛️ History & Culture
Anzac biscuits are a sweet treat made from rolled oats, coconut, flour, butter, and golden syrup, with their name derived from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) of the First World War. Their exact origins are debated, but the most widely told story holds that they were sent to soldiers overseas because the ingredients—lacking eggs—kept well during the long sea journey.
Today, they are a beloved tradition in both Australia and New Zealand, often baked for national holidays like Anzac Day on April 25th. Regional variations exist, with some preferring a chewier texture and others a crisper one, but the fundamental recipe remains largely unchanged, symbolizing remembrance and wartime resilience.
🍳 How to make Anzac Biscuits
AI-assisted, not kitchen-testedAnzac Biscuits
Iconic Australian and New Zealand oat and coconut biscuits, crisp at the edges and chewy in the middle, made with golden syrup and traditionally sent to soldiers abroad.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 27 min
- Serves
- 20 biscuits
- Difficulty
- Easy
Recipe ingredients
- 150 g (5¼ oz) rolled oats, traditional rolled oats, not instant
- 100 g (3½ oz) desiccated coconut, unsweetened
- 150 g (5¼ oz) plain flour, all-purpose flour
- 125 g (4½ oz) caster sugar, superfine sugar
- 125 g (4½ oz (about ½ cup)) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 45 ml (3 tbsp) golden syrup, Lyle's Golden Syrup is the authentic choice; substitute with equal parts light corn syrup + 1 tsp molasses if unavailable
- 5 ml (1 tsp) baking soda, bicarbonate of soda
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) boiling water
Steps
- 1 Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) conventional / 150°C (300°F) fan-forced. Lightly grease a large baking tray or line with baking paper.
- 2 In a large mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, desiccated coconut, plain flour and caster sugar. Stir until evenly distributed.
- 3 Place the butter and golden syrup in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until the butter has completely melted. Remove from the heat.
- 4 In a small cup, dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water (it will fizz up). Immediately stir the bicarbonate mixture into the melted butter and golden syrup — the mixture will foam and lighten in colour.
- 5 Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until everything is well combined.
- 6 Place heaped teaspoons of the mixture (about 20 g / ¾ oz each) onto the prepared tray, spaced about 5 cm (2 in) apart to allow for spreading.
- 7 Bake for 12 minutes, or until the biscuits are deep golden brown around the edges. They will still look slightly soft in the centre when done — this is correct and gives them their characteristic chewy middle.
- 8 Leave the biscuits on the tray for 5 minutes to firm up (they will be fragile when hot), then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- 9 Store in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks; they keep exceptionally well, which is the historical reason they were chosen to send to troops overseas.
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