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    Home » Recipes » Cookies » ANZAC Biscuits | Classic Recipe

    ANZAC Biscuits | Classic Recipe

    Published: Mar 4, 2021 · Modified: Mar 4, 2021 by Lucy · This post may contain affiliate links · 138 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    A white and blue plate with ANZAC biscuits.

    ANZAC biscuits are a classic Australian and New Zealand recipe which originated during WW1. These sweet golden biscuits are ready in less than 20 minutes... and have the perfect amount of chewiness and crunch!

    A white and blue plate with ANZAC biscuits.

    ANZACS are a staple recipe in our house! It's not often that we don't have our cookie jar filled with chocolate chip cookies, yoyos, or these ANZACS. And why not... when they're all so quick and easy to make.

    These simple biscuits are also my go-to recipe for lunch boxes as the ingredients are all pantry staples so I can whip them up at the last minute without making a trip to the supermarket!

    ANZAC Biscuits

    ANZAC biscuits are the most well known (and popular!) biscuit recipe in Australia. ANZAC stands for "Australian and New Zealand Army Corps" and these biscuits are traditionally made to commemorate ANZAC Day on the 25th April each year.

    ANZAC biscuits were originally made by the wives and mothers of soldiers fighting in World War 1 and were sent to them in packages. They used this recipe as the biscuits would last for several weeks.

    * Please note that my ANZAC biscuits recipe has been approved for publishing by the Australian Department of Veterans Affairs.  

    Why You're Going To Love This Recipe

    Ask any Australian or New Zealand family for their favourite biscuit or cookie recipe and you can almost be guaranteed the answer will be ANZACS.

    In fact, I don't know any Aussie kid that grew up without these yummy little oat biscuits making an appearance in their lunchbox at least once a month (usually more!).

    Here's why they're so popular:

    • They Last Forever - well not exactly 'forever' but a LONG time! ANZACS were originally made by the wives, sisters and mothers of soldiers fighting in World War 1 and so the biscuits had to last for months as they were sent slowly by ship across the world. I recommend storing the biscuits in an airtight container for several weeks. Note: they will last longer, but will soften over time.
    • Budget-Friendly - being a wartime recipe, these biscuits had to be made from staple ingredients that were cheap to buy. An entire batch of 20 cookies will set you back just a dollar or two.
    • Great For Lunch Boxes - whether it's a lunch box treat, an after school snack or a mid morning pick-me-up, the kids will love these!
    • Freezer-Friendly - you can freeze either the unbaked dough or the baked biscuits.
    • Chewy Or Crunchy? - everyone likes their ANZACS a particular way! Follow my step by step instructions for baking your ANZACS to be either crunchy or chewy.
    A wire rack with ANZACS cooling.

    What You Need

    Forget about making a trip to the supermarket... you probably already have what you need at home!

    Note: Please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for ingredient quantities and the full detailed method

    • Dry Ingredients - rolled oats, plain flour, brown sugar, desiccated (fine) coconut and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda).
    • Wet Ingredients - butter and golden syrup (see substitutes below).

    Golden syrup is a cane sugar syrup popular in Australian, New Zealand and British baking recipes. While it's readily available in these countries, it's difficult to buy in the US and other parts of the world.

    If you're unable to buy golden syrup, you can replace it with corn syrup, honey or maple syrup (corn syrup will give you the most similar light and buttery flavour).

    The ingredients for ANZAC biscuits.

    Step By Step Instructions

    3 easy steps is all it takes to make ANZAC biscuits!

    Note: Please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for ingredient quantities and the full detailed method

    Step 1 - Combine The Dry Ingredients

    Combine the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar and coconut in a bowl. Mix together until well combined.

    A bowl filled with oats, flour and sugar.

    Step 2 - Stir Through The Wet Ingredients

    Melt the butter, golden syrup and water in the microwave and then mix through the bi-carbonate soda.

    Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

    Golden syrup and melted butter being added to an oat, flour and sugar mixture.

    Step 3 - Bake

    Roll the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls and place onto prepared baking paper lined trays.

    Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes for chewy ANZACS or 12-15 minutes for crunchy ANZACS.

    A bowl of ANZAC cookie dough.

    Chewy Or Crunchy ANZAC Biscuits?

    Personally I'm a chewy kind of ANZACS girl, but it's just as easy to make these biscuits crunchy (without even changing the recipe!). 

    For Chewy ANZACS

    Bake in a 160 degree celsius oven for 10-12 minutes (depending on your oven). The biscuits will be soft when you take them out of the oven but will firm on cooling. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

    For Crunchy ANZACS

    Cook for a further 3-5 minutes than the chewy recipe (total of 12-15 minutes). Again, the biscuits will be soft straight out of the oven but will go crunchy as they cool.

    A plate of oat ANZAC cookies.

    Expert Tips & FAQ

    What can I use instead of golden syrup?

    You can replace the golden syrup with corn syrup, honey or maple syrup. 

    How long can ANZAC biscuits be stored for?

    ANZAC biscuits can be stored for several weeks in an airtight container at room temperature. They will soften after a few days (but are still absolutely delicious!).

    Do I need to change the recipe to make the biscuits chewier or crunchier?

    Not at all! For chewy biscuits, cook for 10-12 minutes. For crunchy biscuits cook for 12-15 minutes.

    Can I add nuts or chocolate chips to this recipe?

    Of course! This recipe is the classic recipe but it's also delicious with yummy add-ins.

    Can I make ANZAC biscuits in my Thermomix?

    Yes! Check out our Thermomix ANZAC biscuits recipe (along with the conventional recipe) in the recipe card below.

    Freezing

    Freeze the unbaked dough in a sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Alternatively, freeze the baked biscuits for up to 1 month.

    More ANZAC Recipes

    Check out these delicious ANZAC inspired recipes:

    • ANZAC Slice - love ANZAC biscuits but can't be bothered rolling the mixture into balls? This slice is the answer! Or you can change things up with my Chocolate Chip ANZAC Slice recipe.
    • Almond & Chocolate Chip ANZAC Biscuits - a fun variation on the classic recipe! The almonds add an extra crunch while the chocolate chips give a delicious burst of sweetness.
    A half eaten ANZAC biscuit on a blue and white plate with more biscuits in the background.

    WANT EVEN MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Facebook or Instagram. And if you love baking, then please come and join my Facebook cooking club group or subscribe to my YouTube channel. 

    A plate of 3 ANZAC biscuits.

    ANZAC Biscuits

    Our classic ANZAC biscuits are an all-time Australian favourite recipe. Have a batch of sweet golden biscuits ready in less than 20 minutes... with the perfect amount of chewiness and crunch!
    5 from 26 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Biscuits
    Cuisine: Biscuits/Cookies
    Keyword: ANZAC biscuits
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 20 cookies
    Calories: 137kcal
    Author: Lucy - Bake Play Smile

    Ingredients

    • 110 g (1 cup) rolled oats
    • 150 g 1 cup) plain flour
    • 120 g (⅔ cup) brown sugar
    • 70 g (⅔ cup) desiccated coconut
    • 125 g butter
    • 2 tbs golden syrup see recipe notes
    • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

    Instructions

    Conventional Method

    • Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Grease and line three flat baking trays with baking paper.
    • Combine the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar and coconut in a bowl.
    • Place butter, golden syrup and 2 tablespoons cold water into a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 3 minutes, 50% power or until melted.
    • Stir through the bicarbonate of soda.
    • Pour the butter mixture over the oat mixture and stir to combine.
    • Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls.
    • Place on trays, 5cm apart and flatten slightly.
    • For chewy ANZACS, bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden. For crunchy ANZACS, increase cooking time to 12-15 minutes.
    • Leave on the baking trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Thermomix Method

    • Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Grease and line three flat baking trays with baking paper.
    • Place the butter, golden syrup and brown sugar into the Thermomix bowl. Melt for 3 minutes, 100 degrees, Speed 2.
    • Add the bicarbonate of soda and 2 tbs cold water to the melted butter mixture and mix for 10 seconds, Speed 3.
    • Add the rolled oats, plain flour and coconut. Mix together for 40 seconds, Reverse, Speed 2.
    • Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls. Place on trays, 5cm apart and flatten slightly.
    • For chewy ANZACS, bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden. For crunchy ANZACS, increase cooking time to 12-15 minutes.
    • Leave on the baking trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Notes

    Recipe Notes
    *Please note that my ANZAC biscuits recipe has been approved for publishing by the Australian Department of Veterans Affairs.  
    For chewy ANZACS - Bake in a 160 degree celsius oven for 10-12 minutes (depending on your oven). The biscuits will be soft when you take them out of the oven but will firm on cooling. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 
    For crunchy ANZACS - Cook for a further 3-5 minutes than the chewy recipe (total of 12-15 minutes). Again, the biscuits will be soft straight out of the oven but will go crunchy as they cool. 
    Golden syrup substitute - You can replace the golden syrup with corn syrup, honey or maple syrup. 
    Storing the biscuits - ANZAC biscuits can be stored for several weeks in an airtight container at room temperature. They will soften after a few days (but are still absolutely delicious!). 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 46mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 155IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.6mg
    Did you try this recipe?Mention @BakePlaySmileBlog or tag #BakePlaySmile!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. AnonymousBaker

      September 24, 2020 at 7:03 pm

      Hi Lucy,
      First of all, I love this recipe - I have made these before and they are AMAZING!!!!
      Just one quick question - can I put the dough in the fridge before rolling it out or will it be too hard?
      Thank you 🙂

      Reply
      • Lucy

        September 25, 2020 at 5:30 am

        Hi there, thank you so much! It does tend to me too hard and crumbly once it's been in the fridge making it tricky to roll. One thing you can do is to make the mixture, roll it into balls and then place into the fridge!

        Reply
    2. Janice donlan

      October 27, 2020 at 6:50 pm

      5 stars
      I have made this recipee a couple of times have to double ingredients!! Yummy!!!!!!!!

      Reply
      • Lucy

        October 28, 2020 at 7:27 am

        Fantastic!

        Reply
    3. Naomi Riley

      December 08, 2020 at 2:28 pm

      5 stars
      For an embarrassingly long time I could not make a nice ANZAC biscuit, I could say they turned out crunchy but I would be a lie....as soon as they were slightly cool they were hard as rocks. Then I found Lucy’s recipe and now we make them allllllllll the time, they are perfect!

      My 3.5 year old who won’t eat any biscuit asks for these regularly (she also likes the Chocolate Chip Oat Cookie with extra oats and no chocolate chips).

      I was in a complete cooking funk thanks to the fussy toddler stage of my two girls, then I found Bake Play Smile and now I cook almost every day! My entire family loves every recipe I have tried and they are on a regular rotation in our house.

      Thank you Lucy, I truly appreciate every bit of your hard work!

      Reply
      • Lucy

        December 09, 2020 at 5:43 am

        Oh WOW Naomi! You have absolutely made my day!! Thank you so much! xx

        Reply
    4. Aron

      January 14, 2021 at 10:21 am

      Hi Lucy,

      Looking forward to making these soon. Just wondering, should I use Light brown sugar or Dark brown sugar?

      Reply
      • Lucy

        January 15, 2021 at 8:01 am

        You can use either! I generally use regular light brown sugar.

        Reply
    5. Leana

      February 21, 2021 at 5:59 pm

      Never made an ANZAC biccie in my life and this recipe was quick, easy and turned out perfectly. I used honey and baked them chewy. Hard to stop at just one!

      Reply
      • Lucy

        February 22, 2021 at 6:08 pm

        Fantastic!

        Reply
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    I’m Lucy! A mum, a wife, a food blogger and a lover of all things to do with food! I love creating delicious, no-fuss Thermomix and conventional recipes the whole family will love. Classic baking favourites, lunch box snacks, quick and easy family dinners and more!

    More about me →

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