Gluten Free ANZAC Biscuits

Name: Gluten Free ANZAC Biscuits
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 110 g (1 cup) rolled oats; 150 g (1 cup) gluten free plain flour (see notes); 120 g (2/3 cup) brown sugar; 70 g (2/3 cup) desiccated coconut; 125 grams butter; 2 tablespoons golden syrup (see recipe notes); 2 tablespoons water; 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Jump to Recipe

These delicious gluten free ANZAC biscuits are made with a handful of basic ingredients and are ready to enjoy in just 20 minutes!

Gluten free ANZAC biscuits on a white cake stand.

A freshly baked batch of ANZAC biscuits is always a crowd pleaser, and with these gluten free ANZAC biscuits you can enjoy them if you are on a gluten free diet or baking for someone who is gluten-free.

Like my gluten free cheese scones and fudgy gluten free brownies, these ANZAC biscuits do not skimp on taste or texture, and are just as delicious as the original version!

Looking for more gluten free desserts and cakes? This gluten free lemon cake with almond meal and ricotta is delicious served for afternoon tea or dessert, and my gluten free almond coconut cake is one of my most popular recipes!

A plate of gluten free ANZAC biscuits, one broken in half to show the texture.

Why You're Going To Love This Recipe

Quick and easy - this melt and mix recipe takes just 10 minutes to prepare.
Budget friendly - these gluten-free biscuits are made with basic, inexpensive ingredients.
Store well - these ANZAC biscuits will last for several weeks stored at room temperature in an airtight container!
Freezer - friendly - you can freeze both the raw dough and cooked biscuits, making this recipe perfect for last minute guests or quickly satisfying any biscuit cravings!
Conventional and Thermomix - both methods are written in the recipe card at the end of the post.

What You Need

This gluten-free ANZAC biscuit recipe use a handful of basic, easy to find ingredients.

Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.

Ingredients needed to make the recipe weighed out and placed in individual bowls.

Rolled oats - make sure your oats are gluten free. Use rolled oats rather than instant or quick oats, which won't give you that distinctive chewy texture.
Gluten Free Plain Flour - I recommend using White Wings gluten free plain flour as I find it gives the best result - however, you can use any brand you like. All gluten free flours contain a slightly different blend so you may need to add ¼-1/2 tsp xanthan gum if your gluten free flour blend doesn't contain it (most do!).
Brown sugar - soft brown sugar gives a rich caramel flavour.
Desiccated coconut - desiccated coconut is a traditional ANZAC ingredient, however you can use shredded coconut if you prefer.
Butter - salted or unsalted butter can be used.
Golden syrup - in this recipe, golden syrup gives the biscuits their signature butterscotch flavour and also helps to bind the biscuits, in place of eggs. It is a key ingredient in traditional ANZAC biscuits and therefore it shouldn’t be skipped if you want them to taste just right! In a pinch, you could substitute it for rice malt syrup or light corn syrup, although the biscuits won’t be quite the same. Golden syrup can be purchased from supermarkets in Australia and New Zealand and also purchased online.
Water
Bicarbonate of soda - also known as baking soda or bicarb soda. Check the expiry date of your bicarbonate soda. Expired bicarb soda won’t work as effectively.

Equipment Required

You don't need any special equipment to make these ANZAC biscuits, just:

Microwave and microwave safe bowl, or Thermomix.
Three flat baking trays - greased and lined with baking paper.
Oven - I use a fan-forced oven, so if you use a conventional oven, increase the temperature by 10-20 degrees Celsius.

Step By Step Instructions

Taking just 10 minutes to prepare, these gluten free ANZAC biscuits are ready to enjoy in just 20 minutes!

Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.

Step 1 - Combine The Dry Ingredients

Preheat the oven. Prepare baking trays.

Add the rolled oats, gluten free plain flour, brown sugar and coconut to a bowl and stir to combine.

Oats, gluten free flour and coconut mixed in a mixing bowl.

Step 2 - Heat The Wet Ingredients

Place butter, golden syrup and water into a microwave-safe bowl and heat until melted.

Melted butter, golden syrup and water in a jug.

Step 3 - Add The Bicarbonate Of Soda

Stir the bicarbonate of soda through the melted butter mixture. It should fizz and bubble like in the image below:

Bicarbonate of soda added to the melted butter.

Step 4 - Combine The Ingredients

Pour the butter mixture over the oat mixture and stir to combine.

The wet ingredients mixed in to the dry ingredients.

Step 5 - Bake

Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls and place on lined baking trays, leaving a gap in-between to allow them to spread slightly. Place in the preheated oven and bake - a shorter cooking time will give you chewy ANZAC biscuits and a few minutes longer will give you crunchy ANZAC biscuits.

Leave on the baking trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Baked ANZAC biscuits on a wire cooling tray.

Expert Tips

Weigh your ingredients - with this recipe, accuracy is important. I have included weights of each ingredient, for best results. It is important to carefully weigh each ingredient, as a little extra or not enough of a certain ingredient can alter the dough and affect the final result. This recipe is made with Australian cup and spoon measurements. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.
The biscuits are soft and fragile when freshly baked - so leave them to cool on the tin for 5 minutes to harden slightly before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
For chewy ANZACs - bake for 10-12 minutes. 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 - if you prefer your ANZACs crunchy, it’s so easy to do that without even changing the recipe! Cook for a further 3-5 minutes than the chewy recipe (a total of 12-15 minutes). Again, the biscuits will be soft straight out of the oven but will go crunchy as they cool.
Freezing - both cooked ANZAC biscuits and the uncooked dough can be frozen.
- To freeze the dough: wrap it in clingfilm and store in a bag or container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then bake as normal. If the mixture is cold, it may need an extra minute or two in the oven.
- To freeze the baked biscuits: freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month and thaw in the fridge or at room temperature before eating.

FAQs

Why were eggs not used in ANZAC biscuits?

During the war eggs were scarce, so golden syrup was used to bind the mixture rather than eggs.

Can I freeze ANZAC biscuits?

Yes! You can freeze both the uncooked dough and the cooked biscuits.

How long do these gluten free ANZAC biscuits keep?

Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these gluten free ANZAC biscuits will keep for several weeks. They will soften after a few days, but are still absolutely delicious!

A hand holding a half eaten ANZAC biscuit.

For more easy and delicious gluten free recipes that everyone loves, here are some more of our most popular:

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