These Monte Carlo Biscuits taste even better than the Arnott's packet ones - promise.
Two coconut biscuits sandwiched with jam and buttercream - if classic Aussie sandwich biscuits are your thing, my Kingston Biscuits and Yo Yo Biscuits are just as good.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
🍪 Recipe: Monte Carlo Biscuits
⏰ Ready In: 25 minutes
🍽️ Serves: 20 biscuits
🔥 Calories: 222 per serve
🥥 Main Ingredients: butter, brown sugar, coconut, jam, icing sugar
🌱 Dietary Info: Vegetarian • Thermomix or conventional method • gluten-free option
💛 Why You'll Love It: better than the packet version, freezer-friendly, and genuinely easy to make
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"Hi Lucy, I just made Monte Carlo's for the first time. Your recipe was easy to follow and they are quite delicious. I'm taking some to friends tomorrow."
Catherine
These have been a lunchbox and afternoon-tea staple in my house for years - once you make your own, the packet ones just don't compare.
They're perfect alongside my Melting Moments or Iced Vovo Biscuits on a biscuit tin platter.
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Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Tastes even better than the Arnott's version
- Made the classic way or in the Thermomix - either works beautifully
- Freezer-friendly, so you can always have a batch on hand
- A proper lunchbox and afternoon-tea classic
Biscuit Ingredients
Pretty straightforward pantry ingredients, but a couple are worth a quick note:
- Desiccated coconut - use fine desiccated coconut, not shredded. Shredded coconut is too coarse and will change the texture of the biscuit.
- Jam - stick to a thick jam so it holds between the biscuits instead of running out the sides. Strawberry is traditional, but raspberry or apricot both work well.
Variations
- Gluten-free: swap the self-raising and plain flour for a gluten-free self-raising flour blend (add a pinch of xanthan gum if your blend doesn't already include it).
- Chocolate Monte Carlos: dip the finished biscuits halfway in melted chocolate and let set for a chocolatey twist.
- Jam swap: raspberry or apricot jam both work just as well as strawberry, depending what's in the pantry.
- Make ahead: bake and cool the plain biscuits, then only sandwich together as many as you need - leave the rest unfilled in an airtight container so they stay fresher for longer.
How To Make Monte Carlo Biscuits
- Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan-forced) and line two trays with baking paper. Beat the butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Step 2: Add the dry ingredients. Add the sifted flours and coconut and mix on low speed until just combined into a soft dough.
- Step 3: Shape and bake. Roll teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, place on the trays and press lightly with a fork. Bake for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden, then cool completely on a wire rack.
- Step 4: Fill and sandwich. Beat the butter, icing sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy for the buttercream. Spread a little jam on the flat side of one biscuit, top with buttercream, then sandwich with another biscuit.
Team Thermomix? Cream the butter and brown sugar for 30 seconds, Speed 4 (scrape down and repeat), then add the egg and vanilla and mix 10 seconds, Speed 3. Add the flours and coconut and knead 30 seconds on the Dough function. For the buttercream, mix the butter, icing sugar, vanilla and milk for 10 seconds, Speed 6, scraping down and repeating until pale and creamy.
Recipe Tips
- Don't overfill - a small amount of jam and buttercream in the centre is plenty. Too much and it squeezes out the sides when you sandwich the biscuits.
- Grease and line your trays even if they're non-stick - it makes a real difference to how evenly the biscuits bake.
- One of my readers shared a great tip: only fill as many biscuits as you need for the day and leave the rest plain in an airtight container - they stay fresher for longer that way.
- Storage: filled biscuits keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: freeze the plain, unfilled biscuits in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw completely, then fill with jam and buttercream on the day you want to serve them.
Monte Carlo Biscuits FAQs
This recipe makes about 40 small biscuits, which gives you 20 sandwiched Monte Carlos once filled.
Yes - freeze the plain, unfilled biscuits in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before sandwiching with jam and buttercream, so the filling doesn't go soggy.
This usually means the dough or the butter was too warm. If your kitchen is warm, pop the shaped dough balls in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before baking to help them hold their shape.
Yes - swap the self-raising and plain flour for a gluten-free self-raising flour blend. Add a pinch of xanthan gum if your blend doesn't already include it, for the best texture.
They're named after the city of Monte Carlo, though the exact reason for the name has been lost to history - it's simply what they've always been called in Australia.
More Classic Aussie Biscuits
If you loved these, here are a few more classic Aussie biscuits worth trying next.
Monte Carlo Biscuits
Ingredients
For the biscuits:
- 185 g butter room temperature
- 100 g (½ cup) brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 190 g (1 and ¼ cup) self-raising flour
- 120 g (¾ cup) plain flour
- 45 g (½ cup) desiccated coconut
For the filling:
- 60 g butter room temperature
- 120 g (¾ cup) icing sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon milk
- ½ cup strawberry jam
Instructions
Conventional Method
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Line two flat baking trays with baking paper and set aside.
- Using a stand mixer or hand-held beaters, cream the butter and brown sugar on high speed until pale and creamy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue to beat.
- Add the sifted self-raising flour, plain flour and the coconut. Continue to beat on low speed until combined.
- Roll small teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on the prepared trays.
- Press a fork lightly over the top of the dough balls.
- Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden-brown.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on the trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the buttercream filling, cream the butter and sifted icing sugar with a stand mixer or hand-held beaters until pale and creamy.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix and continue to beat well.
- Place a small amount of jam onto the middle of the flat side of one of the cookies. Top with a small amount of buttercream. Place another biscuit on top and press together lightly until the jam and buttercream reach the edges.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Thermomix Method
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Line two flat baking trays with baking paper and set aside.
- Cream the butter and brown sugar for 30 seconds, Speed 4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat for a further 30 seconds, Speed 4.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix for 10 seconds, Speed 3.
- Add the sifted self-raising flour, plain flour and the coconut and knead for 30 seconds on Dough function, or until well combined.
- Roll small teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on the prepared trays.
- Press a fork lightly over the top of the dough balls.
- Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden-brown.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on the trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the buttercream filling, place the butter, sifted icing sugar, vanilla extract and milk into a clean Thermomix bowl and mix for 10 seconds, Speed 6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix until pale and creamy.
- Place a small amount of jam onto the middle of the flat side of one of the cookies.
- Top with a small amount of buttercream.
- Place another biscuit on top and press together lightly until the jam and buttercream reach the edges.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Oven temperatures - I specify fan-forced oven temperatures in my recipes, so if you have a conventional oven, increase the temperature by between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius.
- Baking trays - I strongly recommend greasing and lining the trays with baking paper, even if using non-stick trays.
- Quantity - this recipe will make about 40 small biscuits, which when sandwiched together with the filling will give you 20 complete Monte Carlos.
- Jam filling - I recommend using a thick jam, so that it stays between the biscuits instead of running out. I used St Dalfour Strawberry Fruit Spread in this recipe.
- To sandwich biscuits together - how much filling you need will depend on the size of your biscuits. It's important not to overfill the biscuits with too much jam and buttercream. Add a small amount of jam to the flat side of a biscuit and then top with a small amount of buttercream in the centre. When you add another biscuit to the top it will 'squish' the filling out towards the edges.
- Storing - you can store the Monte Carlo biscuits in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Shalini says
Hi, when you say coconut, what do you use? I'm from India and we get fresh coconut (in shells) here which we use for curries and as pie filling etc.. Did you use those or processed ones?
Bake Play Smile says
Hi Shalini, sorry I should have been clearer. Yes the processed coconut in the packets - desiccated coconut is what it's called here. xx
brian cavanagh says
yeah been looking for a decent recipe ever since i had one my late grans cookbooks that i don't know if you can get anymore it had a recipe for the monte carlo in it but was made into a log and sliced then baked damn uncle threw all the cookbooks she had that i was promised in the bin from memory it was one of the womens cookbooks during the depression here in aus if anyone knows of it or where to get it would be forever grateful, and i must say i have made quite a few recipes of here and damn there good love the worlds best slice and peppermint crisp slice 😀
Bake Play Smile says
Oh no!! You never throw out an old cookbook - they're the best ones!!! Im so sorry you lost such a special book. I'll definitely let you know if I ever hear of it. Thank you so much for your lovely comment - I'm so glad you've enjoyed the slices.
Sarah @ Lady Sadie's Emporium says
Monte Carlo's are one of my fave biscuits, and I can't get them in Doha. I will definitely be making this recipe!
Bake Play Smile says
Oh really!? Yes these are amazing!
Shannon @ Oh Creative Day says
I love that AWW recipe book so, so much! Your bikkies look amazing!
Bake Play Smile says
Me toooo!!! It's the best!
Sarah from Creating Contentment says
This is so brilliant! And bringing back wonderful memories of doing the exact same thing as a child. Will pin xS
Bake Play Smile says
Thanks Sarah! I really loved this one!