ANZAC Biscuits

This traditional ANZAC biscuits recipe has been loved by generations of children throughout Australia and New Zealand.

If you've never tried ANZAC cookies before, then now is the time. These buttery caramel flavored cookies are so delicious and are quick and easy to make.

This recipe for traditional ANZAC biscuits is the one I have used since I was a little girl and they were one of the first things I learned to bake on my own.

And you'll see why - these coconut oat cookies are so simple to make. You just mix all the ingredients up in a bowl, roll them into balls and bake them in the oven. Done!

This recipe makes quite crunchy ANZAC biscuits, but they still have a bit of chew to them. If you prefer a more chewy cookie, then try our recipe for ANZAC slice.

Have a Thermomix? Check out our Thermomix Anzac Biscuits Recipe.

ANZAC biscuits history

But what are ANZAC biscuits?

ANZAC biscuits are widely believed to have been created during World War I, when they were made by wives and womens’ groups to send to Australia and New Zealand soldiers stationed in Gallipoli.

The basic ingredients were easy to get hold of during the war years, hence why there are no eggs in a traditional ANZAC biscuit recipe, as they were scarce during the war. Having no eggs also meant that the biscuits lasted longer, which was important.

Nowadays they are still enjoyed by families all over Australia and New Zealand.

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ANZAC biscuits ingredients

ANZAC biscuits are made with easy to get-hold of store cupboard ingredients: Oats, flour, dried coconut, baking soda, butter and golden syrup.

For the coconut, I like to use shredded coconut like in the picture. I like the texture it gives to the cookies and also the rustic look it gives to them. You could also use desiccated coconut if you prefer.

I used to make these with freshly grated coconut when I was a kid, and they were the best Anzac biscuits ever! So if you can get hold of some, give it a go!

What can I use instead of golden syrup in Anzac biscuits?

Golden Syrup is pretty easy to find in supermarkets in the UK and Australia, but more tricky to find in North America.

You can buy golden syrup from Amazon, or alternatively you can substitute it with honey, corn syrup or maple syrup.

Golden syrup is much stickier than maple syrup but doesn't have the strong flavor of honey, so you could try mixing up both maple syrup and honey to make sure the cookie dough stays together when cooked without the strong honey flavor.

How to make ANZAC biscuits

Making ANZAC cookies is very easy. Firstly you mix up all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Then melt together the butter and golden syrup in a saucepan.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.

Scoop the mixture into tablespoon sized portions and roll into balls. I use a cookie scoop to make sure they are all the same size but I roll them into balls using my hands.

Make sure you leave space for them to spread out while they are cooking.

Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until they are a rich golden brown color.

Let them cool on the tray for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. They will be quite soft at this stage but they will crisp up as they cool.

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