This Classic ANZAC Biscuit Recipe makes perfectly golden, chewy biscuits with crispy edges and rich buttery flavour. It's an easy old-fashioned Australian favourite made with oats, coconut and golden syrup.
Love an Aussie biscuit? Don't forget to also try our Milo Malted Milk Cookies or Classic Condensed Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Quick look at Classic ANZAC Biscuits
- ⏲️ 30 mins start to finish.
- 🛒 Ingredients: 8 simple ingredients.
- 🍽️ Makes: 12 big or 24 small biscuits.
- 🧑🍳 Difficulty: Simple, kid-friendly recipe (just need help with hot water).
- 🗃️ Make ahead: Keep for up to 3 weeks.
Australia's famous biscuit - the ANZAC biscuit. We cannot let April 25th, ANZAC Day pass without a batch of these delicious treats but to be honest, we almost always have a cookie jar filled with them for easy, healthy lunchbox treats.
There's a lot of debate about whether ANZACs should be crunchy, chewy, flat, plump... I think the perfect ANZAC biscuit is a combo. Nice and crunchy on the ouside, generous size & a little soft in the middle.
This recipe is from my Grandma and does not disappoint.
Why Choose This ANZAC Biscuit recipe?
- These classic ANZAC biscuits are quick and easy to make with simple pantry staples - you can probably whip up a batch without a special trip to the shops.
- The recipe creates the perfect chewy-centred, crispy-edged ANZAC biscuits every time — no hard, dry biscuits here.
- They’re a great make-ahead lunchbox snack that stays fresh for days, making school lunches and afternoon tea easier.
- This classic ANZAC biscuit recipe is family-tested and kid-approved, so you know the whole family will actually eat them.
- You can freeze them (baked or unbaked) making them even easier as a last minute lunchbox treat.
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Recipe Ingredients
To make classic ANZAC biscuits you will only need a few pantry basic ingredients.
- Coconut - desiccated works best but you can use shredded if it's all you have.
- Flour - use plain flour or wholemeal or we have also successfully used spelt flour.
- Butter - must be butter. Please don't use margarine.
- Oats - use rolled oats not quick oats.
How To Make Classic ANZAC Biscuits
Step 1 - Start the biscuits by mixing up the sugar, oats, coconut and flour in a large bowl.
Step 2 - Melt the butter and golden syrup together. I just gave them a zap in the microwave. Be careful not to put it on for too long or you will have a very unpleasant mess to clean up. You can also do this on the stove in a small saucepan.
Step 3 - Give it a little stir until it's all mixed together.
Step 4 - Pour the boiling water over the baking soda and mix them together until the soda has dissolved.
Step 5 - Pour the soda into the butter mixture.
Step 6 - It should froth up quite a lot. If it doesn't, give the mixture a quick zap in the microwave.
Step 7 - Pour the butter and baking soda mixture over the dry ingredients.
Step 8 - Mix until it forms a uniform dough.
Step 9 - Using a heaped tablespoon of dough at a time, roll/smoosh the biscuit dough into balls and place on the lined baking tray leaving a couple of centimetres between each one. Press them down slightly.
Pro Tip
You can make ANZACS any size you like. We like them quite big so use a heaped tablespoon & bake for 20 minutes. For smaller, check from 16 minutes, for larger they'll need a little longer. Go by colour rather than softness as they do firm more as they cool.
Step 10 - Bake for 16-20 minutes in a 160C fan-forced oven.
Step 11 - Leave the baked ANZAC cookies on the tray for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 12 - Store in an airtight container.
These biscuits last quite a while.
ANZAC biscuits came to be because the ladies wanted to send baked goodies over to the soldiers in the war. They needed to be something that was going to survive the trip and still taste good when they arrived and so the ANZAC biscuit came to be. The name is after the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.
Recipe FAQs
ANZAC biscuits can keep for weeks as long as they are properly stored in an airtight container.
You sure can. You can either freeze the baked biscuits or freeze the dough in balls. Store in a container or ziplock bag. If freezing the dough, write the bakign instructions on the bag.
If your ANZAC biscuits went flat then you either had a little too much butter or not enough flour. You want the dough to be a little greasy but no so much so that you get heaps of melted butter on your hands when you're squishing it. If it is very oily, add a little bit of flour at a time until you get a good consistency.
So what about you? Do you like trying new recipes for old favourites or do you stick to the tried and tested versions?
Recipe
ANZAC biscuits
Ingredients
- ½ cup plain AP flour
- ⅓ cup caster superfine sugar
- ⅔ cup shredded coconut
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- 50 g 1.7oz butter
- 1 tablespoon golden syrup
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoon boiling water
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C(356F) fan-forced and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- In a large bowl, mix up the flour, sugar, coconut and rolled oats.
- Melt the butter and the golden syrup together in the microwave until they're smooth.
- Pour the boiling water over the baking soda and then add them to the melted butter and golden syrup.
- Tip the mixture into the dry ingredients and stir them all together.
- Spoon tablespoons of mixture onto the lined baking tray leaving 2cm between each one. Flatten them to about 1-2 centimeters thickness.
- Bake the biscuits for 15 minutes or until golden.
- Leave them to rest on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container. ANZAC biscuits will keep for at least a week.
Notes
- Make sure your butter is really frothy after adding the baking soda or your biscuits won't be as good. Microwave it for 30 seconds extra if it doesn't froth.
- Recipe can be used to make small (1 level tbsp), medium (1 heaped tbsp) or large (2 tbsp) biscuits. Start checking small from 16 minute bake time.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
Claire Cameron says
Fool-proof classic recipe for ANZAC biscuits.
Jessica says
I never seem to like oatmeal cookies (even though I adore oatmeal), but this recipe makes me think that this is the answer to my oatmeal cookie question! Most cookies hide the oatmeal, but this puts them front and center, with delicious coconut to boot! Fantastic - they look delicious.
Claire says
Oh no no hiding here. Oats are the start of the Anzac cookie!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I had never heard of ANZAC biscuits until I read about them on Lizzy's site. With oatmeal and coconut, what's not to like?!
Claire says
There's not a thing not to like!
Australian Macadamias says
They look great Claire and if you want ANZAC biscuits a little less chewy then bake then for 20mins rather than 15 mins....
We have created an Anzac biscuit recipe with a true Aussie twist, involving macadamias of course!! http://ow.ly/aoF66
Claire says
Ooh macadamias would make them even more delicious. Yum!
Hotly Spiced says
Your ANZAC biscuits look so beautiful all tied up with ribbon. And they look like they have crunch and chewiness. And the Edmonds cookbook is a favourite of mine. I consider mine a treasure! So many golden oldie reliable recipes.
Claire says
I bet it is! You'll have to tell me which ones are the best recipes.
Jennifer (Delicieux) says
Mmm I love a good Anzac biscuit, but my fiance, who is in the army, doesn't like them. I might have to make a batch and see if I can change his mind :D
Claire says
Good luck Jennifer! If he's anything like mine it's hard work to change his mind when it comes to food.
Jennifer | Mother Thyme says
Happy Birthday to your little sis! I have never had these before so I am anxious to try these out. I'm 50/50 when it comes to recipes. I have some recipes I make the same way again, and again and then I find new recipes for old favorites that intrigue me that I try and sometimes find I like the new way or I incorporate a little of both in future recipes.
Claire says
Well in tribute to your Aussie blogger friend I think you have to try them out!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
Snap! I have a batch of Anzac biscuits baking in my oven now! :D I love the uncooked dough too!
Claire says
I've haven't tasted the un-cooked dough. Don't tell me these things Lorraine! Eating biscuit dough is the last thing I need before the wedding!