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Home » Recipes » Cookies

Sante Biscuits

Modified: Jul 15, 2025 · Published: Feb 6, 2025 by Claire Cameron · This post may contain affiliate links · 21 Comments

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Looking for the authentic Edmonds chocolate chip cookies recipe? These Sante Biscuits are a beloved Kiwi classic, known for their delightful crunch and rich chocolate flavor.

More of our favourite chocolate cookies include: Chocolate Spiced Mexican Snickerdoodles, Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies, Double Chocolate Ginger Cookies or Aussie Milo Cookies.

Sante biscuits - chocolate chip cookies in a bowl with some one a cooling rack on a white marble bench top.

Quick look at Sante Biscuits

  • ⏲️ Ready in 30 minutes.
  • 🛒 Ingredients: Just 7 (probably in your pantry)!
  • 🍽️ Makes: About 25 biscuits (cookies).
  • 🧑‍🍳 Difficulty: Easy - kid-friendly recipe.
  • 🗃️ Make ahead: Keep for 1 week.

These are possibly the most popular chocolate chip biscuit in New Zealand appearing in the classic Edmond's Cookery book.

I've got some Kiwi blood in me (thanks to my Kiwi Grandmother) but I'm embarassed to say, I'd never heard of Edmonds until my Kiwi friend gifted me a copy years ago.

In the past it was always given to brides-to-be as a bridal shower gift.

Why Make This Sante Biscuits Recipe

  1. They're not too sweet.
  2. They're delicious & have a lovely hint of caramel if you add white chocolate.
  3. If you like more of a crunchy cookie rather than chewy then these are for you.
  4. They're a New Zealand tradition and famous cookie.

This reason is a little bit of a funny one but I like them because they're not messy to roll! They don't stick to your hands & roll nice and smooth.

Jump to:
  • Quick look at Sante Biscuits
  • Why Make This Sante Biscuits Recipe
  • Recipe Ingredients
  • Recipe Variations
  • How to make Sante Biscuits
  • Recipe FAQs
  • More chocolate chip cookie recipes:
  • Recipe

Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients for Sante biscuits. Bowl of flour, butter, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, sugar, chocolate chips.
  • Butter - pure butter, the type you get wrapped in foil. Make sure you let it soften.
  • Sugar - raw sugar or regular white sugar. You could sub in rapadura but we haven't tried it yet.
  • Sweetened condensed milk - this seems to be the secret ingredient for the texture of these.
  • Chocolate chips - milk, white or dark or go for a combo like we did or of course use chopped chocolate like the Sante namesake.
  • Vanilla - preferably extract rather than essence. Here's how to make homemade vanilla extract.

Recipe Variations

  • Double Chocolate Sante Biscuits: What's better than chocolate chip? Double chocolate chip! Substitute ¼ cup of the flour with cocoa powder (or raw cacao) to the dough for a richer chocolate flavour.
  • Nutty Sante Biscuits: Add ¼ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans for added crunch.

How to make Sante Biscuits

Ingredients for brown sugar walnut biscuits. Bowl of butter, brown sugar, mixed spice, bicarb, flour, walnuts and an egg & bottle of vanilla.

Step 1 - I always like to measure out the ingredients before I start baking. That way I don't leave anything out.

Glass bowl with butter, condensed milk, sugar & vanilla with handheld beater on white marble bench.

Step 2 - Place the sugar, condensed milk, butter and vanilla together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat together until they are light and fluffy.

Flour on top of biscuit batter with handheld beaters in glass mixing bowl.

Step 3 - Add the sifted flour & baking powder and keep mixing until it's all combined.

Chocolate chips on top of cookie batter with wooden spoon in glass mixing bowl on white marble bench top.

Step 4 - Add the chocolate chips and mix until they're just distributed.

You don't want any cookies to be chocolate-less though so make sure you give it a reasonable mix.

Hand holding ball of chocolate chip cookie dough over glass mixing bowl of dough on white marble bench.

Step 5 - Use about a tablespoon of dough at a time and roll it into balls then put it on a lined baking tray.

Balls of Sante chocolate chip cookie dough on a lined baking tray pressed with a fork.

Step 6 - They don't spread too much but I still left about 3cm between mine. Press them down gently with a fork or your fingers.

They won't change shape much after baking. Make sure you press down to the thickness you want the finished biscuits to be.

Baked chocolate chip Sante biscuits on a lined baking tray.

Step 7 - Bake them at 170C fan-forced for 18-20 minutes or until they start to turn golden. Leave on the tray to set for about 10 minutes.

Baked chocolate Sante biscuits on a cooling tray on a white marble bench top.

Step 8 - Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Half a chocolate Sante Biscuit held in a hand with a bowl of chocolate chip cookies.

They're quite a thick cookie & pretty firm. If you like a softer chocolate chip cookie, our simple chewy chocolate chip cookies might be more your thing.

Recipe FAQs

Why are they called Sante biscuits?

Before the good old chocolate chip was invented for baking, we used to use chopped up chocolate bars.
Actually, that's what I do most of the time. Sante bars were a particular brand of chocolate bars made in England since the 1860s.
So that's where Santes biscuits got their name from. In New Zealand, they're also called Kiwi Crisps.

Can I use all one chocolate to make Sante Biscuits?

You sure can. Dark chocolate would be my pick. The richness will complement the biscuit's sweetness.

Enjoy!

You might also like our Afghan cookie recipe - another classic New Zealand biscuit.

Bowl of chocolate chip Sante biscuits on a white marble bench top.

More chocolate chip cookie recipes:

  • Grain free peanut butter choc chip cookies dusted with icing sugar
    Grain free peanut butter choc chip cookies
  • Healthy banana chocolate chip cookies
    Healthy banana chocolate chip cookies
  • Chocolate macadamia biscuits
  • Gluten free wholefood chocolate chip cookies
    Gluten free wholefood chocolate chip cookies

MADE THIS SANTE BISCUIT RECIPE AND LOVED IT?  Please leave a ⭐️STAR rating and COMMENT below- I love connecting with you! Tag me with your creations on Instagram and find me on Pinterest.

Recipe

Bowl of chocolate chip Sante biscuits on a white marble bench top.

Santes - New Zealand's chocolate chip biscuits

Heavenly chocolate chip biscuits - Santes. A must-try treat!A New Zealand favourite chocolate chip cookie that's simple and delicious and quick to make.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Dessert
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
Servings: 25 cookies
Calories: 61kcal
Author: Claire Cameron

Ingredients

  • ​125g butter softened
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 ½ cup plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
  • Few drops of vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 170C (338F) fan-forced and line two baking trays with baking paper.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and condensed milk together until they are light and creamy.
  • Add the sifted flour and baking powder and beat until combined.
  • Add chocolate chips and beat until nicely distributed through the dough.
  • Take the bowl of the stand and roll tablespoons full of dough into balls.
  • Place the balls on the trays, leaving 3cm between each one and gently press the tops using a floured fork or your fingers.
  • Bake the biscuits for 18-20 minutes or until golden.
  • Leave them to rest on the trays for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Variation: You can add chopped nuts in place of some of the chocolate chips to add flavour. 
Storage: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. For longer storage, freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. We like to use a ziplock bag.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 61kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 6IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Have you made this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think. Tag me on Instagram @clairekcreations

More Cookies

  • Orange star cookies - a treat for Santa
    Orange star cookies - a treat for Santa
  • The best ever gingerbread cookies
    The best ever gingerbread cookies
  • Mexican chocolate snickerdoodles (hot chocolate cookies)
    Mexican chocolate snickerdoodles (hot chocolate cookies)
  • Edmonds Afghan biscuits (classic New Zealand recipe)
    Edmonds Afghan biscuits (classic New Zealand recipe)

Comments

  1. Claire says

    June 16, 2025 at 7:03 pm

    5 stars
    Super easy and delicious!

    Reply
  2. Hayley says

    August 28, 2013 at 11:57 am

    what is the secret behind these? I have made the recipie over and over again but I cannot figure out what I am doing wrong. when I add the flour etc in the end everything is far too dry and does not bind together. I don’t really get what is suppose to bind this recipe together. the only liquid in these cookies come from the vanilla essences and then the sweetened condensed milk with is more gluggy than anything and once creamed with the butter etc becomes quite solid. I had to add some milk in the end to bind it together otherwise would be just dry dust that doesn’t come together at all. then (maybe because of adding a little bit of milk) these cookies burn (after 17minutes in the oven). I can try less time for next time but is there any thing else I am doing wrong? like instead of softened butter should I melt the butter because then that at least would be some extra liquid?

    Reply
    • Claire says

      August 28, 2013 at 1:44 pm

      Hi Hayley. Oh dear that's no good! The only thing I can think of is that you perhaps need to beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and condensed milk for longer. It shouldn't be solid it should be nice and light and creamy. The butter might be a bit hard? Are you in a high altitude? That's the only other thing I can think of because this changes things although I'm not sure how to adjust for the altitude I'm sorry.

    • Hayley says

      August 28, 2013 at 1:48 pm

      no butter has not been in the fridge and is softened but not so much its melting. I beat everything for a few minutes enough to make it light and fluffy like I make so many thing. It is light and fluffy but has no moisture in it to bind things.

      I live in Auckland nz so no high altitude.

    • Claire says

      August 28, 2013 at 8:26 pm

      I'm totally stumped Hayley! Only suggestion I can make is to try one of my other tasty choc-chip cookie recipes :-)

    • Hayley says

      August 28, 2013 at 1:49 pm

      only difference is I use extract instead of essence?

    • Claire says

      August 28, 2013 at 8:26 pm

      Nope that shouldn't make a difference.

  3. Emma says

    January 06, 2013 at 1:02 pm

    They are called Sante biscuits because traditionally we made them by cutting up Sante bars: Sante bars are dark chocolate, in narrow bars, which were sold individually (no wrappers, just out of a box of bars) in dairies -- when I was little, they were about 5 cents each. My grandparents would buy a box of sante bars when they came to visit us each christmas and it would sit on the counter in the kitchen for us to help ourselves from - it was always an exciting part of their visit. The Sante bar is now made by Whittakers (who also make our famous peanut slabs), they cost a lot more, and they come in a wrapper these days, but they are still much the same:
    http://shop.countdown.co.nz/Shop/ProductDetails?Stockcode=267011&name=whittakers-chocolate-bar-dark-sante-75g

    : )

    Reply
    • Claire says

      January 06, 2013 at 6:35 pm

      What a lovely story Emma thanks for sharing!

  4. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says

    July 01, 2012 at 9:06 pm

    Ooh have you made Afghans? I think I may have seen you make them in April? They're my favourite NZ biscuit-so addictive :) I should give these a go as I can imagine that they're also lovely.

    Reply
    • Claire says

      July 02, 2012 at 8:34 am

      I have! They are so good. So very easy to make too!

  5. The Café Sucré Farine says

    July 01, 2012 at 6:28 am

    So what do you think if I send you a bill for a new computer? After all, you're the one responsible for all this drool on my laptop! Claire, these look melt-in-your mouth delicious! If you don't put that cookbook away, we're all going to be fat as pigs! But what a fun way to go to oinker land .............

    Reply
    • Claire says

      July 01, 2012 at 8:53 am

      Sorry about that Chris! Yes I think I need to move on to some healthier recipes. I've been doing way too much baking lately! It's what I do to keep warm.

  6. Hotly Spiced says

    June 30, 2012 at 4:37 pm

    Hi Claire, no, I can't help. I have no idea why they're called Sante Biscuits. I thought they were called Chocolate Chip Cookies so when I couldn't find that listed anywhere in the index of the Edmonds Cookbook I thought I was going mad. I rang my mother and she said, 'They're called Sante biscuits' but I didn't ask why. Mum used to make them almost weekly and they would be sitting on trays, just out of the oven when we walked in from school. They are delicious aren't they. Hard to stop at one or two or five. Yours look great. Have a lovely time at the beach. I do hope the weather is favorable. I've heard it's been very cold on the Sunshine Coast. Coldest week on record apparently xx

    Reply
    • Claire says

      July 01, 2012 at 8:52 am

      The weather is just beautiful Charlie! I packed all jeans and jumpers and I've been hot. I would have loved to come home to a few batches of these when I was litte! x

  7. Corrie says

    June 30, 2012 at 4:08 pm

    Three kinds of chocolate?! they MUST be good :-)

    Reply
    • Claire says

      July 01, 2012 at 8:51 am

      Yes indeed!

  8. celia says

    June 30, 2012 at 2:07 pm

    Well, I think they look heavenly!

    Great recipe, Claire! I love a cookie that you can eat more than one of without feeling sick.. ;-)

    Reply
    • Claire says

      July 01, 2012 at 8:50 am

      That is the key to a good cookie isn't it?

  9. Jennifer (Delicieux) says

    June 30, 2012 at 10:22 am

    Those biscuits look dangerously addictive Claire! I think I'd find it hard to stop at one.

    Reply
    • Claire says

      July 01, 2012 at 8:49 am

      and you would be right!

5 from 1 vote

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Claire headshot - Claire from Claire K Creations. 38 year old woman with short blonde hair holding a tea cup standing in a kitchen

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