Anzac Biscuits

From the kitchen of Carly

Australian and New Zealand classic: chewy oat-and-coconut biscuits sweetened with golden syrup. Originally baked to ship to soldiers in World War I because they keep for weeks. Now they keep about 4 days, because everyone eats them. Pull them when the centers still look slightly soft. They firm up as they cool; overbaked is the cookie killer.

Anzac Biscuits

Anzac biscuits are built on the contrast between crispy edges and a chewy center, held together by oats, coconut, and the secret weapon: golden syrup mixed with baking soda that foams into the dough. Eighteen cookies emerge from the oven golden and just-set, then firm up into that signature texture as they cool. Worth keeping around always.

Prep
10 min
Cook
10 min
Total
20 min
Servings
18
Difficulty
easy

Ingredients

18 servings

  • 3 oz(85 g)rolled oats
  • 3 oz(85 g)desiccated coconut
  • 3 1/2 oz(100 g)all-purpose flour
  • 3 1/2 oz(100 g)caster or granulated sugar
  • 3 1/2 oz(100 g)unsalted butter
  • 1 tbspgolden syrup (or light corn syrup)
  • 1 tspbaking soda

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, desiccated coconut, flour, and sugar. Mix well.

  3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the golden syrup until smooth and combined.

  4. Mix the baking soda into 2 tbsp of boiling water in a small cup. Stir this into the butter-and-syrup mixture in the saucepan. It should foam up a little; that's expected.

  5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until everything is evenly combined. The dough will look thick and slightly oily.

  6. Drop dessertspoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2.5cm (1 inch) between cookies. They spread.

  7. Bake in the middle of the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown around the edges but still slightly soft in the centers.

  8. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes (they're fragile when hot), then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They firm up as they cool into the chewy-crisp signature texture.

  9. Store in an airtight container at room temperature 4 days, or freeze 3 months.

Tips from the kitchen

  • The baking soda and boiling water mixture will foam and bubble, that's the point, it aerates the dough and creates the cookie's texture. Don't skip this step or brown it out.
  • Pull them from the oven when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft and underbaked. They finish cooking on the hot pan and firm as they cool, so timing is everything.
  • Leave them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack. They're too fragile when hot and will break, but after that brief rest they're sturdy enough to handle.
  • Golden syrup is the classic choice and worth sourcing for the depth it adds, but light corn syrup works if that's what you have. The flavor won't be identical but the texture will be.

Variations

  • Spiced Anzacs: Add 1 tsp ground ginger and a pinch of cinnamon to the dry mix for warmth without changing the core texture.
  • Dark Coconut: Use unsweetened shredded coconut instead of desiccated for a deeper flavor and slightly less sweetness overall.
  • Buckwheat swap: Replace half the flour with buckwheat flour for a nuttier taste and a grainier crumb.
  • Double oat: Use rolled oats for some of the flour (keep the ratio roughly equal) to make them even more oat-forward and hearty.

Make ahead and storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days. Freeze up to 3 months, no thawing needed, they're fine straight from the freezer.

Substitutions
  • golden syrup to light corn syrup or 50/50 honey and molasses. Golden syrup is the traditional UK and Aus product. Corn syrup is the closest US substitute; the honey-molasses blend mimics the deeper flavor.
  • desiccated coconut to shredded sweetened coconut + reduce sugar by 25g. Most US groceries stock sweetened, not desiccated. Cut the sugar to compensate.
  • rolled oats to quick-cooking oats. Rolled oats give chewier texture; quick-cooking gives a finer, slightly softer crumb. Both work.

Pairs well with: A pot of strong black tea with milk (the proper move), Cold milk for the children at the table, Vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two for dessert