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Australian · New Zealand

Anzac biscuits

Vegetarian

Chewy-crisp golden biscuits of rolled oats, coconut, butter and golden syrup, made without eggs and baked across Australia and New Zealand around Anzac Day.

Anzac biscuits is an Australian sweet, ready in about 44 minutes and made with rolled oats, desiccated coconut and golden syrup. It serves 20 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep
10 min
Cook
24 min
Rest
10 min
Total
44 min
Serves
20
Level
Beginner
Calories
148

Ingredients

20 biscuits

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 170 °C and line two trays. Mix the oats (opens in a new tab), flour, coconut, brown sugar (opens in a new tab) and salt in a bowl.

  2. Step 2

    Melt the butter and golden syrup (opens in a new tab) together. Mix the baking soda (opens in a new tab) with the boiling water and stir it into the butter — it will foam up.

  3. Step 3

    Pour the foaming butter into the dry ingredients and mix well. Roll tablespoons into balls, place on the trays with room to spread and flatten slightly.

    • 6 min

  4. Step 4

    Bake until golden brown, 10–12 minutes (less for chewy, more for crunchy). Cool on the trays for 10 minutes, then on a rack.

About this dish

Origin
Not attributed to one place · Origin disputedBoth Australia and New Zealand claim the biscuit; recipes under the name appear in both countries from the early 20th century.Also popular in Australia, New Zealand
Dish
Snack · Sweets & confectionery
Cooking method
Oven-baked
Taste
sweet, buttery, nutty
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb
With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Portable / lunchbox · Budget-friendly · Child-friendly
Cook more with
Rolled oats · Desiccated coconut · Golden syrup · All-purpose flour · Brown sugar · Unsalted butter
Techniques
Baking · Boiling

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom unsalted butter
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom rolled oats, all-purpose flour

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

148 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 33 g · recipe makes 20

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 5%
  • Carbohydrate 51%
  • Fat 45%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy148 kcal441 kcal
Protein1.7 g4.9 g
Carbohydrate19.1 g57.2 g
Net carbohydrate18 g53.6 g
Sugars9.8 g29.3 g
Added sugars9.7 g28.8 g
Fibre1.2 g3.5 g
Fat7.5 g22.5 g
Saturated fat5.1 g15.2 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol13 mg40 mg
Sodium67 mg200 mg
Salt equivalent0.2 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
56 mg
Calcium
13 mg
Iron
0.8 mg
Magnesium
12 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
43 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
24 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Golden syrup: Cane syrup (FDC 167743) used as a stand-in for golden syrup (partially inverted refined cane-sugar syrup).
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • They feel soft when they come out of the oven and crisp up as they cool.

Storage

  • Keep airtight for up to 2 weeks.

History

Named after the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) of the First World War, and traditionally baked around Anzac Day on 25 April.

Confidence: Well documented

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 10 min

    Mix only until no dry flour remains — overmixing makes it tough and tunnelled.

  2. Bake · about 24 min at 170 °C

    Risen and golden; a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; the top springs back.

  3. Cool · about 10 min

    Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.

  4. Start to finish: about 44 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Cracked or domed top

    Likely causes

    • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
    • Too much leavening
    • Overmixed batter

    What to do

    • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
    • Use the exact leavening amount
    • Fold just until combined
  • Dry or crumbly

    Likely causes

    • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
    • Over-baked
    • Too little fat or sugar

    What to do

    • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
    • Check 5 minutes early
    • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

Reviews & corrections

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