The Best Anzac Biscuits Recipe (Chewy Or Crunchy) (2024)

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Enjoy the crunchy chewy goodness of ANZAC biscuits, an Australian tradition with a unique origin. These oat loaded golden syrup cookies are so good you will want to enjoy them all year round!

This simple ANZAC biscuit recipe is great to make with kids while sharing with them some of Australia’s history.

The Best Anzac Biscuits Recipe (Chewy Or Crunchy) (1)

AN ANZAC Tradition

ANZAC biscuits are an Australian icon and a favourite for many.

While most of us wait until ANZAC Day to make them, they are so delicious that you will want to have them in your regular baking rotation!

ANZACDay is on the 25th of April and acknowledges the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand troops during the First World War.

ANZACstands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. It is a name that is now worn with pride with ANZAC dawn services and parades being a significant commemorative event each year in Australia and New Zealand.

The date of ANZAC Day has significance, as it is due to the 25th of April being the day the troops landed in Gallipoli.

The Best Anzac Biscuits Recipe (Chewy Or Crunchy) (2)

What is the Story Behind Anzac Biscuits?

If you are unfamiliar with the history of ANZAC Day, there’s a good chance you might be wondering why baking delicious cookies is part of the tradition.

ANZAC biscuits were claimed to have been made and sent by the women’s groups and wives of soldiers to the troops who were serving.

They needed something that would not spoil quickly and would travel relatively well with naval transportation.

And that is how ANZAC biscuits came to be.

While they are especially popular to make around ANZAC Day, they are also a popular treat for Australia Day in January too! They also make a great lunch box snack!

One thing is for sure, they are an enjoyable biscuit treat and easy to make.

This is also a really fun way to teach your kids about Australian and New Zealand military history, by getting them in the kitchen and helping you bake a batch of yummy chewy oat cookies!

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TIPS FOR COOKING ANZAC BISCUITS WITH KIDS: Younger kids can easily help measure and pour the dry ingredients into the bowl and stir to combine the mixture while older kids can assist with the stovetop and rolling process too.

How To Make ANZAC Biscuits

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STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius (300 degrees Fahrenheit) and line a baking tray with baking paper.

STEP TWO: Sift flour & cinnamon into a large heatproof bowl. Mix in rolled oats, coconut, and sugars.

STEP THREE: Combine butter, syrup and water in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until butter melts completely. Remove from heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda immediately. This will cause your mixture to foam.

STEP FOUR: Add the butter mixture to your dry ingredients immediately and stir until well combined.

STEP FIVE: Roll 1 tablespoon of mixture into balls and place on the lined tray, leaving approximately 3 cm between them. Press down on cookie dough to make them approximately 1cm thick.

STEP SIX: Bake the ANZAC cookies for 15 minutes. (See tips below about crunchy vs soft ANZAC biscuits). Remove from the oven and leave to rest on the oven tray for a few minutes before transferring to the wire cooling rack.

The printable recipe card with a FULL ingredients list and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of this post.

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Golden Syrup Substitutes

You may also hear ANZAC biscuits referred to as crunchy golden syrup biscuits.

If you live outside of Australia, you may not be familiar with Golden Syrup. It is a thick amber-coloured sugar syrup that is different from maple syrup or honey.

If you need a substitution, you can use corn or maple syrup, or try molasses. Alternatively, you can make your own golden syrup at home.

CRUNCHY OR CHEWY ANZAC BISCUITS?

ANZAC biscuits are a sweet treat that can be enjoyed either chewy or crunchy. The key is in the cooking time!

If you prefer chewy ANZAC biscuits or soft ANZAC biscuits, be sure to pull them out of the oven sooner, at around 15 minutes. They will still be soft when they come out of the oven, so allow them time to cool on the tray.

If you prefer crunchy ANZAC biscuits, a longer cooking time of up to 18 minutes will result in a bigger crunch.

Keep a close eye on them though because no one wants burnt cookies!

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Storing Your Biscuits

Store your biscuits in an airtight container. They keep well for up to a week, maintaining their crispy texture. After this time they will start to go soft.

If you prefer them crunchier, just pop them in the oven for a few minutes to harden them up again.

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ANZAC biscuits are a classic Australian and New Zealand biscuit that is perfect for any time of year. These cookies are easy to make, and they always taste delicious. This is a great recipe to make with kids as a fun way to teach about the history of the ANZACS.

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For more Aussie-inspired treats to try:

  • 4 ingredient Pavlova
  • White Chocolate crackles
  • Choc chip Weetbix cookies
  • Cranberry Rice Bubble cookies
  • Australia Day recipe ideas
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ANZAC Biscuits

Yield: 20

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Making ANZAC biscuits is an Australian tradition and these chewy oat biscuits are easy to make with kids.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 1 cup desiccated coconut
  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup caster sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup golden syrup
  • 125g butter
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 tbs water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius (300F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Sift flour & cinnamon into a bowl. Mix in oats, coconut, and sugars.
  3. Combine butter, syrup and water in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until butter melts.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Immediately. It will foam up. Add to your dry ingredients immediately and stir until well combined.
  5. Roll 1 tablespoon of mixture into balls and place on the tray, leaving approximately 3 cm between them. Press down on cookie dough to make them approximately 1cm thick.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and leave to rest on the oven tray for a few minutes before transferring to wire cooling rack.

Notes

For a chewy ANZACBiscuits, a shorter baking time of 15 minutes is best.

For crunchy biscuits, bake for approximately 18 minutes taking care not to allow them to burn.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 20Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 149Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 56mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 1gSugar: 11gProtein: 2g

These figures are provided as an approximate guide only.

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Do you prefer your biscuits chewy or crunchy? I’m a fan of chewy Anzac biscuits.

The Best Anzac Biscuits Recipe (Chewy Or Crunchy) (2024)

FAQs

Should Anzac biscuits be crunchy or chewy? ›

Traditionally the biscuit was known to be crunchy. According to the Australian War Memorial, soldiers used to grind them up and use them to make porridge. To make your biscuits extra crispy try cooking them on a lower temperature for a few minutes longer or, add an extra teaspoon of boiling water to your biscuit mix.

Why are my Anzac biscuits hard? ›

If this recipe ends up really hard, then you may have overbaked them. They shouldn't be too hard because the ingredients won't allow it. But if they do, pop them in an airtight container with a slice of bread and leave them for 24 hours. They'll be fine after that.

Why were Anzac biscuits hard and long lasting? ›

The basic ingredients for a rolled oat biscuit were rolled oats, sugar, flour, butter with golden syrup, not eggs, used as a binding agent. This made them not only nutritious and full of energy but also long lasting.

Should biscuits be crunchy? ›

Biscuits as in the UK and many European ones, are meant to be crisp and dry. Richness of the dough (butter, oil, egg) as well as the moist, brown sugar used in Anerican chocolate chip cookies, also help make a soft cookie after baking.

What makes a biscuit chewy or crunchy? ›

chewy vs crispy is a combination of 2 things… ratio of fats to flour, and baking times/temps.. for more chewy cake like cookies, you want something with a high fat, content cooked at a lower longer temperature… for a more crispy or dryer cooking you want a lower fat batter cooked at a high temperature.

Why don't my Anzac biscuits spread? ›

FAQ for Anzac Biscuits

I found that if people have issues with spreading and their biscuits coming out flat, it is often to do with an oven that is running hot. Do I have to brown the butter? If you don't want to brown the butter in these, just use 135g melted butter.

How to stop Anzac biscuits from crumbling? ›

But watch for crumbling or "melting": "If your biscuits are falling apart, then you have added too much of the wet ingredients, or potentially too much sugar," Quinn says. The marine biologist-turned-cook advises leaving the biscuits on the baking tray as they cool, then giving them a day or two to "chewify".

Do Anzac biscuits harden as they cool? ›

Depending on how you like them, Anzacs should be ready once they've turned golden and start to firm up. You want them to be a little soft when you take them out of the oven because they'll harden up on the tray as they cool.

Why are my biscuits soft and not crunchy? ›

Sugar attracts moisture and homemade biccies often contain a lot of it, so they are prone to losing their crunch. To stop biscuits getting soft, make sure your container is airtight and put a layer of dry rice in the bottom of it to absorb any rogue water particles in the air.

What was the original Anzac biscuit? ›

The original Anzac biscuit was known as an Anzac wafer or tile and, along with beef bully, was part of the rations given to our soldiers during World War I. They were included instead of bread because they had a much longer shelf-life.

Why did soldiers eat Anzac biscuits? ›

Anzac biscuits have long been associated with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) established in World War I. It is thought that these biscuits were sent by wives and women's groups to soldiers abroad because the ingredients do not spoil easily and the biscuits kept well during naval transportation.

What does Anzac stand for? ›

ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. Anzac Day falls on the 25th of April each year. The 25th of April was officially named Anzac Day in 1916. On the 25th of April 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula.

Are Anzac biscuits supposed to be crunchy or chewy? ›

Consistency of the recipe has varied over the years. ANZAC biscuits are traditionally hard and crunchy. Over time, the original recipe was modified with variations being cooked for less time resulting in softer chewier biscuits, or adding more sugar to make them super crispy.

Why is my biscuit chewy? ›

What's in a Chewy Cookie? Well, the long and short answer to chewy cookies is it's all about the moisture content. Cookies that are dense and chewy incorporate more moisture into the batter.

How do you keep biscuits crunchy? ›

Store them in airtight jars or bags in the refrigerator makes it last longer and stay crunchy with preserved flavor. If you want the cookies remain fresh longer, freeze them. But just as the storage in the refrigerator, be sure to wrap them in plastic bags for use in freezers and put them in a tightly sealed container.

What texture should biscuits be? ›

Biscuits get their light, fluffy, mouthwatering texture from the consistency of the dough and the air pockets that are created when the butter melts during baking. Biscuit dough is moist and sticky, so much so that it may seem too wet after you've added all your flour.

What is the difference between hard and soft biscuits? ›

Hard biscuits are often made using a mold and pins, and when baked, they are incredibly crispy and light in weight. Soft biscuit exterior decorative pattern obviously, is most prominent pattern, soft structure. Sugar and oil content is relatively high.

References

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