I love Anzac biscuits in all forms but soft and chewy ones are my all-time favourite. They also happen to be one of the most simplest things you can bake, requiring only a few everyday pantry ingredients and some butter. If you’re not an Aussie reader and wondering why these “biscuits” look a lot like “cookies” it’s because they are. It’s just one of our many fun English language differences! I’ve popped a little about the history of these “bikkies” below that will explain more but they’re well worth a try even if you didn’t grow up eating them. They’re just like a sweet oat cookie! I’ve included instructions for baking these biscuits in both the oven and the air fryer, so feel free to try either! These also freeze well, both the unbaked dough and the baked biscuits so don’t feel pressured to eat the whole batch at once. Although if I’m being honest I almost always do!
A little history on Anzac biscuits
For my readers who aren’t from Australia or New Zealand, you may be wondering what on earth an Anzac biscuit is. The best way to describe it is a sweet oat cookie, and they have quite a significant meaning to us. An “Anzac” refers to a soldier who was in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, particularly in the years of World War 1. There was an infamous battle that took place in Gallipoli in Turkey on April 25th 1915, and this day has since become when we commemorate our soldiers every year. One of the ways we mark the day is through these Anzac biscuits. The biscuits were sent over to the soldiers during World War 1 because they were able to last for a long time, although the original recipe looked quite a bit different to the one we all make today. You can buy tins of them from local supermarkets, charity groups or make you own, but it’s highly unlikely you’d get through an April each year without eating at least one Anzac biscuit.
INGREDIENTS
Here’s what you’ll need to make these biscuits (measurements listed in the full recipe at the bottom of this page)…
Rolled Oats / Old Fashioned OatsPlain / All Purpose FlourBrown SugarDesiccated Coconut / Finely Shredded CoconutButterGolden SyrupBicarb Soda
INSTRUCTIONS
OVEN METHOD
Preheat - Preheat the oven to 160C / 320F (standard) OR 140C / 285F (fan-forced), and line two baking trays with baking paper or silicone mats. Mix the dry ingredients - Combine oats, flour, sugar and coconut in a mixing bowl. Mix the wet ingredients - Place butter and golden syrup in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir for 2 minutes, or until the butter has melted. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Mix bicarb with the 2 tablespoon of boiling water, then add to the saucepan. The butter will appear frothy - this is good. No cause for alarm. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together - Pour the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Grab a tablespoon of the mixture and roll it into a ball, then place on the prepared baking tray. Press down to flatten slightly. Repeat with the remaining mixture, leaving a gap between the biscuits. Bake - Place the trays in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. When you remove the biscuits they’ll still be soft to touch, but will harden while cooling. Leave in the trays to cool for 15 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
AIR FRYER METHOD
Mix the dry ingredients - Combine oats, flour, sugar and coconut in a mixing bowl. Mix the wet ingredients - Place butter and golden syrup in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir for 2 minutes, or until the butter has melted. Mix bicarb with 2 tablespoon of boiling water, then add to the saucepan. The butter will appear frothy - this is good. No cause for alarm. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together - Pour the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Grab a tablespoon of the mixture and roll it into a ball, then carefully place into the preheated air fryer basket. Press down to flatten slightly. Repeat with the remaining mixture, leaving a gap between the biscuits to allow them to spread. If you have a smaller basket, you’ll want to do this in batches of 4 or so cookies. Bake - Place basket into air fryer and cook on 140C / 285F for 15 minutes or until golden brown. I’d start checking in on the biscuits around the 10 minute mark just to ensure they don’t overcook. Remove the basket and leave the biscuits in the basket for 15 minutes to cool, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
TOP TIPS
Don’t flatten the biscuits too much. They will spread on their own and remain nice and chewy when they aren’t too thin to begin with.If you can’t find desiccated coconut or finely shredded coconut, you can substitute for shredded coconut.Monitor the biscuits closely 5 minutes before the end of the suggested cooking time (in this case around the 10 minute mark). Whether you’re cooking them in the oven or the air fryer, every appliance can be different and if you overcook these biscuits they won’t be chewy. They’re ready when they colour has changed to golden brown.Store leftover Anzac biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.The uncooked biscuit dough can be frozen. Simply shape into balls, place onto a baking tray and freeze for 30 minutes, then move to an airtight container or ziplock bag.Cooked Anzac biscuits can also be frozen. Once the biscuits are cooled completely, move to an airtight container or ziplock bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
MORE AUSSIE RECIPES
These biscuits are a classic Aussie recipe. Here’s a few more Aussie recipes you should try:
Anzac SliceMini Caramel TartsJam DropsCrunchy Anzac BiscuitsChocolate Anzac BiscuitsHealthy Chocolate CracklesHealthy Zucchini SliceCheese and Vegemite ScrollsGolden Syrup CookiesEasy Curried Sausages
If you’ve tried these Chewy Anzac Biscuits I’d love to hear how you enjoyed them! Pop a comment and a star rating below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to keep up to date with more delicious recipes. First published April 21, 2020. Updated April 6, 2021 with clearer instructions, more photos - no change to recipe.
Don’t flatten the biscuits too much. They will spread on their own and remain nice and chewy when they aren’t too thin to begin with.
If you can’t find desiccated coconut or finely shredded coconut, you can substitute for shredded coconut. Monitor the biscuits closely 5 minutes before the end of the suggested cooking time (in this case around the 10 minute mark). Whether you’re cooking them in the oven or the air fryer, every appliance can be different and if you overcook these biscuits they won’t be chewy. They’re ready when they colour has changed to golden brown. Store leftover Anzac biscuits in an airtight container for up to a week. The uncooked biscuit dough can be frozen. Simply shape into balls, place onto a baking tray and freeze for 30 minutes, then move to an airtight container or ziplock bag.Cooked Anzac biscuits can also be frozen. Once the biscuits are cooled completely, move to an airtight container or ziplock bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
