With over 200 five star reviews, these easy Anzac Biscuits are a crowd favourite. Made with all the usual suspects, my recipe also includes brown butter for the most amazing toasty depth of flavour. These Anzac Biscuits come together in 30 minutes, and my post includes all the tips and tricks for making the perfect Anzac Biscuit!
Hi hi! I have another New Zealand recipe (and Australian this time) classic to share with you today - Homemade Anzac biscuits! If you haven’t heard of or tried Anzac biscuits before, you are in for a treat.
Anzac Biscuits are an Oat based biscuit (what we call cookies). They are a stir together situation so are quick to make, and are chewy and delicious. They are a great homemade cookie recipe to have on hand.
Here's what makes my Anzac Biscuits so special: The Brown Butter. Once you try them, you won't go back. Promise.
The Anzac Biscuit recipe came about during the first World War, when people still at home would make biscuits from their ration packs to sell to raise money for the war effort, and the ingredient list originated from what was available - flour, rolled oats, sugar, butter, golden syrup, coconut, and baking soda.
Anzac biscuits are made around Anzac day, which is the 25th of April. This marks the day that the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (hence the name Anzac) landed at Gallipoli in 1914 and is a day of remembrance.
Testing Variables for the perfect Anzac Biscuit
I did switch a couple of things up during my Anzac Biscuit Testing which I think made a difference to the final outcome. The variables I was playing around with were:
- Ratios of brown to white sugar
- Flour quantity used in the recipe
- Baking temperature for the Anzac biscuits
Ratio of brown to white sugar.
For the most part, as is with most cookie recipes, brown sugar gives you a thicker biscuit. White sugar promotes spreading. So, coming up with a balance of the two lead to a cookie that has a nice spread and bakes up flat but still has enough thickness to give some chew in the middle.
I definitely went both ways with this, making some that were totally flat and crunchy and a couple that were like rocks. It was really interesting to see how the final outcome was affected by that ratio.
Flour content.
This is a pretty standard one that I tweak when making a cookie recipe, playing around with the ratio of butter to flour to change how the cookie spreads. I added too much after the first test and my cookies hardly spread, so I dropped the quantity for the third test and we got there.
A note: I have made these a few times since coming home to New Zealand. I have been struggling with the biscuits spreading more which I think is due to a change in ingredient quality compared to the USA (I developed the recipe when I live in NYC) and found that increasing the flour by 20g means that the biscuits do not spread as much and I prefer the texture a little more. I have updated the recipe to include this, if you have had success making them with the 135g flour, please keep using this amount.
Oven temperature.
Aside from the flour content the other variable I played around with was the oven temperature. This is a super easy one to test - I usually just divide up my batch and bake half at each temperature when I am testing.
Temperature really makes a difference in the final shape of the cookie - those baked at a higher temperature tend to spread a little more quickly than those baked a little lower, and for these a lower temperature was perfect, as it allowed them to spread a little slower, giving a chewier middle.
This highlights how important it is to make sure your oven is running to temperature - an oven thermometer is a great investment if you don’t have one already.
Why are there two quantities of butter in your recipe?
The 175g butter quantity comes from adding a little extra to the initial quantity to account for the loss in volume when browning the butter. You are cooking off the moisture, so you need to start with more regular butter than the quantity of brown butter called for in the recipe (I usually multiply the quantity of brown butter I need by 1.3 to work out how much I need to start with). It's not a typo in the recipe. You need to start with more butter to get the right quantity of brown butter for the recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Help, my biscuits spread!
An oven thermometer is a great investment if you don’t have one, just to check your oven temperature and calibrate if needed. 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.
Can I chill the dough before baking?
I tested this, and found that the dough doesn't keep particularly well, so you are best baking them all off then storing the biscuits.
How to store Anzac Biscuits
Anzac biscuits keep super well - up to five days at least at room temperature. Store in an airtight container.
A few more tips and tricks for making Anzac Biscuits (important, please read)
- If possible, bake these two trays at the same time. I found that the dough doesn’t rest super well, so you are best to bake them off just after mixing if you can. It isn’t the end of the world if you can’t but the texture of the second batch may be different to that of the first.
- Watch your Anzac biscuits carefully as they can get a little toasty on the bottoms! Mine needed 15 minutes. If you want them a little less golden and a bit softer drop the baking time by a minute or so. Check on them at 12 minutes and go from there.
- This recipe would halve very well as there are no eggs. However, the biscuits last a long time in an airtight container if you only have a few people in the house. (These will disappear quick though, promise!)
- I get you to roll the mixture into balls. You don’t need to flatten them down - they will flatten off themselves in the oven.
- If you would like to get your cookies super round you can do a #cookiescoot. Take a cutter slightly bigger than the cookie and place it over the top and use it to scoot it into a round shape when it is hot out of the oven.
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!
Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Thank you so much to Taste of New Zealand of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise for Sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.
Print
30 Minute Brown Butter Anzac Biscuits
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Total Time: 45 Minutes
- Yield: 12 Cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: New Zealand / Australia
Description
With over 200 five star reviews, these easy Anzac Biscuits are a crowd favourite. Made with all the usual suspects, my recipe also includes brown butter for the most amazing toasty depth of flavour. These Anzac Biscuits come together in 30 minutes, and my post includes all the tips and tricks for making the perfect Anzac Biscuit!
Ingredients
- 155g all-purpose flour (this quantity has changed recently, please see notes)
- 50g desiccated coconut
- 110g Old-fashioned oats (Rolled Oats)
- 130g light or dark brown sugar
- 90g white sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 175g Unsalted butter, cold from the fridge is fine (see note about butter quantities, salted butter also works great here)
- 40g golden syrup or honey
- 30g water
- ¾ tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°f / 160°c. See notes about oven temp - if your oven is running hot, these will spread a lot. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, coconut, oats, brown sugar, white sugar, and salt. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Place the butter in a medium saucepan, and place over medium heat. Cook until the butter has melted, and then continue to cook, swirling the pan often, until the butter foams and turns golden brown and nutty - this should take 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool slightly.
- Weigh out 135g (see Notes section below - note that you need to scale this number manually if scaling the recipe) of the brown butter into a small saucepan, or return to the original saucepan you used for browning the butter. Add the Golden Syrup and water, and place over a low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth and melted together.
- Once the butter and golden syrup mixture is smooth and combined, remove from the heat and add the baking soda, mixing well to incorporate (it will foam up a little). Pour into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until well combined.
- Portion the mixture into 2 Tbsp balls using a #30 cookie scoop or portioning into 50g balls of dough (it will feel a little greasy but that is ok), and roll into balls. Space evenly on the baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 14 to 15 minutes, until they are golden brown and set around the edges. Check for doneness after 13 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and using a large cookie cutter, scoot the biscuits into a round shape if desired. Leave to cool on the pans - they will set up as they cool.
- Store biscuits in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
A note: I have made these a few times since coming home to New Zealand. I have been struggling with the biscuits spreading more which I think is due to a change in ingredient quality compared to the USA (I developed the recipe when I live in NYC) and found that increasing the flour by 20g means that the biscuits do not spread as much and I prefer the texture a little more. I have updated the recipe to include this, if you have had success making them with the 135g flour, please keep using this amount.
You may notice that there are two quantities of butter in the recipe - the initial quantity of butter, then a second measurement in the method which is the quantity of brown butter. The larger initial quantity is to account for water loss when browning - read more about that in my FAQ.
If you are using the recipe scaling feature (2x or 3x) be aware that any quantities, measurements, pan sizes, and cooking times given in the method do not scale automatically - it's only the quantities in the Ingredient List that scale automatically.
IMPORTANT TIP. An oven thermometer is a great investment if you don’t have one, just to check your oven temperature and calibrate if needed. 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.
You need to make this recipe by weight. When I was testing I was changing the quantities of the ingredients by as little as 15g and seeing big changes in texture, so it’s super important that you get the right quantities here. This is the scale I have been loving lately if you are in need of a new one!
Golden Syrup is traditional for Anzac Biscuits, however I found it was quite hard to find in the US when I was living there. A 1:1 sub that works well is honey.
Comments
Emma says
These Anzac cookies were an absolute treat, quick and simple to make, yet incredibly rich and buttery. The texture was spot on, the perfect balance of crunchy edges and a chewy centre. I'll definitely be making these again!
Maria M. says
American here- made these and had to weigh my ingredients instead of using cups and guess what.... I didn't die and neither did these great bickies. These bad boys brought me right back to my time living in Australia. Maybe it's because of using U.S. butter (Lucerne brand) but basically none of the 175g evaporated so I ended up with a ton of extra butter. The second time I made them I used the 135g from the start and got I think 132-ish grams after browning etc. so just keep that in mind if you're baking in the US!
These are delicious and you should absolutely make them and since they don't require eggs during this fake "egg shortage" we're having stateside I really recommend these!
Erin, thank you for all the time you put into testing your recipes and for so graciously sharing them 🙂
Erin Clarkson says
Thank you so much, so happy you survived the harrowing journey of using scales 😉 xx
Frances McCabe says
Hello Cloudy Kitchen. Could I use Harraways Organic Wholemeal Oats, in this recipe please?
Frances
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Yes they will work 🙂
Anneke Reid says
The best ANZAC biscuit recipe I’ve made (even without the brown butter). A staple in our household year round, not just on ANZAC Day. So delicious.
Courtney Klinkert says
This is the first time I've made these and because all the recipes are flawless I immediately doubled it, and as usual they're delicious 😋 and will make a great addition to my boys lunchboxes this week! Thanks Erin!
Claire says
Absolutely delicious! Other recipes I have tried you can really taste the baking soda, so I was hesitant to bake Anzac cookies again, but not these! And the brown butter just gives them that extra oomph in flavour. Making these on repeat!
Lin says
I can't believe how delicious these biscuits are, considering there is nothing sexy about rolled oats! I made them with muscovado sugar and dared myself to Brown the butter. Have now eaten quite a few and still can't believe how they are not only crispy and chewy but so so so delicious. This recipe is definitely a keeper, thank you Erin❤
Connie Crook says
I made this recipe as my neighbour asked for some Anzac biscuits.,My go to recipe produces a very crunchy version, but, he want soft gooey Anzacs .. This recipe was a bit more involved than my quick mix and bake version , but well worth the brown butter step ..
These are amazing and my neighbour was so happy with them .. They taste next level and I will definitely make them again .. I loved the science behind the bake too, it all makes sense.
Give them a go !
Squirl says
I have just made the Anzac Biscuits and used Beatrice unsalted butter from Canada. It took 230 grams of cold butter which after I browned it weighed 175 gram as per required amount in this recipe. Everything about them is great but I found them to be really sweet.
Squirl says
I originally gave these cookies a 4 star but they really deserve a 5 star as the flavor is addictive, so butterscotchy with the browned butter and coconut shining and not as overly sweet as I originally thought. The last tray I flattened slightly with a metal spatula when they came out of the oven to match Erin's picture. Thanks Erin.
Aleesha says
I made these to take into the office for ANZAC Day this year, and they were gone in minutes. The brown butter really makes them that much better than any other ANZAC Biscuit recipe.
LG L. says
FINALLY!!! An Anzac recipe that works for those of us in the US!
I was introduced to the Anzac biscuit about 2 years ago while visiting my daughter in Australia. I loved them from the start and decided I had to make them back home.
Unfortunately, every recipe I found ended up in very flat, very crispy, very spread-out cookies that had the flavor but not the shape. I knew it had to be the difference between the Aus and US ingredients but I had no idea where to start.
I found this recipe today and immediately whipped up a batch ... and they are PERFECT!
For the record, I did tweak two things. I used 145g Costco All-purpose flour and a total of 150g of sugar (90g light brown and 60g granulated white). After 13 mins, the cookies were still a bit domed so, when I pulled them to test for doneness, I lightly flattened the tops with a silicone spatula and put them back in the oven for another 2 minutes.
Thank you for doing the research and testing I couldn't!
Erin Clarkson says
Yayyy I am so happy you love them!
Glenda says
Just made this recipe for the first time. I’m a transplanted Kiwi now living in Ohio. My previous efforts to bake Anzac biscuits have rarely worked out. These are “ The best I’ve ever had” to quote my husband. The recipe will now become my “go-to” one. Thanks!
Katie says
So yummy and easy to make, mine don’t look aesthetically pleasing but the taste was amazing.
Neha Naik says
Recipe sounds amazing wil be trying today , a confusion flour to be use is 155g or 135g plz let me know
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, I have updated the recipe to use 155g!