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
Lydia says
Made these today, they are really good. Best Anzac biscuits I've made by far. I have to go make another batch cause my family demolished them, always a good sign!!!!
Erin says
Hi! Ahhhhh yay! They are my favourite too! 🙂
Kelly says
Loved these! The brown butter really makes all the difference. Such a treat.
Erin says
Ahhh so stoked you love them! thank you so much for the lovely review
Jess says
These cookies (biscuits) are amazing!!! They are the only cookies my boyfriend specifically asks for, even though he doesn't have a sweet tooth (which I am still trying to understand). Every time I make them they disappear super fast. The amount of brown butter has always been spot on too. Next time I might try the trick of adding some milk powder to up the amount of milk solids for an even stronger brown butter flavor.
Erin says
Hi! Ahhhh yay I am so glad you love them! They are our fave too xx
Lisa says
The yummiest anzacs biscuits I’ve ever made
Rosh says
These came out golden and chewy, I loved them!! Recipe is super easy to scale up or down as well ☺️
Grace says
Great recipe! I was concerned it was going to be too sweet, but they were perfect. Technical question - why only 135g of the 175g of butter?
Erin says
Hi! I covered that in the 'a few wee tips' section and then referred to it in the ingredient list too. When you brown butter, it reduces in quantity so the initial amount accounts for this loss. Just a wee note - the star rating that you leave really affects how my recipe shows up in google so I would appreciate if you could consider that when leaving the rating - you said that they turned out perfectly? If it was just a question in future I'd prefer if you can just leave it with no star rating so it doesn't affect my rankings. Thanks.
Grace says
OH sorry! I actually rated it 5 - but I think it glitched! Will fix it now. THanks for clearing up the butter - learning new things every day!
Erin says
No worries, thanks for letting me know! I saw it and was like, aw man! hahahahhaha I appreciate you clarifying x
Grace says
I'm sorry - I can't seem to change the rating for some reason!
Caribou says
Erin explains this in the post
Raewyn says
Erin’s recipes are always incredible and this is no exception. Being an Aussie I’ve grown up loving Anzac biscuits and the addition of the browned butter really elevates the flavour. And while getting the oven temperature right can be a little tricky, it’s definitely worth effort!
Steven says
These are so amazing! Reminds me of home!
Erin says
Thanks Steven!
Cheyenne says
My favourite ANZAC cookie recipe I've ever used! Make sure you read recipe notes and you'll be fine! So delicious!
Amy says
Most amazing Anzac cookies I have made, and I have tried plenty of recipes, I definitely think the browned butter adds a next level flavour to the cookies.
Will be my go to recipe 😋
stacy says
these were soooo good!!!!!
Amy says
This recipe is incredible and always a hit. My friends love when I make them and they are always the first desserts to go at gatherings. Super easy too and easy to double, halve, whatever!! THANK YOU ERIN FOR AN AMAZING RECIPE
Caribou says
These are perfect since I always have these ingredients on hand. As always, a perfect recipe with flawless detail
Grace says
Great recipe!
Donna says
2 questions:
1. If I was to use Golden Syrup (which I already have) would I use the same amount as you specify for honey?
2. will they turn out differently if I use Quick Oats vs. Old Fashioned?
Erin says
Hi! Yep sub the golden syrup 1:1. I haven't tried with quick oats! The texture might be slightly different but if it's by weight it should maybe be ok? Would love to hear how you get on if you do try it!
donna says
I'll definitely let you know. I have a recipe I've used over the years, but they always come out too flat and greasy. Looking forward to trying yours!
Erin says
Yayyyy!
Amie says
Hands gown the best Anzac Biscuits I have ever made and tasted! The burnt butter adds such a unique flavour to the biscuits. This recipe is a amazing!
Mary says
Wondering if it would work to do a combination of white with either spelt or whole wheat flour...?
Erin says
I haven't tried so i'm not sure sorry but whole wheat flour generally affects the hydration so you may need to adjust the moisture too
Rachel says
I made these last night and they are delicious! Having never had ANZAC biscuits before I expected them to be very hard and crunchy, instead these are delightfully chewy and soft. I was lazy and wanted to get these in the oven quick so I did not brown my butter but they still tasted so good!! I used a wildflower honey that I think worked really well 🙂 and while I don’t yet have an oven thermometer in my new house, I was excited to see that the cookies did not spread too much and looked like the picture. Thanks Erin, your recipes are always flawless!
Erin says
Yayyyyy so happy you love!
Jacqueline says
Hi Grace,
I had the same question!!! I doubled the quantity to make 24 biscuits and then in the recipe it says only put 135g of the 270g of butter! I read and re-read the recipe over and over to find out if I've missed something but I assume it was a typo. I dumped in the rest of the butter anyway and they turned out fine. The only thing is the bicarb of soda and honey mixture (I used golden syrup) was only reacting to half the butter... it didn't seem to matter in the end. The biscuits were tasty.
Erin says
Hi, unfortunately the recipe card 1x 2x button does not also change the measurements within the recipe body itself, so the 270 was correct. My apologies for that, it is not something that I have control over. Also my apologies if my original comment came through, I thought you were referring to something that I cover in the notes section!
Erin says
Grace was referring to the two quantities of butter - I call for a higher amount at the start to account for the loss that occurs when butter is browned 🙂
Julie says
Great recipe-thanks for sharing! I used quick oats and I am happy to report they worked well (traditional would be better though). Did cook for a bit longer than recipe suggested to get preferred colour and crispy-chewy texture.
Erin says
Ah yayyyy thank you so much for testing that for me!
Stuart says
Just made these this afternoon and I guess my oven was too hot because they spread a bit thin at the edge but they taste great anyway. For years I've been using the same recipe from an old Australian Women's Weekly cookbook and this is my new favourite now, the brown butter really does add something to the overall flavour.
Erin says
Oh yayyy so happy you loved! yessss hot oven is usually the culprit with thin anzacs!
Sarah says
Make these immediately!!!! Just be careful to not eat all the mixture before you put them in the oven, because it’s soooo good!
Erin says
Hahahah it's just TOO GOOD
Renee says
Amazing recipe! The brown butter makes these Anzac biscuits! I’ve made a few in my time but this is by far my favourite recipe <3
20/10 - highly recommend!
P.s. Don’t doubt the differing butter quantities just go with it - you’ll thank yourself later xx
Erin says
Yay so happy you loved them!
Kirsty G says
Hey there! I was just wondering what texture the coconut is that you use? I tried to spot it in the video but its hidden under other ingredients.
In the UK, desiccated coconut is very fine and very dry which doesn't seem to be the case for US coconut where it's bendy and has more moisture (these are just assumptions from videos/photos I've seen elsewhere.)
I wondered if I'd be ok going ahead with the drier stuff we have here, or if I should make any adjustments for its lack of moisture/fat. Thanks!
Erin says
Hi! It’s exactly what you described! We have desiccated coconut here too 🙂
Marin says
I love the flavor of these cookies! Super easy recipe to follow! I did forget to add in the 30g of water so my cookies didn't have the exact texture they were supposed to BUT the flavor was absolutely dynamite and my boyfriend and I ate way too many in one sitting. I will be definitely making this again soon!
Erin says
Yayyy so so happy you loved!!
Josephine says
Just made a batch and they spread. Followed the ingredient weight to the letter.
I have a fan forced oven and went with the 160°.
Should I have gone lower, say 150°?
They tasted lovely, even if they were a bit thin!
Erin says
Hi! Fan forced is hotter than conventional and my recipes are for conventional so would have been a wee bit too hot!
Georgia says
The best Anzac biscuits ever!! Perfectly chewy (crunchy Anzac biscuits are a crime). I substituted the honey for golden syrup and they turned out perfectly.
Debbie says
The BEST recipe for ANZAC biscuits, thanks Erin! The process is so soothing to this māmā who escapes in the kitchen, & the results are delicious!
Hannah says
These have quickly become one of my all time favorites!! I’ve made them several times and the whole family loves them!!
Meagan says
These turned out beautiful- love the flavour browning the butter gives! Honey was great in there and did not have to make an extra trip to the store since I had some on hand. Bet they were the best ones eaten in Tasmania today 😉
Natasha says
Made these last night - so delicious! Used chestnut honey, which really worked with the brown butter. This will now be my default ANZAC biscuit recipe, thank you!
Jenn says
These are the best ANZAC biscuits I’ve ever had! The browned butter gives them an amazing flavour. I did use Golden Syrup rather than honey as that’s what I had on hand.
Jameala says
Made these today. Not had one yet but other members of the family have and they loved them. Thank you for the amazing recipe
Emma says
Super sweet - they were a big hit!
Anna says
So yummy! These cookies are sweet, chewy, oaty, and comforting. (So good with a cup of coffee.) They are also super easy to make. It’s a go to cookie recipe for me.
Brian says
Made yesterday Anzac day here in NZ! Turned out great, a couple of minor hiccups re the butter quantity as made 2x recipe when adding liquid to the dry it seemed a little dry I added extra browned butter (100g) as I had only used 135g when heating the browned butter, honey & water that seemed to get to the correct consistency; I dug in with gloved hands rather than a spatula. Added 3 min to cook time as checked after 13 min and the balls had not spread so 18 min total, After checking your notes both items were covered so a senior moment maybe! End result was great and passed the the taste test with flying colours. Have ordered a 6k tub of your recommended honey for my next batch!
Julie says
Made these today and they were great! Most of the recipes I make use cup measurements so I am just getting used to weighing ingredients. A little fussier to weigh, but so worth it!
Amy says
Best ANZAC biscuits I’ve ever made! Love the consistency of baking in grams - these turn out perfect every time.
Kate says
Chefs kiss!!!!!! And ultimate crowd pleasers
Lydia says
Another incredible recipe, super quick and easy to make and well received by my taste tester - very difficult not to eat all the mixture before making the biscuits... I half dipped these in dark chocolate also. So good!
Christie says
These were really yummy, but came out quite buttery/greasy - which tastes nice and probably makes them stay nice and chewy instead of hard, but I've never had them greasy from a packet and it reminds you how unhealthy they are, haha. Also 2tbsp balls of the mixture is too large. I put only 1tbsp and they still spread out really large.
Also I made a 2nd batch as vegan by using golden syrup instead of honey and nutellex instead of butter, and only ended up with 90g nutellex after browning it.. but I went ahead anyway and I used only 1/2 tbsp balls, and I chilled them in the fridge a couple of hours prior to baking. Only baked these smaller cookie-sized ones for 12 minutes. They turned out great!! I took them to work and everyone loved them and didn't even know they were vegan. Perfect texture.
Erin says
Happy you liked them. The recipe is meant to be buttery - that's how I get them to be nice and chewy. If you had issues spreading then it was likely that your oven was too hot as this is a fairly common issue and oven temperature is always the cause of this. Just a note on vegan butter - when you brown butter you are browning the milk solids and because vegan butter does not have that, all you are doing is burning the oils which does not add anything at all in flavour wise. Melted butter would work better in this instance if you wanted to use something vegan.
Toni says
I’ve been making Edmonds cookbook Anzac biscuits since I was a kid and they have always been a family favourite, but these were next level. They had a nice caramelisation on the bottom and were nice and chewy. They lasted less than 24hrs in our house. I couldn’t use honey as that seemed disrespectful so stuck to golden syrup (plus you get to lick the spoon 🤤).
This recipe has become a firm favourite.
Erin says
Ahhhh I am so happy you loved them!
Carrie says
Goodness gracious. Chewy, oaty, caramely perfection. I thought for sure these would be a disaster because the dough never really came together (I think my shredded coconut was too coarse). They spread a bit in the oven and the edges got lacy, but the cookie scoot (!!!) trick worked like a charm.
Erin says
Yayyyyy cookie scoot for the win!
Susan Esposito says
Super yummy. I love the chewy texture!
Alana says
Made these for Anzac Day!! My first ever successful batch and they were incredible!! Thank you Erin!! Soooo easy and tasty!
Erin says
Ahhh so happy you loved them!
Karen says
I was so intrigued by this recipe and wanted to love them, but I thought they were way too sweet 🙁 May just be personal preference.
Erin says
They are definitely a sweet biscuit by nature 🙂
Sarah says
My first Anzac biscuits. So good!
Clare Lord says
These are super delicious! I ran out of golden syrup so used half and half with honey. The coconut makes them lovely and chewy. Great recipe!
Christine says
Yummy! They lasted less than a day and the lads said they are better that Subway bickies! Trust me, they would know 🙂
Making some more today!
Erin says
Aw yusss what a compliment! Thank you so much
Claudia says
Delish! The brown butter in this is a game changer! I like them a little chewier so these are the perfect recipe for me. Perfect sweet treat to go with a cup of tea
Natalie says
Brown butter perfection. I make these all the time!
Ana says
So delicious! I found that I needed to use the cookie scoot to really make the prettiest cookie. This tastes slightly different than other recipes I've used with golden syrup, but it's still wonderful! Thank you for the recipe!
Rebecca W says
My husband and son adore this recipe. It’s a frequent request in our house. Very clear and easy to follow directions as always!
Camille says
Browning the butter is everything wow! Thank you for this great recipe, reminds me of my vacations in Australia a few years back 🙂 As always your recipes are spot on!
Stacey says
Hi, I was wondering if you could substitute golden syrup for the honey, as I can't stand the taste. Would you do 1:1 substitution?
Thank you!
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Yep you can - there is a note about it in the FAQ 🙂
Julia says
This is the BEST Anzac biscuit recipe. I made it a few years ago and forgot about it and remade last night and far out these are yum. For some reason this time when I made them there was a bit of a baking soda taste lingering. Not enough to distract from the delicious biscuit though 🙂
Kylie says
Amazing recipe! Have made these multiple times in recent weeks. Love the chewy and crispy texture balance.
joce says
This is one of my go-to cookie recipes when I'm craving cookies but don't want to wait for butter to come to room temperature. I almost always have everything for these cookies at all times, and yet these taste more complex and delicious than they should for cookies that you can just whip up on a Wednesday evening.
Áine says
These are perfect! I lived in NZ years ago and loved Anzac biscuits. When I seen the recipe I knew I had to make them. They are absolutely gorgeous, the nicest Anzac biscuits I’ve ever had. Thanks Erin!
Laura says
First time trying these cookies, I mean biscuits 🙂 and they are delicious! They come together quickly and it was ingredients I had on hand already. Love the cookie cutter trick to help shape them too!
Alanna Green says
The pressure was on when I asked my husband if he likes ANZAC biscuits and he informed me they are in fact his favourite and nothing can beat the Woolworths ones. So, I gave these ones a go. I had the ingredients and I can beat a chain grocery store.
And we did, what a great recipe, the right amount of chewiness and the sweet and salty combination is amazing. Love, love, love.