Brown Butter Anzac Biscuits. These traditional Anzac biscuits are chewy and oaty, and are made with brown butter and honey for a perfect depth of flavour. This is a quick Anzac biscuit recipe, and is perfectly soft and chewy.
Table of contents
- Brown Butter Anzac Biscuits
- The Search for the "Perfect" Anzac Biscuit
- Testing Variables for the perfect Anzac Biscuit
- Anzac Biscuits with Honey!?
- Why are there two quantities of butter in your recipe?
- Brown Butter Anzac Biscuits FAQ
- A few more tips and tricks for making Anzac Biscuits (important, please read)
Brown Butter Anzac Biscuits
Happy Saturday! I have another New Zealand (and Australian this time) classic to share with you today - 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. The 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. They are generally 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.
The Search for the "Perfect" Anzac Biscuit
I have shared a recipe for Anzac biscuits here before but it was 1) a long time ago and 2) not my ‘ideal’ version of an Anzac biscuit. While all versions are basically a riff on the same base, using the same ingredients but different quantities to give different textures, I found during my testing that these are particularly sensitive to changes in ratios of ingredients - as little as 15g flour difference within the recipe made a huge change to the texture. I think that it is something to do with the lack of eggs in the recipe, but regardless, I tweaked and tweaked the recipe, playing around with different ratios and baking temperatures to come up with what is, to me, the perfect recipe for Anzac biscuits. My version are a tiny bit crunchy around the edges, and perfectly chewy in the middle.
Testing Variables for the perfect Anzac Biscuit
I did switch a couple of things up during my testing which I think made a difference to the final outcome. The variables I was playing around with were ratios of brown and white sugar, the amount of flour used in the recipe, and the temperature that the biscuits baked at. 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.
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.
Anzac Biscuits with Honey!?
I kept the ingredient list the same for my Anzacs as the traditional Anzac biscuit. I added a wee step - browning the butter. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. However, it is a super easy step to add a little more flavour to your Anzac biscuits without having to add any extra ingredients. Anzac biscuits also traditionally use golden syrup, but it seems as if it is a little harder to find here than it is in Australia and New Zealand. So, I switched it out and used Honey instead, going with this super flavourful Raw Native Bush Honey from Steens Honey, which is perfect for baking!
Steens Honey is a small New Zealand family owned business. They produce a wide range of honeys - they have some amazing manuka varieties but also make this incredible Raw Native Bush Honey which is super dark in colour and is incredibly flavourful. New Zealand honey just hits different. It’s hard to explain but you will need to get some for yourself and give it a try. It is nothing like I have ever tasted in the States, and as soon as you try it you will know exactly what I mean.
Steen’s Raw Native Bush Honey is amazing quality and because of the strong flavour, it was perfect for these Anzac biscuits. It rounded out the flavour and paired so, so well with the brown butter. The resulting honey flavour is delicate, but so, so good. I will happily eat a spoon of this straight from the jar, so knew it would be so good in the biscuits!
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.
Brown Butter Anzac Biscuits FAQ
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.
No. 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!
If you don’t want to brown the butter in these, just use 135g melted butter.
If you want to use Golden Syrup in these instead of Honey, by all means go for it! It is a 1:1 sub.
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 these 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.
For more New Zealand Recipes, Check out:
- Peanut Brownie Cookies
- Baked Cream Buns with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream and Jam
- The Perfect Pavlova
- Custard Square
- Tan Square
Made this recipe and love it?
If you made this recipe then I would LOVE for you to leave me a review below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram if you make it!
A note on salt and oven temperature
It is important to note the type of salt that is called for in a recipe. I use Diamond Crystal salt throughout my recipes - if you use a different sort of kosher salt or regular table salt you will need to adjust accordingly as some salt is 'saltier' than others. Morton's salt is twice as salty, so you will need half the quantity. Same goes for a regular table salt. I am working to get gram measurements throughout my recipes for salt but still getting there.
All oven temperatures are conventional unless otherwise stated. If you are baking on fan / convection, you will need to adjust the temperature. An oven thermometer is a great investment to ensure that your oven is the correct temperature.
Tools and equipment
For a list of my go-to tools and equipment, I have a post you can refer to here.
Why is this recipe in grams?
I post my recipes in grams as it is the most accurate way to bake. Cups are not only inaccurate but they vary in volume worldwide. There is no way for me to provide one cup measure that works for everyone. However, posting in weight fixes this issue. If you would like the recipe in cups you are welcome to convert it yourself via google, but please do not ask me to do it for you as I am not comfortable providing a recipe using a method that I have not tested. Baking with a scale is easy, accurate, and also makes cleanup super simple. Here is the scale that I use if you would like a recommendation! Here's to accurate baking! If you would like to scale this recipe or convert for another pan size, use my calculator!
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
Anzac Biscuits
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Total Time: 45 Minutes
- Yield: 12 Biscuits / Cookies 1x
Description
Brown Butter Anzac Biscuits - these traditional Anzac biscuits are chewy and oaty, and are made with brown butter and honey for a perfect depth of flavour. This is a quick Anzac biscuit recipe, and is perfectly soft and chewy.
Ingredients
- 175g Unsalted butter, cold from the fridge is fine (see note about butter quantities)
- 40g Steens Raw Native Bush Honey
- 30g water
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 135g all-purpose flour
- 50g desiccated coconut
- 110g Old-fashioned oats (Rolled Oats)
- 130g light or dark brown sugar
- 90g white sugar
- ½ tsp salt
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.
- 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 of the brown butter and place into a small saucepan. Add the Steens Raw Native Bush Honey and water, and place over a low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth and melted together.
- While the wet ingredients are heating up, in a large bowl, combine the flour, coconut, oats, brown sugar, white sugar, and salt. Mix until full incorporated.
- Once the butter and honey 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 (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.
Notes
If you double the recipe, please note that the brown butter quantity you weigh out needs to be 270g. The recipe card does not double the quantity within the method unfortunately so please be aware of this!
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!
Keywords: Anzac Biscuit, Brown Butter, Oatmeal, Anzac Cookie
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!!!!
★★★★★
Hi! Ahhhhh yay! They are my favourite too! 🙂
Loved these! The brown butter really makes all the difference. Such a treat.
★★★★★
Ahhh so stoked you love them! thank you so much for the lovely review
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.
★★★★★
Hi! Ahhhh yay I am so glad you love them! They are our fave too xx
The yummiest anzacs biscuits I’ve ever made
★★★★★
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?
★★★
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.
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!
No worries, thanks for letting me know! I saw it and was like, aw man! hahahahhaha I appreciate you clarifying x
I'm sorry - I can't seem to change the rating for some reason!
★★★★★
Erin explains this in the post
★★★★★
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!
★★★★★
These are so amazing! Reminds me of home!
★★★★★
Thanks Steven!
My favourite ANZAC cookie recipe I've ever used! Make sure you read recipe notes and you'll be fine! So delicious!
★★★★★
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 😋
these were soooo good!!!!!
★★★★★
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
★★★★★
These are perfect since I always have these ingredients on hand. As always, a perfect recipe with flawless detail
★★★★★
Great recipe!
★★★★★
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?
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!
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!
Yayyyy!
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!
★★★★★
Wondering if it would work to do a combination of white with either spelt or whole wheat flour...?
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
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!
★★★★★
Yayyyyy so happy you love!
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.
★★★★
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!
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 🙂
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.
★★★★★
Ah yayyyy thank you so much for testing that for me!
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.
★★★★★
Oh yayyy so happy you loved! yessss hot oven is usually the culprit with thin anzacs!
Make these immediately!!!! Just be careful to not eat all the mixture before you put them in the oven, because it’s soooo good!
★★★★★
Hahahah it's just TOO GOOD
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
★★★★★
Yay so happy you loved them!
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!
Hi! It’s exactly what you described! We have desiccated coconut here too 🙂
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!
★★★★★
Yayyy so so happy you loved!!
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!
Hi! Fan forced is hotter than conventional and my recipes are for conventional so would have been a wee bit too hot!
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.
★★★★★
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!
These have quickly become one of my all time favorites!! I’ve made them several times and the whole family loves them!!
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 😉
★★★★★
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!
★★★★★
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.
★★★★★
Made these today. Not had one yet but other members of the family have and they loved them. Thank you for the amazing recipe
★★★★★
Super sweet - they were a big hit!
★★★★★
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.
★★★★★
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!
★★★★★
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!
★★★★★
Best ANZAC biscuits I’ve ever made! Love the consistency of baking in grams - these turn out perfect every time.
Chefs kiss!!!!!! And ultimate crowd pleasers
★★★★★
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!
★★★★★
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.
★★★★
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.
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.
★★★★★
Ahhhh I am so happy you loved them!
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.
★★★★★
Yayyyyy cookie scoot for the win!
Super yummy. I love the chewy texture!
★★★★★
Made these for Anzac Day!! My first ever successful batch and they were incredible!! Thank you Erin!! Soooo easy and tasty!
★★★★★
Ahhh so happy you loved them!
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.
★★★
They are definitely a sweet biscuit by nature 🙂
My first Anzac biscuits. So good!
★★★★★
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!
★★★★★
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!
★★★★★
Aw yusss what a compliment! Thank you so much