With over 200 five star reviews, my 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! Just popping in to share my recipe for 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 1915 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 when I was recipe testing 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.
I know that making brown butter can be intimidating. Don't be scared, I will hold your hand the whole way through in my post and you'll be nailing it in no time: Brown Butter 101: The Ultimate Guide
❤️ 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 tablespoon 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.
To make Anzac Biscuit crumble: This dough made with the 135g measure of flour works amazingly as the topping for a crumble - there are notes for this in my apple pie filling 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.
Comments
Tanya says
The best ANZAC cookie recipe ever! I use golden syrup and skip the coconut (replace with more oats) when making them for myself and we can't stop eating them.
Andrea Canny says
These are the most wonderful ANZAC biscuits. I think they are the best I have ever eaten!
Jasmine says
These cookies did not flatten out whilst in the oven and just came out as a ball... I followed all the directions and ingredients as listed above, but it did not achieve the desired results. Very disappointed.
Erin Clarkson says
Something mustn't have gone right then because there's no way they wouldn't have flattened if you followed the recipe correctly! Are you sure your oven temperature isn't off?
Lisa in Austin says
Made these right after seeing your Instagram post! So so good— used Danish Creamery unsalted butter (my fave), a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop and they were perfectly done at 10min. Thank you!
Steph H says
Super easy and out the gate delish! I don't know why I don't make these all year round instead of just waiting for ANZAC day!!
Holly says
The best Anzac recipe! I have tried so many before this and they've all failed for one reason or another! I'll only use this one now!
Nicole says
This is the best Anzac Recipe on the web, the brown butter and honey is a delicious combo. I love the measuring of everything in grams, saves washing up cups etc. The cook mode switch is genius. Thank you!!!!!
Rebecca says
Hi Erin,
I tried making these today. I think my oven must run hot because even though I adjusted the temp for fan bake (no other option) they spread out wide, and were hugging, nothing a scoot at the end didn't fix. I have a question about the butter, when I went to weigh the second measure of butter out there really wasn't much left over at all beyond what was left in the pan without scraping it out. Does this sound correct? My biscuits did end up a bit on the greasy side so wondering if it was just a tad butter heavy? I will try again before Tuesday.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! No that is correct - you should end up with super close to what you need! I just sometimes account for a little extra so people don't get caught short
Alison says
Delicous! Love the nutty butter taste and the honey. Didnt last long at our house at all!!
Kirsten O’Gorman says
The perfect Anzac!
Kirsty says
Absolutely amazing recipe. The biscuits are so moreish and so simple to make. I use golden syrup instead of honey and they are perfect every time.
Sarah Flood says
This is my favourite Anzac biscuit recipe, I I had run out of coconut and didn’t realise so added some extra oats instead and they turned out great. So great that I had to take them to work to share today so that I wouldn’t eat every single one of them myself!
Nicola says
Just put the second batch in the oven for today, the first batch has already been gobbled up! Thank you for the delicious recipe.
Karley says
Made these today, came out absolutely perfect and beyond delicious. Thank you!
Sophie says
Made these for Anzac Day this year and they are delicious! Love that they are a little crispy on the edges but perfectly chewy in the middle. Will definitely be making them again
Laura says
Life changing recipe, will be making every year!
Rachael says
I made these a few weeks ago and they were amazing. I may have slightly overcooked them but they were delicious still.
Georgia says
I’ve been eating Anzacs my whole life but no other recipe compares to this one! The perfect amount of crunch and chewiness. They keep so much better than any other recipe I’ve made. We make this recipe every year now as it’s own tradition!
Tracy says
These are the best ANZAC biscuits I’ve ever had. Super easy to make and delicious. I had a bit of mixture left over that wouldn’t fit on the trays, so made a quick peach crumble using the mixture as a topping - fabulous!
Maxine says
So good! So easy! 10/10 will make again!
Renae says
Like everything on this site - wonderful!
The brown butter gives a different flavour but it is still very Anzac biccies like.
I made half normal then the other half with dried cherries and walnuts. While delicious, I ended up with granola. Not mad though as it is amazing.
Islay says
Made these first for a work morning tea and my colleague said they are “near perfect”!!
I do find that they spread a bit in my oven but it just enhances the lovely chewy texture. I’ve made them again since then, just need to remember to leave even MORE space on the tray for them to spread.
Jos Fox says
Made this recipe 4 times over Anzac weekend. No other Anzac cookies come close!!
Emily Volpert says
Stop waiting and just make these already!!! You won’t regret it!!!
Rachel Beard says
Best ANZAC biscuit recipe ever!
Great texture and the flavour is perfect! Will only make them this way from now on.
Stephanie J says
The BEST!! I am obsessed with this Anzac Biscuit… I have made this recipe over a dozen time because it’s a *cookie* that I actually crave!! I love that the recipe is by weight because they turn out perfect everytime. 😋 Mmmmm
Tory says
Delicious thanks. The brown butter was a great addition step to the traditional recipe.
Another banger 😚👌
Kate says
Best Anzac recipe ever 👌🏽👌🏽 super easy recipe to throw together and bonus points for being extra delicious!
Mackenzie Kelley says
Made these with my mom for a friend's memorial and everyone loved them! I won't lie...mine ended up a little thicknuts still freaking amazing. Also I love brown butter and having the extra is AMAZING!
Juanita Copeland says
This recipe is stunning. It has steps that other recipes don’t and makes a few dishes - but don’t be deterred!! Once you eat these chewy, oaty, golden biscuits you’ll never want to eat another Anzac biscuit ever again!!
Rachel says
The BEST Anzac biscuits ever! So simple - so tasty. Everyone loved them, will have to make more soon! Thanks for another amazing recipe.
Daniella says
Made these and they came out absolutely delicious! I even made a gluten and dairy free version of it, which came out just as delicious! Thank you for all your awesome recipes...I have made quite a few of them, and they are always my go to.
Claudia says
Delicious! Love the brown butter and so soft in the middle! I added some choc chips to the top as I was craving choc and worked well
Sofia says
Delicious! Also crumbled up some leftovers and put them over your cinnamon buns which went down a treat
lisa says
Amazing recipe! My biscuits spread quite a bit but the little scoot trick at the end fixed it. I did a bake off with my partner and these won by a mile!
Brionne Peters says
I made these on Anzac Day subbing the honey for golden syrup and as my teenage boys would say - they were BUSSIN’ !!!
I scaled up to a double batch and they were all eaten in less than 24 hours! Loved them!! BEST Anzac biscuits I’ve ever made ❤️❤️
Belinda says
OmG browning butter is a game changer. I do that for other biscuits but was stuck in my WW recipe I've been using since I was a child.
This is such a good recipe, I even upped it a little bit and lightly toasted my coconut!
Coby says
Your recipe is Super delish....I'm a big ANZAC biscuit fan. I finally made these yesterday. The browning of the butter took them up a level which was a bonus. I didn't actually stray from the golden syrup this time but will be interested to give the honey version a go at some point. Thank you for continuing to share with us.
Nardia says
I have made these so many times and we love them in our house. Especially LOVE the use of a scale instead of measuring cups (iykyk) because it’s such a tidy and quick process. I also nearly forgot the flour (gasp) and added it last and glad to say it was still fine. Love these so much! Chewy but crispy and so so delicious.
Olivia says
Delicious! Made these for my colleagues and had so many compliments. Directed them all to your website/insta.
I doubled the recipe, but realised halfway through that I only had half the required honey. Solved with a 50/50 honey/golden syrup mix. YUM. Had never thought to use honey - great tip!
Such an easy to follow recipe with fantastic chewy results. Thank you!
Erin says
Without a doubt the best Anzac biscuits I’ve made. Super quick to make - we’ll eat these year round. I squash mine slightly before going in the oven, we like them slightly crunchy but still chewy inside and these are perfect.
Alana says
Best Anzac Biscuits! I Made 4 x batches! And they all got demolished! Fantastic recipe to follow! Thank you Erin!
Sarah Ronchetti says
When considering making Anzac biscuits this week, my teenager said “don’t bother unless it’s those brown butter ones” so that’s what I did. Such a simple recipe to follow, these are truly delicious!
India Aston says
Loved this recipe. The balls didn’t come together as well as I hoped however once cooked, they stuck together better than I expected and tasted delish!
Ems says
This cookie definitely falls under “trust the process”. When rolling the magical butter, oat, coconut magic your hands will get covered in glorious browned butter and you may doubt the oats ability to absorb the brown butter goodness. When taking the cookies out at the 14th minute and you see how much they’ve spread, you may doubt the ability of the cookie cutter swirl being able to pull the cookie bake into shape. Fear not! When these beautiful biscuits cool and set (if you can wait that long before eating), you will get a gorgeous Anzac biscuit that is crunchy around the edges and perfectly soft and chewy in the middle. It is a really good thing that you only get 12 of them because they are absolutely irresistible.
Cathrine Hurley says
Very yummy! Took to work the next day and everyone loved 🥰
Celia says
This recipe (like all CK recipes) is a slam dunk. Absolute perfection, I have made these again and again because it's so easy and they are beyond delicious!
Emma Bradstock says
I made these on ANZAC day - the recipe is quite generous! I made double the batch and definitely didn’t need to. Delish! I will say browning the butter was time consuming but worth it! Will make again.
Amara says
Made these on ANZAC day morning on a whim. Was so super easy I made them in like 40 minutes with a 1 year old at my feet. They were delicious and chewy! I undercooked the first lot but they were still yum, the second lot were beautiful golden brown and perfectly crispy on the edges and chewy in the middle.
Kirsten Thomson says
Love these biscuits - made them yesterday as I had the family coming over for ANZAC day (sorry no pic as they were all eaten!) - I made double and did half with choc chips. Erin provides all the details so you can’t go wrong! Though these are soooo easy!
Kathryn says
These are delicious! All of the information at the start had me a bit nervous about all the things that could go wrong with them before I got to the recipe, but that meant that when my tray of biscuits spread to form one super biscuit I knew exactly where to point my finger (my oven is unpredictable temperature wise and my scales are touch and go so a cooler oven and a bit more flour I think).
Once we’ve eaten this batch I’m going to try again as they are delicious and I want to get them right!
Kat says
Best ANZAC biscuits I’ve ever had. A little bit of admin with browning butter etc but so worth it!
Helen Armstrong says
The best!!!! Seriously the most delish Anzacs I’ve ever made and my family all agree!
Bethany Brown says
Super yum. The burnt butter adds a nice complex flavour. I also add a bit of cinnamon and slightly less sugar as they’re quite sweet. My go-to recipe.