These butter moreish OAT BISCUITS are also referred to as Anzac biscuits. They are popular in Australia and New Zealand. Anzac stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. They are buttery sweet and very moreish. They are crisp and slightly chewy and have a lovely golden colour when baked.

Anzac biscuits are made around Anzac day. This is on the 25^th of April. We made these oat biscuits for years and only in the last 20 years did I know the history behind these buttery biscuits. My mum always made them when we had guests.

These egg free biscuits were believed to have been sent to soldiers by their wives. They were originally called Soldiers’ biscuits. More on the history can be found on this Anzac Day History Page. Baking and sharing Anzac biscuits is a way for people to connect with history and pay tribute to the sacrifices made by the ANZACs. It’s a meaningful and delicious tradition that ties the past to the present

How to make Egg Free Oat Biscuits

These oat based biscuits are simple to make. Start by combining sugar, oats, flour, coconut first in a large bowl. Then melting butter and golden syrup together before adding boiling water water and bicarbonate of soda to this mix. The final stage is to combine the mixtures with a wooden spoon to form a shaggy dough.

Next step is to use an ice cream scooper or your fingers to grab some dough and place this on a baking sheet. The biscuits spread when cooking so the dough balls. Keep room for this.

The biscuit dough does not need to be chilled and you can prepare, bake and chill them all within an hour. They oat biscuits keep well for a week.

No eggs are required for these biscuits which make them perfect for vegetarians or those who have egg allergy.

Tips on how to make the best oat cookies

• Use whole rolled oats and not the instant ones. The latter will cause the biscuit to spread even more
• Leave enough space between the biscuits because they spread
• You can substitute the golden syrup for honey but it will not have the same taste
• You can use Light brown sugar instead of granulated sugar for more depth. Unlike white sugar, brown sugar slightly restricts the spreading of the biscuits.
• I use salted butter for my biscuits. If you want to use unsalted that is fine. Just add in a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness in the biscuits
• Monitor the biscuits. Some ovens may need a big longer than others hence the 12-15 minutes.
• Some people like these chewy and others like them crisp. Leave them in the oven a bit longer for a crisp biscuit
• The biscuit numbers vary depending on how big you roll the balls. Big or small they are delicious.

Storing Oat Biscuits

For maximum freshness store the biscuits in an air tight container. You can keep them for 1 week and they will still be crisp (if they last more than one day).

Print Recipe

Anzac Biscuit Recipe

These are the traditional biscuits enjoyed on Anzac Day in Australia. These oat biscuits are chewy and packed with flavour. Here is the family recipe for Anzac Biscuits I have been brought up with.

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: afternoon tea, sweet treats, tea time snacks

Cuisine: Australian

Keyword: Anzac cookies, Australian biscuits, Coconut and Oat cookies, oat biscuits

Servings: 15 biscuits depending on size

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup whole rolled oats
• 1 cup plain flour
• ¾ cup finely desiccated coconut
• 125 g chopped salted butter
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tablespoon boiling water

Instructions

• Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celcius
• In a large bowl combine sugar, oats, flour, and coconut.
• In a small pan melt the butter and golden syrup over low heat until melted. This can be done in a microwave too in a suitable bowl.
• Mix the water and bicarbonate of soda together then add this to the butter an syrup mix. Now add this to the dry mixture and combine. I used a wooden spoon to combine all the ingredients until the end when I used my hands.
• The dough will be slightly shaggy and won’t be a big ball shaped like other biscuit recipes. This is fine.
• Line 3-4 baking trays with baking paper. You can use baking mats instead of grease proof paper.
• Take about a tablespoon of the mixture and place on the lined bakings trays. Leave around 3 cm between each tablespoon to room for spreading (because they will).
• Cook for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
• Once they come out of the oven, separate them using a spoon or knife if they have stuck together. Then leave to cool and harden.

Want more biscuit recipes? Try these perfect Kenyan Baa Biscuits. I grew up with these biscuits and if you every meet any South Asian from East Africa they will know about these. The Kenyan Baa Biscuits are slightly spiced and go well with a cuppa. Just like these Oat Biscuits.

Neha