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These sugar free Anzac biscuits are an Australian staple treat made with oats, coconut, and sweetened with golden syrup. Ready in just 20 minutes, they’re the perfect crunchy biscuit for breakfast or your midday coffee!
Ask any Australian or New Zealander what their staple sweet treat is, and I guarantee they’ll all tell you the same… Anzac biscuits!
That’s because they’re really in a league of their own. Similarly to biscotti, they’re known for being crispy and crunchy, while golden syrup infuses them with a delicate sweetness, just like British flapjacks.
Table of Contents
What are Anzac biscuits?
Anzac (short for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) biscuits are a popular Australian and New Zealand treat made famous during World War I when soldiers’ wives would send them by the dozens. Since they lacked eggs or much moisture, they could withstand the weeks it took to reach the soldiers overseas.
While the original Anzac biscuit cookies were hard as a rock, modern recipes (like this one) have made them way more enjoyable. Here’s why they’re a regular staple in our home:
- Naturally vegan. Made without eggs or dairy, these biscuits are entirely vegan, and they can easily be made gluten-free with a few simple swaps.
- No added sugar. Technically, there is a little sugar in this recipe from the golden syrup, but just 2 tablespoons is all that’s needed to make one dozen biscuits.
- They last forever. These biscuits were made to last, so there’s no pressure to eat them all in one sitting, although you may be tempted!
Ingredients needed
Aside from the golden syrup, the rest of the ingredients are pretty common baking staples. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:
- Quick oats. I usually recommend rolled oats, but I’ve found the texture of quick oats works best in this recipe.
- Flour. Nothing fancy needed here. Just regular all-purpose flour will do the trick.
- Granulated sugar-free sweetener. I used keto brown sugar, but you can use any sweetener you’d like, including brown sugar or coconut sugar, if you’re not following a sugar-free diet.
- Shredded coconut. Preferably unsweetened since there’s enough sweetness in the biscuits already.
- Butter. I used unsalted butter, but you can swap it for coconut oil if you’d prefer.
- Golden syrup. An extra sticky syrup that’s popular in Australia and the UK. It’s hard to find in America, so I’d recommend using 1 part molasses to 3 parts honey or just use equal parts honey.
- Baking soda. To help add a little bit of air to the biscuits.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to make sugar free Anzac biscuits
Step 1- Prep work. Preheat the oven to 285F/140C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2- Combine the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, sweetener, and shredded coconut.
Step 3- Combine the wet ingredients. In a microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and golden syrup. Heat for 1 minute or until just melted. Add the baking soda to the wet ingredients.
Step 4- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Transfer the syrup mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until fully incorporated. Use your hands to scoop 1-2 tablespoons of dough and roll them into balls. Transfer the cookie balls to the prepared baking sheet.
Step 5- Bake. Flatten each biscuit slightly and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the biscuits from the oven and let them sit for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Make them gluten-free. Swap the oats for certified gluten-free oats and the flour for almond flour.
- Avoid over-baking the biscuits. They’re meant to be crispy, but they will continue to firm up after they’re removed from the oven, so don’t worry if they’re slightly soft when you pull them out.
- Make chewy cookies. Anzac cookies are traditionally quite crisp, but sometimes I prefer them a little softer, so I just reduce the baking time by a few minutes. Simple as that!
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover Anzac cookies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze: Store leftover cookies in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 3 months. Let them thaw overnight on the counter before enjoying them.
Frequently asked questions
Anzac biscuits are beloved for their history and durability. They were so durable, in fact, that soldiers were known to write messages on them and use them as painting canvases!
Traditional Anzac biscuits are meant to be crunchy, but more modern recipes lean towards softer, chewier biscuits.
More sugar free dessert recipes to try
- Fudge– Just 3 ingredients and 5 minutes are needed to make decadent fudge with zero added sugar.
- Marshmallows– Yes, believe it or not, you can have the perfect fluffy homemade marshmallows made totally sugar-free.
- Pudding– Thick, creamy, and full of fresh vanilla flavor, all for less than 100 calories per serving.
- Cookies– Easy 3-ingredient cookies that no one will be able to resist.
- Ice cream– Quick to make, easy to customize, and you don’t even need an ice cream maker!
Sugar Free Anzac Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour can sub for standard if not gluten free
- 1/3 cup allulose can sub for coconut or brown sugar
- 2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter can sub for coconut oil
- 2 tablespoon golden syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160C/320F and line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the quick oats, flour, sweetener, and unsweetened coconut and mix until combined.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and golden syrup and heat for approximately 1 minute, until just melted.
- Add the baking soda to the butter mixture before transferring immediately to the dry mixture. Mix very well until fully incorporated. Form balls with the batter (approximately 1-2 tablespoons) and place on the lined baking tray.
- Flatten each one slightly and bake for approximately 12-15 minutes or until golden on top.
- Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe originally published March 2015 but updated to include new information for your benefit.
One question. Is quick oats the same as instant oats?
What are the macros in these?
Not sure! You are welcome to use myfitnesspal or similar to calculate them.
I added a tablespoon of boiling water to the butter and golden syrup as last time I made them they were a bit dry and stayed as balls. They turned out better.
Thanks for the gluten and refined sugar free recipe! My hubby is on a special diet and this fits the bill and I ‘had’ to make Anzac biscuits today for Anzac Day!
I love Anzac biscuits, your recipe looks great! I lived in Australia for a year in 1995 and did the working holiday visa thing and traveled around a bit, I’d love to come back sometime 🙂 Do you know if Vegemite is gluten free? I see it sometimes in the international section in some of the stores here.
Oh wow- Sheena I’m about to go do that but in America!
Vegemite isn’t GF but they have a substitute brand which is but just between us, it’s not very good!
I figured it wouldn’t be gluten free, marmite isn’t either. I hope you have a great trip to the USA! we’ve been living in Mississippi since 2008, I’m from Scotland though 🙂
Oh wow- If I come past Mississippi we shall grab coffee and lament at how terrible marmite is compared to vegemite! 😉
What is golden syrup? I live in Canada and would love to make these cookies for my Vegan & Vegetarian deli, http://www.thehealthyearth.com
Golden syrup is a milder version of maple- Although I think Agave would be a better substitute 🙂
They look wonderful, crispy around the edges and nice and golden!
These anzac biscuits look lovely, Arman. I remember a friend of mine moved from Australia to the US several years ago and wanted to make some and discovered to her horror that golden syrup was not a popular item around here 🙂 She finally found some, but the cultural contrast was huge. And nobody knew what anzac biscuits were so she insisted on making some for everyone! 🙂
Thanks so much Audrey! I know, right! I tried to make them for a friend there and used maple but it just wasn’t the same! 🙁
Ooh! These look so good. I’ve never had regular anzac biscuits, so I guess I wouldn’t know the difference. They sound amazing, too.
Haha, I hope you try it out Heidi- Then if you come across one, you can say you’ve had a better one 😉
My followers will love this healthier version of this cookie. Thank for you hard work bringing vegan and refined sugar fee recipes to the GF community.
No, thank YOU for the motivation to continue with it 🙂 I’m trying to find the happy balance of sugar free and gluten free baking!
I’ve always hear of Anzac biscuits but never knew about that acronym – sweet! I gotta try these now.
Please do Deanna- They are delicious and super simple!
yum! I love buttery coconut cookies…we would do the coconut oil version, and use palm sugar and honey to replace the other sweeteners! Thanks!
Please do, Tessa!
I love anzac biscuits – I made them for the first time several years ago and was so surprised by how easy they were to make and so delicious!
I’m so stoked you’ve tried it before Jeanette- So good!
Anzac is definitely a new word for me. And also, it sounds borderline insulting to say hey Arman, your mother made me Anzac. =)
Hahahahaha. Come to Australia and say it to her. She won Fran 😉
I think we all used to compare our food to what our friends were getting; my mom always made he own sauce, but at my friends we got the stuff from the jar, which of course I loved way more I’ll definitely give these cookies a try :)-
Hahaha I can totally relate to that. Frozen pie > homemade pie! Please do- They are better than packaged ones 😉
Bahaha I’m sorry but there is an ad on the side of your page asking me to buy shapewear so that’s all I can concentrate on 😉
I digress…In all honestly, these cookies look great but I would obviously dip them in peanut butter or chocolate of some sort. I have to dip things…that’s the way I am. Oreos dipped in milk is my WEAKNESS. Best cookie ever and unintentionally vegan!
Haha, my ads are crazy! They are so good, I promise you won’t need peanut butter or chocolate!
These cookies look and sound pretty amazing! I love hearing about your fond childhood memories surrounding you mum and all her efforts.
Thanks Laura! They are so easy to make!
As these Anzac Biscuits are new to me I am totally intrigued! They sound right up my alley!
Thank you! Then again, you guys in America have some of the most amazing cookies ever
These look delicious- anything with coconut is a must try for me. I enjoyed reading your story too- pinning to make!
Thanks heaps, Lauren! Have a taste of Australia 😉
love that these have no added sugar! They look so good!
Thank you! I’ve been obsessed with trying things sugar free and NOT failing!
hahaha I think we all played that meal comparison game as kids. I did too, and I’d usually just end up jealous of my friends that got fruit gushers, fruit by the foot and dunkeroos in their lunches while all I got was chocolate pudding. Although chocolate pudding is amazing so maybe I should have appreciated that more.
So. Confession. I have a recipe for healthy dunkeroos. shhhhh 😉
Oh my God I loved fruit by the foot. I need to grocery shop in the kids section.
oh yes, the golden syrup spills are no fun. Poor mum. So are these like hokey pokey… kinda?. I know the kiwi would love these if so
Cornbread, PLEASE tell me you loaded up on Golden Syrup….I may have to bring you some!
Your poor mother. I can’t believed she tabled her saffron to feed you fish sticks instead. She should have chased you with that wooden spoon more often. Also, as badly as I feel for her, it was the same with me growing up. My mom made three course dinners every night with some type of meat, some kind of potato something, and a veggie. I hated everything but the potatoes and would beg for Kraft Mac & Cheese and Spaghettios with meatballs (pretty sure they weren’t actually meat). She mostly denied me so I would try to eat at friends houses whenever possible so I could get my fill of crappy food. Foolish kids.
I know right? I think I even made her cry once saying her food was abnormal and I wanted packaged frozen foods….oops.
I no joke made friends with one kid purely because he got given fruit loops.
Dear Arman, I love your foodie makeovers! Another wonderful treat. There are two important factors in my book when it comes to cookies, color and crunch. These are by my definition perfect! Have a wonderful day, Catherine
Thanks Catherine! Those are my factors too- Unless they are the chewy kind! 🙂
Love that story! I always used to compare what I ate with my friends growing up. I was a little follower and if one of my friends didn’t like a food I decided I didn’t like it either. This must have been so frustrating for my parents!
Haha you and me both- I think I purposely hated broccoli as a kid because of it!
Enjoyed reading your story 🙂 I’ve never heard of Anzac biscuits, but they sound DELICIOUS! As in, I could eat 5 of those right now.
They are so good- Then again, you guys have Oreos!
i love this story 🙂
thank you arman’s mom! as a korean, i always compared my mom’s attempts to make american food to my friends.. but as i got older, i came to appreciate my mom’s more 🙂
my mom’s spaghetti & homemade burgers were actually phenomenal, thanks to the excess use of fresh garlic!
Please get your mum to make me Korean food- I am obsessed with it- Especially the rice sticks!
oh, do you mean the chewy rice cakes in the red spicy sauce? is there pretty good korean food where you are? 😀
YES. That’s the one.
Well, they claim that the Korean food is good here but I have my doubts… :p
LOL! These biscuits look divine, by the way!
Thank you! They are so good!
I must admit that I’ve never heard of Anzac cookies before, but these sound super delicious. And super easy to make. Of course, they aren’t as easy as chocolate chip cookies! 😉
Love the story behind these, too, mate. You might have to pack these in your suitcase for your U.S. trip, too. Just sayin’. That suitcase is gonna get a little big…you better start lifting weights now so you’re ready!
Mate, I’ve got Anzac Cookies, Tim Tams and……. Vegemite for you.
Just promise me you won’t watch the viral video of American’s trying Vegemite.