Chocolate ANZAC Biscuits

I love to make ANZAC biscuits any old time of the year but of course it is coming up to ANZAC Day, 25th April, and it is particularly nice to have them for friends and family on this special day.🌹

The National Army Museum Te Mata Toa describes the basic ingredients for this rolled oat biscuit which were rolled oats, sugar, flour, butter with golden syrup (not eggs) used as a binding agent. This made them not only nutritious and full of energy but also long lasting.

It is thought that some biscuits were sent to the troops to be eaten at Gallipoli.

“There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this county of ours”

^{-Part of the inscription to the ‘heroes who lost their lives’ on the memorial erected by Atatürk at Anzac Cove}

But the majority of rolled oats biscuits were sold and consumed at fetes, galas, parades and other public events at home, to raise funds for the war effort. This connection to the troops serving overseas led to them being referred to as “soldier’s biscuits”. Fundraising was coordinated by local Patriotic Funds, raising 6.5 million pounds for the New Zealand war effort.

“Biscuits! Army Biscuits! Consider the hardness of them. Remember the cracking of your dental plate, the breaking of this tooth, the splintering of that.”

(From “Army biscuits” by Ormond Burton in “The ANZAC book”)

It is widely believed that ANZAC biscuits were made with long lasting ingredients to ensure they remained crisp during transportation to the troops. So, the traditional method produces a crisp, snap type of biscuit.

Now, of course, they invoke the taste of home and our remembrance on ANZAC Day would not be the same without them.

Before You Start

Check for hot spots in your oven — they can really make a difference. If your baking tends to brown unevenly, it’s a good idea to turn the tray halfway through baking. Also, when you’re using melted butter in the recipe, make sure it’s cooled a bit before mixing it into the dry ingredients. We don’t want to melt the chocolate bits before they even hit the oven!

Tips and Tricks

I used milk chocolate bits for these, but you could easily swap them out for dark or white chocolate if that’s what you prefer. If you’re after a more indulgent chocolate hit, try roughly chopping up a 100g block of your favourite chocolate into larger chunks — it adds a lovely texture and surprise bite.

When the biscuits come out of the oven, let them cool completely on the hot baking tray. This helps give them that crisp exterior we all love. Also, be sure to leave enough space between each one on the tray — they spread as they bake, and you don’t want a tray of joined-up cookies (unless that’s the plan!).

My Take on the Recipe

My ANZAC biscuits are a slightly different variety, one that is crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. With the added flavour of chocolate and apricots these biscuits have a modern twist.

I really like making these biscuits big and chunky — the recipe makes about 16–17 when shaped that way. But if you prefer a smaller size (or want to stretch the batch a bit further), you can definitely make them smaller and get more out of the mix.

What I Would Change

For a crunchier biscuit, try lowering the oven to 150°C and extending the bake time to around 20 minutes. I’ve also made these without the apricots, and they still turned out beautifully — dates could be a nice alternative if you’re keen to try something different.

Watch My Video Here

Recipe

To print the recipe, simply click the ‘Print’ button below and save your PDF for easy reference!

🌹🍫🍯🍪🌾❤️🥄❤️🌾🍪🍯🍫🌹

Chocolate ANZAC Biscuits

Servings: 16-18
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 12 mins
Difficulty: easy
Rating: ★★★★★
Print

A twist on the classic ANZAC biscuit — chewy, golden and dotted with chocolate and dried apricots.

𝗧𝗶𝗽: For a crunchier biscuit, lower the oven to 150°C and bake for 20 minutes. You can also swap the apricots for chopped dates or try different types of chocolate bits.

𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: Taken from an old newspaper cutting.

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour
¾ cup raw sugar
1 cup rolled oats
½ cup diced dried apricots
½ cup chocolate bits (milk, dark or white)
¼ cup desiccated coconut
3 Tbsp golden syrup
120g butter, melted
1 tsp baking soda

Directions

Preheat: Heat oven to 170°C fan bake. Line a baking tray.
Mix: Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir until well combined.
Shape: Roll large tablespoons of mixture into balls and place on the tray, leaving room to spread.
Flatten: Press gently with a fork.
Bake: Cook for 12 minutes until golden.
Cool: Let biscuits cool on the tray before storing in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Per Serving: 180 calories; 9 g fat; 22 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 10 g sugar.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them