ANZAC Biscuits! Cook and Eat Your "Lest We Forget" Biscuits with Pride!

Looking for a healthier take on the traditional ANZAC biscuits?

There’s really no better way to celebrate your family, nation, and history than with food. It’s one of those universal experiences that most look forward to all year round. Whether it’s at an Australia Day barbecue or a Christmas roast at home, there’s always something delicious to remember on those special occasions.

So why should ANZAC Day be any different? We’ve all had dry and unappealing ANZAC Day biscuits too many times. We think it’s time to take this fantastic celebration to a new and delicious place with some healthy Anzac biscuit recipes.

The ANZAC Biscuit Tradition

You may be thinking that revamping this classic recipe goes against the very idea of the biscuits, but the history is a bit different than many realize. While the popular myth says that these biscuits were largely sent overseas to soldiers fighting in Gallipoli and on the Western Front, most were actually consumed on the home front.

How is that possible? In general, the main purpose of these hearty biscuits was to raise money for the boys overseas. So they were still critical to the war effort, but never travelled very far to meet that goal. What does this mean for us today? It means Anzac Day biscuits are more about remembering than following one soldier’s recipe.

So why not make them even better?

An ANZAC Biscuit Recipe for Kids

Baking with kids tends to alternate between being delightful and maddening. The trick is getting the right recipe and taking your time (okay, there are also a few more tricks you may want to consider).

If you’re in need of a nice soundtrack for your baking, Lee Kernaghan, Guy Sebastian, Sheppard, Jon Stevens, Jessica Mauboy, Shannon Noll and Megan Washington have you covered.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ¼ cups of plain flour
• 1 cup of rolled oats
• ½ cup of caster sugar or your preferred sugar alternative
• ¾ cup of desiccated coconut
• 2 tablespoons of golden syrup
• 150g of unsalted butter
• ½ teaspoon of bicarb soda

PREPARATION

1. Begin by laying out all of your ingredients, then going over the recipe with the kids who will be participating. Of course, aprons and tied hair won’t hurt either.
2. Preheat your oven to 170°C and grease a baking tray with a spray or other method.
3. Combine flour, oats, sugar and coconut in a large bowl and stir together.
4. Melt the butter in a small saucepan before adding the golden syrup, bicarb soda, and 1 1/2 tablespoons water. Then remove the pan from the heat. This is probably best left to the adults.
5. Mix everything together in the large bowl before placing small balls of the dough out on the baking sheet. Flatten them into biscuit shapes and bake for 12 minutes.

Vegan ANZAC Day Biscuits

Sad to say, but the most traditional recipes out there are not vegan. But vegans are Aussies too and certainly deserve to commemorate and celebrate the ANZACs as much as anyone. So, here’s a delicious and easy ANZAC Day biscuit recipe for all the vegans out there.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ cups rolled oats
• ½ cup of plain flour
• ½ cup desiccated coconut
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup of brown sugar
• ¼ cup of golden syrup
• ¼ cup of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of bicarb soda

PREPARATION

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C
2. Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and coconut in a large bowl and stir together.
3. Heat the golden syrup, olive oil, and ¼ cup of water in a small saucepan over medium heat until combined. Add the bicarb, stir, and remove from the heat.
4. Combine all the ingredients and mix until combined. Then place balls on a greased baking sheet and press to flatten.
5. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

An Updated Healthier ANZAC Biscuit Recipe for Everyone

Even if you don’t have kids and aren’t a vegan, there are still great ways to make your ANZAC Day biscuits unforgettable this year. This recipe uses the addition of almonds and natural honey to make these biscuits more healthy and delicious than ever. This one can also work as a gluten free ANZAC biscuit recipe if you use gluten free oats.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ cup of rolled oats
• ½ cup of desiccated coconut
• ½ cup of chopped almonds
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil or macadamia nut oil
• 3 tablespoons of honey
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon of bicarb soda

PREPARATION

1. Preheat your oven to 150°C
2. Combine the almonds, coconut, oats, oil, honey, bicarb soda, and vanilla into a food processor and use it to mix them until combined.
3. Add about a tablespoon of water and mix again until the dough comes together.
4. Form the dough into balls and place them on a greased baking sheet. Bake them for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

ANZAC Day Biscuit Extras

As you know, these biscuits were built to last. The recipes cited above should all keep for around one or two weeks in a sealed container (or can be frozen for longer). That’s when you need a classic biscuit tin to keep them fresh and delicious.

If you make any of these recipes, let us know how it went! We’d love to hear your feedback and how you commemorate ANZAC day.