Anzac Biscuits are very popular in Australia and New Zealand, and I can’t be more happy that I discovered them. I think I first found them in a cooking magazine, give them a try and my Dad loved them and I’ve been making them ever since.

The name of these rolled oat biscuits comes from a abbreviation: Australian and New Zealand Army Crops – ANZAC. It’s believed that wives of dispatched soldiers were sending them these kind of biscuits, which originally didn’t include shredded coconut.

Although the history of Anzac biscuits is interesting (you can read more about it here) it’s better to learn how to make them. 🙂

This recipe will give you Anzac biscuits with an autumnal twist – pumpkin flavour!

Pieces: approx. 15  | Prep. Time: 10 mins | Waiting Time: n/a | Bake Time: 10 mins | Temperature: 170 C | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 75 grams rolled oats
• 75 grams shredded coconut flakes
• 50 grams melted butter
• 100 grams flour
• 50 grams sugar
• 40 grams running honey (or golden syrup)
• 5 grams baking soda
• 100 grams pumpkin puree

Method:

1. Start by pre-heating the oven to 175 degrees C. It only takes 10 minutes to make the biscuits, so better have the oven hot.

2. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients (oats, coconut, flour, sugar, baking soda) together until well combined – you don’t want any big lumps of raw flour in your biscuits.

3. Over the dry ingredients add the melted butter and the pumpkin puree and mix well. My best tip is to use your hand to mix it – it’s better than with a spoon and very satisfying. Just make sure you wash your hands before mixing.

You should get a wet, yet sticky mixture. The mixture should hold its shape when squeezed.

4. Take a scoop of the mixture and shape it into a tiny ball, by rolling it between your palms. Originally, these biscuits are quite thin, but I like to make them round. Remember that they will take more time to bake like this.

5. Bake the biscuits for 10 to 15 minutes or until they get slightly golden on top. If you’re making them thin, they’ll be done under 10 minutes. If you go for a rounder biscuit, like me, you might need 15 minutes or more to make them.

Some Extra Tips

The original recipe is made with golden syrup. If you have it on hand, definitely use it, but we always have honey in our pantry and it’s more common to use it. Careful though, don’t add more than two tablespoons of honey, since it can become toxic at high temperatures. A couple of tablespoons in twenty biscuits won’t cause any harm.

These biscuits won’t spread while baking. The baking soda will prevent that and will hold them together, giving the pumpkin Anzac biscuits they signature crunchiness.

If you want more pumpkin flavour to your biscuits, feel free to add more pumpkin puree. I liked the subtle flavour and I didn’t add more.

I reduced the sugar in this recipe because the pumpkin is quite sweet on itself and I also try to reduce the sugar in my homemade sweets. Did you know you can reduce up to 50% the sugar in your recipe without altering the taste of your desserts?

These biscuits are ready in 30 minutes or less, contain healthy grains and are a delicious alternative for a snack.

Really hope you’ll give this recipe a try and please let me know how they turned out for you!