You won't believe these Healthy Anzac Biscuits don't contain brown sugar and golden syrup. Every time I make these people comment on how good they are, but they have no idea I've switched some of the ingredients to make them healthier! They look the same but they taste even better.
They're crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle. They’re big, packed with oats, perfectly sweet, and just as mooreish as my Anzac Slice.
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What Makes These Anzac Biscuits Healthier?
- No golden syrup. Instead of using golden syrup which is a processed sugar syrup that is typically higher in sugar and calories, this recipe uses pure Maple Syrup which is less processed, has a lower gi and is a more natural sweetener.
- No processed brown or white sugar. Instead uses Coconut Sugar an unprocessed, low gi natural sweetener
- No processed White Flour. Instead spelt flour is used which is higher in fibre and easier for the stomach to digest
- Uses Low Fat Butter instead of regular full fat butter
Recipe Highlights
- They have that unmistakable look, texture and taste of traditional anzac biscuits that many of us in Australia grew up eating
- They're made in the same way as traditional anzacs
- Makes 18 generous "palm sized" biscuits
- They're crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside
Perfect with your morning coffee, these biscuits take a mere 10 minutes to pull the ingredients together, and then its into the oven with that unmistakable anzac biscuit aroma wafting through the house.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Oats: Any type of oats will work and its really a matter of preference of whether you like to be able to see the oats of have them blend in. If you use quick oats they will result in a finer crumb, and big oats will result a a bigger more textured crumb.
- Spelt Flour: Either white or wholemeal spelt is great to use, and plain white or wholemeal flour can be substituted. The advantage of using spelt is that is it less processed and free from wheat.
- Pure Maple Syrup: I use this instead of the traditional Golden Syrup as Pure Maple Syrup is much less processed and a more natural sweetener. It has much the same taste in the biscuits as golden syrup and people who have tried traditional anzacs and my healthier version can't tell that I have substituted some ingredients to use healthier versions.
- Coconut Sugar: This is used instead of the traditional brown sugar. Coconut sugar provides a natural sweetness and golden colour.
- Desicated Coconut: This provides bulk and flavour and added texture.
- Butter: Low fat or full fat butter is fine to use, however a full fat butter will result in a more buttery taste. My personal preference is to use a low fat butter
- Bicarb Soda: This helps the biscuits to rise with a slight puff so that they are crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle
How to Make Healthy Anzac Biscuits
- Preheat fan oven to 160 degrees C, or 320 degrees F.
- This recipe makes about 18 biscuits, so you’ll need a large mixing bowl.
- Add the oats, spelt flour, desicated coconut, and coconut sugar to a bowl and mix to combine, then make a well in the centre and set aside.
- Heat a pot on medium heat and add the butter and pure maple syrup. Once melted, add the bicarb and water. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the well in the dry ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon.
- Line a couple of large baking trays with baking paper (spray a little oil on to make the paper stick)
- Use a dessert spoon to scoop out the anzac biscuit mixture, and plop it onto the tray. Dampen your hands, and press down and shape each biscuit into a round about 7cm or 1.5 inches in diameter. (Make sure to leave a good amount of space between each biscuit as they will expand during the cooking process)
- Depending on your oven/amount of baking trays, you might need to do 1 or 2 bakes. Bake for 20 minutes for a golden firm that is crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle.
Recipe Tips
- Large oats work best in anzac biscuits. Try and avoid the instant oats as they are usually smaller and kind of disappear in the biscuit batter.
- Coconut sugar is available in supermarkets, normally alongside all the other sugars and sweeteners.
- Avoid replacing the coconut sugar with any type of sweetener such as granulated stevia or monkfruit. I made several batches using these sweeteners and they all ended up with a weird taste at the end. Unrefined coconut sugar (in conjunction with pure maple syrup) creates the perfect sweetness, texture, crunch and chew just like traditional anzac biscuits.
- Sticky Biscuit Mixture? If your hands get to sticky when you’re putting the batter onto the baking tray, dampen your hands, but don’t make them too wet. This will keep the mix off your hands and allow you to shape and flatten the biscuits.
Flavour Addins
- Add a teaspoon of dried ginger to the dry ingredients for a Ginger Anzac Biscuit. These are delicious.
- Add ¼ cup finely chopped macadamia nuts for the ultimate Macadamia Anzac Biscuits.
- If fruit is your thing, you could try adding two tablespoons of finely diced dried fruit such as raisins, or cranberries. I wouldn’t add dates as this would make them way to sweet.
Common Questions
How long do homemade Anzac biscuits keep?
They will keep for at least a week in an air tight container at room temperature.
Can I substitute honey for golden syrup in Anzac Biscuits?
You could, but when I tried this it resulted in quite a soft biscuit. There was not the usual chewy inside or crunchy outside. I have found the best substitute for golden syrup is maple syrup which tends to be lower in sugar, less processed and a natural sweetener.
Why don't my Anzac biscuits spread?
First of all, make sure you added the bicarb soda to the butter and syrup mixture as this is what causes the biscuits to puff up and spread. Also if your moisture is too dry and crumbly the biscuits may not spread evenly as moisture is required during the baking process.
Should Anzac biscuit mixture be crumbly?
No, it should be moist and "wet" so that the oats can soften and soak up the biscuit flavours. Add a tablespoon of tap water at a time if the mixture is crumbly to get it back to a moist consistency.
Big, chewy, and full of oats, with a few ingredient substitutions makes these healthy anzac biscuits more filling, and satisfying and something you can year at any time of the year.
More Sugar Free Baking Recipes:
- Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Simple Sugar Free Lemon Loaf with Lemon Glaze
- Double Chocolate Banana Muffin (perfect for lunchboxes)
- Thick Crunchy Peanut Butter Date Cookies
- No Sugar Date, Oatmeal and Ginger Cookies
- Coconut Jam Drops
Healthy Anzac Biscuits
Kim Morris
These are better than any traditional Anzac biscuit. They are perfectly sweetened and made from wholefood ingredients full of fibre. Uses Maple syrup inctead of golden syrup and coconut sugar instead of brown sugar for the best, most perfec Anzac biscuit you'll ever taste.
Ingredients
- 2 cups big rolled oats
- 1 cup spelt flour - or plain wholemeal flour
- ⅔ cup coconut sugar
- ¾ cup desicated coconut
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons Butter
- 1 teaspoon bicarb soda
- 2 tablespoons hot tap water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Prepare a large baking tray and line with non stick cooking paper. I find 6 biscuit per tray works well and this recipe makes 18.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Add 2 cups big rolled oats, 1 cup spelt flour,⅔ cup coconut sugar and ¾ cup desicated coconut to a large bowl and mix to combine.
- Melt butter and maple syrup: Add ½ cup + 2 tablespoons Butter and ⅓ cup pure maple syrup to a pot over medium heat and cook, stirring, until just butter is melted, then remove from heat.
- Add Bicarb: Add 1 teaspoon bicarb soda with 2 tablespoons hot tap water to the mixture and stir to combine.
- Add wet ingredinets into dry: Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pourwet mixture into the oat mixture and mix well with a large spoon until combined. It will be quite wet and sticky.
- **OPTIONAL STEP** Let the mixture sit: To reduce the wetness of the mixture and to let the oats soak it in, cover it with a towel and let it sit for 15 minutes
- Spoon biscuit mixture onto baking tray: Use a large dessert spoon to scoop out the mixture and place tablespoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking tray. Gently flatten it out with the back of the spoon or your hand, making sure to space them out allowing room to spread. Keep a small bowl of lukewarm tap water nearby to bip your finges into as this will help to handle the biscuit mixture and remove stickiness.
- Bake: Bake biscuits for 20 minutes at 160 degrees C in a Fan Oven to produce a produce a firm and chewy biscuit. When biscuits come out of the oven they will be very hot and soft and will continue to firm up as they come to room temperature.
- Cool: Let biscuits cool in the baking trays for around 5 minutes then use a spatula to move them on to wire racks, cover with a tea towel and let cool to room temperature where they will firm up even more
Notes
- Oats: Any type of oats will work and its really a matter of preference of whether you like to be able to see the oats of have them blend in. If you use quick oats they will result in a finer crumb, and big oats will result a a bigger more textured crumb.
- Spelt Flour: Either white or wholemeal spelt is great to use, and plain white or wholemeal flour can be substituted. The advantage of using spelt is that is it less processed and free from wheat.
- Pure Maple Syrup: I use this instead of the traditional Golden Syrup as Pure Maple Syrup is much less processed and a more natural sweetener. It has much the same taste in the biscuits as golden syrup and people who have tried traditional anzacs and my healthier version can't tell that I have substituted some ingredients to use healthier versions.
- Coconut Sugar: This is used instead of the traditional brown sugar. Coconut sugar provides a natural sweetness and golden colour.
- Desicated Coconut: This provides bulk and flavour and added texture.
- Butter: Low fat or full fat butter is fine to use, however a full fat butter will result in a more buttery taste. My personal preference is to use a low fat butter
- Bicarb Soda: This helps the biscuits to rise with a slight puff so that they are crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle
- Cooling: I like to let my anzac biscuits sit on a wire rack covered with a tea towel for 1 hour so they can firm up.
- Storage: Store Anzac biscuits in an air tight container at room temperature for upto 5 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 156kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 7gFiber: 2gSugar: 4g
Note: Sugars contained in this recipe are from naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables or other natural sweeteners. Calories have been calculated for your convenience using My Fitness Pal and are based on the ingredients listed in the recipe card.
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Dita says
I just made these and they are delicious. They taste better than the original recipe. Thank you so much.
Sarah says
Omg YUM!! These exceeded expectations. They really are the best ever Anzac biscuits
Donna Carrier says
I love this recipe and I've add nuts and seeds to it too help with my gut microbes.
Thank you for share.
Donna says
Could you swap the flour for gluten free flour?
Kim says
I haven't personally used gluten free flour in this recipe, but I think it should probably work.
Mary says
Great recipe, these are really yummy, but is the temperature at step 8 a typo? It threw me the first time!
Kim says
Hi Mary, Sorry for the confusion, the temperature is 160 degrees celsius for 20 minutes. Updated at step 8.
Michaela says
I’m confused as to which sweetener you use. In the recipe it says monk fruit but your blurb prior to that says coconut sugar. Which is it please?
Kim says
Sorry about the confusion, I've tried making anzacs with Stevia, Monkfruit and Coconut Sugar, and Coconut sugar is definitely the best one to use. I've updated the post and recipe to reflect this.Thanks for clarifying!
Michaela O’Malley says
Thanks Kim. We only have Monk fruit. What was the quantity you used? Sorry, didn’t note it down before you updated! 😂
Kim says
2/3 of a cup of monkfruit sweetener is what I've used in the past.