A wheat free Anzac biscuit recipe
April 23, 2018This update of the traditional Anzac biccie is a zesty take on an old favourite. Of course we love to include our friends with special food requirements, so this wheat free Anzac biscuit recipe is extra special.
The story of how the Anzac biccie came to be is a beautiful one. Australian and New Zealander soldiers fighting in Gallipoli during World War I were rationed out army biscuits, also known as Anzac tiles. The biccies were notoriously hard and flavourless – one Irish priest serving in Gallipoli cast his scathing eye over the bread substitute; “…the man who invented the army biscuit was an unmitigated rascal. As an eatable there is little to choose between it and a seasoned jarrah board.” Obviously, a lot left to be desired.
It was out of these dire circumstances that the women on the home front came to the rescue. Mothers, wives, sweethearts and sisters opted to make their version of Anzac biscuits, a concotion of rolled oats, golden syrup and bicarbonate of soda. The eggless biscuits were perfect for long journeys to the trenches via the seas, were chewy from the outset and so would not become stale, and were sweet and comforting.
We’ve added a little lemon zest to this recipe to combat the sickly, treacly sweetness of the original. Shredded or dessicated coconut is pretty standard in a modern version of the biccie, but we’ve also used coconut flour and almond meal to produce a wheat free recipe for you. For a crispier biccie, flatten the biscuits quite a lot and cook for a full 15 minutes. If a chewier consistency is what you prefer, leave the biscuits quite thick, and take them out after about 10 minutes of baking.
Wheat Free Anzac Biccies
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup coconut flour
- ¼ almond meal
- 1 cup gluten free rolled oats
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- ¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 lemon, zest only
- 125g salted butter
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
- 2 tbsp water
- ½ tsp bicarb soda
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 160°C.
- Meanwhile, mix the coconut flour, almond meal, rolled oats, coconut, brown sugar and lemon zest in a bowl.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter with golden syrup and water over a low heat. Once the butter has melted bring to a simmer, then and bicarbonate soda.
- Add the butter and sugar mix to the dry ingredients and fold though. The mixture should be sticky and moist, but able hold a shape.
- Roll into balls about 2cm around and place on a lined baking tray. With a fork or spatula, press down on the balls so that they flatten.
- Bake at 160°C for 10 – 15 minutes. The biscuits are done when they are golden brown. For a crispier biccie, flatten the biscuits quite a lot and cook for a full 15 minutes. If a chewier consistency is what you prefer, leave the biscuits quite thick, and take them out after about 10 minutes of baking.
Ode of Remembrance
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
Lest We Forget
If you’d like to purchase a poppy this Anzac Day, you can do so here.
This recipe is NOT gluten free because it had oats. In Australia, gluten free is recognised in wheat, rye, barley and oats.
Hi Leonie,
We’ve amended this recipe now to reflect that it is wheat free. We can also highly recommend gluten free oats for this recipe if oats aren’t appropriate for your dietary requirements. Thanks for pointing that out!
Rolled oats are not gluten free. This is a wheat free recipe.
This must be an American recipe. In Australia rolled oats are not a gluten free ingredient. Please don’t make these biscuits for someone who is celiac as it will make them very ill. ?
Oats are NOT gluten free! I recommend you research Australian regulations and advice about the Gluten Free Diet. Including oats in a recipe you refer to as Gluten Free is misleading, wrong and potentially harmful to those who require a gluten free diet for medical reasons.
I refer you to Coeliac Australia, where you can get advice to prevent you from making errors such as this in the future. Please do not continue to spread misinformation through ignorance. It is enough of a challenge to anyone newly diagnosed to follow a gluten free diet without the constant bombardment of inappropriate recipes and inaccurate information from sources one would expect to know better.
Hi Kirsty,
We understand oats may or may not be tolerated by different people with coeliac disease, and we’ve amended our recipe to state that it is wheat free accordingly. Thanks for getting in touch.
Made these today for Anzac Day. They tasted good but took about 30 minutes to cook at that temp rather than the 10 – 15 suggested in the recipe.
Thanks for the recipe.
It’s going to be finish of mine day, however before ending I am reading this fantastic piece of
writing to improve my knowledge.
Anzac biscuit def a goer
These were excellent, wheat free anzac biscuits. Will be my go-to from now on.
I used my thermomix – melted/mixed the butter, golden syrup, bi-carb and brown sugar, 37 degrees, reverse speed spoon,abut 8 minutes until it was glossy. Then mixed the coconut flour, almond meal, rolled oats, coconut, speed 4 x 30 seconds. Easy.
Best ever…And I have tried 20 different recipes….so so perfect..