Three classic New Zealand biscuits you can bake at home are Afghan biscuits, Anzac biscuits and gingernuts. Afghans combine cocoa and cornflakes with chocolate icing, Anzac biscuits are made with oats, coconut and golden syrup, while gingernuts are crisp biscuits with a warm ginger flavour.
Although all three are familiar in New Zealand home baking, they have very different textures and methods. This guide explains those differences before giving you a complete home-baking recipe for each one.
Baking note: Oven temperatures and baking times can vary. Check the biscuits near the beginning of the recommended time range and adjust according to your oven, tray and preferred texture.
Three Classic New Zealand Biscuits at a Glance
| Biscuit | Main flavours | Typical texture | Distinctive feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghan biscuits | Cocoa, chocolate icing and walnut | Short and crumbly with cornflake crunch | Cornflakes folded into chocolate biscuit dough |
| Anzac biscuits | Oats, coconut, butter and golden syrup | Chewy or crisp depending on thickness and baking time | An egg-free oat-and-coconut mixture |
| Gingernuts | Ground ginger and golden syrup | Firm and crisp after cooling | A stronger ginger flavour and satisfying snap |
1. Classic Afghan Biscuit Recipe
Afghan biscuits are chocolate biscuits made with cocoa and cornflakes. The cornflakes give the biscuits an uneven, pleasantly crunchy texture, while chocolate icing and a walnut complete the familiar presentation.
This recipe makes approximately 16 to 18 biscuits, depending on how large you shape them.
Afghan Biscuit Ingredients
For the biscuits
- 200g unsalted butter, softened
- 100g caster sugar
- 150g plain flour
- 30g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 60g cornflakes
For the chocolate icing
- 150g icing sugar
- 20g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 25g unsalted butter, melted
- 2 to 3 tablespoons hot water
- 16 to 18 walnut halves or pieces, optional
How to Make Afghan Biscuits
- Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional or 160°C fan bake. Line one or two baking trays with baking paper.
- Beat the softened butter and caster sugar until smooth and slightly lighter in texture. It does not need to become extremely fluffy.
- Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the butter mixture. Mix only until no dry flour remains.
- Add the cornflakes. Fold them through gently, crushing some of the larger flakes while leaving enough texture in the dough.
- Place rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared trays. Leave about 4cm between each biscuit.
- Press each portion down lightly with your fingers or the back of a spoon. Afghan biscuits should remain fairly thick rather than spreading into thin discs.
- Bake for approximately 12 to 15 minutes. The biscuits should look set around the edges but may still feel slightly soft while hot.
- Leave them on the tray for five minutes, then transfer them carefully to a wire rack. Allow them to cool completely before icing.
How to Make the Chocolate Icing
- Sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl.
- Add the melted butter and two tablespoons of hot water.
- Mix until smooth. Add a small amount of extra water only when needed. The icing should be thick enough to stay on top of the biscuits.
- Spoon the icing over the cooled biscuits and top each one with a walnut piece, if using.
- Allow the icing to set before placing the biscuits in a container.
Texture tip: Do not overbake Afghans while waiting for them to feel completely firm in the oven. They continue to set as they cool.
2. Classic Anzac Biscuit Recipe
Anzac biscuits are oat-and-coconut biscuits associated with Anzac remembrance traditions in New Zealand and Australia. Their exact early history is more complicated than the familiar story that one single recipe was sent directly to soldiers, so it is better to describe them as biscuits with a long cultural association with the Anzacs rather than repeat that story as settled fact.
The finished texture can be changed slightly. Thicker biscuits and a shorter baking time usually produce a softer centre. Flatter biscuits baked for longer become crisper after cooling.
This recipe makes approximately 20 to 24 biscuits.
Anzac Biscuit Ingredients
- 120g rolled oats
- 125g plain flour
- 150g caster sugar
- 75g desiccated coconut
- 125g unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons golden syrup
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons boiling water
How to Make Anzac Biscuits
- Preheat the oven to 170°C conventional or 150°C fan bake. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
- Place the rolled oats, flour, sugar and desiccated coconut in a large bowl. Stir until evenly combined.
- Put the butter and golden syrup in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat until the butter has melted. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
- Place the baking soda in a small heat-resistant bowl or cup. Add the boiling water and stir. The mixture will foam.
- Carefully add the foaming baking soda mixture to the melted butter and golden syrup.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir until everything is evenly coated and the mixture holds together when pressed.
- Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls and arrange them on the trays, leaving at least 5cm between each one.
- Flatten each ball gently. Keep them slightly thicker for a chewier centre or press them flatter for a crisper biscuit.
- Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, until golden around the edges. Rotate the trays if your oven browns unevenly.
- Leave the biscuits on the trays for five minutes. They will be soft when first removed from the oven but will become firmer as they cool.
- Transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely.
Texture tip: For a chewier result, remove the biscuits when the centres are still slightly soft. For a crisper result, bake until the centres are evenly golden, taking care not to burn the edges.
3. Classic Gingernut Biscuit Recipe
Gingernuts are darker, firmer biscuits with a distinct ginger flavour. They are commonly enjoyed with tea or coffee because their crisp structure makes them suitable for dipping.
The biscuits may still feel a little soft when they first leave the oven. Their characteristic crispness develops as they cool, because apparently biscuits also enjoy withholding their final form until humans become impatient.
This recipe makes approximately 24 biscuits.
Gingernut Ingredients
- 250g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 100g caster sugar
- 125g unsalted butter
- 100g golden syrup
How to Make Gingernuts
- Preheat the oven to 170°C conventional or 150°C fan bake. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
- Sift the flour, baking soda and ground ginger into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the caster sugar and stir to distribute the ingredients evenly.
- Place the butter and golden syrup in a small saucepan. Heat gently until the butter has melted, then remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Pour the warm butter mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Stir until a firm, evenly coloured dough forms. Allow the dough to stand for a few minutes if it is too warm to handle.
- Roll small tablespoons of dough into balls. Place them on the lined trays with about 5cm between each one.
- Flatten the balls lightly with a fork or the base of a glass.
- Bake for approximately 16 to 22 minutes, depending on their size and the level of crispness you prefer.
- Leave the biscuits on the trays for three to five minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
- Cool completely before judging the texture. Gingernuts become firmer and crisper as they cool.
Flavour tip: Ground ginger varies in strength and freshness. Use recently opened ginger for a clearer flavour. If you prefer a gentler biscuit, reduce the ginger slightly rather than adding extra sugar.
Which New Zealand Biscuit Should You Bake?
Choose the recipe according to the flavour and texture you want rather than treating all three as interchangeable.
- Choose Afghan biscuits when you want a chocolate biscuit with cornflake texture and a decorated finish.
- Choose Anzac biscuits when you want an oat-and-coconut biscuit that can be made either slightly chewy or crisp.
- Choose gingernuts when you want a firmer biscuit with a strong ginger flavour for serving with tea or coffee.
Afghans usually require the most finishing because they need to cool before being iced. Anzac biscuits are useful when you want an egg-free recipe made from familiar pantry ingredients. Gingernuts are the simplest choice when you prefer an uniced biscuit with a longer, drier finish.
Common Biscuit-Baking Problems
Why did my biscuits spread too much?
The butter may have been too warm, the tray may have been hot before the dough was added, or the biscuits may have been flattened too much. Measure the flour carefully and allow very soft dough to rest briefly before shaping.
Why are my biscuits dry?
Too much flour and excessive baking are common causes. Use weight measurements where possible, especially for flour. Remove the biscuits when they match the visual signs described in the recipe rather than waiting for every biscuit to feel hard in the oven.
Why did the biscuits become firmer after cooling?
Moisture continues to move through a biscuit after it leaves the oven. Anzac biscuits and gingernuts can feel soft while hot but become much firmer once cool. Allow the first tray to cool before deciding whether the next tray needs a longer baking time.
Can I bake two trays at the same time?
Yes, although the trays may brown at different rates. Rotate them and exchange their shelf positions partway through baking. If your oven heats unevenly, baking one tray at a time may give more consistent results.
How to Store Homemade Biscuits
Allow all biscuits to cool completely before storing them. Trapping warmth inside a container creates condensation, which can soften crisp biscuits and affect icing.
- Store each type in a separate, tightly closed container.
- Keep the container in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
- Place baking paper between layers of iced Afghan biscuits.
- Do not store crisp gingernuts with softer biscuits, because moisture can transfer between them.
- For the best texture, enjoy homemade biscuits within approximately one week.
Storage time depends on the ingredients, humidity and how the biscuits were baked. Check their appearance, smell and texture before serving older homemade biscuits.
Are These the Same as Lowrey Butter Cookies?
No. Afghan biscuits, Anzac biscuits and gingernuts are traditional home-baking styles with their own ingredients and textures. Lowrey Butter Cookies belong to a different butter-cookie category.
Lowrey Butter Cookies are made in New Zealand with New Zealand cultured butter and have a delicate, short, melt-in-the-mouth texture rather than the cornflake crunch of Afghans, oat texture of Anzac biscuits or firm snap of gingernuts.
Lowrey also offers six single-flavour options: Original, Coffee, Chocolate, Matcha, Raspberry and Black Sesame. Each tin contains one flavour rather than several flavours mixed together.
For a complete introduction, read What Are Lowrey Butter Cookies? You can also use the quality butter cookie guide to compare ingredients, butter content, texture, origin and packaging when buying butter cookies.
For the classic Lowrey flavour, see the Lowrey Original Butter Cookies gift tin, made with 42% New Zealand cultured butter and packed as one single-flavour Original tin.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some classic New Zealand biscuits?
Afghan biscuits, Anzac biscuits and gingernuts are three familiar examples. Other New Zealand home-baking favourites include shortbread, melting moments and various biscuit-based slices, although those are outside the scope of these three recipes.
What is the difference between a biscuit and a cookie in New Zealand?
In New Zealand, the word “biscuit” is commonly used for many small sweet baked goods that North American readers may call cookies. The exact distinction is not always strict, and everyday usage varies according to the product and recipe.
Are Anzac biscuits always chewy?
No. Anzac biscuits can be chewy or crisp. Their texture is influenced by thickness, sugar, moisture, oven temperature and baking time. Thinner biscuits baked for longer generally become crisper.
Why are cornflakes used in Afghan biscuits?
Cornflakes add irregular texture and crunch to the chocolate dough. They should be folded through gently so that some pieces remain visible rather than being crushed into fine crumbs.
Why are my gingernuts not crisp?
They may need slightly more baking time, or they may not have cooled completely. Humid storage can also soften them. Cool the biscuits fully on a wire rack and store them separately from softer baked goods.
Can these recipes be made gluten-free?
A direct flour substitution may change spreading, structure and texture. Rolled oats must also be specifically labelled gluten-free when required. Use a recipe developed and tested for gluten-free baking rather than assuming a one-for-one substitution will produce the same result.
Can I reduce the sugar?
Sugar affects more than sweetness. It also influences spreading, browning, moisture and crispness. A small reduction may work, but a major change can alter the structure of the biscuits.
Final Baking Notes
Afghan biscuits, Anzac biscuits and gingernuts each represent a different part of New Zealand home baking. Afghans are chocolatey and textured, Anzac biscuits combine oats, coconut and golden syrup, and gingernuts offer a firmer bite with warming spice.
Start with the recipe that best matches the texture you enjoy. Measure carefully, watch the first tray closely and allow the biscuits to cool before deciding whether the baking time needs adjustment. That last part is inconvenient but necessary, much like most sensible advice.
