Chewy Coconut Oatmeal Cookies are traditional Australian cookies called Anzac Biscuits. They are so buttery with great texture from the coconut and oatmeal. They are egg free so ideal for people with an egg allergy.

Anzac Biscuits are a traditional Australian cookie. According to King Arthur, these cookies were popular in World War I when women would ship them to soldiers in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC).
My mom found this recipe in a magazine and made them for a family reunion. They were so good that many of us were asking for the recipe.

These cookies are so buttery and chewy. The coconut and oatmeal help add to the chewy texture, but the key is the baking time. A reviewer actually suggested the reduced baking time to make the cookies chewy rather than crunchy.
As with my grandma's Oatmeal Cookies, I prefer them chewy.
If you like crunchy cookies, you can increase the baking time.

Recipe Details
First, the flour, sugar, oatmeal, coconut and salt are mixed together and set aside.
Then, the butter and syrup are melted together in a saucepan. The boiling water and baking soda are added to this mixture.
Once combined, the liquids are stirred into the dry ingredients to form a dough. Dough is dropped onto cookie sheets by the spoonful and baked.
For a crunchy cookie, increase the baking time from 10 minutes to 14-16 minutes.
Storage
These cookies are best the day of baking and possibly the day after, but not much longer. If you do want to store them, do so at room temperature in an airtight container but know that they will lose their texture and chew more quickly than other cookies.
Gluten Free Option
I substitute Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour for all purpose flour in most baking recipes. I have not tried it myself with this recipe. I do find that cookies made with gluten free flour are more fragile and crumbly than those made with all purpose flour.
📖 Recipe

Chewy Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
Equipment
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- ¾ cup shredded sweetened coconut
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter
- 1 tablespoon golden syrup or light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons boiling water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Stir together the flour, sugar, oats, coconut and salt in a large bowl.1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup old fashioned oats, ¾ cup shredded sweetened coconut, ½ teaspoon salt
- Melt butter and syrup in a small saucepan over low heat. Once butter is melted, stir in boiling water and baking soda. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until a dough forms.½ cup butter, 2 tablespoons boiling water, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon golden syrup or light corn syrup
- Drop 2 teaspoon portions of dough at least 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies until they are starting to turn golden on the edges but still pale in the center, approximately 10 minutes. For a crunchy cookie, increase the baking time from 10 minutes to 14-16 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the cookies to continue to cook on the hot pan for a minute or two, until the center of the cookies look cooked through. Do not overbake or the cookies will be crispy instead of chewy.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container at room temperature. These cookies are best the day of baking and a day or two after. After several days, the texture becomes more grainy, dry and crumbly.
Leave a Reply