Date & Dark Chocolate ANZAC-Style Biscuits
Date syrup has been made and used for thousands of years throughout the Middle East, yet it’s still relatively new to many western kitchens. Which feels surprising, once you’ve met it.
It’s an all-natural sweetener — deep, rich and fruity, with the unmistakable warmth of dates. Less sharp than honey, darker than maple, gentler than refined sugar. Ingenious, really.
The culinary possibilities feel endless. Sweet or savoury. I imagine large shoulders of lamb, slow roasted and lacquered with date syrup until sticky and burnished. Cocktails of gin, raspberry and mint, quietly sweetened with it. Desserts that are dark and dense and indulgent. And biscuits… always biscuits.
When I first saw that beautiful rich brown, honey-like liquid pooled in a jar, I knew exactly what was coming next.
ANZAC-style biscuits. With date syrup. And dark chocolate.
Why You’ll Love Date Syrup (and These Biscuits)
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A natural, unrefined sweetener with depth and warmth
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Less cloying than refined sugar
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Perfect for both sweet and savoury cooking
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Adds richness without overpowering
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These biscuits are nostalgic, familiar, but gently re-imagined
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Gluten free adaptable and endlessly snackable
They feel both comforting and new — which is my favourite place for food to sit.
Date syrup brings a quiet sophistication to baking. It doesn’t shout sweetness — it hums it. When paired with oats, coconut and butter, it melts beautifully into that familiar ANZAC chew. The dark chocolate adds bitterness, depth and indulgence, and the pistachio — well, that’s just joy.
These biscuits are wonderful as they are. But sandwiched together with a dark chocolate and date syrup ganache? They become something else entirely. Still humble, but undeniably indulgent.
They’re biscuits for afternoon tea, for gifting, for sneaking from the tin when no one’s watching.
Recipe: Date & Dark Chocolate ANZAC-Style Biscuits
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 10–15 minutes
Makes: 16 biscuits
Ingredients
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1¼ cups gluten free plain flour
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1 cup caster sugar
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1¼ cups rolled oats (gluten free) or quinoa flakes
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¾ cup shredded coconut
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125g butter, melted
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3 dessert spoons date syrup
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2 dessert spoons boiling water
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1 tsp bicarb soda
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100g dark chocolate, finely chopped
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20g pistachios, finely chopped (for topping)
Method
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Preheat oven to 180°C and line baking trays with baking paper.
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Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
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In a separate bowl, mix boiling water, bicarb soda and date syrup, then stir into the melted butter.
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Add the butter mixture and chopped dark chocolate to the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
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Roll dessert-spoonfuls of mixture into balls. Press the tops into pistachios and place pistachio-side up on trays, spacing 3cm apart.
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Bake for 10–15 minutes until golden.
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Allow to cool on trays — they will firm as they cool.
Dark Chocolate & Date Syrup Ganache
Method
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Place ganache ingredients into a microwave-safe bowl.
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Heat for 2 minutes on 50% power.
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Rest for 1 minute, then stir until smooth.
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Allow to cool and thicken.
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Use a heaped teaspoon to sandwich two biscuits together.
This step is optional — but highly encouraged.
Tips & Variations
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Replace oats with quinoa flakes if oats aren’t tolerated
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Swap pistachios for sesame seeds or leave them off entirely
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Use honey, maple syrup or golden syrup if date syrup isn’t available
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Skip the ganache for a simpler, lunchbox-friendly biscuit
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Add a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom for warmth
Serving & Storage
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Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week
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In warm climates, refrigerate or ganache biscuits as needed
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Plain biscuits travel better than sandwiched ones
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Perfect with tea, coffee or quietly stolen straight from the jar
FAQ
Q. What does date syrup taste like?
Sweet, fruity and warm — less sharp than honey, richer than maple.
Q. Where can I buy date syrup?
Middle Eastern grocers, health food stores or online.
Q. Can I make my own?
Yes — there are many methods available online, though I haven’t tested them personally.
Q. Are these biscuits very sweet?
They’re balanced. Familiar ANZAC sweetness with deeper notes from the date syrup.
Date and Dark Chocolate ANZAC style Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup gf plain flour
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1 1/4 cup rolled oats (gluten free) or Quinoa flakes
- 3/4 shredded coconut
- 125 gm butter melted
- 3 dessert spoon date syrup
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- 2 dessert spoon boiling water
- 1 tsp bi carb soda
- 100 g dark chocolate chopped finely
- 20 g chopped pistachio for decoration
Instructions
Date and dark chocolate ANZAC Biscuit
- Preheat oven to 180C, line biscuit trays with silicone paper.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Combine water, bicarb soda and date syrup together and add to the butter.
- Add butter mix and dark chocolate to the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
- Roll dessert spoon full of mix into rounds, press top of round into chopped pistachio, and place on baking tray nut side up. placing should be 3cm apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake for 10-15mins. Allow to cool on trays.
Dark chocolate and date syrup ganache
- Put all ingredients into a microwave proof bowl.
- Heat in microwave for 2minute on 50%. leave for 1 minute then stir until all incorporated.
- Leave to cool.
- Use to heaped teaspoon worth of ganache to sandwich together 2 of the date biscuits above.
Notes
- Date syrup is available from middle eastern grocers or online.
- If you are finding it really hard to source you can make your own, there are some great resources on the web, although i haven’t tried them out so can’t guarantee results.
- You could always replace the date syrup with honey or maple syrup or good old golden syrup.
- The biscuits are delicious on there own, but the addition of the ganache makes them super indulgent.
- Store the biscuits in an air tight container they will keep for 1 week. If your in a hot environment I would recommend either storing the complete biscuits in the refrigerator or ganache the biscuits as required.
- Oh and This recipe has oats in it which for some Gf people is fine, for others it’s not so much… In that case I would replace the oats with quinoa flakes…..
If you LOVED these Date & Dark Chocolate ANZAC-Style Biscuits try one of these
Chewy Chocolate Chip Biscuits (gluten and dairy free)
Choc Chip topped Biscuits (gluten free)
Quinoa and Ginger Anzac Biscuits
Peanut Butter Biscuits
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Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love to see your version of these Date and Dark Chocolate Anzac Biscuits!
Tag @thekrookedspoon on Instagram and use #thekrookedspoon so I can share your creation.
