The best road trip Gingernut biscuit recipe (2024)

By Author Toni Broome

Posted on - Last updated:

This truly is an old fashioned gingernut biscuit recipe! I was putting together a quick batch for a picnic over the weekend and realised I’d been making this particular recipe for well over 30 years. You know you have a winning recipe when you remember it by heart all those years later and still make them regularly.

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It’s an awesome back pocket recipe for when you don’t have much exciting in the pantry, they also don’t melt which is a big bonus for Australian picnics and they don’t drop too many crumbs which is great for cleaning the car after a road trip.

We’ve been heading out on a few road trips again lately and working our way through many of these 25 fabulous day trips from Brisbane again before setting our sights on a few longer distance drives. These gingernut biscuits are a staple either way!

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Now I know the original recipe came from a small softcover book, one of those black and white ones with no photos. I think it was Alison Holst but as I say that was over 30 years ago and I don’t have the original book so I make if from my head and I know its evolved a little from the original over the years and been scaled up to make a decent batch but this version works well every time. I often double this recipe, as they last well in an airtight container if they get the chance.

Now if you don’t know who Alison Holst is she’s a Kiwi icon. She’s been on cooking shows and writing books since before I was born and she basically ‘taught’ every Kiwi of my generation how to cook with nutritious, affordable everyday recipes. Which in turn fostered a love of local, fresh food and a bit more experimenting in the kitchen – with these old faithfuls to turn back to from time to time.

Table of Contents

  • Making Gingernut Biscuits
    • Getting set up
    • Preparing the Cookie Dough
    • Getting ready to bake
  • Old fashioned gingernut biscuits
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Notes
          • Nutrition Information
    • Did you make this recipe?

Making Gingernut Biscuits

Getting set up

I turn the oven on to bake at 180°Celcius or fan bake at 170°Celcius as I get started, the trays should be ready to load by the time the oven is up to heat. Fan bake will cook and colour more evenly when you have multiple trays in the oven at once.

I also suggest lining your trays with baking paper as it speeds up the dishes afterwards but greasing them or using silicon baking sheets will also work.

Preparing the Cookie Dough

I was born in the UK, grew up in New Zealand and now call Australia home, so I definitely call these biscuits not cookies but for some reason, I’ve noticed that I call the uncooked mix cookie dough, no idea when I picked that up.

Something I really do appreciate with this recipe is that I can make it all in the one pot so if you start with a larger one than you need to melt the butter you’ll save time at the sink later.

Melt the butter together with the golden syrup. Stir in the sugar and then the beaten egg. Finally add the dry ingredients, the flour, baking soda and ginger. Then stir with a wooden spoon until fully combined, it will only take a few turns.

There’s not a lot of ingredients and they are things that are always in my fridge and pantry making these so easy to whip up at any time.

Getting ready to bake

Line up your lined baking slides next to your dough. Wet your hands just slightly and begin rolling the dough into smooth balls about the size of a 20c coin. Having wet hands stops the dough from sticking to you and helps get them sized evenly and smoothly for a more visual appealing end result.

Place the 2 trays into the oven at a time and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

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Old fashioned gingernut biscuits

Yield: 24

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes

A quick and easy gingernut biscuit recipe that is quite simply, THE BEST. Crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy in the centre with a delicious hit of ginger.

Ingredients

  • 100 grams of butter (melted)
  • 1 tablespoon golden syrup
  • 1 cups of raw sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 3/4 cups of plain flour

Instructions

    1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the golden syrup.
    2. Stir in the sugar and allow to cool a little before the next step
    3. Add beaten eggs, the baking soda, ginger and flour and stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed.
    4. Line baking sheets with baking paper
    5. Dampen hands to stop it sticking and roll the dough into balls, place on the trays
    6. Bake at 180c (or 170 fan bake) for 10-13 minutes until golden.
    7. Remove from oven and allow to cool before storing in airtight containers.

Notes

I use raw sugar in this recipe and a lot of my baking. It adds a delicious caramel flavour but isn't necessary for the recipe, you can use plain white sugar if that is what you have available or prefer.

I highly recommend doubling the ingredients in the recipe to make a double batch of 48 cookies, they keep well and it can be a great time saver. The recipe has been tested this way many times and works perfectly.

Nutrition Information

Yield 24Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 98Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 17mgSodium 85mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 0gSugar 8gProtein 1g

Did you make this recipe?

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Do you love an old fashioned homemade biscuit now and again? What are your favourites?

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The best road trip Gingernut biscuit recipe (4)
The best road trip Gingernut biscuit recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the 4 steps of the biscuit method? ›

Biscuit Method
  1. Scale out all of your ingredients.
  2. In a mixing bowl, sift dry ingredients together.
  3. Add the butter and using the paddle attachment (with mixer) or pastry blender or by hand until the mixture has pea size bits of butter in it. ...
  4. The liquid ingredients are then added and combined to form a soft dough.
Aug 25, 2023

Why are my ginger biscuits so hard? ›

“There are some gingerbread recipes that are hard right after baking and need to sit for a few days to soften. Molasses and honey hardens gingerbread, but as the sugar absorbs moisture, it will get softer.”

Are gingernut biscuits good for your stomach? ›

These cookies have been shown to be beneficial for those who suffer from joint pain or inflammation because of its anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, the flavor of these cookies can help to relieve symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.

Why are gingernut biscuits different in each state? ›

Back in the 1960s, a few biscuit companies across Australia combined under one Arnott's banner. Arnott's tried to make things a little easier for themselves and create one national Ginger Nut recipe instead of sticking with the recipe from each state, which all had tiny differences in ingredients and cooking times.

What are the 2 most important steps when making biscuits? ›

The two keys to success in making the best biscuits are handling the dough as little as possible as well as using very cold solid fat (butter, shortening, or lard) and cold liquid. When the biscuits hit the oven, the cold liquid will start to evaporate creating steam which will help our biscuits get very tall.

Which liquid makes the best biscuits? ›

Just as important as the fat is the liquid used to make your biscuits. Our Buttermilk Biscuit recipe offers the choice of using milk or buttermilk. Buttermilk is known for making biscuits tender and adding a zippy tang, so we used that for this test.

What are the disadvantages of ginger biscuits? ›

Ginger cookies can be high in sugar and fat content. Ginger cookies fall into the category of "empty calories," according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's dietary guidelines. You should consume empty calorie foods in moderation.

What are ginger nut biscuits good for? ›

It can help to boost the immune system, your metabolism and provide natural pain relief. Writing in the Daily Mail, Dr Mosley explained: "Ginger is one of my favourite spices, whether in ginger biscuits, tea or in a stir-fry.

How do you keep biscuits Fluffy? ›

Fully incorporating the butter and flour guarantees tender, airy biscuits every time. Low-protein flours keep biscuits fluffy and light, never tough. Yogurt provides both hydration and structure, for biscuits that bake up straight and tall but moist.

Can you eat too many ginger biscuits? ›

Digestive Issues: Ginger is known for its ability to aid digestion and alleviate nausea. However, consuming excessive amounts of ginger may have the opposite effect and lead to digestive discomfort, such as heartburn, gas, or diarrhea.

What is the healthiest biscuit to eat? ›

  • Jammie Dodgers Minis Biscuits Apple & Blackcurrant x6 120g. ...
  • Maryland Cookies Sugar Free Chocolate Chip 200g. ...
  • Siro Sugar Free Digestive Biscuits 400g. ...
  • Nairn's Chocolate Orange Oat Biscuits 200g. ...
  • Siro Oaty Sugar Free Biscuits 300g. ...
  • Good Guys Bakehouse Peppered Biscuit Melts 50g. ...
  • Lotte Pepero Almond & Chocolate 32g.

Why are they called ginger nut biscuits? ›

Around the middle of the nineteenth century, however, gingerbread nut was superseded by ginger nut. The element nut presumably refers to the biscuits' smallness and roundness (ginger nuts seem originally to have been smaller than their twentieth-century descendants).

What is the famous ginger biscuit? ›

What is Grasmere Gingerbread. VICTORIAN cook Sarah Nelson invented Grasmere Gingerbread in 1854 in the English Lake District village from where it gets its name. A unique, spicy-sweet cross between a biscuit and cake, its reputation quickly spread and it is now enjoyed by food lovers all over the world.

Do ginger nut biscuits have real ginger? ›

A gingersnap, ginger snap, ginger nut, or ginger biscuit is a biscuit flavored with ginger. Ginger snaps are flavored with powdered ginger and a variety of other spices, most commonly cinnamon, molasses and clove.

Which country makes best biscuits? ›

Bake your way around the world with these traditional biscuit recipes originating from Italy, Germany, Finland, Greece and Australia.
  • 1German spice cookies (pfeffernusse) ...
  • 24-ingredient Turkish delight biscuits. ...
  • 3Choc-dipped fortune cookies. ...
  • 4Italian macaroons. ...
  • 5Hazelnut mocha biscotti. ...
  • 6Kourabiethes (Greece)

What are the tips for the biscuit method? ›

Tips and Tricks for Making Perfect Biscuits
  1. Rule #1: Use Quality Ingredients.
  2. Rule #2: Keep Your Cool.
  3. Rule #3: Don't Overwork (or Underwork) Your Dough.
  4. Rule #4: Cut, Don't Twist!
  5. Rule #5: Go for Golden.
  6. Rule #6: Save the Scrap (a.k.a. “The Leavings”)
  7. Rule #7: Cover, Slather, Smother, and More with These Chef Recs.
  8. Rule #8:
Dec 10, 2020

How many steps are there in the biscuit method of mixing? ›

The biscuit mixing method is the technique used to make quick breads that are tender and flaky by reducing gluten development. This technique also works to form layers in the dough that result in flakiness. The method involves 4 key steps: Mixing all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

References

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