If you’re an Aussie, then you’ll know Kingston biscuits well. If you’ve not had the pleasure, then you’re going to love getting to know these simple oatmeal cookies, stuffed with chocolate.

These homemade Kingstons are a super simple mixture of ingredients that come together with a spatula and a bowl. You don’t even need an electric mixer to handle this dough. The dough doesn’t need refrigeration meaning these biscuits can go from non-existence to baked in half an hour.

Most importantly, they taste just like a shop-bought Kingstons which, for those who don’t know, is amazing!

If you love these flavours, you really should try my anzac biscuits too and this chocolate flapjacks slice.

This recipe has always been a blog favourite since it was first published way back in 2019 (before that, from 2017, it contained hazelnuts which were removed to turn it into a classic Kingston). After reader requests, it’s been updated with more information, ingredients image and process shots so wherever you live, you can get these just right!

A stack of 2 kingston biscuits.

Don’t you love being able to make favourites from scratch? Just like these Oreo Cookies or my Custard Powder, making classics from scratch just makes you feel good and, often, it’s way easier than you think to make your own too.

Table of contents

What are Kingstons?

Kingston Cream Biscuits are a famous Aussie icon cookie (known as a biscuit in Australia) made by Arnott’s. Two small, golden oatmeal cookies are sandwiched together with a chocolate cream centre.

Recreating a classic in your own kitchen starts with a look over the ingredients panel of the original. Keep the stuff you know, dump the things you can’t pronounce then get into the kitchen and start testing. That’s exactly what I did when I re-created these M&S buttery sultana cookies and now these Kingstons too.

Looking at the ingredients panel on a pack of Kingstons, they’re much like Anzac biscuits. Well, I already have a delicious Anzac bickie recipe so, I played with that slightly and used plain melted chocolate for the centre and, by George, we have homemade Kingston biscuits.

Top down view of a batch of kingston biscuits.

Ingredients

While this recipe has been on the blog for years, many readers in other parts of the world suggested a photo of the ingredients might be helpful since they may have different names or need a work-around. So here they are, all 8 of them.

Ingredients for kingston biscuits on a marble surface.

Jump to the recipe card for full ingredients and instructions.

Some very simple ingredients you’ll know well like white granulated sugar (or caster sugar/superfine sugar also work), plain flour (aka all-purpose flour), unsalted butter and baking soda (aka bicarbonate of soda), start things off.

I chose to use just a plain melted milk chocolate for the chocolate cream and used a good quality baking chocolate. That’s perfect for the centre of these cuties.

What Is Golden Syrup?

Golden syrup is very much like a paler version of treacle. It’s a golden, inverted sugar syrup and used in many UK and Aussie recipes. While golden syrup has it’s own distinct flavour, you could certainly swap it for maple syrup, brown rice syrup or honey in this recipe (or even treacle), though the flavour will differ slightly. If you can, try to get the real thing because it’s also great over pancakes or scones. Try looking for Lyles Golden Syrup online.

Coconut

Some readers suggested an image of the coconut (and the oats) would be helpful so here it is. Desiccated coconut on the left is what you’re after. Shredded coconut on the right is too large and often sweetened – you don’t want that one.

Two different types of coconut on a concrete surface.

Oats

Quick oats are what you need for homemade Kingston biscuits. Pictured on the left, they’re just very finely chopped rolled oats. You may find them labelled instant oats, but make sure they don’t have any added flavourings. If you can only get rolled oats, just process them in a food processor to make them a bit smaller.

Two different types of oats on a concrete surface.

How to bake homemade Kingston biscuits

These oaty cookies are so easy to make with no special equipment required. And with the filling being simply chocolate, they’re quick too. I prefer to bake just 1 tray of cookies at a time.

Jump to the recipe card for full ingredients and instructions.

1. The dry ingredients.

Start by mixing some dry ingredients together in a bowl – flour, sugar, coconut, quick oats and salt.

The dry ingredients combined in a mixing bowl.

2. The wet ingredients

Now melt together butter and golden syrup with a little water in a saucepan on the stove, then stir in the baking soda until fully dissolved in incorporated. It will get all foamy almost immediately.

Mixing the wet ingredients in a saucepan.

Now pour those wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix it up with a spatula making sure it’s fully incorporated – no bits of dry flour hanging around.

Let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes and you’ll end up with a thick dough that’s a little bit sticky but easy to form into balls.

A hand holding some dough over the bowl, showing the texture.

4. Shape the Kingstons

I use the smallest cookie scoop I have which is a size 100 (2 teaspoons) and scoop little balls of dough then roll those until smooth. Place them on a baking sheet at least 2 inches apart as they will spread, then just lightly press the tops to flatten slightly. Bake for 12-14 minutes until deep golden brown.

Every oven is different so test one first to see how it turns out. It needs to be golden and once cooled it should be crisp all the way through. The dough will happily wait for your test one to do it’s thing.

The balls of dough on a baking sheet.
Cookies on a baking tray after being baked.

5. Fill the cookies

Now just melt some milk chocolate, let it cool to the point that it holds shape a little and then use about ½ – 1 teaspoon to sandwich the cookies together.

Melting chocolate in a bowl on the stove.
Top down view of cookies on a wire rack. Half are topped with chocolate.

Are Kingstons crispy cookies?

Yes, the biscuits are meant to be crunchy, crispy all the way through. Keep an eye on them in the oven as you want to find that perfect point where they are golden enough but also going to cool down to completely crunchy cookies.

I find 12 minutes in the oven will give you cookies that are crunchy on the edges and chewy in the middle while 14 minutes gets you nice crunchy cookies. Either way, they’re totally delicious.

Storage

These homemade Kingston biscuits are great as gifts since they keep well for 5-6 days. I mean, I’d probably eat them after that too, if there were any left but let’s just stick to 5-6 to be all food-safety conscious.

Keep in mind, being homemade they will soften as time goes on. You can store them in a glass container with a small bowl of baking soda to keep them crispier.

You can freeze these too. Simply into an airtight container and freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw them at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Top down view of a batch of kingston biscuits with one cut in half to show the inside.

I’ll bet you know a few people who would love a batch of crunchy, buttery biscuits filled with chocolate? Dunked or not, there’s nothing better with a cuppa than a Kingston biscuit.

More Filled Cookies

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Did you try this Kingston biscuits recipe? Show it some love in the comments below.

Hungry for more?

A stack of 3 kingston biscuits, surrounded by more.

Homemade Kingston Biscuits

Yield: 27 cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes
4.7 from 52 ratings
Kingston Biscuits are an Aussie classic. Crunchy, chewy, buttery oat and coconut cookies are sandwiched with milk chocolate and so easy to make!
Print Rate Pin

Video

Ingredients

  • 130 g plain flour (all-purp flour) (1 cup)
  • 150 g white granulated sugar (¾ cup)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 100 g quick oats (1 ¼ cups / 3 ½oz) (notes 3)
  • 57 g fine desiccated coconut (⅔ cup/2oz)
  • ¼ cup golden syrup (83g / 3 oz) (notes 2)
  • 115 g unsalted butter (½ cup / 1 stick / 4oz)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda (bicarb soda)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons water (6tsp, notes 1)
  • 200 g milk chocolate (7oz)

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan forced) / 350F. Line 2-3 large baking sheets with baking paper.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, oats, coconut and salt until well combined. Set aside.
  • Combine the butter, golden syrup and water in a small saucepan and melt together over low-medium heat until fully combined and hot but don’t let it boil.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the baking soda until it’s fully dissolved in. It should start to get frothy almost straight away.
  • Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a spatula until fully combined and there is no dry flour mixture left.
  • Let the dough sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to firm up slightly.
  • Roll balls of about 2 teaspoons of cookie dough. I use a mini cookie scoop – size 100 to scoop them then roll by hand. Place them onto a baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Don’t overcrowd the trays as they spread to about double their width. Press down lightly on the top of each one to flatten it just slightly – they should be about ⅔ of the height they started at.
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes (notes 7) until deep golden brown. Let them sit on the tray for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
  • Immediately after coming out of the oven, if they’re misshapen you can swirl a larger round cookie cutter around them to round them up a bit. This will also make them a bit thicker and smaller in width.
  • Once cooled, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Or microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring thoroughly between each until JUST melted.
  • Let the chocolate cool to a consistency where it doesn’t immediately flatten out when drizzled, then add ½ -1 teaspoon to a cookie and sandwich it together with another. Let them set at room temperature.
  • Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.

Notes

  1. Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
  2. If you can’t find golden syrup, you can substitute brown rice syrup, honey or treacle (they will be darker with treacle).
  3. If you can’t find quick oats just pulse rolled oats in a food processor to about ⅓ of their original size. Be careful not to make them too small or turn it into flour.
  4. The cookies spread ever so slightly more on a light coloured pan than a dark one. Once baked they should be around 4.5-5cm wide so about double the width of the cookie dough balls you started with. 
  5. For best results, you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).
  6. All ovens vary – always test for doneness 1-2 minutes before the recipe suggests.
  7. The cookies should be nice and deep golden brown at 12 minutes and they will be a little chewy on the inside. The extra 2 minutes, though keep a close eye on them, will make them more crunchy (closer to the store-bought version).
  8. Nutrition details are approximate only – scroll below the recipe to find the full nutritional information.
MORE COOKIE RECIPES!
Calories: 145kcal
Author: Marie Roffey
Course: Afternoon Tea, Dessert, Snack, Sweets
Cuisine: Australian
Love this recipe?Add Sugar Salt Magic as a preferred Google source.
Nutrition information is approximate only and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use and any changes you make may cause variations.

Nutrition Facts
Homemade Kingston Biscuits
Amount Per Serving (29 g)
Calories 145 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Trans Fat 0.1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 9mg3%
Sodium 65mg3%
Potassium 52mg1%
Carbohydrates 19g6%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 106IU2%
Vitamin C 0.03mg0%
Calcium 6mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.