I’m a big fan of digestive biscuits. So far I have always bought them and they are good. However now that I’ve made them myself at home, I have to say that the homemade version tastes better to me, whether with or without chocolate. The best part is that you only need a couple of ingredients that you probably have at home anyway.
These digestive biscuits taste like pretty good whole grain butter cookies. Almost nutty with a rich buttery flavor. If you are into buttery shortbread in particular, these biscuits are definitely a winner.
Tools & Equipment
- 2 large baking sheets
- 2 silicone baking mats or parchment paper
- Cookie cutter, 7cm / 3-inch in diameter
- Digital thermometer
- Food processor
- Pastry brush
- Plastic wrap
- Rolling pin
- Small bowl
- Wire rack
Recipe Tips
Baking Soda: these biscuits should be crunchy and dense, they should not rise or become chewy. Baking soda is nearly non-functional without the addition of acid and therefore it is used to create the distinctive flavor of these biscuits.
Chilling: it is not absolutely necessary to chill this dough before rolling it out. Since the dough is very soft and crumbly, I prefer to chill it for about 30 minutes, because this helps to handle and roll out the dough.
Roll Out The Dough: if your dough is very soft and too crumbly, it may help to roll it out between two layers of plastic wrap. You can also roll out the dough on a very lightly floured work surface.
Ingredients for Digestive Biscuits
Step by Step Guide – How to Make Digestive Biscuits
Make the Biscuits
Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F and line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Pulse half of the oats in a food processor until you have flour.
Add the remaining oats, flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, butter and milk and mix briefly to form a dough.
Remove the dough from the food processor and place it on plastic wrap. Shape into a disc, press slightly to flatten and wrap the plastic around the dough. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough to a thickness of about 5mm / 0,2-inch. Cut out the biscuits with a cookie cutter. Place the biscuits on the baking sheet spaced a little apart.
Bake for 13-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Then place the biscuits on a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Coating
Heat most of the chocolate in the microwave until completely melted and the temperature reaches 46°C / 115°F, stir in between. Add the rest of the chocolate, stir and cool to 26°C / 79°F. Briefly microwave again until the temperature reaches 30°C 86°F.
Brush the biscuits with melted chocolate, dip half of the biscuits in the melted chocolate or drizzle it over the biscuits. Place biscuits in the fridge for about 10 minutes until the chocolate has set.
Storage: once the chocolate has set, store the digestive biscuits in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Moisture will make the biscuits soggy. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the cookie dough, tightly wrapped in plastic or in a zipper bag for up to 3 months.
My Summary for Digestive Biscuits
Difficulty: simple.
Taste: these biscuits are slightly sweet, but not overwhelming. The chocolate-covered version is, of course, a bit sweeter. The oats really shine, providing a nice roasted aroma and along with the baking soda a distinctive flavor.
Texture: they are dense, crunchy and crumbly, just as they should be.
TIME: the dough is prepared in a few minutes. Chilling is not essential and if you leave that part out, you’ll have delicious digestive biscuits in about 30 minutes. Coating with melted chocolate and letting the chocolate set also takes another 30 minutes or so.
More “COOKIE” Recipes
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cookies & Cream Cookies
- Lace Cookies
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- White Chocolate Matcha Cookies