Chocolate Digestive Biscuits (Popular British Cookie)
These Chocolate Digestive Biscuits (cookies), are a popular British biscuit. They come in the plain, oaty form, but chocolate topped is the nation's favourite & easy to make at home.
Equipment
- Scales or measuring cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Chopping board and knife
- Food Processor (optional, or Pastry blender/cutter, 2 butter knives)
- Large mixing bowl
- Mixing spoon
- Small dish/jug for milk/water
- Baking/parchment paper
- 2 Baking trays/sheets
- Round Cookie Cutter (6-6½ cm. 2⅓ –2 ½”)
- Fork, Wooden cocktail stick or Skewer
- Cooling rack
- Microwave-safe bowl (or bowl & pan on stove/Bain Marie)
- Mixing spoon
- Small spoon (optional)
Ingredients
For The Biscuit Dough:
- 115 grams Unsalted Butter (cold & cubed, 4 oz, 1 stick, or ½ cup)*
- 150 grams Wholemeal Flour (Wholewheat Flour, 5¼ oz, 1⅓ cup)*
- 150 grams Porridge Oats (plain oats, 5¼ oz, 1⅓ cup Rolled Oats/Old Fashioned Oats)*
- ¼ tsp Bicarbonate Of Soda (Baking Soda)
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 38 grams Light Brown Sugar (3 tbsp, 1¼ oz)
- 29 grams Desiccated Coconut (1 oz, ⅓ cup, or process ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut)*
- 2-3 tbsp Milk (or water, added gradually)
For The Topping:
- 150 grams Milk/Dark Chocolate (5¼ oz semi-sweet and/or bitter chocolate)*
- Coconut (optional)
* denotes see notes
Instructions
Forming The Dough:
- Measure out the cold 115 grams Unsalted Butter, cube about 1cm, (⅓") & place back in the fridge till ready to make.
- Paper line 2 large baking trays/baking sheets with baking/parchment paper (& grease in place if there is no lip).
- Measure out the other ingredients & process 150 grams Porridge Oats (Rolled Oats/Old Fashioned Oats) to a finer consistency. Alternatively use fine oats. **Please see notes below on cup amounts).
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients - 150 grams Wholemeal Flour (wholewheat flour), ¼ tsp Bicarbonate Of Soda, (Baking Soda), ¼ tsp Salt, 29 grams Desiccated Coconut (if using) & the processed oats.
- Remove the cold cubed butter from the fridge now, add to the dry ingredients & toss to coat. Using a pastry cutter/pastry blender, food processor, your fingertips or 2 butterknives to 'cut the butter' into the dry mix, till a 'breadcrumb consistency'. (See the video or step-by-step instructions for more details).
- Mix in the 38 grams Light Brown Sugar (& 29 grams Desiccated Coconut if using - but remember to process or chop roughly if using shredded coconut - see notes).
- Gradually add 2-3 tbsp Milk until the dough comes together into a manageable & not sticky mass, kneading to bring together, or using the food processor until it comes away clean from the sides of the processor bowl. Form into a disc, wrap in cling film/plastic wrap & chill for 30 minutes (or freeze for 15 minutes).
Cutting Out The Biscuits:
- Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of baking/parchment paper, till 3mm (⅛") thick. Using a flour dipped round cutter, (6-6½ cm, 2⅓ –2 ½”), cut out the biscuits & transfer to the prepared baking tray/sheet, leaving a little gap in-between. Roll up the scrap dough and cut out more biscuits until all the dough is used.
- 'Dock' the biscuits with a BBQ skewer, cocktail stick or fork, minimum 6 holes or replicate the pattern in the photos. Chill for 30 minutes in the fridge or 15 minutes in the freezer.
- Set the oven to: 190°c/170°c Fan oven/375°f/Gas Mark 5 & to coincide with the end of the chill time.
Baking & Cooling:
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 12-18 minutes, till just slightly colouring & set, & the underside slightly darker.
- Leave on the tray/sheet for 2-3 minutes, transfer via the paper to a cooling rack & leave to cool completely.
Coating The Digestives:
- If not coating in chocolate or doing later, store the cooled biscuits in a tin or air-tight container for up to 3 days before decorating.
- Chop the 150 grams Milk/Dark Chocolate before microwaving in a heat-safe bowl, in 30-second bursts, mixing well in-between each time, until melted. **Do not heat chocolate for any longer than 30 seconds or the chocolate will burn & ruin. Alternatively use a double boiler or Bain Marie with barely simmering water.
- Dip the plain side of the Digestive biscuit in the melted chocolate or spread on with a small spoon, scraping the excess off the edge. Dip 6 biscuits at a time, leaving to set up a bit before drawing parallel lines on the chocolate with a cocktail stick or 3-prong fork. **Tip – clean the cocktail stick every set of lines you do. Leave to set a little before repeating lines, perpendicular to create a 'feathering' effect.
- Leave to set on paper and repeat with the rest of the biscuits. Alternatively you can skip the feathering & sprinkle Coconut on top.
Serving & Storing:
- Serve the Digestive biscuits as they are, with your favourite tea, coffee or cold milk. Plain Digestives are great sandwiched together with raspberry jam.
- Store leftovers in a cake or cookie tin, or other airtight container for at least 7 days. Digestive biscuits can be frozen but best frozen without the chocolate. Flash-freeze on a lined tray for a few hours, then remove, wrap individually before placing inside a labelled and dated freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months2. Defrost on the counter at room temperature in a few hours. Ensure fully defrosted & at room temperature before serving or dipping in chocolate.
Video
Notes
Oats - regular, plain 100% oats, US equivalent being Rolled Oats/Old Fashioned Oats, that will need processing a little. See before this Recipe Card for reference photo in the step-by-step instructions. Alternatively use fine oats.
Flour - wholemeal (wholewheat) flour is key to these biscuits.
Butter - unsalted butter always recommended in baking & for better results. See notes at beginning on issues with salted butter.
Sugar - light brown sugar used & not much, but unrefined coconut sugar will work too.
Chocolate - a combination of milk (semi-sweet) & dark/plain (bitter) chocolate is recommended for best results. 100g/3.5oz milk to 50g/1.75oz dark chocolate.
Coconut - desiccated coconut used, & US equivalent is unsweetened shredded coconut. However, the latter is larger size than desiccated, so either process when processing the oats, or roughly chop. See comparison photo at beginning of the post.
Recipe Yield - makes about 18 decent sized biscuits.
Cookie Cutter - 6-6½ cm (2⅓- 2½") round cutter.
More Digestive Biscuit information (including the reason for the name, & step-by-step instructions & photos, before this Recipe Card).
Check out my other biscuits, including popular & traditional Scottish Shortbread, on the biscuits & cookie page.
Nutritional Information - all nutritional values are approximate and based on making 18 biscuits with all the ingredients listed above. 1 serving is one biscuit with chocolate coating. Make more or less biscuits & these values will change. Plain, no chocolate Digestive Biscuit will be 125 calories. All values calculated via website MyFitnessPal.com
Butter - unsalted butter always recommended in baking & for better results. See notes at beginning on issues with salted butter.
Sugar - light brown sugar used & not much, but unrefined coconut sugar will work too.
Chocolate - a combination of milk (semi-sweet) & dark/plain (bitter) chocolate is recommended for best results. 100g/3.5oz milk to 50g/1.75oz dark chocolate.
Coconut - desiccated coconut used, & US equivalent is unsweetened shredded coconut. However, the latter is larger size than desiccated, so either process when processing the oats, or roughly chop. See comparison photo at beginning of the post.
Recipe Yield - makes about 18 decent sized biscuits.
Cookie Cutter - 6-6½ cm (2⅓- 2½") round cutter.
More Digestive Biscuit information (including the reason for the name, & step-by-step instructions & photos, before this Recipe Card).
Check out my other biscuits, including popular & traditional Scottish Shortbread, on the biscuits & cookie page.
Nutritional Information - all nutritional values are approximate and based on making 18 biscuits with all the ingredients listed above. 1 serving is one biscuit with chocolate coating. Make more or less biscuits & these values will change. Plain, no chocolate Digestive Biscuit will be 125 calories. All values calculated via website MyFitnessPal.com
Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Digestive Biscuits (Popular British Cookie)
Serving Size
1 biscuit
Amount per Serving
Calories
170
% Daily Value*
Fat
9
g
14
%
Saturated Fat
6
g
38
%
Monounsaturated Fat
2
g
Cholesterol
16
mg
5
%
Sodium
40
mg
2
%
Potassium
43
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
19
g
6
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
7
g
8
%
Protein
3
g
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.