Healthy Digestive Biscuits
You’ll love my Healthy Digestive Biscuits Recipe. Delicious, low calorie oatmeal cookies and refined sugar free. Perfect with a cup of tea and so much better than shop bought!
My favourite sweet treat is a nice cup of tea and a good digestive biscuit, perfect for dunking. A healthier biscuit if you make your own as they are a low sugar biscuit. Often eaten with cheese instead of a cracker.
We love homemade biscuits here at the Kitchen Shed, no palm oil or added extras. Only 68 Kcals. Naturally vegan and refined sugar free.
My Healthy Digestive Biscuits recipe includes easy to make vegan or sugar free versions – options are given in the recipe card. I use maple syrup in the basic recipe to sweeten the digestives.
Maple syrup adds a lovely malty flavour which pairs so well with the oatmeal and has the added bonus of being refined sugar free.
So if you fancy a digestive biscuit that is much better for you and tastes so much better than shop bought, have a go at baking a batch of these.
What are Digestive Biscuits ?
In 1892, Alexander Grant from McVities in Edinburgh, devised and produced the first and original ‘Digestive’ biscuit, the secret recipe of which is still used today. Sometimes referred to as sweetmeal biscuits, it was the Victorians who coined the term “Digestives” because they believed the bicarbonate of soda in them must aid digestion.
Apparently one in nine packets of biscuits now sold in the UK is a packet of Digestives, making them the nation’s favourite biscuit regardless of their questionable aid to digestion.
What do I need to make Healthy Oatmeal Cookies ?
I like to use White spelt flour for its naturally nutty flavour but you can substitute with plain flour. Wholemeal spelt flour made the biscuits a little too dry so I substituted white spelt flour.
Fine oatmeal – if you can’t get hold of oatmeal or you don’t want to buy a pack just to make this recipe you can whizz up some porridge oats.
Fat – butter or sunflower margarine can be used. They both make a dunkable crispy digestive but if you want to make them VEGAN use sunflower margarine.
Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) contribute to a distinctive biscuit taste, imparting a particular flavour with a sublte hint of bitterness.
Salt – just a quarter of a teaspoon for flavour.
Maple syrup – I prefer to make our Digestives with maple syrup as I love the way its malty flavour pairs well with the oatmeal.
Maple syrup contains zinc and manganate and whilst it has a lower glycaemic index than sugar it still needs to be used in moderation – I used 4 tablespoons in the recipe to make about 30 biscuits.
If you prefer a sweeter biscuit use golden syrup.
Milk – for a SUGAR FREE digestive biscuit omit the maple syrup and use 3 to 4 tablespoons of milk or dairy free milk and flavour with ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Chocolate is purely optional but every now and again I’ll make a batch with golden syrup and cover with chocolate. CHOCOLATE Digestive Biscuits are a special treat for my husband who has a very sweet tooth !
How To Make Healthy Digestive Biscuits
- Sieve the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and add the butter or margarine. Rub the fat into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the maple syrup or golden syrup or milk (depending on which version you want to make) and bring the mixture together into a ball using your hands.
- Flatten the dough into a thick disc ready for rolling out. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Putting your biscuit dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes, treating it just like pastry, results in a lovely short biscuit.
- Roll out your biscuit dough to about 3 to 4 mm thick. I used a 6 cm circle cutter and although you can use whatever shape you like, this may mean adjusting the cooking times.
- Place the biscuits onto your baking trays – I used a fork to make a basic pattern on the biscuits.
- Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned. If you like a really crisp biscuit, switch the oven off and leave your biscuits in for another 5 minutes or so.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- And purely, optional 🙂 Cover with melted chocolate.
How To Serve
- Just as they are with a cup of tea and perfect for dunking ! Or a glass of milk if you prefer.
- Top with your favourite cheese for a snack or add to your cheese board.
What Can I Make ?
- Healthy Digestive Biscuits make a delicious cheesecake base, much tastier than shop bought digestives.
- Why not try breaking into small pieces and scattering on ice cream, fruit fool, a lemon posset or a trifle ? Adds a lovely crunch and flavour to your favourite dessert.
- I love using big chunks of digestives in a rocky road.
How Long Do They Keep ?
Healthy Digestive Biscuits will keep for up to two weeks in an airtight container.
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Healthy Digestive Biscuits
Equipment
- 2 x large baking sheets lined with baking parchment or silicone mats
Ingredients
- 175 g white spelt flour or plain flour
- 150 g fine oatmeal
- 150 g ( 5 oz ) sunflower margarine or butter I used Pure Sunflower
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 60 ml maple syrup or golden syrup or milk.
Instructions
- Sieve the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and add the butter or margarine. Rub the fat into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the maple syrup or golden syrup or milk (depending on which version you want to make) and bring the mixture together into a ball using your hands.
- Flatten the dough into a thick disc ready for rolling out. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 190°C / 170°C fan / 325°F / Gas Mark 4
- Remove your biscuit dough from the fridge and roll out to about 3 to 4 mm thick.
- I used a 6 cm circle cutter and although you can use whatever shape you like, this may mean adjusting the cooking times.
- Place the biscuits onto your baking trays – I used a fork to make a basic pattern on the biscuits.
- Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned. If you like a really crisp biscuit, switch the oven off and leave them in for another 5 minutes or so.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Optional: decorate with melted chocolate.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
If you prefer a totally sugar free biscuit, omit the maple syrup and replace it with 3 to 4 tablespoons of milk. You can use a non dairy milk, but for best results choose a richer option (such as a barista style or soy milk), as thinner plant milks may produce a softer, paler biscuit. Add ¼ teaspoon of salt for flavour. Calories are based on using sunflower margarine and maple syrup in the recipe. Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Pin Healthy Digestive Biscuits
Just tried these. Somewhat like an oat shortbread cookie. Delish! I was thinking of putting chocolate on some, but don’t know if they will last long enough. Next time might have to make 2x to have enough. I’m thinking they might also be good with a hint of lemon rind, or vanilla… so many possibilities!
I’ve been searching for a good digestive biscuit recipe and found you over at CakeyBoi’s site! I’m going to try your recipe soon. THANK YOU!!!
You’re most welcome Stephanie, glad you found my recipe. Thanks for dropping by 🙂
Homemade biscuits are definitely the best. I’ve never made digestive biscuits but these look very good indeed, so I will add them to my list. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Janice, homemade biscuits are the best. Hope you enjoy healthy digestive biscuits as much as my oat biscuits 🙂
Ha! Homemade digestive biccies have been on my baking To Do list for quite some time. I’m very drawn to your healthier than usual recipe, and your use of maple syrup instead of sugar. They sound perfect! Mine with the choccie please! Thanks so much linking up to January’s Family Foodies ‘Healthy Kids’ event.
It’s a pleasure to link up with Family Foodies. The maple syrup makes the digestives easier to make too, some recipes I’ve tried ended up rather dry & not worth the bother. Hope you get time to try my Healthy Digestive Biscuits 🙂
Just popping by again as you mentioned in your other post, really love this recipe!
These look marvellous Sarah and so much nicer than any of the bought ones. Strangely, I’ve never tried making digestives.
Thanks Choclette, it’s definitely worth making your own Digestives.
Mmmm, they look very tasty, and I have a mug of tea here that could do with one (or three?) to dunk in in!
Thanks so much for sharing with Tea Time Treats 🙂
Janie x
Thanks Janie, you can have as many as you like 🙂 Thanks for joining in the dunking debate on Twitter x
Brilliant adaptations. Bough I will confess that given the option I would always take the chocolate covered version because my sweet tooth is incurable! Thanks for entering them into the Biscuit Barrel.
Thanks Laura & you’re welcome. I must admit the dark chocolate digestives are delicious 🙂
These look amazing and love that they’re so good for you-I think I’d make them even more virtuous and use buckwheat flour. Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays x
Thanks Vicki, what a good idea. Buckwheat flour is very popular here in Brittany for galettes, very tasty. Reckon I’ll give it a go.