How to Make Digestive Biscuits Recipe - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (2024)

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Hi Bold Bakers!

I’ve wanted to make Homemade Digestive Biscuits for you for a long time now because they are a very popular biscuit in Ireland and are used in many recipes. We utilize them for the base of Cheesecakes like my No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake or in biscuit cake like my Chocolate Salami. They are also can also be appreciated simply with a cup of tea.

With the ubiquitous popularity of McVitie’s digestive biscuits, a lot of people understandably wonder where to buy digestive biscuits. Well, I’m here to tell you how to assemble them yourself.

What Are Digestive Biscuits?

Digestive biscuits are used in an interchangeable way as graham crackers in the U.S. They are best described as whole wheat shortbread, and are crisp like shortbread and equally as buttery. Biscuits in Ireland are not equivalent to soft American biscuits, they are a type of cookie. However, cookies can be soft and chewy whereas biscuits are mostly semi-sweet, crisp, and crunchy, with no softness.

Why Are They Called Digestive Biscuits?

The term “digestive” comes from the 19th century and means that it aided digestion. In 1839, a pair of Scottish doctors invented the digestive. Digestive biscuits were thought to have the same fundamental properties and health benefits you might find in an antacid due to the usage of sodium bicarbonate in the digestive biscuit recipe.

Sodium bicarbonate is the sole ingredient for baking soda. We’ll be using baking powder, which in addition to sodium bicarbonate, also contains monocalcium phosphate and either sodium acid pyrophosphate or sodium aluminum sulfate.

In 1892, Alexander Grant developed and patented the original, prototypical recipe for McVitie’s digestive biscuits.

What You’ll Need To Make Digestive Biscuits

• Cookie sheet and parchment paper
• Mixing bowl
• Floured surface
• Rolling pin
• Measuring cups

How To Make Digestive Biscuits

It’s so easy to make these that you’ll never wonder why you ever bought them in the first place! Here’s how you make them (and get the full, printable recipe with measurements below):

1. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine and mix dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
3. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips.
4. Add milk and work through to form a dough.
5. On a floured surface, turn out the dough.
6. Roll out the dough using a floured rolling pin and cut into rounds.
7. Transfer to the cookie sheet and bake until pale gold.

When To Eat Digestive Biscuits

Biscuits are made to be enjoyed with a cup of tea. Dunking them in your tea is what softens them. The Irish are a nation of tea drinkers. Tea is customarily consumed morning, noon, and night in my house.

Even living in the States now I still carry on the tradition and have tea time every day around 3 o’clock. I sit down, watch my stories, and have a cup of Irish tea.

What Can I Make With Digestive Biscuits?

These can be ground up into crumbs and used in place of Graham cracker crumbs to make no-bake pie crusts for a whole variety of pies and cheesecakes.

They can also be crushed into larger chunks and added into ice cream or trifles for unbelievable texture and flavor.

Are Digestive Biscuits Good For Weight Loss?

As far as cookies and biscuits go, these are a dessert with benefits. The whole wheat flour that is the base of these cookies makes for a nutty rich flavor but also contributes fiber and nutrients.

Fundamentally a dessert, digestive biscuits won’t magically help accelerate weight loss but are a more nutritious alternative to a standard cookie.

How to Store Them

These biscuits will last for 3-4 days. To keep them fresh, just cover and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

Try These Other Recipes!

• • Homemade Biscoff Cookies
  • Homemade Graham Crackers
  • 3 Ingredient Shortbread Cookies

And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!

Full (and printable) recipe below!

Ingredients

Instructions