Chocolate Hobnobs

Homemade Chocolate Hobnobs are the perfect treat. Easy to make, tasty, filled with yummy oats, and covered in smooth chocolate. There’s nothing better dunked in tea!

I love biscuits. They are my absolute weakness.

I’d quite happily sit and eat a packet of chocolate biscuits without realising they are gone, and a quick afternoon snack can quite easily turn into half a packet.

Or worse, feeling like I have to finish the whole packet to hide the evidence!

Now, I’ve got different favourites depending on my mood and what I fancy, but it’s usually chocolate and if I’m looking for something crunchy and comforting to dip in a cup of tea, nothing beats Chocolate Hob Nobs.

Hobnobs are perfect. Well, if they’ve got chocolate on.

I remember once I’d ordered some Chocolate Hob Nobs in my shopping, and got a substitute for the chocolateless version which was pretty bloody heartbreaking, to be honest.

3/4 shot of biscuits on plate, 3 stacked in foreground, glass of milk to side

Chocolate Hobnobs are wonderful. Oaty, crunchy, with a little bit of chew, and lots of smooth chocolate on the top.

You can get a good dunk without them falling apart and they’ve got oats in, so you can tell yourself that they are healthy.

One could even argue that a Hob Nob is basically a bowl of porridge and you can have 1 (6) with your breakfast.

hobnobs cooling on wire rack, on yellow cloth

When you’ve got a biscuit addiction, like me, the best thing that you can do is learn how to make your favourites yourself. It saves you money, and when you get the hang of it, yours will always be better.

5 hobnobs with chocolate on baking paper.

Ingredients For Homemade Chocolate Hobnobs

Unsalted Butter – you can use margarine or salted butter, a little salt won’t hurt. But I prefer the texture of butter. 

Light Brown Soft Sugar 

Golden Syrup – You can also use maple syrup for your biscuit dough. 

Plain Flour – you might know this all all purpose flour. 

Baking Powder

Porridge Oats – I use regular porridge oats. Rolled oats/old-fashioned oats are fine, I don’t recommend instant or steel-cut oats.

Milk Chocolate

You’ll Also Need

All you need to make hobnobs at home is a large mixing bowl and a wooden spoon (you can use an electric whisk, but it’s by no means essential.

Then, you need two large baking trays (or bake in two batches) and a baking sheet or parchment paper (baking paper).

I use a small saucepan to melt my chocolate, but you could also do it in the microwave. 

How to Make Chocolate Hobnobs – Step-by-Step Instructions

Full, easy-to-follow instructions and quantities are available in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step One

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (fan-assisted) and line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. 

You’ll have to bake in two batches if you’ve only got one.

Step Two

Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. I do this with a wooden spoon usually, but you can use a hand or electric whisk. 

Step Three

Stir in the golden syrup until smooth.

Step Four

Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix well.

Step Five

Add the oats and mix until even. It’s quite a stiff dough. 

Step Six

Roll into 15 even balls and place on the baking trays, evenly spaced.

Step Seven

Lightly press down into circles with the back of your fingers until about 3mm thick. 

They might spread a little, so leave a bit of space between them. 

Step Eight

Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden brown.

Step Nine

Carefully remove to cool on a wire rack.

Step Ten

When cool, melt the chocolate in a small pan or the microwave.

Step Eleven

Spoon a little onto each biscuit and spread evenly. I do this with the back of a metal spoon. 

Step Twelve

Add some scores with a fork when cooled a little for an authentic look. This is totally optional.

What is the Difference Between a Hobnob and a Digestive?

Oaty yumminess! Don’t get me wrong, I love a chocolate digestive too. They are also very good dippers. But, Chocolate Hobnobs are just extra special.

They are crunchier, they stay fresh for longer and they’ve got a fantastic oaty taste and texture.

top view of biscuits on a plate with glass of milk to side

They actually aren’t that much different, but digestives have a flour base, and hobnobs are flour and oats. Without the chocolate the flavour is quite plain and they both absorb tea very well!

4 hobnobs stacked on wire rack, squares of chocolate to the side. Side angle.

How Long Do Homemade Hobnobs Take to Bake?

Bake times vary massively depending on your oven, so my best advice is to get to know your oven and its little quirks – they all have them.

I bake my hob nobs in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 15 minutes. My oven is fan-assisted, so you may need to increase the temp and/or time if yours isn’t.

I like my hobnobs quite crunchy, they dip better I think, so you might want to start with a 12-minute bake, check and then go from there.

Variations

Another great thing about making your own Chocolate Hobnobs is that you can make a few changes.

If you prefer them a little chewy, make them thicker, or bake for slightly less. If you like your biscuits very crunchy, go for a thinner uncooked biscuit, and bake for a bit longer.

5 chocolate hobnobs on a blue plate, cup of tea to side, top angle.
Yes, eating 5 biscuits with one cup of tea is totally acceptable!

You only need a thin layer of chocolate to give these Oaty Biscuits a gorgeous flavour, but you can add plenty more if you want to give yourself a nice thick layer.

But, remember that it’s just chocolate without butter or anything, so it does set pretty hard and a thick layer would be quite tough.

5 chocolate hobnobs stacked on wire rack, other hobnobs around, flat. 3/4 angle.

I honestly love these Chocolate Hobnobs. I have to force myself not to make them too often because I would just sit and eat them five at a time.

There’s nothing better with a cup of tea in the afternoon when you need a quick pick me up, or some comfort after a tough day.

stack of biscuits, broken one on top, others on plate in background

How Long Will Homemade Chocolate Hobnobs Last?

In my house? About 8 minutes to be honest. But if you’ve got some self-restraint, kept in a sealed tub or tin, these would last for 3-4 days before they started to soften.

Even then, dipped in tea they would still taste fantastic.

Freezing Homemade Biscuits

top view of biscuits scatter on table and plate, hand lifting one

These homemade chocolate hobnobs freeze really well. You could make them in a bigger batch, and then freeze them in portions to give as gifts, or enjoy at a later date.

Wrap them carefully, or freeze in a sealed tub to avoid freezer burn, and defrost slowly in the fridge when you are ready for them.

Once thawed, these chocolate hobnobs will last in a sealed tub for 3-4 days, just like freshly made ones.

Can You Top Hobnobs with Dark Chocolate?

I love my Homemade Chocolate Hobnobs with milk chocolate. I just prefer the creamier flavour. But, if you like dark chocolate more, go for it!

Other Oat Recipes You Might Enjoy

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Chocolate Hobnobs cooling or wire rack

Chocolate Hobnobs


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4.5 from 38 reviews

  • Author: Donna
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 15 Biscuits 1x

Description

A fantastic chocolaty treat. Great dipped in tea!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 125 g Unsalted Butter (at room temperature)
  • 80 g Light Brown Soft Sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Golden Syrup
  • 100 g Plain Flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 100 g Oats
  • 100 g Milk Chocolate (broken into squares)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (fan-assisted) and grease and line 2 baking trays.
  2. Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.
  3. Stir in the golden syrup until smooth.
  4. Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix well.
  5. Add the oats and mix until even.
  6. Roll into 15 even balls and place on the baking trays, evenly spaced.
  7. Lightly press down into circles with the back of your fingers, until about 3mm thick.
  8. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
  9. Cool on a wire rack.
  10. When cool, melt the chocolate in a small pan or in the microwave.
  11. Spoon a little onto each biscuit and spread evenly.
  12. Add some scores with a fork when cooled a little for an authentic look.

Notes

Swap to margarine if you prefer. 

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Inactive Time: 0 hours
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Biscuits and Fridge Cakes
  • Cuisine: British

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Cookie
  • Calories: 172kcal
  • Sugar: 10g
  • Sodium: 79mg
  • Fat: 9g
  • Saturated Fat: 6g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 3g
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 21g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 2g
  • Cholesterol: 19mg

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Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information. 

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Author
Donna Dundas
Donna Dundas is an experienced family food blogger who has been creating easy and wholesome recipes for over 7 years. Her blog is a must-read for anyone looking for filling and delicious recipe ideas, that reduce waste and minimise stress.

16 thoughts on “Chocolate Hobnobs”

  1. Just made these but they spread a fair bit. I use whole oats rather than the standard milled oats so this may be why. Waiting for the chocolate to set before I demolish them!






    Reply
  2. I also love biscuits and cookies! And I am so glad to find this recipe. Been craving some homemade chocolate biscuits these past few days. Thank you for sharing this! I am excited to try them!

    Reply
  3. These are absolutely amazing. I’m a Scot living in Texas and miss Hobnobs so much. I didn’t have golden syrup so substituted honey. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe.

    Reply
  4. Just made a batch as have been unable to buy any saw this recipe problem solved absolutely lovely,thank you

    Reply
    • Fab! Thank you, Dianne, I’m so glad you like them, and terribly worried that you can’t buy any?! I don’t know how i’d cope!

      Reply

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