Top 10+ Aussie pantry staples we’ll never stop buying, and the best ways to use them

Tucked between the spices and the pasta, you’ll find a cast of familiar characters in Aussie pantries. 

These hardworking staples have shaped the way we eat and cook for generations. Here are our top 10 favs and the best way to use each one.

1. Vegemite 

This brekkie fave was invented by Dr Cyril Callister in 1922 for the Fred Walker Company, as a Down Under version of Marmite. It’s most often found smeared (or lightly scraped) over hot buttered toast. But Vegemite’s talents extend well beyond the breakfast table. Its intense, savoury saltiness can add depth to sauces, stocks and gravies. And, of course, it’s the base of our favourite cheesymite scroll. 

2. Milo

Launched at the Sydney Royal Easter Show in 1934, that bright green tin is comfort in a can. The drink of Australian childhoods (and let’s be honest, adulthoods) has sparked one of the nation’s most enduring debates: what is the correct ratio of Milo to milk? There is no wrong answer, only strong opinions. Milo is also addictive, scattered over ice cream (or stirred through ice cream for a DIY McFlurry), and it makes an easy, tasty coating for bliss balls and pudding.

3. Arnott’s Choc Ripple Biscuits

A hero of the shortcut dessert world, choc ripple biscuits were first made in the 1930s by Brockhoff’s Biscuits in Victoria. They’re delicious straight from the packet, but layer them with whipped cream, wrap the whole thing in cling film, leave it in the fridge overnight, and magic happens. The bickies transform into the legendary Choc Ripple Cake, a delicious no-oven-needed dessert. 

4. French onion soup mix

In theory, this humble packet can indeed be used to make soup. In practice, it exists to turbocharge flavour with zero effort. Stir it through sour cream, and you have a knockout dip that disappears in minutes. Scatter it over a lamb shoulder before it goes in the oven, and you’ll get oh-so-tasty cooking juices to serve with your roast lamb. Or try this French onion lamb shank pie recipe.

5. Sweetened condensed milk 

Australia’s most beloved slices simply wouldn’t exist without it. From hedgehog slice to caramel slice, cheesecakes and chocolate truffles, condensed milk is the backbone of our favourite sweet-tooth recipes, like this zesty lemon slice. Some people have been known to eat it straight from the can with a spoon (no judgment here). 

6. Canned beetroot 

An Australian burger simply isn’t complete without slices of beetroot. Yes, the staining risk is very real and entirely worth it. Beyond the burger, canned beetroot holds its own in salads, too. A classic beetroot, feta and walnut combination is one of the great barbecue sides. 

7. Barbecue sauce 

A devoted companion to the sausage sizzle, meat pie and sausage roll, barbecue sauce is a winner in cooking, too. Stirred into a cottage pie mixture, it adds sweetness and smokiness. Used as a slow-cooking base for pork ribs, it becomes extraordinary. And a fun fact, barbecue sauce packaged in a squeezy bottle only dates to 1997! 

8. Golden syrup 

The deep, warm smell of golden syrup is unmistakable. It’s perfect poured over porridge on cold winter mornings or added to Anzac biscuits for a deep, caramel flavour. It’s also the hero of golden syrup dumplings, a warming dessert of scone-like dumplings in a buttery, golden syrup sauce. A sort of light treacle, golden syrup was also known as cocky’s joy in Australia and used as a substitute for jam. But eaten over ice cream, it’s possibly the best way to enjoy a rainy autumn night in. 

9. Desiccated coconut 

From lamingtons to Anzac biscuits, coconut rough to rum balls and coconut ice, desiccated coconut is one of the true workhorses of the Australian pantry. Sweet, delicately chewy and wonderfully versatile, it elevates everything it touches, and if you grew up in the 1980s or 90s, you’ll remember tinting it green to create grass on a novelty birthday cake. 

10. Weet-Bix 

Weet-Bix have been on Aussie breakfast tables since the late 1920s, with people still asking, “How many do you do??” Whether loaded with milk and sliced banana or soaked overnight in the latest breakfast trend, Weet-Bix have a place in nearly every Aussie household. Beyond the breakfast bowl, you can also use them in baking. The classic chocolate Weet-Bix slice is made with an easy chocolate base loaded with crushed Weet-Bix, topped with a thin layer of chocolate icing and a generous scatter of coconut. Utterly delicious and a guaranteed morning tea favourite.

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