What can I use instead of golden syrup when baking Anzac cookies?

I always used treacle (CSR brand) in ANZAC biscuits. It is not as sweet. I also do 2/3 of the sugar content. Perfect.

Please note the word ANZAC should always be written in all capital letters. The letters are the initials for AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND ARMY CORPS and which came to the fore at Gallipoli in World War 1.

I agree with can. Golden syrup is unique in it's taste. I would not call maple syrup a good substitute, although still delicious. It really is quite easy to find. It's not always with the other sweeteners. Mine used to be kept in the baking aisle, but they've moved it to the international aisle. You can also purchase it from Amazon, but it's more expensive. Here's a link.
http://www.amazon.com/Lyles-Golden-Syrup-11-Ounce/dp/B0000EYP2U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1445880799&sr=8-1&keywords=golden+syrup

Thank you Cav for that bit of information I always love to read the history or origin of different food items. Golden syrup is very tasty indeed try to find it for your Anzac biscuits!! Good luck let us know how they turned out.

Nothing.

Not trying to be a stern proscriptive dictator, but not everything can or should be substituted. One of the key flavours in an Anzac Biscuit (not a cookie) is Golden Syrup. Which does not taste like Maple syrups, Honey, Corn Syrup or any combination thereof. If you omit the Golden Syrup, then you're not making an Anzac. I've never had a problem finding Golden Syrup in the States, just have to nip down the Ethnic / World aisle to the British section.

Anzacs are used in Australia, New Zealand and recently the UK to raise funds for ANZAC veterans, so making them properly can be a highly emotive subject. An Anzac is highly distinctive, and the recipe is protected in Australia by law. Golden Syrup is a part of that. Whatever it's substituted with might be incredibly delicious, but it won't be an Anzac.

Golden syrup is made from cane or beet sugar. It was originally produced as a by-product of sugar processing, but has become a process of its own. Corn syrup is made from corn. Maple syrup is made from sap. Honey is made by bees. To some extent, they are all interchangeable, except for viscosity. For example, maple is decidedly thinner than the others, so you may have to adjust the liquids. Actually, the sweetness level also varies a bit, but not so much that you'd notice it in baked goods.

As far as flavor is concerned, the closest match to golden syrup is a 50/50 mix of honey & light corn syrup.

Be careful with buying maple syrup in the US these days. The grading system changed this year. Grade B no longer exists. You may find some still in the market, but it won't be there for long. Apparently, the industry decided that folks didn't understand the grading, and many thought that Grade B indicated an inferior product. Now, everything is graded as Grade A, but with a description. The new grading is:

Grade A Golden Color, Delicate Taste
Grade A Amber Color Rich Taste
Grade A Dark Color Robust Taste
Grade A Very Dark Color, Strong Taste

Whichever sweetener you choose, I'm sure your cookies will be delicious.

The B grading is for USA products, and is called Amber. If too dark for you, try medium or dark amber (which are both lighter than the pure amber).
The 2 grading is for Canada products, and is a middle darkness (called amber but not as dark as the US product under that name).

Maple syrup? The real stuff of course. Maple goes really well with oats (it always goes in any oatmeal cookies or breakfast oats in my house). just be sure to get the real stuff...yes it's expensive depending on where you are but it lasts forever and it's worth it. Failing that, if you can find molasses or even sorghum those should work, albeit you'll probably get a darker, nuttier flavour.