As a South African mommy living in Australia, I try my best to keep our heritage alive. Sometimes it is more challenging, but when it comes to food and our favourite South African recipes, it is so easy! We have many recipes we love and still use in our house.
Find all our favourite recipes here. I’ll continually update this list as I add more recipes to the site. Enjoy!
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South African Banana Bread
A traditional South African recipe, perfect to bake with the kids- banana bread!
Ingredients
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) butter/margarine
- 125-250 ml (1/2 – 1 cup) sugar(your preference)
- 2 eggs
- 500 ml (2 cups) flour(cake or all-purpose or half wholewheat flour for a healthier version)
- 10 ml (2 teaspoons) baking powder
- 2.5 ml (1/4 teaspoon) salt
- 4-6 ripe bananas, mashed 400g (1 3/4 cup)
- 2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon) cinnamon
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla essence(optional)
- Crushed pecan nuts(optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180’C (350′ F).
- Use a small bread pan, sprayed with non-stick spray.
- Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add essence.
- Add eggs one by one and beat well.
- Add dry ingredients.
- Add bananas(and nuts/essence/cinnamon) and mix well.
- Add to pan.
- Bake for an hour or until baked through.
- Serve with butter.
Malva Pudding/Dessert
Sweet South African pudding served hot with custard, cream or ice cream.
Ingredients
- - 65ml/1/8 cup butter/margerine
- - 250ml/1 cup sugar
- - 15ml/1 tbs apricot jam
- - 1 egg
- - 250ml/1 cup self-raising flour
- - 5ml/ 1ts bicarb of soda/baking soda
- - 250ml/1 cup milk
- - 15ml/1 tbs vinegar
- Sauce:
- - one can of evaporated milk(385g)
- - 100ml/1/4 cup of sugar
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugar.
- Add the jam.
- Whisk the eggs and add in.
- Add the self-raising flour.
- Dissolve the baking soda in the milk and add.
- Add the vinegar and mix well.
- Bake around 40 minutes in a 180'C oven or 12 minutes in the microwave(on high).
- Sauce: Mix the ingredients and heat slightly to dissolve sugar.
- Pour sauce over hot pudding.
- Serve with custard, cream or ice cream.
Pancakes/Pannekoek
Traditional South African pancakes, similar to French crepé served with cinnamon sugar.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 4 cups of plain cake flour
- 5 cups of water
- 4 teaspoons of baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup of white vinegar
- 1 cup of vegetable oil
- Cinnamon sugar(mix 1 teaspoon of cinnamon with 1 cup of sugar)
Instructions
- Beat the eggs, water, vinegar, oil and salt together.
- Add the flour and baking powder and beat well.
- Pour batter into a shallow pan and bake a few minutes on both sides.
- Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the pancake.
Notes
Do not overbake as the pancake can become rubbery. Be careful with the vinegar as it might taste sour if you add too much.
South African Bran Rusks
Traditional South African breakfast, bran rusks.
Ingredients
- 6 cups of cake flour
- 6 teaspoons of baking POWDER
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 350g dry bran cereal
- 2 cups of sugar
- 500g butter/margarine
- 2 eggs
- 500 ml buttermilk
- Nutmeg(optional)
Instructions
1. Mix the eggs and buttermilk together in a small bowl and the dry ingredients in a big bowl.
2. Mix the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers, before adding the egg mix as well.
3. Press it into flat, buttered pans, and bake for about 35-40 minutes at 180'C or until brown on top.
4. After it cooled down, cut into finger-sized bites, and place back into the oven, but this time turn the heat way down, around 80-100'C and dry for 7-8 hours, depending on your oven. It should be dry throughout when you break it.
Notes
Variations could include adding raisins or chocolate chips. You could try it with different cereals too.
Substitute with gluten-free flour and cereal to make it coeliac friendly.
South African Custard Cookies
Delicious South African custard cookies that melt in the mouth with a cupaa.
Ingredients
- Cookies
- 250g butter/margarine
- 150g (10 tablespoons) sugar(icing sugar will give a finer texture to the cookie)
- 90g (6 tablespoons) custard powder
- 20ml (4 teaspoons) baking powder
- 750 g (3 cups) flour(cake/all purpose)
- 2 eggs
- Icing
- 250g (1 cup) icing sugar
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) butter
- 45ml (3 tablespoons) boiling water
- 10ml (2 teaspoons) instant coffee powder (or custard powder)
Instructions
Cookies
1. Cream butter and sugar
2. Add eggs
3. Add the rest of the ingredients, but do not overmix(that will have an effect on the texture of the cookies)
4. Roll balls of dough and press down with a fork
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, 180'C.
6. Let it cool while making the icing.
Icing
Make a paste with the above ingredients and spread it between two cookies like a sandwich.
South African Bobotie
A traditional South African dish of Dutch descent with a Malaysian flair.
Ingredients
- 500g minced meat
- 1 thick slice of bread
- 250ml milk
- 1 onion(chopped)
- 37.5ml lemon juice
- 10ml oil
- 10ml curry powder
- 5ml salt
- 5ml sugar
- Pinch of pepper
- 2 eggs
Instructions
1. Soak the bread in the milk
2. Brown the onion in the oil in a pan
3. Add the meat
4. Mix the lemon juice, sugar, salt, pepper and curry powder together
5. Add mixture to the meat
6. Add the bread and 150ml of the milk to the meat and press with a fork to make a fine mixture
7. Add one egg and the jam/jelly/chutney
8. Pour into an oven dish
9. Bake for 10 minutes at 180'C
10. Whisk the remaining egg and milk together
11. Take out the dish from the oven and pour the egg mixture on top
12. Bake for another 30 minutes or until firm
13. Garnish with lemon leaves if desired
Serve with (yellow) rice and enjoy!
South African Baked Milk Tart
A delicious South African tart made from milk, the baked milk tart version.
Ingredients
- 2(30ml) Tablespoons melted butter/margarine
- 3 eggs, separated
- 1 cup(250ml) sugar
- 1 cup flour(250ml cake or all-purpose flour)
- 1 teaspoon(5ml) baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon(5ml) vanilla essence
- 4 cups(1liter) milk
- Cinnamon sugar
Instructions
1. Mix butter, egg yellows and sugar together.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, salt together and add.
3. Add milk and essence. Mix well.
4. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add to the first mix, but do not overmix.
5. Pour in a deep tart pan and sprinkle cinnamon sugar over.
6. Bake at 180'C for 45 minutes or until settled. TIP: after baking leave it in the (switch off) oven to settle for 10 minutes more.
South African Lemon Meringue
A delicious South African lemon meringue recipe, perfect for a tea party!
Ingredients
- Crust(any crumbled cookie type mixed with a tiny bit of butter, I used South African Tennis Biscuits, but Digestives works well too)
- 125ml(1/2 cup) of lemon juice
- 1 can(397g) condensed milk
- 2 eggs, separated
- Pinch of salt
- 45 ml(3 tablespoons) castor sugar
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 160'C (325'F).
2. Add lemon juice to condensed milk and mix until thick and creamy.
3. Beat egg yolks, add salt. Add to condensed milk mixture.
4. Pour into a deep tart dish, over the crust you pressed in first.
5. Bake for 20 minutes without the top layer.
6. Top layer: beat the egg whites until it forms peaks.
7. Add the castor sugar little by little and beat for another minute.
8. Spoon this onto the baked filling, forming peaked dollops as you go.
9. Bake for another 20 minutes or until the meringue is light brown.
Cool and enjoy!
Notes
Add an extra egg to ensure enough meringue.
South African Koeksisters
A South African sweet treat, perfect for tea-time!
Ingredients
- SYRUP
- 1kg sugar
- 5 ml ground cinnamon
- 1.5 ml ground ginger
- 500ml water
- DOUGH
- 500 ml all-purpose flour
- 25 ml baking powder
- 30 ml butter
- 100 ml milk
- 100 ml water
- pinch of salt
- 500 ml oil for frying
Instructions
- SYRUP: Boil this together until dissolved. Let it cool completely. Best to leave it overnight. It should stay ice cold for the dipping process, so keep a container with ice underneath.
- DOUGH: Mix the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Use your fingers to work the butter in.
- Add water and milk. Do not overmix.
- Roll out the dough and koeksister braid as seen in the pictures above.
- FRYING: Bake the braids in the oil until golden brown.
- DIPPING: Immediately after a braid is boiled in the oil, dip it into the ice-cold sauce. It should still make small bubbles when it is dipped so that the syrup is absorbed well. Leave in the syrup for a minute and take out, resting it on a cooling rack.
- Keep the koeksister braids in the fridge before serving.
Notes
Use two different utensils to take the braid out of the oil and dipping into the syrup to avoid cross-contamination.
Biltong & Cheese Muffins
Delicious savoury muffins for any occasion.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup grated cheese like Cheddar
- 1 1/2 cup of biltong powder or other cold meat
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup oil
Instructions
- Mix all the dry ingredients together.
- Whisk eggs, milk and oil.
- Mix all ingredients, do not overmix.
- Scoop into muffin pans and bake at 180'C for 20-25 minutes until baked well.
Notes
Powdered biltong can be substituted with any cold meat bits.
Flour can be substituted for gluten-free flour.
South African Carrot Cake
Moist carrot cake with variation options.
Ingredients
- Cake
- 1 1/2 cup (375ml) sugar
- 1 tsp (5ml) cinnamon powder
- 2 tsp (10ml) baking powder
- 1 1/2 cup (375ml) cooking oil
- 4 medium carrots(grated)
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp (5ml) salt
- 1 tsp (5ml) bicarb of soda
- 2 cups(500ml) all-purpose flour
- pecan nuts(optional)
- raisins(optional)
- Topping
- 230g cream cheese tub(more or less)
- 2 cups(500ml) icing sugar
- 2 tbs (30ml) butter
Instructions
- Beat the eggs and add sugar slowly while beating.
- Add oil.
- Sift the dry ingredients in.
- Add carrots(and nuts/raisins) if used.
- Mix.
- Pour into a greased baking tin.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180'C or 360'F for 40 min.
- Cool down the cake before adding the topping. (Simply mix the ingredients together to form a glaze-like topping).
- Enjoy!
South African Microwave Milk Tart
A smooth, milky tart with a touch of cinnamon.
Ingredients
- 1 can of condensed milk. Then use the can:
- 1 can of milk
- 2 cans of warm water
- 2 tablespoons(30 ml) butter
- 4 eggs
- 6 tablespoons(90 ml) cornflour
- pinch of salt
- cinnamon
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together except for the cornflour.
- Use a tiny bit of water to make a slurry with the cornflour.
- Add it to the rest of the ingredients and mix well, ensuring no lumps form.
- Microwave on high for 7 minutes.
- Mix it well.
- Microwave again on high for 5 minutes.
- Mix well again.
- Microwave again for 3 minutes.
- Pour into your dish.
- Place it in the fridge until set.
Notes
This is a crustless version. Add a cookie crumble crust if you'd like.
South African Pampoenkoekies (Pumpkin Fritters)
Ingredients
- Batter
- 750g cooked pumpkin(mashed)
- 2 eggs
- 5ml(1 ts) salt
- 280g (2 cups) self-raising flour
- oit for frying
- Sauce
- 400g(2 cups) sugar
- 250ml(1 cup) water
- 125ml(1/2 cup) milk
- 10ml(2 ts) cornflour
- OR
- Cinnamon sugar(mix 1 teaspoon of cinnamon with 1 cup of sugar)
Instructions
Batter
1. Mix the pumpkin, eggs and salt.
2. Add the self-raising flour.
3. Pour into your mini muffin pan.
4. Bake for 25 minutes until golden.
5. Dip each fritter in the sauce or cinnamon sugar.
Sauce
Mix the sugar, water and milk.
Boil the mixture until sugar is dissolved.
Use a little bit of cold milk to make a slurry with the cornflour and add in.
Mix well and heat up until it thickens.
Microwave Fudge
Easy and quick 3-ingredient microwave fudge to make with the kids!
Ingredients
- 125g butter
- 500g castor sugar
- 1 can of condensed milk
- optional flavourings
Instructions
- Add the butter, sugar and condensed milk to a deep microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave for 2 minutes until butter is melted.
- Stir well.
- Microwave for 8 minutes. DO NOT stir.
- Leave for one minute to settle.
- Add flavourings and mix well for at least a minute.
- Pour into a deep dish to cool down and harden.
- Break into pieces.
Notes
Use an electric beater to beat for at least one minute after microwaving the last time for a smoother texture.
South African Crunchies Oats Cookies
Delicious South African Crunchies. An oats cookies recipe that is easy to bake with the kids and can be adapted to be healthier or vegan.
Ingredients
- 2 cups(500g) fine coconut
- 4 cups(1kg) rolled oats
- 1 cup(250g) all-purpose or cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups(375g) sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon(2.5ml) salt
- 1 teaspoon(5ml) ground cinnamon
- 250g butter
- 3 tablespoons(45ml) golden syrup
- 2 teaspoons(10ml) bicarb of soda
- 1/4 cup(60ml) milk
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients, except the bicarb of soda.
- Melt the butter and add it.
- Dissolve the bicarb in the milk and add.
- Mix well.
- Press onto a cookie sheet.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 180'C.
- Cut into squares or fingers once cooled down.
Notes
Leave to bake for another 5 minutes for more crunch.
For a healthier version substitute syrup for honey and sugar for your sugar alternative.
Vegan- use your vegan butter instead.
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