Traditional South African Koeksisters Recipe
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A classic South African Koeksisters recipe that shows you how to make traditional braided doughnuts that are sweet and literally oozing in sweet spiced syrup. A favorite sweet treat that you can commonly buy in South Africa, and a special taste of home for expats around the world.
Last week, a South African friend shared this recipe on Facebook. Seeing as I was going to a Braai (BBQ) at her house, I decided I would try my hand at making some as a special surprise. I’ve never made koeksisters before, but I’ve tried them at another South African party and loved them. They have a crisp exterior and are soaked through with sweet, spiced syrup. Pronounced ‘cook-sisters,’ these treats are a traditional South African dish that no doubt originates with the first Dutch settlers to the country.
They were definitely a hit with my friends, as I suspected they would be. When I tried them at another function, the South African expats swooped on them, and I barely got one in time! They’re a nostalgic sweet that reminds South Africans of their youth and happy days back home.
Make Koeksisters the Day Before
This koeksisters recipe isn’t difficult, but you should make the syrup the day before to give it time to thicken slightly. It also needs to be very cold. The rest of the recipe is a breeze, and this recipe will make about three dozen donuts, which are perfect for sharing at any party or gathering. They’re similar but also unlike American-style doughnuts and are truly a sticky, sweet, and deliciously messy experience.
Another thing to be aware of is that it’s easy to roll and cut the dough too thick. The doughnuts bulk up after you braid them together, so be conservative. Thick dough creates thicker doughnuts that may take longer to soak up the syrup and might not be the right consistency. If you’re unsure about rolling the dough out correctly, you could also try this funnel cake recipe.
South African Koeksisters Recipe
Ingredients
For the koeksister syrup
- 4 cups white sugar (800 g )
- 17.9 fl. oz water (530 ml or 2¼ cup)
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- 2½ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp ginger (Grated or as a knob about that size)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Pinch fine sea salt (1/8 tsp)
For the koeksister dough
- 4 cups self-raising flour (500 g)
- ¼ cup white sugar (50 g)
- 3½ TBSP unsalted butter (50 g)
- 5½ tsp baking powder (20 g)
- 6.75 fl. oz milk (200 ml or ¾+⅛ cup)
- 1.7 fl. oz cream (50 ml or ¼ cup)
- 2 eggs
- Pinch fine sea salt (1/8 tsp)
Instructions
- The day before, make the syrup. Heat the water until warm and then add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for ten minutes, stirring to make sure that all the ingredients dissolve. After ten minutes, take the syrup off the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature before placing the syrup in the fridge. Leave the cinnamon stick and ginger floating in the syrup.
- The next day, make the dough. Place the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Then add the butter and either rub it into the dough with your fingers or cut it in with a pastry knife or two knives crisscrossed together.
- Next add the milk, cream, and eggs and mix well. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least thirty minutes.
- Roll the dough out to between a 1/2-1 cm in thickness and then cut into strips about 1cm in width and 6cm in length. Take three of them and press the ends together on one end before plaiting it. When the plait is finished, press the other ends together.
- Heat a pan with about an inch of vegetable oil on low until it starts sizzling when you place a tiny piece of dough in the oil. In the meantime, place your pan of syrup into another pan filled with ice water so as to keep it cold. The syrup needs to be kept very cold from this point on.
- Fry the Koeksisters until golden brown on both sides. Scoop them out of the hot oil with a slotted spoon and transfer them immediately to the syrup. Let them sit there for a minute, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
- The Koeksisters should be oozing with syrup, inside and out. Once all your donuts are made, eat them immediately or store them in an airtight container and keep them at room temperature, and eat within two days.
Isn’t this more of a biscuit recipe. The recipe I had 50 or so years ago was a dough recipe. That is plain flour and yeast. I’m only mentioning this because I was looking for a new recipe after trying some store bought koeksisters today and they had a biscuit texture like I’d expect from this recipe. Very nice but not traditional.
It’s definitely not a biscuit consistency—I assume you mean British biscuit. It’s like a soft, juicy, doughnut with a crisp exterior.
I’ll give your recipe a try and let you know. Thank you for your response and the courtesy of replying positively. Keep up the good work
Excellant Thank you
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’m from Cape Town and had 2 American friends join me for a visit there this year. One of them couldn’t get enough of Woolies Koeksisters. It’s her birthday this weekend so I’m going to surprise her with this!
That’s so special! I hope she enjoys your homemade koeksisters :)
I made the syrup last night! This afternoon I will complete the recipe and take them to book club. The book we are reading is an autobiography about a South African, so this recipe is perfect. Thank you
Enjoy!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe!!! I was blessed to have lived in South Africa when I was in primary school. I had been talking to my husband about things I remembered and missed…this was one of them. It has been over forty years since I was there. Thank you again. I can not wait to make these for my family.
You’re so welcome Bonnie :) I hope they’re as good as you remember!
@lovelygreens, can you eat the cold
I think you’re asking if you can eat them cold? They’re meant to be eaten cold :)
What type of ginger did you use?
Fresh or ground?
I used fresh ginger for this recipe
Thanks for the recipe! Going to try making them for the first time :)
Sounds easy – thanks. I've never eaten a koeksuster – maybe my first taste should be of a homemade one ;)