Traditional Koeksisters
This recipe for traditional koeksisters from South Africa is a wonderfully sticky donut treat. Deliciously sweet, crispy, and drenched in syrup, laced with cinnamon, lemon, and ginger. Absolutely perfect for a snack, tea time, and even breakfast.
We all have a vice, right? And fried foods are mine, especially when they’re sweet. Not a weekend goes by without rewarding myself with an occasional indulgence of some sort of fried food. However, moderation is the key. Who am I kidding? I can barely control how many of these treats I eat. So please don’t take my word for it.
They may take a bit of advance preparation but they’re so fun, they’re worth it especially if you have kids. Enjoy!
What Are Koeksisters?
The word is pronounced like cook sister. So, now that you know how to pronounce it, what the heck is it? Allow me. Koeksister is a super-popular South African sticky doughnut that derives its name from the Dutch word koekje, which means cookie. There are two versions of this popular doughnut, but this recipe is for the Afrikaner version. Braides, sticky sweet, and crispy, then drenched in syrup laced with cinnamon, lemon, and ginger. The end result is a taste bud explosion.
These fried sweet treats are extremely popular in South Africa, sold on major streets, and have made their way into super markets. They’re truly indulgent, celebration worthy for birthdays, holidays, or even creating a special occasion if you don’t have one (I do that all the time).
How to Make Traditional Koeksisters
- Syrup – Simmer the water, cream of tartar, salt, sugar, ginger, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool the syrup and refrigerate until ready to use. (Photo 1)
- Donuts – Combine the flour, corn flour (not cornmeal), baking powder, salt, and optional sugar. (Photo 2)
- Mix in the softened butter with your hands, then add the egg and milk. Knead several times until all the ingredients have been incorporated. Then let it rest for about 30 minutes. You should have a smooth dough that easily forms a ball. (Photos 3-4)
- Roll the dough out to about 1 inch thick. Cut it into about three sections with a sharp knife, then cut those sections into thin strips. (Photos 5-6)
- Braid three strands, stretching them carefully so they have even thickness. Pinch the strands together on both ends. (Photos 7-8)
- Fry the koeksisters in 3 inches of 350℉ (180℃) vegetable oil in a pot. If using a deep fryer, fry at 350℉ (180℃). After a few minutes and the bottom is golden, gently turn them over and fry for a few more minutes on the other side until golden brown. (Photo 9)
- Remove them from the oil, let excess oil drain back into the pot, and place them directly in the syrup. (Photo 10)
- Soak in the syrup for a little while (a few minutes will do, but not so long they get soggy).
- Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before eating.
Tips and Tricks
- If you refrigerate your syrup, let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before frying the koeksisters.
- If making ahead, wait to soak them in the syrup until serving. You can reheat the donuts in the oven, then put them in the syrup.
- You can also make the dough and form the koeksisters the day before and fry them the next day.
More Fabulous Street Food Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
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Traditional Koeksisters
Ingredients
Spiced Syrup
- 1 cup (236ml) water
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (8-9g) fresh ginger, chopped
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 1¼ teaspoon (7-8g) cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt (optional)
Dough
- 1½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour (see notes)
- 1 cup (117g) corn flour (not cornmeal)
- 2½ teaspoons (10g) baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon (4g) salt
- 2 tablespoons (24g) sugar (optional)
- 2 tablespoons (25g) butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (118ml) milk
- cooking oil for deep frying
Instructions
The Syrup
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water, cream of tartar, salt, sugar, ginger, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let the syrup cool and refrigerate until ready to use.
The Koeksisters
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, corn flour, baking powder, salt, and optional sugar.
- Mix in the softened butter with your hands, then add the egg and milk. Knead several times until all the ingredients have been incorporated. Then let it rest for about 30 minutes. You should have a smooth dough that easily forms a ball.
- Dust your work surface with a little flour, then roll the dough out to about 1 inch thick. Cut it into about three sections with a sharp knife, then cut those sections into thin strips.
- Take three strands and stretch them carefully until they're of even thickness all the way down. Pinch the ends together at one end.
- Braid it by taking the left strand and crossing it over the middle strand, then take the right strand and cross it over the middle strand. When braided, tightly pinch it to seal the other end.
- Heat at least 3 inches of vegetable oil in a pot until it's at least 350℉ (180℃). Test to make sure the oil is hot enough by putting a piece of dough into the oil. If it's not hot enough, the batter will stay at the bottom of the pot rather than rising to the top. If using a deep fryer, fry at 350℉ (180℃).
- Gently place koeksisters in the pan, and fry for a few minutes until the bottom side is golden brown. Gently turn them over and fry for a few more minutes until the other side is golden brown.
- With a large slotted spoon or something similar, remove them from the oil, let excess oil drain back into the pot, and place them directly in the syrup.
- Soak in the syrup for a little while (a few minutes will do, but not so long they get soggy).
- Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before eating.
Tips & Notes:
- Flour measurements can vary depending on the flour and the style of measuring. Adjust the amount, adding a little at a time, to get the right consistency.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the ingredients used in the recipe.
Question! The ingredient list says: ▢ 1 cup corn flour (100grams) While the recipe says : In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients- corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder.
Would it be corn meal or corn flour?
Hi Skylar. Good question. It’s corn flour because it has been ground finer than cornmeal. Thanks for catching that; I will fix it.
Just FYI, in England, corn flour would be called cornstarch in the States.
Hi! I want to make these for work, so the day before…how well do they keep? In the fridge or just an airtight container? Also, would it be be better to add the sirop at the last minute in this case? Thanks!
Hi Zara. Good question. They keep fine already dunked in the syrup for a couple of days in the fridge or three months in the freezer. Some suggest making the syrup the day before and dunking them when cold. Either way, they should be good. Please let me know how it goes.
Hi, The instructions say to put salt in the syrup. However salt isn’t listed as one of the ingredients.
Also the ingredients list corn flour, but the instructions say corn meal. Is that the same thing?
Please clairify.
Hi JD! Recipe updated! Thank you for catching that :).
Perfect recipe & so easy to follow. 🙂 The koeksisters came out exactly as your photo shows………………thank you very much for sharing…….this is a keeper!
Hi Lily,
I’m thrilled to hear that the koeksisters turned out perfectly and matched the photo! It’s always great when a recipe not only works out but is easy to follow too. Thank you for trying it out and for your kind words. Keep enjoying the cooking and baking adventures!
Made it!!
It turned out wonderfully!!! I’m so happy to have been able to find this recipe. Tysm!
Great! Do happy to hear this Skylar. Glad it worked out well for you.
Hi!! I’m so eager to make these for a friend, but how long is “a while”? I’m not sure how long to soak the finished pastries in the syrup.
A while is rather vague, isn’t it? A few minutes will work. You don’t want them to get too soggy. Hope that helps:)