Crunchy Bran & Sunflower Seed Rusks

These Bran and Sunflower Seed Rusks are hearty, crunchy and perfect for dipping into a hot cup of coffee or tea. Made with wholesome bran, nutty sunflower seeds and rich buttermilk, they bake into golden, flavourful rusks with a satisfying crunch. Once dried slowly in the oven, they become the ultimate traditional South African treat — simple, comforting and ideal for breakfast, tea time or anytime you need a delicious homemade snack. ☕🥖

Making your own delicious coconut buttermilk rusks is easy with this simple recipe. Crunchy and crispy Coconut always works well with any baked goods, from cakes to cookies and now with delicious bran rusks. Kick-start each day with a cup of coffee and these light and tasty coconut buttermilk rusks. Irresistible smell of rusks baking in the oven fill your house. Rich, nutty coconut rusks are coffee’s best friend!

Use your imagination to substitute pecan nuts & dates with roasted coconut, dried cranberries, other nuts, or other dried fruit. Making the batter is super easy because it only involves a few basic ingredients. However it’s the baking time which might test your patience. 

You can also tinker with the ingredients and cater for your own taste by adding a variety of nuts and seeds. The coconut and almond bring out the flavour of the buttermilk making it the ultimate tea time treat!

Make these rusks at home, for they taste so wonderful that you will never ever buy them from the store again! We’re really not kidding.

Add either 15ml cranberry or orange essence to enhance the flavour that suits your mood or palate!

Cool and store in an airtight container.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
• 500 g Butter
• 1 kg Self Raising Flour
• 4 cups Bran
• 1 cup Coconut Diced
• 1 cup Sunflower Seeds
• 700 ml Buttermilk
• 3 Eggs
• 1 tsp Salt
• 5 ml Baking Powder
• 30 ml Vinegar

Instructions

1. Melt the butter and sugar in the microwave. Stir in all the dry ingredients. Whisk together the buttermilk, vinegar and eggs, then add to the mixture and combine well.
2. Press the mixture evenly into a greased rusk pan or large oven dish. Bake at 160 °C for 1 hour.
3. Allow to cool, cut into rusks, then return to the oven to dry overnight on very low heat, leaving the oven door slightly open (use a wooden spoon to keep it ajar).
4. Store in an airtight container.

Melissa Jacobs

Traditional South African Bran & Seed Rusks

4.80 from 5 votes

Once dried slowly in the oven, they become the ultimate traditional South African treat — simple, comforting and ideal for breakfast, tea time or anytime you need a delicious homemade snack. ☕🥖

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Drying Time 12 hours hrs

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: Global

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar
• 150 grams butter
• 150 ml vegetable oil
• 4 cups flour
• 3 cups wheat bran
• 2 cups coconut
• 1 tsp salt
• 500 ml buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• extra coconut

Method

 

1. In a bowl, melt the butter and sugar in a microwave
   
2. Add the eggs
3. Add the dry ingredients
4. Stir in the buttermilk and oil
5. Press the mixture evenly into a greased oven pan
6. Place in a preheated oven, 170 °C, for an hour
7. Sprinkle coconut over the warm rusks
8. Cut the rusks into blocks
9. Place in an oven, 70 °C, with the door ajar, place a wooden spoon in the door, overnight to dry out