Seed and Nut Rusks
These easy Seed and Nut Rusks are a South African classic. Ever-so-lightly sweetened, crunchy with plenty of texture from the seeds and nuts and the perfect snack or breakfast served with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
If you grew up in South Africa, you need no introduction to rusks. These twice-baked cookies/biscuits are the thing many South Africans reach for first thing in the morning. They’re synonymous with weekends away and holidays and few homes are without a jar of golden rusks to dunk into morning tea.
These seed and nut rusks with dried cranberries are one of my favorite versions. They’re packed with almonds, pecans, seeds and bran flakes for texture and the cranberries add just enough sweetness to keep you reaching for another one. They’re not overly sweet (in fact, this is a pretty low-sugar rusks recipe) which makes them feel more like a wholesome breakfast biscuit than a sugary treat. They keep for weeks in an airtight container, they’re incredibly moreish and they make your kitchen smell amazing while they bake.
What Are Rusks?
For anyone outside South Africa, rusks (also called “beskuit” in Afrikaans) are a traditional South African baked good that’s been a breakfast and tea-time staple for generations. They’re made by baking a dense, lightly sweetened dough, slicing it into pieces and then drying the slices out in a very low oven for several hours until they’re completely dry and crunchy all the way through.
The twice-baking process is what makes rusks unique. The first bake cooks the dough. The second, long, low-temperature bake removes all the moisture and turns the slices into something that’s rock-hard when dry but softens beautifully when dunked into hot coffee, tea or even hot chocolate. The result is something between a biscotti and a cookie but uniquely its own thing.
Rusks keep for weeks (sometimes months) in an airtight container because of how dry they are. This is what originally made them so practical: they were the food that kept on long journeys, in hot climates and in homes without refrigeration.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Dry Ingredients
- All-purpose flour.
- Sugar. Most rusk recipes use significantly more sugar but I prefer rusks that aren’t too sweet so they work as a morning biscuit alongside coffee rather than tasting like a dessert.
- Bran flakes/All Bran cereal. Lightly crushed before adding. The All Bran adds a wonderful texture and a subtle nuttiness to the rusk. It also adds fiber which makes these feel a little more virtuous alongside your morning coffee. Crush it lightly with your hands or pulse briefly in a food processor. You want texture, not powder.
- Baking powder.
- Salt.
- Seeds. I used mixed breakfast seeds but feel free to use a combination of the following or just one: Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds or any combination you like.
- Chopped almonds.
- Pecans.
- Dried cranberries. The cranberries add pops of tartness and a subtle fruitiness that makes these rusks a little more special than a plain seed rusk. Raisins or sultanas can be used as substitute.
Wet Ingredients
- Butter.
- Buttermilk. The acidity of the buttermilk reacts with the baking powder for a better rise and adds a very subtle tanginess to the finished rusk. If you don’t have buttermilk, add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to 2 cups of regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Eggs. I tested this recipe with, and without eggs. Without the eggs the rusks were a little crumblier (due to the amount of mix-ins) and I found they helped with the structure. You can absolutely leave out the eggs if you prefer, just use 1 cup less flour and add more if the dough is too wet.
- Vanilla extract.
How to Make Seed and Nut Rusks
Step 1: Preheat and prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray two rectangular baking pans with nonstick spray. The pans I use are 9x13x2in / 24x33x5cm big.
Step 2: Make the wet mixture. Whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, egg and vanilla in a large measuring jug or bowl. Add the dried cranberries and let them soak in the mixture while you prepare the dry ingredients. The warm butter plumps the cranberries slightly.
Step 3: Make the dry mixture. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the bran flakes (lightly crushed), seeds, chopped almonds and pecans. Make sure everything is evenly distributed.
Step 4: Combine. Pour the wet ingredients (including the soaking cranberries) into the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. The dough will be thick and dense. Don’t overmix.
Step 5: Press into pans. Press the dough firmly and evenly into the prepared pans. The top should be flat and level. Press firmly so there are no air pockets. Using a sharp knife, slice the mixture into 36-40 even rectangles – this makes it easier to do the final cut once baked.
Step 6: First bake. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 45 to 60 minutes until golden brown on top and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. The baking time depends on the size and depth of your pans. Deeper pans take longer.
Step 7: Slice and cool. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Re-slice the rusks following the original cut lines then turn out onto a clean surface. Allow the slices to cool completely.
Step 8: Second bake (the drying). Reduce the oven to 120°F (50°C). Place the sliced rusks on wire racks set over baking trays (the wire racks allow air to circulate around all sides). Dry in the low oven for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. The rusks are done when they’re completely dry and hard all the way through with no soft center remaining. If they still feel slightly soft in the middle, give them more time.
Step 9: Store. Cool completely and store in an airtight container. They keep for 3 to 4 weeks at room temperature.
Tips for Perfect Rusks
- Press the dough firmly into the pan. Air pockets in the dough create weak points where the rusk crumbles when sliced or dunked. Press firmly and evenly for a dense, uniform texture.
- Don’t skip the pre-slice. Slicing through the baked dough with all of the mix-ins will result in pieces of the dough breaking off due to the chunks of nuts and cranberries. Slicing the dough while raw, in the baking pans, ensures a clean cut once baked.
- Use wire racks for the second bake. Wire racks allow air to circulate underneath and around the rusks during the drying phase. Without a rack, the bottom stays moist and the rusk dries unevenly. If you don’t have wire racks, flip the rusks halfway through the drying time.
- Low and slow for the drying. 120°F (50°C) for 6+ hours. This isn’t baking, it’s dehydrating. The goal is to remove every bit of moisture from the rusk so it’s bone-dry and crunchy all the way through. Patience is the only ingredient here.
- Overnight drying is the easiest method. Put the rusks in the oven at 50°C before bed, leave the oven on overnight (this is safe at such a low temperature) and wake up to perfectly dried rusks and a kitchen that smells incredible.
- The dunk test. A properly dried rusk should be hard enough that you can’t bite through it without dunking. It should soften perfectly after 3 to 5 seconds submerged in hot coffee. If it’s still slightly soft in the middle without dunking, it needs more drying time.
Storage Instructions
- Airtight container at room temperature. Rusks keep for 3 to 4 weeks in a sealed container. Their long shelf life is the whole point of the twice-baking process. The drier they are, the longer they last.
- Don’t refrigerate. The fridge adds moisture which is the enemy of rusks.
- Freezer. Rusks freeze well for up to 3 months. Freeze in a zip-lock bag with the air pressed out. Thaw at room temperature. If they’ve absorbed any moisture during freezing, refresh them in a 120°F (50°C) oven for an hour.
Video
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 8 cups (1160g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups (320g) sugar
- 3 cups (160g) Bran Flakes / All Bran cereal lightly crushed
- 3 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (160g) mixed seeds
- 1 cup (150g) almonds roughly chopped
- 1 cup (150g) pecans roughly chopped
Wet ingredients:
- 4 sticks (500g) butter melted
- 2 cups (500ml) buttermilk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup (200g) dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray baking pans with nonstick spray. (Baking pan size: 9x13in/24x33cm).
- Whisk together melted butter, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Add cranberries to the mixture and let them soak while you prepare the dry ingredients.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the lightly crushed bran flakes, seeds, chopped almonds and pecans.
- Pour the wet ingredients (including cranberries) into the dry. Mix until just combined.
- Press the dough firmly and evenly into the prepared pans.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into rectangular rusks (approximately 2cm x 6cm each).
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 45 to 60 minutes until golden brown.
- Cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes. Re-slice then turn out onto a clean surface.
- Reduce oven to 120°F (50°C). Place sliced rusks on wire racks set over baking trays. Dry in the oven for at least 6 hours or overnight until completely dry and hard all the way through.
- Cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 weeks.