20 of your favourite TASTE recipes of all time

1. Banana loaf

Banana loaf (or bread if you prefer) was always popular, and then the great banana bread craze of 2020 hit. You'd think we'd be over it, but that's not the case. We totally get it. It's a great way to use up bananas (the most perishable of fruit), is super-easy to make and is great for lunchboxes, picnics, tea time or just as a treat. This recipe by Clement Pedro is the ultimate easy recipe. It needs just seven ingredients, but you can customise it by adding chopped pecans, walnuts or chocolate chips.

Find the recipe for banana loaf here.

2. Creamy leftover gammon Alfredo

One thing we know for sure is that many of you love a gammon for Christmas. And Hannah Lewry's leftover gammon Alfredo is the gift that keeps on giving! Transform those leftovers into this delicious pasta while you're still in the mood for something rich and delicious, or freeze the gammon and save this recipe for when the craving hits.

Find the recipe for creamy leftover gammon Alfredo here.

3. Easter-egg studded cake

While we're on the subject of special occasions, this epic Easter-egg studded cake by Hannah Lewry got a shoutout! We think this might be because it's startlingly easy – it's made using Woolworths Easy to Bake vanilla cake mix, and Nutella for icing, so you can spend time and energy decorating it with candy-coated milk chocolate eggs. You can also make this using your favourite cake/icing combo, or (if you're feeling extra lazy) decorate a store-bought cake with the Easter eggs.

Find the recipe for Easter egg studded cake here. 

4. One-pot chicken, mushroom and samp

A one-pot dinner that's ready in just 40 minutes? We totally get why you love Keletso Motau's one-pot chicken, mushroom and samp! The secret to this recipe is Woolworths' canned samp and beans. It may taste like this dish took hours to make, but you can get it on the dinner table during the week with minimal effort.

Find the recipe for one-pot chicken, mushroom and samp here.

5. Custard slice

It may take some effort to make this custard slice by Abigail Donnelly, but it's 100% worth it. It's filled with nostalgia and is the stuff of sweet treat dreams. Abi shows you how to make the rough-puff pastry from scratch, but you can also use store-bought puff pastry and focus your efforts on making the perfect filling.

Find the recipe for custard slice here. 

6. Rough-puff pastry 

If you're interested in trying your hand at making rough-puff pastry, you can feel assured that TASTE readers have tried this recipe and loved it. Hannah breaks down the steps in detail to make it easier for you. Plus, this way, you can freeze the portions to your liking instead of thawing a whole roll of store-bought pastry that you may not finish in one go.

Find the recipe for rough-puff pastry here.

7. Easy butter-roasted tomato-and-sausage spaghetti

This recipe by Jacqueline Burgess completely elevates spag bol, plus it's really easy to make! The recipe is like a mash-up of roast tomato soup and pasta sauce. You make the sauce in the oven, and while it's roasting you cook up some pork bangers that have been removed from their casings. Combine with cooked pasta and enjoy!

Find the recipe for Easy, butter-roasted tomato-and-sausage spaghetti here.

8. The fluffiest flapjacks

Why settle for flapjacks when you can have the fluffiest flapjacks? Whenever we post this recipe for Hannah's fluffiest flapjacks on social media, the likes flow in. There are a million flapjack recipes out there, but this one really delivers on fluffiness! No wonder this is one of your favourite TASTE recipes of all time!

Find the recipe for the fluffiest flapjacks here.

9. Snoek with sticky apricot glaze 

Braaied snoek is one of those distinctively South African dishes many of you love, and Siba Mtongana's version, with a spicy apricot glaze, has to be the gold standard. This recipe works for a special occasion or a weekend braai and often appears in our top recipes, so it's no surprise to see it's one of your favourites.

Find the recipe for snoek with sticky apricot glaze here.

10. Peppermint Crisp tart

Another proudly South African recipe that's a social media sweetheart is Sam Woulidge's Peppermint Crisp tart. The TASTE reader who chose this recipe said that this recipe is "ALWAYS a go-to". This is a classic that will always be a favourite for everyone.

Find the recipe for Peppermint Crisp tart here.

11. Puttanesca baked fish

This is not only one of your favourite recipes, but it's an insider fave, too. Many TASTE team members make this recipe on repeat for dinner. Hannah popped off with this puttanesca baked fish. It comes together in just 25 minutes.

Find the recipe for puttanesca baked fish here. 

12. Individual malva puddings

To be transparent, the person who shared this suggestion just said "malva pudding", but we have several recipes for this. So we went with the most popular one on our site (Hannah wasn't joking when she said that this is the ultimate malva recipe). While the title does say "individual", you can make one big malva pudding.

Find the recipe for individual malva puddings here.

13. Lamb curry pie 

Inspired by a great Durban lamb-and-bean curry, Abigail created this lamb curry pie and it's become one of your favourites. The lamb curry is tweaked to make it the ideal pie filling and it's made extra delicious with a side serving of yoghurt and Woolworths' jalapeño atchar.

Find the recipe for lamb curry pie here.

14. Cherry tart

Another Christmas recipe makes the list. This tart definitely brings the festive vibe and it has the flavour to back it up. If you're not a fan of cherries, or you just want to mix things up, you can use any berry to make this treat.

Find the recipe for cherry tart here.

15. Peppermint Crisp tsunami cake

This recipe was created when the tsunami cake technique went viral on social media. Abi made a version of this using Peppermint Crisp tart flavours (which already made an appearance on this list). We have to admit that the lekker flavour combined with the novelty of seeing the tsunami effect of the icing running down over the cake is a fire combo.

Find the recipe for Peppermint Crisp tsunami cake here. 

16.  Traditional home-made hot cross buns

There are a few buzzwords that we know get you excited to try a recipe. "Traditional" and "home-made" are two super ones. So we totally get why this recipe for traditional home-made hot cross buns is one of your faves. Plus, everyone who loves baking should make these at least once in their lives!

Find the recipe for  hot cross buns here.

17. Carrot cake

Carrot cake needs cream cheese icing. At least that's our humble opinion. You may agree as you selected carrot cake with cream cheese-and-lemon icing as one of your favourites.

Find the recipe for -carrot cake here. 

18. 4-ingredient chocolate mousse

As the name indicates, you need just 4 ingredients and 5 minutes to make Abi's chocolate mousse – though it'll take a little longer to set. Yet, it's still one of those desserts that will definitely impress!

Find the recipe for 4-ingredient chocolate mousse here. 

19. Lamb ragù pasta

This recipe was on our August 2020 cover, plus Abi made it on Expresso. With its immaculate styling and live TV demo, it's no wonder this recipe stuck in your mind and became one of your favourites. It's rich, it's unctuous – a real spoil of a meal.

Find the recipe for lamb ragù pasta here. 

20. Home-made Cape Malay-style pickled fish

Every year during Easter this recipe shoots to the top of our most searched list. It's derived from an old Cape recipe, with a few additions and subtractions and has earned its spot in the TASTE recipe hall of fame. If it's your first time making pickled fish, this is the one to try.

Find the recipe for pickled fish here.