Top 10 recipes you loved the most in April 2026

By TASTE, 5 May 2026

Easter and long weekends and school holidays – oh my! Last month gave us plenty of reasons to gather and enjoy some really good food. Which recipes were you making? According to our stats, you made slow-cooked lamb, sensational sides and plenty of sweet treats.

10. Banana loaf

There's a reason this is a classic. It's easy, it's delicious, and it's the best way to use up the bananas left behind in the fruit bowl. And Clem's Pedro's recipe is foolproof. Don't believe us? Here's what the comments say:

"I’ve made this loaf more times than I care to admit, and it has never flopped." – Carina Havenga

"This is the easiest and best banana loaf recipe I have tried! I am making this our go-to recipe." – Refilwe Galant

"Easy to make and the kids gobbled it up in no time. Very happy!" – Gail Head

banana loaf

Banana loaf recipe 

9. Coffee chocolate crumble cake

From one cake to another.  Mpho Phalane's recipe is so easy, you don't need a stand-mixer for it to come out perfectly. The almond crumble gives it an extra-special crunchy, biscuity finish. Mpho recommends serving it with ice cream.

 

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Coffee chocolate crumble cake recipe 

ALSO READ: The 10 most popular recipes in March 2026

8. Coffee pecan nut pie

A traditional pecan pie is good, but why settle for good when you can have great? Abigail Donnelly takes things up a notch by adding dark chocolate drops and coffee to give this pie a whole new flavour profile.

Coffee pecan nut pie

Coffee pecan nut pie recipe

7. Easy Peppermint Crisp tart

Hands up if Peppermint Crisp tart always makes an appearance at your special occasions! 🙌 . There's a reason this is a beloved pudding in SA, and we're sure plenty of you made it for Easter or over one of the long weekends. Clem's recipe uses just 5 ingredients and is served in a trifle bowl to make it feel like a showstopper.

Peppermint Crisp tart

Easy Peppermint Crisp tart recipe

6. Oven-fried smoked salmon fish cakes

In one of our newsletters, we asked: "Have you tried oven-fried fish cakes?" Clearly many of you hadn't yet, because you flocked to this recipe by Tracy Klass. The technique is simple: a generous amount of oil is heated in a baking tray in the oven until sizzling, then you add the fish cakes and bake until crispy and golden.

 

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Oven-fried smoked salmon fish cakes recipe

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5. The fluffiest flapjacks

Making flapjacks is probably not a viable choice on a normal morning, but when you're on holiday, you have time. And many of you used that time to whip a batch of Hannah Lewry's fluffiest flapjacks. We're sure they made the mornings sweeter!

flapjacks

The fluffiest flapjacks recipe 

4. Three-cheese cabbage bake

We're sure you've seen all it over social media, but cabbage is having a moment. We had to jump in and share one of our favourite cabbage recipes by Jacqueline Burgess. Caramelised cabbage is topped with a decadent cheese sauce and baked until bubbling. It's an easy way to make this humble ingredient feel fancier.

Three-cheese cabbage bake recipe 

ALSO READ: 8 innovative cabbage recipes

3. Easy beef stew

April may have been a chilled month, but it was also a chilly one. Autumn started creeping in, and with it came some colder days and rain in some parts of the country. We shared one of the most comforting dishes to combat the weather: Khanya Mzongwana's beef stew. You clearly needed it because it's the third most popular recipe in this top 10 list!

Beef stew
Easy beef stew recipe

2. 5-ingredient microwave fudge

How do you add some pizzazz to an old-school fudge recipe? You add Chuckles! Whether you're craving a sweet treat or want something simple for the little ones to make, this recipe by Keletso Motau is a winner.

5-ingredient microwave fudge recipe 

ALSO READ: 10 most-viewed recipes in January 2026

1. Herby slow-cooked lamb shoulder with preserved lemon

It may have been early in the month, but Easter was a big part of April. And at Easter, we eat lamb. Mpho's herby slow-cooked lamb shoulder with preserved lemon, to be exact. She shared her fall-of-the-bone, deeply aromatic recipe. No wonder so many of you tried it!

Herby slow-cooked lamb shoulder with preserved lemon recipe

 

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Article by TASTE

The TASTE team is a happy bunch of keen cooks and writers, always on the look out for the next food trend or the next piece of cake.
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