Puff puff are delightful balls of leavened dough with an irresistibly crispy, golden-brown exterior that gives way to a soft, airy interior. If you haven't experienced the sheer joy of biting into a piping hot puff puff, you're missing out on one of West Africa's most addictive and delightful street food snacks.
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These little flavor bombs have been drawing crowds to roadside vendors across the region for generations. Just one bite of the warm, pillowy dough encased in a delicately crisp fried shell is enough to get you hooked on puff puff's simple yet utterly satisfying magic.
With just a few simple ingredients, you can whip up a batch of these addictive little doughnut-like balls right in your own kitchen. Warm from the fryer and coated in a dusting of powdered or cinnamon sugar (if you want), puff puff makes for an irresistible tea-time treat or anytime snack.
Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
💚Puff Puff is a delicious snack that's made with basic ingredients. You probably have everything you need to make this recipe in your pantry already.
💚You can use this recipe as a template and customize it to your heart's content! You can make the classic sweet puff puff or explore making your puff puff savory or spicy. I've given you some ideas below.
💚The irresistible texture, reminiscent of doughnuts, is what keeps people coming back for more.
🛒Ingredients
- Flour: You'll need all purpose flour for this recipe. If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, substitute your favorite gluten-free baking flour for the wheat flour.
- Yeast: It's important that you use active dried yeast. Yeast can easily expire, which means your puff puff won't rise. To test the freshness of yeast, dissolve a small amount of it in warm water (around 110°F or 45°C) along with a pinch of sugar. If the mixture becomes frothy and starts to bubble within 5-10 minutes, the yeast is active and fresh. If there's no reaction, the yeast may be expired or inactive, and it's best to replace it with a fresh batch for optimal results.
- Sugar: Yeast feeds on sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which helps the dough rise and gives puff puff its characteristic airy texture. Without sugar, the yeast won't activate properly, resulting in dense or flat puff puff.
- Salt: We'll be using salt to enhance the flavor, and it also helps strengthen the gluten in the dough which results in a lighter texture.
- Oil: The best oil to use is one with a high smoke point and neutral flavor to prevent the puff puff from taking on unwanted tastes. You can use vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil, or sunflower oil.
👨🍳How To Make Puff Puff
- Step 1 - Activate The Yeast: In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water along with 1 teaspoon of sugar. The water should be warm, approximately between 110°F to 115°F (43°C to 46°C), which is comfortably warm to the touch but not hot. This temperature range is optimal for activating yeast without killing it. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until it becomes frothy.
- Step 2 - Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and any optional flavorings like nutmeg or cinnamon.
- Step 3 - Make The Batter: Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the yeast mixture. Stir everything together until you get a thick, smooth batter. The batter should be thick enough to hold its shape but still soft and pliable.
- Step 4 - Let The Dough Rise: Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the batter rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
- Step 5 - Heat The Oil: Once the batter has risen, heat the vegetable oil in a deep frying pan or pot over medium heat. You want enough oil to submerge the dough completely while frying without overcrowding the pot. A depth of about 2-3 inches (5-8 cm) of oil in the pot should be sufficient. The oil should be hot enough to fry the dough but not so hot that it burns them quickly.
- Step 6 - Fry The Dough: Using a spoon or your hands, scoop up small portions of the batter and carefully drop them into the hot oil. See my tips below for making perfectly round puff puff. However, you can make them any shape; they don't have to be round. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan, as the will expand as they fry.
Getting Round Puff Puff Balls
There are two ways to do this. The first way is to use your hands. Firstly, wet your hands to prevent the batter sticking. Scoop up some batter, make a fist and allow the batter to drop into the hot oil out of the bottom of your fist. It should hit the bottom of the pot and bob back up to the surface. I've found this is the easiest way to make round puff puffs.
The second way is to use a spoon. Dip the spoon in a bit of oil. Scoop up some batter and let it slide off the spoon into the hot oil.
- Step 7 - Fry The Dough In Batches: Fry the dough balls in batches, turning them occasionally with a slotted spoon to ensure even cooking. They should puff up and turn golden brown in about 3-5 minutes.
- Step 8 - Drain The Oil: Once cooked, remove the puff puff from the oil and drain them on paper towels to remove any excess oil.
Top Tip
Make sure the oil is at the right temperature before frying. The oil should be hot enough to quickly cook the puff puff and create that characteristic puffiness, but not too hot that it burns the outside before the inside is fully cooked.
To test if the oil is ready, you can drop a small bit of the dough into the oil. If it sizzles and rises to the surface fairly quickly (within 1-2 seconds), then the oil is ready. If it sinks and doesn't rise, the oil is too cold. If it browns too quickly, the oil is too hot.
💡Puff Puff Variations
- Chocolate:
- Add cocoa powder to the dough mixture to infuse it with chocolate flavor.
- Optionally, you can also add chocolate chips or chunks for extra richness.
- Spicy Pepper:
- Mix finely chopped hot peppers (like Scotch bonnet or jalapeño) into the dough for a spicy kick.
- You can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili flakes for extra heat.
- Coconut :
- Replace some of the water in the dough with coconut milk to infuse the dough with coconut flavor.
- Optionally, you can also add shredded coconut flakes to the dough for texture.
- Banana Puff Puff:
- Mash ripe bananas and incorporate them into your dough for natural sweetness and moisture.
- Add a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg for additional flavor that complements the banana.
❄️Storage Instructions
Refrigerator
Once your puff puff has cooled to room temperature, you can store any leftovers in the fridge. Put them in an airtight container or zip-lock bag, being careful not to stack them to avoid sticking. Store the container in the refrigerator, where they'll stay fresh for up to 2-3 days.
Freezer
Arrange the cooled puff puff in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure they're not touching each other. Freeze them until they're firm, typically for about 1-2 hours.
Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag, removing as much air as possible before sealing. They should stay fresh in the freezer for 2-3 months.
🙋Frequently Asked Questions
Puff puff is from West African countries, where it's a popular street food and snack. It's commonly eaten in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, and other neighboring countries in the region.
Puff puff is known by various names depending on the region. In Nigeria, it is also called "bofrot" or "boflot." In Ghana, it is sometimes referred to as "togbei" or "toogb33." In Cameroon, it may be called "beignet" or "Mboh." These names might vary even within regions and communities.
Nigerian puff puff and buns are both popular snacks, but they differ in ingredients and texture. Puff puff is made from a batter of flour, sugar, yeast, and water, resulting in a light and airy texture with a slightly crispy exterior when deep-fried. Buns, however, have a denser, bread-like texture, made from a dough that includes flour, sugar, baking powder or soda, and sometimes eggs, giving them a softer and chewier consistency. Overall, while puff puff is light and airy, buns are denser and more bread-like in texture.
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📖 Recipe
Puff Puff
Ingredients
- 1 packet 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup Vegetable oil for frying
Optional additions:
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg or cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of warm water along with 1 teaspoon of sugar. The water should be warm, approximately between 110°F to 115°F (43°C to 46°C), which is comfortably warm to the touch but not hot. This temperature range is optimal for activating yeast without killing it. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until it becomes frothy.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and any optional flavorings like nutmeg or cinnamon.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the yeast mixture. Stir everything together until you get a thick, smooth batter. The batter should be thick enough to hold its shape but still soft and pliable.
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the batter rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours, or until it doubles in size. This step allows the yeast to ferment and create air bubbles, giving the puff puff its characteristic fluffy texture.
- Once the batter has risen, heat the vegetable oil in a deep frying pan or pot over medium heat. You want enough oil to submerge the puff puff completely while frying but without overcrowding the pot. A depth of about 2-3 inches (5-8 cm) of oil in the pot should be sufficient. The oil should be hot enough to fry the puff puff but not too hot that it burns them quickly.
- Using a spoon or your hands, scoop up small portions of the batter and carefully drop them into the hot oil. For beginners, I recommend using a spoon that you've greased with oil. This prevents the dough from sticking to the spoon, and allows you to get that round shape. You can shape them into balls or any desired shape. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan, as the puff puff will expand as they fry.
- Fry the puff puff in batches, turning them occasionally with a slotted spoon to ensure even cooking. They should puff up and turn golden brown in about 3-5 minutes.
- Once cooked, remove the puff puff from the oil and drain them on paper towels to remove any excess oil.
- Serve the puff puff warm as a snack or dessert. They can be enjoyed plain or dusted with powdered sugar for added sweetness.
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