African Puff Puff Recipe (No Yeast)

Find comfort and satisfaction in fluffy, soft, and light yet no-yeast African Puff Puff!

The African Puff Puff is a popular snack that you can make with a batter and oil to deep fry. It’s crunchy and crispy on the outside yet light, puffy, and tender on the inside for the best experience.

While it is usually made with yeast, you can still make the batter even without the yeast. You will still get the perfect flavor and texture that you should be looking for in African Puff Puff.

Snack time is now made more fun with a dish that kids and even adults can savor. When you taste it, you may feel like you’re on a culinary trip to Africa. Come and make no-yeast African Puff Puff with me!

How to Make African Puff Puff

Indeed, good-quality African Puff Puff starts with a well-made batter. You need to add the right ingredients to get the best flavor and texture from the inside out. In this recipe, let me show you how to make Puff Puff even without the yeast!

Ingredients

These are the ingredients you need to make no-yeast African Puff Puff:

Self-rising flour

What makes self-rising flour perfect for making dough? It is already a mix of plain flour and baking powder. The flour forms the foundation of the batter while the baking powder is the leavening agent that will double the volume of the batter.

It’s a good alternative to yeast because it already has baking powder that will allow it to rise for the “puff” effect. With self-rising flour, you can get soft African Puff Puff with the perfect texture.

You can use self-rising flour for Pancakes, Vanilla Cake, and Nigerian Buns. Have you tried using self-rising before?

Sweetened yogurt 

Since the self-rising flour already has baking soda, you won’t need yeast. Instead, you can use sweetened yogurt to make the snack tastier. I like using vanilla yogurt because of its mild flavor! 

Sweetened yogurt is a good substitute because it makes the batter tender and expands the gluten network. The puff puff will have a better texture from the inside out. 

Sugar

Don’t skip the sugar because it helps make the batter looser for airy and light crumbs. The sugar also gives the batter a thick consistency, making it easier to shape before cooking. 

Additionally, the sugar gives the puff puff a sweet and caramel-like taste as it melts into the batter. Because of the sugar, you can ensure the puff puff is moist and heavenly.

Seasoning

In the African Puff Puff recipe, the seasoning can be as simple as nutmeg and salt.

Feel calm and relaxed with every bite of the African Puff Puff by adding nutmeg. With this seasoning, a little goes a long way. It also has a warm, nutty, earthy, and sweet flavor that instantly improves the dish. 

Remember to add sea salt, although it is entirely optional. This seasoning enriches the all-around quality of the snack. It also adds a unique flavor to the puff puff. 

Water

Remember to add water because it will be a dispersing agent to distribute the yogurt, sugar, and nutmeg. However, note that you need to use water at the right temperature to make it effective. 

Sunflower oil

For deep-frying, use oil with a high smoke point, like sunflower oil. It allows you to fry the dish until done without making the puff puff soggy or burnt. 

With these ingredients, you can easily make African Puff Puff at home! There’s no need to buy yeast at all. Are you ready to cook and enjoy it? Let’s go! 

Directions

Here’s how you can cook the best African Puff Puff:

1. Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium fire.
2. Sieve self-rising flour, sugar, sea salt, and nutmeg into a glass bowl. 
3. Then, add the yogurt.
4. Rinse out the yogurt can with water and pour it into the batter.
5. Mix the batter with a spatula until thick.
6. Deep fry small portions of the batter.
7. Then, toss the puff puff in the oil with a skewer. 
8. Cook them until golden brown. 
9. Transfer them to a lined plate with a skimmer spoon.
10. Once cool, serve the puff puff with sauces, dips, and drinks!

Take a bite, and let me know how much you love it! Is it as light, airy, and fluffy as you expected? Enjoy it until the last African Puff Puff!

Tips

Self-rising flour

If you couldn’t buy self-rising flour in the grocery, then you could easily make it at home. You will need a cup of all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder, and half a teaspoon of salt. 

Mix them together in a jar and store them for several months or a few years. Use it to make dough, batter, cakes, biscuits, pancakes, and other food that need a high-rise and fluffy texture. 

African Puff Puff Variations

While this recipe uses sweetened yogurt instead of yeast, you can still cook the Puff Puff recipe with yeast. Add more flavor using bananas or coconuts for a surprise every time you bite them!

Aside from the classic flavor, you can pipe in delicious filling or jam to make the African Puff Puff exciting and fun to eat. You can also coat them with powdered sugar to make them more appetizing. 

If you love African snacks, then why don’t try these African snack recipes:

• Ghana Dry Bofrot
• Meat Pie
• Plantain Chips
• Sausage Rolls
• Fish Rolls
• Egg Rolls
• Coconut Puff Puff
• Flat Chin Chin
• Coconut Chin Chin
• Beetroot Chin Chin
• Ojojo (Yam Fritters)
• Fried Yam
• Dodo Gizzard Stick Meat
• Nigerian Coconut Buns
• Nigerian Buns
• Roasted Plantains

Recommended Tools

• Deep frying pan: Cook the African Puff Puff in a deep frying pan.
• Sieve: Filter the dry ingredients for a fluffy texture.
• Bowl: Prepare the batter in a bowl.
• Whisk: Sieve and mix the contents with a whisk.
• Spatula: Stir the batter until it is thick.
• Skimmer spoon: Remove the Puff Puff from the oil using a skimmer spoon.
• Skewer: Roll the Puff Puff in the oil with a skewer.

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How to Serve African Puff Puff

There are plenty of ways to serve African Puff Puff! 

You can try it the classic way, just crispy and light Puff Puff on a plate. Serve it with smoothies, juices, and drinks for a filling meal. 

Moreover, you can put dips and sauces on the side. I also suggest using melted chocolate, strawberry jam, peanut butter, cashew butter, almond butter, and more! 

These can make great meals for breakfast, snacks, or even desserts. African Puff Puff can also make an excellent side dish for savory dishes to balance the flavors. 

Need help to serve this snack? Here are some of the best drinks to make with the Puff Puff: 

• Vanilla Ice Cream
• Frozen Yogurt
• Berries Smoothie
• Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake
• Chocolate Almond Milk
• Iced Coffee
• Hibiscus Lemon Tea
• Fruit Smoothie

Storage Tips

• At room temperature: Keep the African Puff Puff in a container and store it at room temperature for several hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Nigerian puff puff made of?

There are different varieties of the Nigerian Puff Puff. You can make the classic version with flour, yeast, milk, spices, sugar, water, and oil. Once you know how to make the dough, just deep fry it until crispy and golden brown.

What do South Africans call puff puff?

The Puff Puff is a popular snack in Africa, but it is called by a different name in other countries. For instance, South African countries call it “amagwinya” or “vetkoets”.

What is another name for puff puff?

Another name for puff puff is “bofrot.” Although the original Ghanaian Dry Bofrot is made in Ghana, it is also used in other African countries like Nigeria. Some may also call it “togbei” or “boflot.”

What is puff puff in English?

Puff Puff is still called Puff Puff in English. It gets its name from its fluffy, round, and light texture. The airy quality of this dish will remind you of “puffiness”!