Nigerian Puff Puff Recipe

Nigerian Puff Puff recipe is a famous street food and snack in Africa. It’s a deep-fried dish that comes in lots of flavors. This is made of seasoned yeast dough and fried until crispy on the outside and light on the inside. Did you know that it is also called “bofrot”?

Nigerian puff puff

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It is a healthy recipe that you can also have for breakfast, dessert, or appetizer. Nigerian Puff Puff certainly makes the best comfort food! 

How to Make Nigerian Puff Puff

The Nigerian Puff Puff recipe starts with a well-prepared batter. It is deep-fried in batches to achieve a perfect golden brown finish!

Ingredients

Make a top-quality homemade Nigerian Puff Puff recipe with these simple ingredients:

Self-rising flour

I suggest using self-rising flour because of the light and air texture it gives to the dish. This flour already has baking flour to help you achieve a cake-like snack. As a leavening agent, it expands the batter to truly give the Puff Puff an extra “puff”! 

If you didn’t include it in your grocery list, then you could make your own self-rising flour at home! I also use this for Nigerian Buns and Vanilla Cake

Active dry yeast

Active dry yeast is a powerful leavening agent used for deep-frying batters. According to The Kitchn, active dry yeast gives the dish a light and airy quality and a mildly nutty flavor. Moreover, this is dissolved in water to activate it. 

It can also be used for Donuts, Chicken Pizza, and Air Fryer Bread for fluffy and decadent food! 

Seasoning 

The best spices I can suggest are nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar, and salt. Nutmeg and cinnamon add unique flavor and fragrance to the dish. Meanwhile, the sugar and salt balance the taste of the Nigerian Puff Puff to make it flavorful inside out! 

Sunflower oil

Use oil with a high smoke point, like sunflower oil. It also helps preserve the nutrients and taste of the dish. Furthermore, the oil gives the dish an extra crunch to it! 

Water

Mix and activate the ingredients using water. Furthermore, it is mixed with the yeast to give it a leavening effect. In addition, the water helps distribute the seasoning properly for flavor! 

Once these are sorted out, the next step is learning to cook this Nigerian Puff Puff recipe like a pro! 

Directions

Remember these steps when making this dish:

Make the batter

  1. Pour the self-rising flour into a bowl.
  2. In a small glass bowl, mix the dried active yeast with water. 
  3. Season the flour with salt, cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg. 
  4. Then, add water to the dry ingredients. 
  5. Mix the contents with your hands or a hand mixer
  6. Add in the yeast mixture.
  7. Mix the batter until thick.
  8. Cover it with cling film and a kitchen towel for 45 minutes to 2 hours. 

Deep fry the puff puff

  1. Add oil into a pot and heat over medium fire.
  2. Dip a spoon or ice cream scooper into the oil. 
  3. Then, scoop out the batter and deep fry.
  4. Remove the puff puff from the oil with a skimmer spoon.
  5. Place it on a fine mesh sieve above a glass bowl
  6. Finally, top it with your favorite garnish and serve! 

Is it as light, airy, and crispy as you expected? You get to enjoy the best Nigerian Puff Puff with this easy recipe! Don’t forget to share it with your family and friends! 

Tips

Nigerian Puff Puff Batter

Perfectly cooked Nigerian Puff Puff is nothing without the right flavors. 

  • It is certainly important to ensure that you have properly stored ingredients. 
  • If they are stored correctly, then they will produce the appropriate effects.
  • Dissolve the active dry yeast in water before adding it to the batter. 
  • Season the flour with spices to make the Nigerian Puff Puff flavorful. 
  • Mix plain flour and baking powder to make self-rising flour. 
  • Let the batter rise for 45 minutes to two hours. 

Storing Nigerian Puff Puff Batter

Keep leftover puff puff batter in an airtight container or resealable bag to use within two days. Then, refrigerate it to give it more time to rise. 

Nigerian Puff Puff Recipe Variations

The best thing about this Nigerian Puff Puff recipe is that you can make it in different flavors. For instance, my family loves Coconut Puff Puff – fruity and nutty in one dish! 

Moreover, you can pipe condiments like Cashew Butter, Peanut Butter, and Strawberry Jam into the puff puff. For seasoning, I suggest using other spices, such as vanilla extract, cayenne pepper, and even maple syrup. 

Additionally, use substitutes if there are ingredients that do not suit your diet. Buy plant-based vegan and gluten-free alternatives if needed.

  • Pot: Deep fry the puff puff in a pot.
  • Bowl: Prepare the batter in a bowl.
  • Measuring cups and spoons: Use the proper amount of ingredients with these cups and spoons.
  • Spoon: Mix the yeast and water with a spoon.
  • Cling film: Cover the batter using cling film.
  • Kitchen towel: Place the kitchen towel on top of the cling film.
  • Ice cream scooper: Scoop out the batter to deep fry it in the same sizes.
  • Skimmer spoon: Remove the Nigerian Puff Puff from the heat with a skimmer spoon.
  • Sieve: Put the cooked puff puff on a sieve to filter the oil. 

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How to Serve Nigerian Puff Puff

If you love Nigerian Puff Puff, then you will love it more when paired with dishes and drinks. You can serve them for breakfast, snacks, desserts, or appetizers to give everyone a good time! 

Additionally, you can garnish the dish with your favorite toppings like powdered sugar, cinnamon powder, grated chocolate, desiccated coconut, or cream-based condiments. 

Remember to enjoy the puff puff with drinks or ice cream:

Meanwhile, here are some of the best drinks to go with this dish:

Storage Tips

  • At room temperature: Put the Nigerian Puff Puff in an airtight container. It can also last up to two days at room temperature. 

make ahead

In the fridge: Refrigerate the dish for up to five days. 

To freeze: Put the puff puff in freezer bags for a month.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Nigerian puff puff made of?

Nigerian puff puff is made of self-rising flour, seasoning, active dry yeast, water, oil, and water. These are thoroughly mixed into a thick batter to help retain shape as they deep fry. 

Where is puff puff from?

Puff Puff is a traditional street food in Africa, specifically Nigeria. In fact, there are plenty of other variations in different countries for this recipe.

How long is puff puff good for?

It can last up to two days at room temperature and up to five days in the fridge. If you want to keep it for several months, then I suggest freezing it instead.

Nigerian puff puff recipe

Nigerian Puff Puff

5 from 1 vote
Enjoy the light, airy, fluffy, and flavorful quality of authentic, homemade Nigerian Puff Puff!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 30 puff puff
Course Snack
Cuisine African, Nigerian
Calories 39kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Instructions
 

Make the batter

  • Pour the self-rising flour into a bowl. In a small glass bowl, mix the dried active yeast with water.
  • Season the flour with salt, cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg.
  • Add water to the dry ingredients.
  • Mix the contents with your hands or a hand mixer.
  • Pour in the yeast mixture. Mix the batter until thick.
  • Cover it with cling film and a kitchen towel for 45 minutes to 2 hours.

Deep fry the puff puff

  • Add oil into a pot and heat over medium fire.
  • Dip a spoon or ice cream scooper into the oil.
  • Scoop out the batter and deep fry.
  • Remove the puff puff from the oil with a skimmer spoon.
  • Place it on a fine mesh sieve above a glass bowl.
  • Finally, top it with your favorite garnish and serve!

Video

Notes

  • Prepare the batter properly for the right flavor and texture. 
  • Ensure that the oil is hot enough before deep frying. 
  • Filter excess oil to prevent sogginess.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 (of 30)Calories: 39kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 1gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.03gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.02gSodium: 0.3mgPotassium: 10mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 0.2IUVitamin C: 0.002mgCalcium: 1mgIron: 0.1mg
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