African Doughnut (Drop Doughnut)
Enjoy a comfort food snack in 15 minutes with these African doughnuts (drop doughnuts). Crispy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside, these delicious balls of dough are packed with flavor for bite-sized treats! No rolling, no waiting, and no sweat orbs of happiness.
A doughnut craving hit me when I had the least time to mix, let it rise, roll it out, and fry. I immediately thought of a traditional street food in Africa. So, of course, I threw them together in what seemed like less than no time, and started satisfying my sweet tooth.
Assuming you’re like me and can’t wait, you can eat the ones from the first batch while cooking the second one. Get ready to do the happy dance with these crunchy, pillowy treats.
What Makes Drop Doughnuts Great
In America, these doughnuts are called drop doughnuts and are classified as a breakfast food. In some parts of Africa, we just call them doughnuts (or donuts if you’re in the States). However, when in the U.S., you have to be specific about the name, African doughnuts.
That aside, they taste incredible, are crispy, crunchy on the outside, and pillowy soft on the inside with a hint of nutmeg and orange. In Cameroon, we enjoy them as party food, although you can find them on almost every street corner. They come in various forms, making them a versatile snack or dessert. Need to use up overripe bananas, crave coconut or chocolate, or want plain ol’ sweet fried bread? This drop doughnut recipe has you covered.
How to Make African Drop Doughnuts
- Mix all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl: flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, grated orange, and nutmeg. (Photo 1)
- Stir in the milk, eggs, vanilla, and oil, and mix well. The batter should be smooth, thick, and spoonable. (Photos 2-3)
- Heat vegetable oil at least 3 inches deep (about 5 centimeters) in a large saucepan over medium heat until it reaches 375℉ (190 ℃).
- Scoop up the batter with your fingers or two spoons, one to scoop the dough in the shape of a ball and the other to gently push it into the hot oil. Fry them in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. (Photo 4)
- Fry for a few minutes until the bottom side is golden brown. Turn the ball over and fry for a few more minutes until the other side is golden brown. (Photo 5)
- Remove the doughnuts from the oil with a large slotted spoon or something similar. Place them immediately on paper towels to soak up excess oil. Roll them in table sugar or powdered sugar to make them sweeter if desired. (Photo 6)
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Make sure the oil is hot enough, or the doughnuts will soak up too much and become soggy.
- If you live somewhere it’s easier to find baking soda than baking powder, feel free to substitute it with half the amount of baking soda.
- Adjust consistency with more flour or more milk to get a spoonable batter.
- After frying the doughnuts, you can toss them in cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar for an extra touch.
More Delectable Doughnut Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”R7hXlaph” upload-date=”2019-09-07T22:06:36.000Z” name=”African Drop Doughnut” description=”African Doughnut (Drop Doughnut) – a 15-minute African Doughnut recipe that is crunchy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside. Packed with flavor bite-sized treats! “]
This blog post was originally published in August 2013 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
African Doughnut (Drop Doughnut)
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups (270g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (4g) baking powder
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- 1 teaspoon (2g) grated orange zest
- 1 teaspoon (2-3g) grated nutmeg
- ½ cup (118ml) whole milk (or 2% milk)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla
- ¼ cup (60g) melted butter or vegetable oil
- oil for deep frying
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, grated orange, and nutmeg.
- Stir in the milk, eggs, vanilla, and oil, and mix well. The batter should be smooth, thick, and spoonable.
- Pour vegetable oil into a large saucepan at least 3 inches deep (about 5 centimeters), and place on medium heat until the oil is 375℉ (190 ℃).
- Scoop up the batter with your fingers or two spoons, one to scoop the dough in the shape of a ball and the other to gently push it into the hot oil. Fry them in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan.
- Fry for a few minutes until the bottom side is golden brown. Turn the ball over and fry for a few more minutes until the other side is golden brown.
- Remove the doughnuts from the oil with a large slotted spoon or something similar. Place them immediately on paper towels to soak up excess oil. Roll them in table sugar or powdered sugar to make them sweeter if desired.
Tips & Notes:
- If the mixture is too thick, add a tablespoon of milk at a time until you reach the right consistency.
- How much oil it takes will depend on the size of your pan. You’ll want at least 3 inches unless you don’t mind flattened doughnuts.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Thanks for the recipe Imma,mine was close to perfect .Am just wondering why few that I made had fresh batter inside (not done),did I miss something?
Yes, the heat was too high and it cooked quickly.Next time reduce the heat and cook a little longer.
Happy new yr in advance Immaculate. I am here again because i scored 10/10 on how to make Cameroon doughnuts. Thank you for a free cook book especially from Cameroon. Today, i am a better cook thanks to your guidelines. God bless you 100000000000times sweety.
Happy new yr in advance Immaculate. I want to thank you so much for making me a better cook. Your blog has become my daily cook book lol. From roasting tilapia, chicken and Cameroon doughnuts. Thank you and thank you again. May God bless everything you lay your hands on. May everything you wish for come through in 2018, Amen.
I love you Imma.
Vera you are TOO sweet girl! Am so glad to hear the recipes are working out for you. Wishing to all the best of 2018.
Made these for breakfast,YUMMY!!! Some were stubborn during the frying, other than that,easy recipe. Thanks!
So pleased to hear ! Thanks for the feedback!
Love the recipe! I was craving a dessert and these were quick to whip up.
I did, however, add 1/4 cup more milk and put the batter into my pancake batter dispenser. I have one that will give you the hole in the middle if the batter is thin enough to go through but thick enough to hold its form. Thanks again. I now have a new favorite here in Canada.
Awesome Tip! Am definitely going to test this out next time I make them . Thank you so much!!!
Hi. This was a lifesaver. Had to make doughnuts for a party. Made 10X the basic quantity and it turned out perfect, no cha.nges made. Thanks a mil
My pleasure! Thanks for the feedback!!!
Hi Imma thanks for the recipe. Pls how can u make the doughnuts to remain moist and soft in the inside after a day or two? Help!
You would have to probably play with the recipe by adding one more egg.
Hi imma, thanks for this wonderful recipe. I have tried a couple but didn’t succeed. I just tried yours now it tastes good but gets wrinkles as it gets colder.
Don’t know what is happening or where I went wrong.
When I first mixed it, I realized it was a bit strong so i added some milk.
Thanks Bebs! This is what I would suggest .Double check your measurements . Or use 1/4 cup less . And see how it goes.
Wow wow wow, Imma guess what, I did it !!!
I was very strict with my measurements this time around and it came out perfect. My husband can’t stop telling me how tasteful it is. Thanks a million.
My problem now is how to make the doughnut smooth,Since the mixture is kinda soft,I tried using my hands but the shape wasn’t good.
plse dear can u enlighten me on the size of the cup. because most of the ingredients u always cup. am so confused because am just still learning
Hilda! A cup is standard measuring cup which equals about 120grams of flour .
Can I bake it intead of frying
I have never tried baking it . So cannot not give you a definitive answer. It will definitely not have the same texture as the fried one.
I tried this recipe for the first time. I didn’t have grated orange and vanilla flavour so I used orange/pineapple juice. I also only had half and half milk. My batter came out thick so I added just a tad bit of cold water. Everything turned out great. I was born and raised in Ghana,West Africa and these doughnuts brought back nostalgic memories.
Accurate measurements and spot on photography,thanks!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I have tried these a couple of times and they never seem to come out quite right. The mixture is always so soft and I have to use a spoon to scoop it up and fry and then it ends up droned in oil
It must be the measurements. I have tried these countless times and they do just fine. Double check your measurements .Are you using standard U.S measuring cups?
Hi Imma, Thanks for sharing. Just made some donut and it was perfect. Will be trying the puff puff soon.
Awesome!!! Let me know how the puff puff turns out!
what is the yield of the recipe ??
It all depends on how the size about 20-30 balls.
Hi Imma. thank you for this recipe. i would like to know if the vanilla u mentioned among the ingredients is vanilla flavor?
Yes it is Malaika. I usually use pure vanilla extract.
Thanks for the recipe. I was wondering about how many doughnuts this recipe makes?
Hi Elizabeth, I would say about 20-30 depending. I always start eating from the time it gets off the stove. Let me know if you count them
Used the recipe exactly as written last week. Great texture. I quadrupled it the next day for a party. Was a great hit. Thanks sis.
Glad it worked out well for you!
Was delicious!!! I played around with the recipe and used a can of unsweetened coconut milk instead of regular milk, and added shredded coconut for texture and used just one egg. Perfect consistency!!
Would love to try that combination, thanks for sharing Ann! Feedback always appreciated!
Very! Very! Very! delicious. I tried this some minutes ago and it came out so beautifully. Better than the recipe I usually use. Good Job!!!!
Awwww Thanks! So great to hear feedback ! Always appreciated.
Thanks a lot for the recipe. Can you please do the flour, sugar and butter measurement in Gram?
Ida, recipe updated.