Coconut Puff-Puff (Deep fried coconut dough) – a twist on the popular West African fried dough with the addition of coconut milk and coconut flakes.
Puff-puff is a West African traditional fried dough that is sold in every neighborhood, on street corners, in West Africa. They are impossible to resist once you take a bite. It is comparable to yeast doughnuts with less sugar and with a sort of fermented yeast taste.
If you were to vote on the most popular West African snack, I think puff-puff would probably win big. I put a twist on this classic African snack by adding coconut and coconut milk.
The first time I made these to take to a party, I was on the phone with my dear friend and I mentioned to her that I was making coconut puff-puff for a party and she said , “You know no one would eat them right? My response was, “Why not, they taste good”. She said, well people are not use to eating coconut puff-puff. “They will soon”, I said. After a drawn out conversation, we concluded that I should make a side-by-side comparison between the two (puff-puff and the coconut puff-puff) and see which one people were going to devour first.
I did just that and guess what? You guessed right! coconut puff-puff won with an overwhelming victory. In fact, it was gone before any other meal-you would be surprise at how pleasant the coconut milk and flakes enrich this recipe.
The coconut flakes give these puff-puff a slight crunch and a special and different flavor .
The main ingredients are flour, coconut milk, flour, yeast, salt and coconut flakes. Once everything is mixed, set it aside in a warm area to proof or rise. If dough is too thick add a little bit of water or coconut milk.
Best served warm.
Coconut Puff-Puff (Deep fried coconut dough) - a twist on the popular West African fried dough with the addition of coconut milk and coconut flakes.
- 1 cups warm water
- 2 cup coconut milk
- 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast or 0.25 oz. 1 packet
- 1/2- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4- 1/2 Tablespoon salt
- 1 cup coconut flakes
- 4-1/2 cup flour
- Oil for deep frying
-
In a large bowl add the warm water, coconut milk, salt, sugar, and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes
-
Then add flour and mix with a wooden spoon or hands preferably, followed by coconut flakes. Mix well until flour and coconut flakes have been fully incorporated.
-
Set the mixture in a warm area and let it rise and double in size -approximately 1- 2 hours
-
In a large, sauce pan pour vegetable oil , until it is at least 3 inches (or about 5 centimeters) high (too little will result in flatter balls), and place on medium heat until oil is 375 degrees.
-
The dough is going to be sticky so use your hands to grab a little bit of mixture at time and drop in the oil or use a spoon to spoon up the batter, and another spoon or spatula to drop it in the oil, sort of in the shape of a ball. Do not overcrowd the pan. Do so in batch
-
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.
-
Use a large spoon or something like that to take it out of the oil. I usually place them on napkins right away to soak up some of the excess oil.
-
If desired, you can roll the finished product in table sugar or powdered sugar to make it sweeter
Mo says
19 Feb, 2019 at 11:46 amVery confusing the 2-1/4 cup flour. Was that 1/4 cup flour or 2 cups? I used 2 cups and I messed up my recipe ☹️ Please make the listing of measurements clearer. Thanks
ImmaculateBites says
21 Feb, 2019 at 5:27 pmIt’s 2 cups and 1/4 cup.
Anana Clark says
11 Oct, 2018 at 10:32 amI forgot to say the most important part: I’m a coconut lover too! Are there any other coconut dishes you have from Cameroon or any other West African nation?
Anana Clark says
11 Oct, 2018 at 10:14 amThanks so much for your platform for Cameroonian cooking! My cousin did the swab DNA test and found out that is exactly where our people are from. Very exciting and I will one day journey there. I am having an International Thanksgiving Day in my class and I have asked some of the students from other countries to dress in traditional clothing and share some of their culture with the class. They also have to make a traditional dish to share. As their teacher, I surely did not want to be left out, but I also did not want to make anything that was time consuming, costly or elaborate. Puff Puff is the way to go! I’ll try it out on my husband first so I’ll be ready next month! Hopefully I’ll find something to wear that is specific to Cameroon…we’ll see. Thanks again!
imma africanbites says
11 Oct, 2018 at 3:29 pmThank you so much for sharing your thoughts, Anana. Please do let me know how it turns out for you. Enjoy!
songo says
15 Aug, 2018 at 6:15 amthanks for the recipe.i was confused with the measurements especially the flour, sugar, sugar and yeast. though I tried it but it was a little bit hard and did not rise. please what did I not get right?
ImmaculateBites says
16 Aug, 2018 at 7:09 pmIt might be the yeast or measurements . Always double check your measurements and the yeast expiration. It’s usually the cause of puff puff not rising .
Keesha says
11 Apr, 2018 at 2:10 pmWhat type of flour
ImmaculateBites says
11 Apr, 2018 at 5:08 pmAll purpose flour would do.
Dorcas says
21 Mar, 2018 at 8:09 amCan’t wait for weekend to come so I give it a try. Hmmmm….. thanks for this platform to make same olds in a new way!!!
ImmaculateBites says
23 Mar, 2018 at 5:56 amYou are going to love it!
rita says
29 Apr, 2017 at 9:42 pmI love this! Please what’s that whitish powder sprinkled over the puff puff after frying?
ImmaculateBites says
30 Apr, 2017 at 7:07 pmThanks! It’s powder sugar.
Ekaphan Ardharn says
20 Feb, 2017 at 11:56 pmAs I am a coconut lover, after I see your recipe, I am interested to make one!
ImmaculateBites says
21 Feb, 2017 at 6:20 pmIt’s quite tasty! Am a coconut lover myself.
Inès says
3 Dec, 2016 at 9:46 amExcellent recipe, it was my first attempt to do puff puff, it was so simple !
I just added more sugar than the recipe mention, there is no way to spoilt them!
ImmaculateBites says
3 Dec, 2016 at 5:51 pmAwesome! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Joseph says
22 Feb, 2016 at 4:41 amPlease what kind of cup can I use to measure the floor like how many milk cup. Thank you.
ImmaculateBites says
22 Feb, 2016 at 9:30 amI use standard American measuring cups
Gabriela Rosario says
29 Oct, 2015 at 9:33 pmDelicious !!..Can I use Coconut flour instead of regular flour?
ImmaculateBites says
29 Oct, 2015 at 11:34 pmI haven’t tried it with coconut flour yet. Am thinking it’s not going to be the same.
Vicky says
22 May, 2018 at 8:37 amNo, coconut flour is not a sub for regular flour!
Mercy says
27 Apr, 2015 at 2:31 amI can attest to this rtecipe as I’ve tried it. So yummy! What’s d shelf life pls?
ImmaculateBites says
27 Apr, 2015 at 10:46 amPuff puff taste best freshly made. However, you can make , let it cool and freeze- reheat in oven .
Eulanda says
26 Apr, 2015 at 12:05 amWhat a super yummy recipe! Can the regular flour be substituted with any other kind of gluten free flours?
ImmaculateBites says
26 Apr, 2015 at 5:57 amI don’t see why not!
Cindy says
18 Jan, 2015 at 2:27 pmI want to make these for my son’s birthday. I have two questions:
Is 2 1/4 ounces sames as teaspoon?. I have seen recipes that equate a packet of yeast to teaspoon not ounces.
Is half tablespoon of salt not too much?
Thanks
ImmaculateBites says
18 Jan, 2015 at 4:54 pmCindy, I meant to say 2 1/4 teaspoons . Recipe updated. I usually use 1/2 tablespoon salt – I like my puff puff salty – cut it down by half if you prefer less salt. Let me know how it works out!
abiola showunmi says
17 Sep, 2014 at 11:49 pml love coconuts, would ve loved doing it but my problem is the flaked coconut. is der any other subtitution or hw do i get d flaked coconut recipe.
ImmaculateBites says
19 Sep, 2014 at 11:55 amAbiola, you could use grated coconut.
Marie-claire says
28 May, 2014 at 6:06 pmI love everything coconut and couldn’t wait to try.More power to your elbow.
Can l get koki beans recipe?Your recipes are great.
Marie-claire says
28 May, 2014 at 6:02 pmEmma,
You are a Blessing.I tried the recipe but added water and sugar and it kind
Of soak the oil and tasted like doughnuts.
turtle66 says
6 Jan, 2014 at 9:16 pmIm definitely going to make these, I love all things coconut. Great Post!
Africanbites says
8 Jan, 2014 at 5:29 amMe too, I Love Coconut !!!!!
Ndem says
3 Oct, 2013 at 3:40 amYou have done well, it looks amazing and straight forward I like it.
Africanbites says
7 Oct, 2013 at 8:43 pmNdem , it really is an easy recipe , with an amazing taste.
Shanna says
21 Apr, 2013 at 10:49 amThx for your reply 🙂 . I am definitely going to give them a go 😉
Shanna says
19 Apr, 2013 at 3:33 amlooks great, are they also delicious eaten cold?
Africanbites says
19 Apr, 2013 at 10:50 amShanna they are best eaten hot, however, they are not bad at room temperature.You can reheat them in the oven before serving. I have a confession to make- I have eaten this straight from the fridge….too lazy to reheat.
Melanie says
18 Apr, 2013 at 9:05 amI have to tell you, your pictures are beautiful. I want to make this recipe just from your photos alone. Girl you have camera skills!
Africanbites says
18 Apr, 2013 at 2:02 pmDo make them Melanie! Girl….my camera is WORKING me . Thanks for stopping by!
Christina says
17 Apr, 2013 at 10:02 amLooks great! I will be trying these soon.
Africanbites says
18 Apr, 2013 at 1:45 pmThey are really tasty christina!
Nneoma says
8 Mar, 2019 at 1:35 pmLove your work and ability to share your skills. What I enjoy the most is your patience.