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
This is a lovely recipe…. But what about using condensed milk in place of coconut milk? Just asking if it’ll work?
Hi Liz. The coconut milk intensifies the flavor of this puff puff hence I would advise you go with it. If you must use the condensed milk in place of the coconut milk, I would suggest you cut back on the sugar so it is not overly sweet. Happy cooking!
God bless you for sharing this recipe. I am the greatest Coconut lover in the entire universe. No competition…lol. This is so perfect. I was yearning for puff puff but not the regular kind I’m used to. I went to Google and searched for Coconut puff puff and BINGO! Lol… I followed your instructions but I mixed all-purpose Flour with wheat flour and I used a mixture of half cup of coconut sugar and half cup of raw turbinado sugar. The outcome was just the amount of sweetness I needed in my body. Not too sweet but just right. Thanks so much for this recipe.
Uzo,
I think we going to have to fight for the title of Greatest COconut lover. OMG is life. I have actually met people who hate coconut. They don’t know what they are missing. I have to try this recipe this weekend. Looks so delicious
Nice recipe.
But why is not meg not added to the recipe?
Very 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
It’s 2 cups and 1/4 cup.
I 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?
Thanks 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!
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, Anana. Please do let me know how it turns out for you. Enjoy!
thanks 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?
It 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 .
What type of flour
All purpose flour would do.
Can’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!!!
You are going to love it!
I love this! Please what’s that whitish powder sprinkled over the puff puff after frying?
Thanks! It’s powder sugar.
As I am a coconut lover, after I see your recipe, I am interested to make one!
It’s quite tasty! Am a coconut lover myself.
Excellent 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!
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Please what kind of cup can I use to measure the floor like how many milk cup. Thank you.
I use standard American measuring cups
Delicious !!..Can I use Coconut flour instead of regular flour?
I haven’t tried it with coconut flour yet. Am thinking it’s not going to be the same.
No, coconut flour is not a sub for regular flour!
I can attest to this rtecipe as I’ve tried it. So yummy! What’s d shelf life pls?
Puff puff taste best freshly made. However, you can make , let it cool and freeze- reheat in oven .
What a super yummy recipe! Can the regular flour be substituted with any other kind of gluten free flours?
I don’t see why not!
I 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
Cindy, 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!
l 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.
Abiola, you could use grated coconut.
I love everything coconut and couldn’t wait to try.More power to your elbow.
Can l get koki beans recipe?Your recipes are great.
Emma,
You are a Blessing.I tried the recipe but added water and sugar and it kind
Of soak the oil and tasted like doughnuts.
Im definitely going to make these, I love all things coconut. Great Post!
Me too, I Love Coconut !!!!!
You have done well, it looks amazing and straight forward I like it.
Ndem , it really is an easy recipe , with an amazing taste.
Thx for your reply 🙂 . I am definitely going to give them a go 😉
looks great, are they also delicious eaten cold?
Shanna 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.
I have to tell you, your pictures are beautiful. I want to make this recipe just from your photos alone. Girl you have camera skills!
Do make them Melanie! Girl….my camera is WORKING me . Thanks for stopping by!
Looks great! I will be trying these soon.
They are really tasty christina!
Love your work and ability to share your skills. What I enjoy the most is your patience.