Puff-Puff (Deep fried dough)

Puff Puff — A very popular West African street food that’s quick and easy to make with different variations. Dangerously delicious and addicting!

Puff Puff African deep fried dough

As a child, I would often watch in amazement how the women selling the puffs would grab the mixture with the tip of their fingers, place it in the palm of their hands, and drop the mixture in oil.

I was fascinated by this process and would go home and practice this act with any mixture I had on hand. But it never came out as proportional or as visually appealing as the women did it. After years of practice as an adult, I think I can proudly say that I finally got the hang of it.

Content…

What Is It?
Recipe Ingredients
How to Make It
Serving Suggestions
Tips and Tricks
Watch How to Make It

What Is Puff Puff?

Most West African countries are familiar with the popular street food Puff-Puff,  which is known by different names depending on the country. Ghanaians call it Bofrot (togbei), and Cameroonians and Nigerians call it Puff-Puff (Puff) or beignet in French. The basic ingredient consists of flour, sugar, yeast, water, salt, and oil for deep frying.

Puff Puff (deep fried dough)

It is an easy and quick recipe to make with different variations. This recipe is the one I have been making for years and the one that takes me back to my hometown. It brings back memories of late-night snacking on the street.

Recipe Ingredients

Trust me when I say that cooking these puff puffs is as mesmerizing as it is tasty. The best part about this treat is that it only needs a handful of ingredients. You might already have these in your pantry:

  • Flour – This pantry must-have isn’t just for baking. It’s also great for many savory dishes.
  • Yeast –  This is basically the life of the recipe as it makes the dough rise for an airy, fluffy texture.
  • Warm Water – An essential part of making any dough. It’s the basis for forming our treat. It’s important to have just the right warmth. If the water is too hot, it kills the yeast. If too cold, the yeast has a hard time rising.
  • Sugar – Common table sugar you can easily find in any grocery store gives this recipe a slight sweetness and feeds the yeast for a good rise.
  • Cooking Oil – The necessary ingredient for deep frying the puff puffs.

How to Make Puff Puff

Activating the yeast
  • Activate the yeast: Mix salt, water, sugar, and yeast. Set it aside for 5 minutes (Photo 1)
  • Make the dough: Add flour and mix (Photo 2)
Let the dough rise covered
Frying puff puff
  • Rest and Rise: Let the mixture rise for approximately 1-2 hours (Photos 3-5)
  • Pre-heat the oil: In a large saucepan, pour vegetable oil into a pot until it’s about 3 inches (or 5 centimeters ) high (too little will result into flatter balls), and place in low heat
  • Check the heat: Test to make sure the oil is hot enough by putting a drop of batter into the oil. If the oil is not hot enough, the batter will stay at the bottom instead of rising to the top.
  • Fry the puff puff:
    • Hand Method: Using your hands, grab a little bit of mixture at a time and drop it into the oil. (See photo 6)
    • Spoon Method: When the oil is hot enough, use a spoon to dish up the batter and another spoon or spatula to drop it in the oil. Sort of in the shape of a ball.
Flip the puff puff in oil
  • Check the doneness: Fry for a few minutes until the bottom side is golden brown (Photo 7)
  • Flip the puff puff: Turn the ball over for a few minutes until the underside is golden brown. (Photo 8)
  • Remove from oil: Use a large spoon or a slotted spoon to take it out of the oil. I usually place them on napkins right away to soak up some of the excess oil.
  • Coat the puff puff: If desired, you can roll up the finished products in table sugar or powdered sugar to make it sweeter.
Puff Puff sprinkled with powdered sugar

Serving Suggestions

Puff-puff is usually eaten for breakfast, as a snack, or as a side dish. Regardless of when you eat them, they are enjoyable with or without a side dish. A must-have for me – pepper sauce.

The beauty of puff puffs is that you can eat them sweet or savory. They’re a great snack, appetizer, or dessert. I often eat it as a snack or appetizer. My son definitely loves it as a simple dessert with just a bit of powdered sugar. Another great dessert/snack is homemade bon bons. Yum!

If you’re craving more, then these recipes from my list of African snacks and appetizers should help you feel satisfied.

An insider's view of deep-fried puff puff

Tips and Tricks for Making Puff Puff

  1. Soft puff puff: For a softer puff puff, add about 1-2 tablespoons more water. Some people find it a little bit hard after it stays out.
  2. Crunchy, not soggy: Do not overcrowd the frying pan; it will absorb excess oil and sometimes make it soggy.
  3. Hold the salt: You may cut back on the salt if you are watching your salt intake; about 1 teaspoon will do.
  4. Preheat the stove: If your house is too cold, turn on the stove for about 2-3 minutes until warm. Then turn it off and let the puff puff rise next to it. Or heat up the oven, turn it off when hot, and wait until it cools down. If you want it warm but not hot, then let it rise in the oven. Check after 30 minutes to ensure it’s rising.
  5. Use a spoon instead to scoop the dough into the oil if you do not want to use your hands. It still tastes delicious!

Watch How to Make It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”pGrRksuf” upload-date=”Mon Aug 06 2018 20:37:44 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”Puff Puff” description=”Puff Puff — A very popular West African street food that’s quick and easy to make with different variations. Dangerously delicious and addicting!”]

This blog post was originally published in November 2012 and has been updated with additional tips.

Puff Puff

A very popular West African street food that's quick and easy to make with different variations. Dangerously delicious and addicting!
4.86 from 132 votes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (+1-2 tablespoons (475ml) warm water (See notes)
  • teaspoon (7g) active dry yeast (1 packet)
  • cups (420g) flour
  • ½-¾ cup (100-150g) sugar
  • ½ tablespoon (8-9g) salt
  • Oil for deep frying

Instructions

  • Mix salt, sugar, water, and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes.
  • Add flour and mix.
  • Let the mixture rise for approximately 1-2 hours.
  • In a large saucepan, pour vegetable oil into a pot until it's at least 3 inches (about 5cm) deep and heat on low. Too little oil will result in flatter balls.
  • Test to make sure the oil is hot enough by putting a drop of batter into the oil. If it is not hot enough, the batter stays at the pot's bottom rather than rising to the top.
  • When the oil is hot enough, grab a little bit of the mixture with your hands or use a spoon to get a small ball of dough. Drop it carefully into the oil.
  • 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 immediately to soak up the excess oil.
  • If desired, you can roll the finished product in table sugar or powdered sugar to make it sweeter.

Tips & Notes:

  1. Soft puff puff: For a softer puff puff, add about 1-2 tablespoons more water. Some people find it a little bit hard after it stays out.
  2. Crunchy, not soggy: Do not overcrowd the frying pan, as the puff puffs will absorb excess oil and sometimes get soggy.
  3. Hold the salt: You may cut back on the salt if you are watching your salt intake. About 1 teaspoon of salt will do.
  4. Preheat the stove: If your house is too cold, turn on the stove for about 2-3 minutes until warm. Then turn it off and let the puff puff rise next to it. Or place your dough in the cold oven and put a pan full of hot water under it. Check after 30 minutes to ensure it’s rising.
  5. Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 2puff puffs| Calories: 351kcal (18%)| Carbohydrates: 75g (25%)| Protein: 9g (18%)| Fat: 1g (2%)| Saturated Fat: 0.1g (1%)| Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g| Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g| Sodium: 291mg (13%)| Potassium: 99mg (3%)| Fiber: 3g (13%)| Sugar: 12g (13%)| Vitamin C: 0.003mg| Calcium: 14mg (1%)| Iron: 4mg (22%)

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562 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I have tried recipes from other food blogs and this one heats the spot- DELICIOUS. Thanks for such a great recipe . Keep up the good work.

  2. Hi I visited a Nigerian friend and I ate puff puff I loved them. I asked for the recipe and she told but she was in a hurry. So I searched and came to or website I want to try and see because I tried and it came out hard I don’t know why? Again I didn’t use yeast instead I used baking powder so I don’t know if it was the cause? Plse let me know if its not right.

  3. Omg!!! Since discovering this recipe I have made it 3times … It’s been a success each time! I’m on Instagram and posted and so many people wanted the recipe! Wish you had an Instagram acct to link to! With all your pictures people will go crazy lol (just a thought

    1. Thanks for the feedback. I need to really get going with Instagram…good to hear this is a hit with you. Thanks again for spreading the word.

  4. 5 stars
    mg…Perfect recipe. Thank u so much.!!! I’ve had numerous failed attempts at making puff puff, until now. They came out perfectly.

  5. Do you think it would work with whole wheat flour and splenda for a slightly healthier version?

    1. I have used splenda before but used only half the amount.Using 100% whole wheat flour will make it dense. But it will definitely work. Let me know how it works for you. THanks.

      1. Thanks Imma for your great recipes. I used half whole wheat and half all purpose flour and it worked perfectly. You could not tell the difference. BTW, this the best puff puff recipe ever.

      2. Thank you so much Ego. I don’t take this comment lightly -so appreciate the feedback!

  6. Have a question, I want to make the puf pufs, but have seen two different versons on making them,, one called for bread flour, and your calls for plain flour, what would the differenc in the out come of the puff puffs be. between plain flour and bread flour

    1. Jane , I have tried it with bread flour and it is a little chewy and doughy.Some people like it that way-I prefer plain flour.Others say, there is hardly any difference between the two. Personal preference I guess.Let me know which one you like best. Thanks!

  7. Hi Immaculate,

    If I wanted to triple the recipe would I leave it to rise for 1-2 hours or would I need to triple the time? Also, same goes for the quantity of yeast?

    1. Maria, triple all the ingredients. However, you have to adjust for thickness with more liquid or flour. The rising time stays the same.

  8. I really like your site , really helpful. Pls I want to know the estimated amount a 50kg bag of flour can make

    1. Seye , I have never made puff puff with 50kg bag of flour so I can’t really give you an accurate estimate.

  9. 2 stars
    Love this recipe!! This is my third time trying it and my kids and husband absolutely love it. My husband said it was a deadly snack because everything gets finished by the end of the day. Thank you.

    1. Sonia, I know what you mean. My family loves this too! It is hubby’s favorite fried pastry. Thanks for the five stars and feedback !

  10. 5 stars
    This recipe is a killer.Made this yesterday,it was a hit.The balls came out beautifully,and tasted soooo good…Guess my search for the perfect puff-puff recipe is over!Thank you,Imma!

  11. Hello I saw ur puff puff recipe tried it but it didnt come out right. So my qtn is wat cup sizes shd i use?…bc I used normal tea cups with e rest of e recipe. … am going to try it again tonite n c….thks

  12. Imma, you are a lifesaver. I have been making what I thought was puff puff for a bit. You know, the kind you only eat at home. I am so proud to say thanks to your recipe, my puff puff skills have been taken to another level. You are the best.

    1. Aww, thank you Oneke. Glad you enjoyed it that much. You are the best, for taking the time to provide some glowing feedback.

  13. And I forgot to add, I lovee your recipe (I was scared at first but the craving overcame the fear), I tried it this evening here in hungary(although I’m nigerian) and it turned out great, exactly the way I like puff-puff, crispy outside but dense and sweet inside, and I am so glad my fear for yeast products has been overcomed!!!!!

    1. Peace ,your best bet would be to fry the puff puff , let it cool and then freeze . When ready to use, reheat in oven and serve. This is the way I do! Thanks for the feedback. Now that you have overcome your yeast fear. You have to try out other more yeast recipes. Happy cooking!

  14. 5 stars
    Best recipe I’ve found on puff puff hands down!!!!! But I adjusted my salt and sugar for taste…It comes out sooooooo nice!!! Thank you so much ImmaculateBites for this wonderful recipe!!! Keep up with the recipes…Hopefully you have one for egg roll and fish roll and stuff….Thanks again for sharing your talent.

  15. Hi,
    I tried the recipe weeks ago and it didn’t come out right. I followed all the instructions. The dough belt watery after it had risen.
    Do you feel I should reduce the water next time? And not use two cups? I felt really bad.

    1. Jennifer, so sorry to hear that your puff-puff then not turn out right. Don’t feel bad. Double check your measurements , make sure you are using standard measuring cups and/or spoons. The dough should not be watery after it has risen. Let me know if it works out!

4.86 from 132 votes (37 ratings without comment)

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