Puff Puff (Deep-Fried Dough)
My beloved puff puff, a West African street food, is quick and easy with different variations. Dangerously delicious and addictive!
As a child, I often watched in amazement how the women selling the puffs would grab the mixture with the tip of their fingers, roll it in the palm of their hands, and drop it 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 it did for the women. After years of practice as an adult, I can proudly say I finally got the hang of it.
What Is Puff Puff?
People in most West African countries are familiar with the popular street food, known by different names depending on the country. For example, Ghanaians call it bofrot (togbei), Cameroonians and Nigerians call it puff puff, and it’s beignet in French. Basic ingredients are flour, sugar, yeast, water, salt, and oil for deep frying.
It’s easy and quick with various flavors. This recipe is the one I have been making for years and takes me back to my hometown. It brings back memories of happy late-night snacking on the street.
How to Make Puff Puff
- Mix the yeast, sugar, salt, and water to activate the yeast. Stir in the flour, cover, and let the dough rise.
- Heat the oil, drop in the dough balls, and fry until golden.
Tips and Tricks
- If the weather is cold and your dough isn’t rising, turn on the stove for 2-3 minutes until warm. Then turn it off and let the dough 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.
- Use a spoon to scoop the dough into the oil if you don’t want to use your hands. It still tastes delicious!
- Avoid overcrowding the pan, as it will cool the oil too much and cause the fried dough to absorb excess oil.
Make-Ahead and Leftover Instructions
I love making the dough ahead for a quick snack. You can keep the raw dough in the fridge (in an airtight container) for up to five days. It will rise in the cold fridge, but it may take a day or two. Then, bring the dough to room temperature and fry.
Keep leftovers tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to a week or freeze them for a month or two. Reheat them in a preheated 350℉ (177℃) oven for 5-10 minutes whenever the craving hits.
What to Serve With Puff Puff
This treat is relished for breakfast, as a snack, or as a side dish. A must-have for me is pepper sauce, but chocolate sauce and cinnamon sugar are fantastic.
Puff puff’s beauty is that you can eat them sweet or savory. 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. Ginger tea and sorrel drink are a great way to wash them down.
More Addictive Variations to Try
By Imma
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 great tips and new pictures.
Puff Puff (Deep-Fried Dough)
Ingredients
- 2¼ teaspoons (7g) active dry yeast (1 packet)
- ½-¾ cup (100-150g) sugar
- ½ tablespoon (8-9g) salt
- 2 cups (472ml) warm water (+1-2 tablespoons for softer puffs)
- 3½ cups (420g) flour
- vegetable oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Mix the yeast, sugar, salt, and water, and set aside for 5 minutes to activate the yeast.
- Add the flour and mix well.
- Cover and let it rise for 1-2 hours.
- In a large saucepan, heat at least 3 inches of vegetable oil (7-8cm) 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 bottom rather than rising to the top.
- When the oil is hot enough, grab bits of the mixture with your hands or use a spoon to get small balls of dough and drop them carefully into the oil.
- Fry for a few minutes until the bottom side is golden brown. Turn the balls over and fry for a few more minutes until the other side is golden brown.
- Use a large spoon or strainer to remove them from the oil. I usually place them on napkins immediately to soak up the excess oil.
- If desired, you can roll the finished product in cinnamon or powdered sugar to make it sweeter.
Tips & Notes:
- For softer puff puffs, add 1-2 tablespoons more water. Some people find the puff puffs a bit hard after they have cooled.
- Feel free to cut back on the salt; a teaspoon of salt will do.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Hello Imma,
How many days can I keep puff puffs and what is the best way to store them?
Thank you,
Sara
Hi Sara , You can keep them up to a month Frozen. Place in a single layer on parchment paper and freeze . Once puff puff is firm remove and place in sealable or Ziploc bags .
When ready to eat remove place on linked cook sheet or aluminum foil paper and reheat at 300 degrees F , until puff puff is heated through . Remove and serving immediately.
This is my second time trying out this recipe, the first time turned out very good and the family loved it hence the 5 stars but this second time after allowing the batter to rise. I got no result. The yeast didn’t activate. Any suggestions?
Hello there.
There are many reasons why your puff puff didn’t rise.
Here are a few .
– The yeast might be old- or stale, in this case it would not rise. So check your expiration date
– The water might be too hot and kill the yeast. So make sure your water is not too hot.
– Also you can turn your oven on at 200 degrees F for about 10 minutes , turn it off and place dough in there to rise – it helps .
Hope this helps
I just subscribed to your website. The puff was the best ever, yet no milk vanilla nor egg!
Thank you for sharing, Claudia!
Gud evening ma pls can I store my puff batter in the fridge even after d rising of d batter?
It all depends on the amount of time you want to store the batter.Couple of hours would work – overnight would definitely affect the taste of the puff puff. Making it less sweet and a more profound yeast taste.
Use warm water, cold water and yeast are not good together, yeast is activated by warmt.
Thanks for sharing .
Thank you so much for this easy recipe. I tried it yesterday and it came out really nice . My kids loved it!
That is great to hear Caroline! 🙂 So glad they loved it.
I am so happy I found your recipe. I ate a lot of puff puffs (beignets) when I was in Benin several years ago. They were delicious. I had not had one since then. This brought back so many great memories of being in Benin and buying these from the local women making them. Thank you for the trip down memory lane. I will be keeping this recipe!!
Hi Luc! I am so glad this recipe took you down memory lane. Thank you for taking the time to leave this feedback :)!
Hi Imma, for the first time ever, my puff puff came out well rounded and fluffy; although i added a little bit more water to mine. Couldn’t believe the result, It was like magic! I love cooking and consider myself to be a great cook but Puff Puff has just been shaming me up and down (lol). Now i can boast of this new found prowess; now i won’t have to order puff puff for my next house party. Thank you from me to you.
Hahaha. We will not let puff-puff shame you up and down again oh! :). I am so glad this recipe works for you, Tolu. Thank you for taking the time to leave this feedback!
Hello I have been looking for a recipe like this, forever! I have never had luck with yeast! I hope I do this time, . The only yeast I could find was quick Rising. Do I use the same measurements as in your recipe?
Hi Renee. You will love this recipe! Yes, you can use the same measurement for the quick rise yeast. Let me know how this works out for you!
I tried making puff puff a few years ago and it didn’t turn out well. Tonight, I decided to try your recipe and it turned out like it should, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. My daughter and I ate it with some homemade caramel sauce. Thank you for sharing your recipes. I’m going to try another one from your site soon.
Thank you for trying the recipe and I’m happy to know that you enjoyed it with your daughter!
I never write reviews – but your recipe is easy to follow and it turned out great!
You have a new fan in England and i will be trying more of your recipes.
thank you for sharing your recipe.
Hello Koya and welcome to my blog :). I am so thrilled this puff-puff recipe turned out great for you. Can’t wait for you to try out the other recipes! Thanks for stopping by!
I made mine using this recipe and it came put very nice at my first trialThank you!
Fantastic!! So glad it turned out great for you, Justina!
Waiting for the batter to rise and with its texture, am sure it will turn out great. Also a huge fan, thank you
Hi Emelie! Awesome! The hardest part of this recipe is the waiting :). Thank you for being such a huge fan. It really warms my heart :).
Hi Imma! This recipe is a life saver. My kids love puff puff and my attempts at making it have been less than desirable, to the point where when my youngest saw me trying, she said… “Let’s just wait and go to grandma’s house” Well grandma’s kitchen is closed to us thanks to COVID. I heard about you in my LESA group and I’m so glad I got the recommendation. I’ve made this recipe 3 times and it is perfection. Thanks for helping me redeem my kids faith in my frying skills.
Hahaha!! Your daughter is hilarious!! I am glad this was a hit with your kids. My son (and me 🙂 ) can’t get enough of this puff puff.
I am thrilled to have you here. I have lots of friends and relatives who are Lesans, and I am glad they helped you get here. Feel free to check out my other recipes.
Take care. X O
Love the puff puff doing them now, my second time of trying this recipe. Perfect
Awesome!!! I am so glad you love these puff-puffs :). Thanks for stopping by!
Giiiirl my husband is Haitian and your recipes been having him thinking I’m actually a pro at all of this! I’m a great cook but with this quarantine I’ve been able to try new recipes and your choice of recipes are absolutely amazing! Thank you for helping me to escape the madness of wondering what I’m gonna make for dinner Until now I didn’t realize I was limited in my knowledge of food recipes #WeekTenOfQuarantine
Hahaha, you are a Pro girl! Own it :)! I am so glad you are cooking up a storm at home. I couldn’t think of a better way to get through this Quarantine. Thank you for your feedback and stay safe :).
Hello.. thanks for your recipe it came out do well. I have a little concern now. The left over puff puff..how do rechauffe the puff the next day when you take it out from the fridge?? While maintaining its softness and the skin not becoming like tendon? Thanks
Hi Nji. The truth is, puff-puff are best eaten when they are fresh and warm. If you have to keep them for the next day, I recommend you freeze them, and then when you are ready to eat them again, hit them up in the microwave on high for 15-25 seconds. Hope this helps 🙂
I use my oven for a few minutes
That works too!! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve been using this recipe for years! My family think I’m a pro! I’m finally commenting to say thanks. May God bless you a thousand fold! As you make homes and tummies happy, I pray you have the joy of God every moment in life! Thank you!
That is so great! I am really glad :)! Thank you so much, Mary!
I’ve used this recipe 3x now. Infact, I just finished making the 3rd one before sitting down to write this comment. The only thing I did differently this time was to use 2 ½ cups of water. I like the inside very soft with a crunchy exterior. The one thing I still cant master for the life of me is how you manage to get it perfectly round. I tried a spoon the first time, come and see amoeba shaped puff puff na! I used icecream scoop the other times. It’s still not as round but it looks better. Thank you for the recipe.
Hahaha Ameroba shaped puff puff! That is hilarious! Don’t worry, just keep practicing and you will soon get the hang of it. Thank you for the feedback, Joy :)!
Hiya Imma,
Hope you and family are staying safe through this pandemic.
I LOVE your recipes and use them quite often. I was a tomboy growing up in Cameroon so needless to say cooking was never my forte. Your recipes have rescued me and I can now cook almost any dish across the board (African, American or Caribbean).
I used to make puff puff just by estimation especially where the yeast amount was concerned but thanks to you I now use an exact measurement.
By the way the calories list is per how many puffs?
Thank you for sharing these recipes. Awesome!
Hi,
Please what type of flour? Can i use plain flour? Or does it have to be self raising?
Thanks
Tee
Hi Tee! Plain flour will work just fine. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Thanks ma for this wounderful recipe bit can one add onions and pepper to it? Another question is, what’s the range that one can leave it to rise before frying
Hi Chisom! Let your dough rise for 1-2 hours or until it has doubled in size. I have never tried adding onions and pepper to these puff-puffs. They would probably have to be in powder form. Do let me know how it works for you. Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks alot Imma. Pls can i add water or anything after it has rise
Hi Chinenye! No need to add water after the dough rises. Just go ahead and fry 🙂 !
What if i will be using instant yeast? Is it the same measurement?
thanks !
Yes it is . Enjoy!
How do I mix with instant yeast. So I mix in water and allow to prove or mix in the flour
Hi Helen. I have used instant yeast either way for this recipe and it turned out fine :).
Thank you Imma, I have been benefiting greatly from your recipes. The videos are great for men like me who like to see the process. Blessings!
You are welcome! So happy the videos are a big help.