Here is the ultimate guide on How To Make Puff Puff. Puff Puff is the quintessential Central and West African street food that is fluffy on the inside, slightly crunchy on the outside, irresistible, and made with 4 simple ingredients!

The palatability of Puff Puff is proof that there are few things that rival deep-fried batter or dough! It is slightly sweet and can be eaten either as a sweet, or savory snack or as an appetizer!

I love making Puff Puff for breakfast, for a snack, as a meal together with Stewed Pinto Beans, or as a party food. It is always a hit at parties!

If you love deep-fried batter or dough (who doesn’t???), also check out these recipes for Banana Fritters, African Twisted Doughnuts, and Beignets.

Recipe For Puff Puff

If you would like a fool-proof recipe for Puff Puff that you can make over and over again, you’ve come to the right post.

We make Puff Puff every week in our home. I’ve made Puff Puff countless times for parties, sometimes even frying Puff Puff at the venue.

You know, the hot ones straight off the oil are just irresistibly good. And don’t get me started on the aroma that takes over the atmosphere as Puff Puff fries!

So here is the ultimate African Puff Puff recipe. It is the recipe that makes people request my Puff Puff over and over again. It is the recipe that I have made severally that I know unmistakably by heart.

If my 10-year-old can make it, you can make it. Just make sure you get some baking measuring cups (we use standard American measuring cups) and measure everything correctly.

When I moved to the United States about 10 years ago, I was determined to finally master making Puff Puff since it isn’t sold on the streets of America as is the case in Cameroon.

I am thankful to now be able to make Puff Puff whenever I want and enjoy it.

Why This Recipe Works

• Experience: I have made Puff Puff countless times. Before, I couldn’t scoop the batter properly into the oil with my hands but with lots of practice, I finally mastered it. If there’s someone who could teach you the ABCs of making Puff Puff, it’s me!
• Authenticity: This is a childhood street food from my country of origin, Cameroon. Puff Puff was part of my childhood and I have watched and mastered what goes into the perfect Puff Puff.
• Ease: This website is all about simplifying cooking for you and this Puff Puff recipe is no exception. It is really so easy with just 4 simple ingredients.
• Versatility: Once you have mastered the basic Puff Puff recipe, you could switch things up by adding other flavors to it (see ideas below!)

What Is Puff Puff?

Not to be confused with Puff Pastry, Puff Puff is an insanely delicious form of deep-fried batter that is eaten in a number of African countries.

It is called Puff Puff in Cameroon and Nigeria. It is called Les Beignets in French. Ghanaians make something similar called Bofrot or Togbei. Liberians equally eat a form of Puff Puff called Kala and the Congolese call it Mikale. It is a common snack eaten by West Africans and Central Africans.

The basic ingredients used in making Puff Puff include flour, sugar, yeast, salt, water, and oil for frying. In Cameroon where I come from, that’s mostly how Puff Puff is made. Nigerian Puff Puff is made in a very similar way except sometimes the batter is thicker and nutmeg is often added to the batter for flavor.

Apart from the four main ingredients, other ingredients can also be added to Puff Puff (see variations below).

Puff Puff Ingredients

With just 4 simple ingredients you’ll be able to make this well-loved African snack.

Here are some important notes on the ingredients:

• Flour: Use all-purpose flour or bread flour.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar or cane sugar would work well.
• Yeast: Use active dry yeast or instant yeast if you want the dough to rise quickly.
• Salt: Salt balances the sweetness and adds flavor. Don’t skip it.
• Oil: Use vegetable oil or any flavorless oil for deep-frying. Make sure you add enough oil to the pot for deep-frying.

Variations and Substitutions

• Puff Puff With Egg and Milk: Substitute the water for milk and add an egg for a richer batter.
• Coconut Puff Puff: Use coconut milk instead of water for Coconut Puff Puff.
• Chocolate Puff Puff: Consider adding cocoa powder for a chocolatey snack.
• Stuffed Puff Puff: Consider filling the Puff Puff with chocolate spread or pastry cream for stuffed Puff Puff.
• Warm spices: Add warm spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, or ginger for more flavor.

Another popular African snack to try is Chin Chin!

How To Make It

Step 1: Combine all the ingredients.

Add warm water to a large bowl then add yeast, sugar, flour, and salt. Mix to combine.

Note: Do not use hot water for the mixture as it will kill the yeast.

Step 2: Let the batter rise.

Once the batter is mixed. Cover and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size and bubbles form on top.

Note: Please check out the recipe video to see how the batter looks after rising.

Step 3: Deep Fry.

Heat up the oil and scoop the batter into the hot oil to make the balls. Let it fry until it turns golden brown. Place the fried Puff Puff on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

Fun fact: Puff puff in plural form is still puff puff, not puff puffs.

Expert Tips

• Use lukewarm water to mix the batter. The water should be slightly warm to the touch and around 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius). If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast. If the water is too cold, the yeast might not activate.
• Don’t heat the oil too hot. If the oil is too hot, the Puff Puff will burn on the outside without cooking through. Fry on medium-high heat, and if the puff puff is turning brown quickly, reduce to medium heat.
• You know the batter is well-risen when bubbles form on top.
• Let the batter rise to develop the right flavor and texture (it should be airy in the middle and not dense.)
• Follow this recipe to the letter for the best results.
• If you can’t scoop the batter into the oil with your hands, use a cookie scoop.
• Puff Puff is not a dessert so resist the temptation to make it too sweet. It should be slightly sweet so it can be eaten in sweet or savory meals.
• To create a warm atmosphere for the batter to rise, turn on the oven for 1 minute, turn it off then place the batter in the oven to rise.
• Serve Puff Puff with this African Pepper Sauce. They pair so well together.

Love deep-fried sweet dough? Also, check out these recipes for Banana Puff Puff and Plantain Puff Puff.

Recipe FAQs

Serving

Puff is great to eat as is or with some powdered sugar sprinkled on top. Here are some favorite recipes to pair with Puff Puff:

• Pap (African corn porridge)
• Pepper Sauce
• Pinto Beans
• Ginger Tea
• Honey Lemon Tea

Similar Recipes

More fried dough goodness!

Beignets Recipe

African Doughnuts – Twisted Doughnuts

Sugar Coated Donuts

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