Nigerian Puff Puff
Plain flour, white granulated sugar and instant yeast come together in this vegetarian — 60 minutes, 7 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and large pot. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (1)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, instant yeast, nutmeg, and salt.
- Gradually pour in the warm water and warm milk, stirring with a spoon until you have a smooth, thick batter that falls slowly from the spoon, adding a little more water if it is too stiff.
- Cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm spot for 1 to 1.5 hours until the batter has doubled and is bubbly.
- Pour the frying oil into a deep pot to a depth of about 3 inches and heat over medium heat to 350F (175C).
- Scoop up a small amount of batter with your fingers or a spoon and carefully drop it into the hot oil, frying a few at a time without crowding the pot.
- Fry for 4 to 6 minutes, turning the puff puffs so they brown evenly into golden balls that are cooked through in the center.
- Lift them out with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and serve warm, optionally dusted with sugar.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Large pot · Whisk
Ingredient substitutions
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
Tips & common questions
How long does Nigerian Puff Puff take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 8 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of milk?
Try any unsweetened plant milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Nigerian Puff Puff vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Nigerian Puff Puff is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Nigerian-puff-puff-recipe cropped.jpg by Afrolems ; cropped by Off-shell, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.