Nigerian Buns — tasty snack treats that are richer in flavor with crunchy outside and pillowy soft inside.
Most of the time, I get asked questions about recipes and sometimes it a request for a particular recipe – like this Nigerian bun.
This one I happily obliged…no arm-twisting required.
Now what’s not to love about these Nigerian buns? They are super easy to make and dangerously good. They come together in only a few minutes and with two batch of frying you are done.
This is my take on these buns and for an additional twist on them; I added coconut flakes to the mixture. You can successfully make them without coconut.
So what is the difference between puff-puff and this mouthful of joy buns?
Puff-puff for the most part is made with yeast and has a somewhat chewy interior with very few ingredients.
On the other hand, Nigerian buns are richer in flavor with the addition of eggs, butter and milk -crunchy on the outside pillowy soft on the inside. Just like these African doughnuts featured here, quite frankly there is very little difference between the two.
Why don’t you try both and see which one you like best – they both qualify as buns in my book. Enjoy these Nigerian buns anytime you want, any way you like it with or without coconut.
Watch How to Make It
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Nigerian Buns
Ingredients
- 3 cups All-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon grated lime
- 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 3/4 cup milk whole or 2%
- 4 large eggs
- 2- teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup melted butter or vegetable oil
- Oil for deep-frying
- 1/2-3/4 cup coconut flakes optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl mix all the dry ingredients, flour baking powder, salt, sugar, grated orange, and nutmeg.
- Stir in the milk, eggs, vanilla, and coconut flakes and oil; mix well until everything has been fully incorporated. The batter should be smooth, thick and spoon able.
- 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.
- I use my hands to scoop up the batter; you can do the same or use 2 spoons - one to scoop up the batter, and another spoon or spatula to drop it in the oil- in the shape of a ball. Do not overcrowd the pan. Do so in batches
- 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
Nutrition Information:
Mediba says
Hi imma
Can I use yeast instead of baking powder?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Mediba, You may. However, you would have to tweak the recipe – cut back on the butter . And the consistency would not be the same.
Marlene says
I’m so glad, I actually used deep fryer. I just finished frying, my dad can’t stop talking about the crunchiness. I can’t really tell if it broke, but I’m kinda scared of frying believe me. So when I was frying it was shifting my hand from impact but some of the shape came out well, it were… You know. Sorry I couldn’t use the spoon method because my deep fryer shocks so I had to just use my hand. Thank you very much. I’ll try it again tomorrow. And I used only 2 eggs
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome!!! You did great, Marlene!! I used to be scared of frying too but afterward, I overcame my fear. Do exercise care at all times though. I am glad it worked out for you. Thanks for letter me know :)!
Paula says
Hi, can I try it without butter. I made some today and they felt really hard and crispy and I wanted it soft so I don’t know what I got wrong but I’m guessing it was the butter since they tasted more like cake than buns.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Paula! You can substitute the butter with water. Do let me know how it works out for you 🙂 .
Pelumi ode-martins says
Hi, can i use gluten free flour to make buns as there is shortage of all-purpose flour?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Pelumi! I completely understand your current predicament. I have never tried this recipe with gluten-free flour so I am not quite certain of the outcome. From my experience with gluten-free flour, the shape might not hold as much and it might be a little denser compared to those made with regular flour. But I can assure you it will still taste great :). Do let me know how it works for you.
Mo says
Thanks for sharing. They were irresistible and tasted so damn good! Everyone loved it. The rate at which it finished was a mystery. Lol.
NB: A friend shared one recipe with me and then I found yours. Glad I followed this instead
Sarah says
Thanks for the tips mine was lovely although I didn’t add vanilla ,lime and nutmeg,it still came out delicious, my kids loved them.
Zee says
Hi , I tried this but mine wasn’t cooked well inside
Any suggestions?
Imma Adamu says
Lets look at this from a few areas, 1) What temperature were you working from, because a high temperature could golden the outside rapidly without having cooked inside.
Also look at your consistency to make sure it feels right. Can you please try it again and let me know how it turns out?
OlaMo says
Hello Imma, l love the buns and it taste good with a hot cup of latte or mocha. However, I never get the perfect round shape and cracks when fried.
How do I achieve the shape without cracks? Colleagues want to make orders and I need to do something perfect.
ImmaculateBites says
Hello Olamo. Here are a few things you could do. First, you could cut down on the butter to 2 Tablespoons melted butter. Second, make sure your oil is enough, but not too hot as to burn the buns. Third, if you cannot achieve the round shape with your hands, try using 2 spoons. Use one spoon to scoop the batter and the other to push it into the oil. Hope this helps. Thanks for stopping by!
Godstime m says
Thank you my directress pls can i add yeast in my buns making
imma africanbites says
Hi. You can add yeast, but the texture would be different. I left out the yeast and use baking powder instead. These buns yield better texture as compared to the yeast recipe. And they do rise well even without the presence of yeast.
Astar says
Hello, thanks for the recipe. I tried twice but the buns always break. I dont know what i am not getting right
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Aster,
I can’t say for sure without actually being there. But here are some few tips . Make sure your oil is hot or at the right temperature . Do not overcrowd the fry pan when frying . Hope this helps.
Uzochukwu says
Please imma can I skip the orange just nutmeg
imma africanbites says
Yes, you can.
Abi says
Hi Imma,
I tried these and the exterior texture was very jagged – not smooth like traditional buns. I followed the recipe to a tee except for the sugar part where I used half brown, half white. Could this be why the texture was off?
ImmaculateBites says
I don’t think so. It might be the temperature of the oil – if the oil is not hot enough it falls apart .Also do not over crowd the pan.
Christiana Ilamosi Igechi says
Can brown sugar be used instead of white sugar?
imma africanbites says
I don’t see why not. Please do let me know how it turned out for you.
Niyi says
I found my buns break up in the oil every time. Is there something wrong in the mix?
ImmaculateBites says
I would cut down on the butter to 2 Tablespoons melted butter.
Agu Lilian says
Wooow, mine came out so lovely, delicious and tasted yummy, but it’s seem next time I need to reduce my eggs n milk.
Foluke says
I love frying puffpuff, I just tried buns it was WOW. Thanks so much.
Bose says
Good job, pls after mixing for hw long do you wait
ImmaculateBites says
You fry immediately . No resting period.