Description
A simple recipe for Nigerian buns, aka African buns, requires all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, eggs, butter, and milk. You will combine these ingredients, mold them into small balls, and fry them in hot oil until they are golden and no longer raw.! The best thing about the authentic Nigerian buns recipe is that it requires few ingredients, is easy to make, and tastes absolutely delicious! These simple fried dough balls have a somewhat crunchy exterior and a soft, pillowy interior. They are like cake donuts (here in the States) but with less sugar! They have a distinct flavor and unique taste that makes them unforgettable!
Ingredients
- 2 (tipping) cups of All-purpose flour (plus a little more (if needed) until no longer sticky)
- ½ cup or ½ can of sweet condensed milk (about 7 oz)
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon of salt or a dash
- ¼ cup of salted butter
- ¼ cup or 4 tablespoons of pure cane sugar or Monk fruit sweetener
- 1½ teaspoons of baking powder
- 1-teaspoon nutmeg
- 2–3 cups of vegetable oil (or frying oil); for frying
Instructions
- Gather Ingredients. Gather all your ingredients and add them to the bowl. Use a clean hand(s) to combine until it forms a soft dough.
- Measure and form into dough balls. Use a measuring tool to ensure your dough balls are equal for even cooking (I generally use a Tablespoon scoop)!
- Heat up your oil. Set a deep pot on the stove and add a good amount of oil up to 3 inches in deep. Turn your stove to medium, and then allow your oil to heat up. Use a skewer or a tiny bit of dough to see if the oil is good to go.
- Fry Nigerian Buns in Batches. Fry your authentic Nigerian buns in batches. To know if a bun is ready, poke with a skewer or toothpick to see if raw dough comes out of the hole. Then, use a slotted spoon to remove fried buns from the hot oil. Place on a paper towel-lined plate. Remember not to fry your buns in high heat because the exterior is likely to cook while the interior is still raw.
- Serve and Enjoy! Allow to cool for a few minutes, serve and enjoy!
Notes
Use sweet condensed milk instead of regular milk! It really packs a punch in terms of flavors!
Nutmeg adds additional flavors to your Nigerian buns. However, you can make buns without it.
Make sure your oil heats up before you add your dough balls. And if the are too hot they can burn and the dough wouldn’t cook properly. LOL, frying buns is a balancing art.
Use a deep pot/pan to deep fry your buns dough, do not use a flat surface pan.
I typically use one tablespoon to measure and mold the dough balls. Feel free to use any measure that works for you!
Make sure to roll out or form your dough balls before you start frying!
Do not overcrowd your pan/pot. Unfortunately, it will likely result in your dough soaking up excess oil.
Your Nigerian bun dough should be softer in consistency than chin-chin dough and not as soft as puff puff dough.
There was no need to add water when mixing as the eggs and cup of sweet condensed milk were enough. However, you can add 2 – 3 tablespoons of water if the dough seems too thick or hard.
Please note that this should be a soft dough, but if it seems too sticky, add 1 – tablespoon of flour, or, until it is no longer sticky, it forms a dough.
These days, I do swap the pure cane sugar with Monk fruit sweetener!
