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July 28, 2015 Appetiser Recipes

How To Make Nigerian buns in Easy Steps

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There is a reason this Nigerian buns recipe is popular on the blog! it works, it is absolutely delicious and more importantly easy to make. Come on, let me get you hooked to the buns thang too

image of nigerian buns placed on old newspaper. One of the buns is already bitten to show the spongy inside

I have been banned at home from making any more Nigerian buns, except if it’s going to be a gift or for business purposes. I make it a lot and I tell you, somebody’s waistline is not smiling at all. I’m sure you are thinking why am I starting this post with the negatives? I tell you what! These buns are very addictive and you have to be much disciplined to say no to eating them.

Nigerian bun is the brother of Nigerian puff puff.  This Nigerian bun is rocky and crunchy outside and spongy when you break into it. It is very easy to make but can be quite tricky also if it isn’t done well or the dough overworked.

Nigerian buns are loved by all and you have a choice, if you don’t like it then you must love its brother puff puff. I’m yet to come across a Nigerian that doesn’t love both or one out of the two. I love both puff puff and buns but in terms of oil consumption, I prefer buns as it doesn’t soak up so much oil when frying.

It is one of the popular street snacks in Nigeria and it is best enjoyed with a very chilled drink. You can add milk to the ingredients listed below and you can also skip the egg part.

This recipe is easily adaptable and easy to make. Also, the recipe requires nutmeg but I didn’t have it when I made this hence the use of vanilla essence. Like I said earlier, you can get addicted to this snack so do eat in moderation. This recipe can be served as party snacks, picnic and it is also loved by the kids too.

Alright, my lovelies let’s get on to making the best Nigerian buns ever.

over head shot of six fried dough balls

Ingredients

400g all-purpose flour

3tbsp of butter

1tbs baking powder

100g sugar, substitute with honey

1tsp salt

100-150ml water

1 egg

Vanilla extract (optional)

Vegetable oil for frying

How to make Nigerian Buns

Add all the dry ingredients with the butter in a bowl and mix to form crumble.

Add the egg and water and mix to form a thick stretchy batter, then add water to the flour in bits till you achieve the desired consistency. Do not overwork the batter

Place a shallow pan on medium heat, add vegetable oil and allow to heat up till hot

By dropping in a small batter, test the oil for readiness. If the batter floats atop, then it’s ready.

Carefully drop the batter in the hot oil in batches but don’t overcrowd the oil.

Reduce the heat and fry the buns till golden brown and well done

Repeat this process until you have exhausted the whole batter mix.

Tip: reduce the heat each time you are frying a new batch then turn the heat back up to for even cooking. This way the buns doesn’t turn brown quickly without cooking through. Thank me later lol

process shot of how to make buns in 4 different images

Use a slotted spoon and transfer the buns on a paper towel. Serve buns cool or cold with any chilled soft drinks of choice or iced water.

buns on newspaper.
Print Recipe
5 from 17 votes

How to make Nigerian Buns

What is not to love about Nigerian Buns? Crunchy on the outside, fluffy and spongy on the inside. Buns is another popular snack in Nigeria, it is made with few ingredients and very easy to make too. You can make this recipe vegan or vegetarian friendly with few smart swaps.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: African, Nigerian
Keyword: How to make Nigerian buns, Nigerian Buns
Servings: 5
Author: Ajoke

Ingredients

  • 400 g all-purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp of butter
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 100 g sugar substitute with honey
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 100-150 ml water
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract optional
  • Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

  • Add all the dry ingredients with the butter in a bowl and mix to form crumble.
  • Add the egg and water and mix to form a thick stretchy batter, then add water to the flour in bits till you achieve the desired consistency. Do not overwork the batter
  • Place a shallow pan on medium heat, add vegetable oil and allow to heat up till hot (About 3 inches high)
  • Drop little batter into the oil to test if it’s hot enough for use. If the batter floats atop, then it’s ready. 
    You can fry this in a deep fryer at 180C
  • Carefully drop the batter in the hot oil in batches but don’t overcrowd the oil.
  • Reduce the heat and fry the buns till golden brown and well done
  • Repeat this process until you have exhausted the whole batter mix.

Notes

Tip:

reduce the heat each time you are frying a new batch then turn the heat back up to for even cooking. This way the buns don’t turn brown quickly without cooking through
Image of nigerian buns

See how easy this recipe is. If you would prefer softer buns then you should try this recipe here

If you made this recipe, don’t forget to leave me feedback. Tag me on Instagram and save away to your Pinterest

 

Related

Categories: Appetiser Recipes Tags: buns, how to make nigerian buns, how to make nigerian snacks, nigerian buns in easy steps, nigerian small chops, nigerian snacks

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Emaend dangel says

    November 30, 2020 at 6:04 am

    Thanks ma I will try it

     
    Reply
  2. Chiamaka Gloria says

    July 16, 2020 at 2:13 am

    5 stars
    Thanks so much for dis recipe,but I want to ask a question can u use yeast to bake buns?

     
    Reply
    • Ajoke says

      July 16, 2020 at 9:13 am

      Hello Gloria, no, you do not need yeast in buns. You only you use yeast in puff puff, doughnuts etc but not buns

       
      Reply
  3. Meg wise says

    June 19, 2020 at 3:42 pm

    thanks so much for your time I will try my recipe tonight

     
    Reply
  4. Udokzy says

    June 12, 2020 at 5:26 pm

    Hi, thanks for this recipe I love it. will be trying it tomorrow.

     
    Reply
  5. Ezinne says

    June 3, 2020 at 2:03 am

    I want to say a big thank you for this recipe on how to make buns.i will try mine today and get back to you.

     
    Reply
  6. Kike says

    May 30, 2020 at 2:02 pm

    5 stars

    5 stars
    I tried this and it came out great. Thanks for the recipe and procedure, pretty easy to make.

     
    Reply
    • Ajoke says

      June 2, 2020 at 7:45 pm

      Yay! I am glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for your feedback.

       
      Reply
  7. IFY Love says

    May 10, 2020 at 1:07 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks dear for your recipe, I just tried it and it turned out fine.

     
    Reply
  8. Azalor says

    May 4, 2020 at 11:47 am

    5 stars

    5 stars
    It was amazing wow, the vanilla just gave it an extra kick .
    It was crispy outside ,soft inside and it melts in the mouth and I did it without the egg .

    AMAZING

     
    Reply
  9. Jaiyeola says

    April 28, 2020 at 10:34 am

    Ajoke.
    Thanks alots.
    May I ask, why did my buns had a weak structure?
    Every other things was fine but the whole buns had a very weak structure especially when it becomes cold?

     
    Reply
  10. Iy Cakes says

    April 16, 2020 at 6:51 am

    Thanks for the puff puff recipe. So delicious 😋. God bless XX

     
    Reply
    • Ajoke says

      April 18, 2020 at 9:19 pm

      Thank you for the feedback, I am glad you enjoyed it and God bless you too.

       
      Reply
  11. Sophia says

    April 12, 2020 at 5:53 pm

    Wow! I’ve always wanted to try making buns. I found your recipe very simple and easy to understand. I did it todsy(Easter Sunday) and it turned out well. Everyone loved it. I made it in smaller sizes(like chops).
    Thank you for this. They even want more!

     
    Reply
    • Ajoke says

      April 18, 2020 at 9:26 pm

      Aww! thank you Sophia for the feedback.

       
      Reply
    • Fadeke says

      April 28, 2020 at 4:28 pm

      I just tried your recipe now and it came out so nice. I can’t believe it was my first time making buns, it was just too perfect.
      Thanks sis, God bless you.

       
      Reply
  12. Folashade says

    April 4, 2020 at 9:47 am

    5 stars
    I tried this recipes and steps I wasn’t disappointed. It came out so well…

     
    Reply
    • Ajoke says

      April 18, 2020 at 9:25 pm

      yay! glad to hear that. Thank you

       
      Reply
  13. Kpezzy says

    January 8, 2020 at 9:42 am

    5 stars

    5 stars
    Recipe came out well. But I guess I was much in a hurry to get it over with(hunger).
    Thanks ma’am

     
    Reply
    • Ajoke says

      January 10, 2020 at 7:33 pm

      Thank you Kpezzy, I am happy you enjoyed the recipe.

       
      Reply
    • Monika says

      February 2, 2020 at 8:12 am

      Dear Ajoke
      Thank you for your recipe. Easy to follow and the buns are delicious.

       
      Reply
      • Ajoke says

        April 18, 2020 at 9:27 pm

        thanks Monika for the kind words

         
        Reply
  14. Ekuma perpetua says

    September 4, 2019 at 11:38 pm

    Please ma, what can I do to make the outer part of buns hard and inside still fluffy? I usually add powdered milk and milk flavor, my husband keeps complaining that it’s not hard.

     
    Reply
    • Ajoke says

      October 23, 2019 at 4:40 pm

      Hello, you might be adding too much liquid to the mix.

       
      Reply
  15. chinyere says

    March 19, 2019 at 11:05 am

    5 stars
    wow!! thanks so much ma for this recipe. I have been looking for a better recipe for buns

     
    Reply
    • Ajoke says

      March 21, 2019 at 11:55 pm

      Thanks so much Ma’am. I am glad you love the recipe

       
      Reply
  16. Steff says

    June 18, 2018 at 1:25 pm

    5 stars
    I tried it and it came out really well…thanks

     
    Reply
    • Ajoke says

      June 18, 2018 at 7:36 pm

      Thank you Steff for the feedback

       
      Reply
    • Angel says

      April 22, 2020 at 12:46 pm

      5 stars

      5 stars
      I love the recipe

       
      Reply
  17. Yinka says

    November 21, 2017 at 12:51 pm

    Hello Ajoke
    Thank you so much for the recipe on buns. I looked at a few recipes online and noticed yours has butter in it. I tried it yesterday and it came out perfect to my taste, I cut down on the sugar though. unfortunately I didnt take any photos and made a few using only 200g of flour. It was yummy!!
    Thanks so much

     
    Reply
    • Ajoke says

      December 1, 2017 at 11:19 am

      Hi Yinka, thank you so much for trying out my recipes and taking out the time to feedback.

       
      Reply
  18. Yinka Bazuaye says

    November 21, 2017 at 12:50 pm

    Hello Ajoke
    Thank you so much for the recipe on buns. I looked at a few recipes online and noticed yours has butter in it. I tried it yesterday and it came out perfect to my taste, I cut down on the sugar though. unfortunately I didnt take any photos and made a few using only 200g of flour. It was yummy!!
    Thanks so much

     
    Reply
  19. Abby says

    April 26, 2017 at 11:30 pm

    It’s a lovely recipe. Just tried it. It’s the best I’ve ever made. Thank you.

     
    Reply
  20. Abbey says

    February 19, 2017 at 8:53 pm

    Thanks for your this lovely recipe. I tried it but it doesn’t come out like what is in the picture.
    I followed each step by step but my comes out rough not as round as yours.
    What did l did wrong?

     
    Reply
  21. Jay says

    February 13, 2017 at 4:26 pm

    Thanks, will try it… I’m a buns freak…

     
    Reply
  22. Joy says

    January 6, 2017 at 1:23 pm

    Hi, thanks for sharing this recipe, I always come here for help when cooking. Can you please share the quantity each recipe makes to guide anyone who might want to increase or reduce the quantity. Thanks

     
    Reply
    • Ajoke says

      January 11, 2017 at 9:56 pm

      Thanks Joy, I will make a note on that and update accordingly.

       
      Reply
  23. ronke says

    June 25, 2016 at 9:46 pm

    Thanks my sister, all your recipes are keeper.

     
    Reply
    • Ajoke says

      June 26, 2016 at 6:26 pm

      yay!!! Thanks Ronke.

       
      Reply
    • Mrs chiamaka says

      March 1, 2019 at 5:15 pm

      So easy and yummy
      Thank for making my work so easy
      You are the best dear

       
      Reply
      • Ajoke says

        March 3, 2019 at 10:34 pm

        Hi Ma’am, thank you so much for your feedback. I am glad you found the recipe helpful.

         
        Reply
  24. Modupe Adebambo says

    October 8, 2015 at 11:57 pm

    This is so yummy. Please can you convert into cups again. Am so bad with this grams. Thanks babes. Need to try this.

     
    Reply
  25. Timi Ademoyero says

    October 7, 2015 at 2:04 am

    Ajoke, thank you for being so creative with our Nigerian food. I spend time looking at master chef, come dine with me and many more food programmes including pining a lot of recipes on pintrest. To now see creativity out of Nigerian food is impressive and am proud of you.
    Keep it up. You have just taken me to another level in my kitchen, sooooo excited!

    Thank you once again

    Timi

     
    Reply
    • Ajoke says

      May 7, 2016 at 5:44 pm

      Thank you so much Timi for your kind thoughts. I’m glad to be able to make your kitchen buzz with excitement.

       
      Reply
  26. Bukola says

    July 30, 2015 at 10:46 am

    Looks yummy to d eyes.

     
    Reply
    • Ajoke says

      July 30, 2015 at 9:35 pm

      Thanks a lot Bukola

       
      Reply
    • Ajoke says

      August 6, 2015 at 5:49 pm

      Thanks

       
      Reply
  27. Dammy says

    July 29, 2015 at 7:21 pm

    This is a nice recipe, I’ll be trying it soon.

     
    Reply
    • Ajoke says

      July 30, 2015 at 9:34 pm

      Thanks Dammy

       
      Reply
    • Anna says

      July 1, 2020 at 2:36 pm

      5 stars

      5 stars
      Just made it now using your recipe. Although I used nutmeg instead of vanilla. It was an absolute hit! My family loved it. Thanks!

       
      Reply
      • Ajoke says

        July 2, 2020 at 9:03 am

        Thanks Anna for your feedback. Nutmeg is a good addition for flavour. I am glad you all enjoyed it.

         
        Reply

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