Textual Chef Textual Chef

Chin Chin (Fried Sweet Dough Bites)

Crunchy West African fried dough snacks flavored with nutmeg and coconut, cut into small pieces and deep-fried until golden. A beloved party treat and snack sold across Nigeria and Ghana.

55 minEasyServes 8310 cal/serving

West AfricanDessertStovetopVegetarianHigh FiberLow CarbHalal-friendlyLow-SodiumPork-FreeAlcohol-FreeNightshade-Free

Ingredients

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large egg, beaten
  • 1/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 6 cups vegetable oil (for frying)

Instructions

  1. 1

    In a large bowl, whisk together 4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg.

  2. 2

    Rub 1/4 cup softened unsalted butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs.

  3. 3

    Add 2 beaten large egg and 1/3 cup evaporated milk and mix to form a firm dough. If too dry, add a teaspoon of water at a time. The dough should not stick to your hands.

  4. 4

    On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into thin strips about 1/4 inch wide, then cut into small pieces about 1/2 inch long.

  5. 5

    Heat 6 cups vegetable oil (for frying) in a deep pot to 325°F (165°C). Fry dough pieces in small batches, stirring occasionally, until golden and crunchy, about 5-7 minutes per batch.

  6. 6

    Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Questions

Can I make Chin Chin (Fried Sweet Dough Bites) dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in this entry is 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened, 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Swap the butter for olive oil where it melts, or a plant-based block butter where it is creamed; the evaporated milk for a plant-based version of the same product. The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

Can I make Chin Chin (Fried Sweet Dough Bites) gluten-free?

Yes. The gluten in this entry is 4 cups all-purpose flour. Swap the flour for a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend (where it only thickens a sauce, half as much cornstarch also works). Everything else proceeds as written.

Can I make Chin Chin (Fried Sweet Dough Bites) ahead?

Yes, it takes well to being made ahead. Keep it covered in the refrigerator and eat it within three days.

Can I halve or double Chin Chin (Fried Sweet Dough Bites)?

Yes. As written it serves 8. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. When doubling on the stovetop, use your widest pan or work in two batches so the food sears instead of steaming.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,504 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.