Plantain Puff Puff (Buñuelos de Plátano) are light, fluffy fritters made with overripe plantains. Crispy on the outside, soft and pillowy inside. Top with sugar, honey, or chocolate!
Not sure what to do with overripe plantains? Well do not throw them away because this is exactly the kind of recipe overripe plantains are perfect for! These golden little fritters, turn ready to toss black plantains into soft, fluffy bites that are soft in the inside and deliciously golden on the outside. Every bite is light, airy, and perfect with a cup of coffee, hot chocolate or tea.
Love plantains? Try this our piononos and canoas de platano recipes!
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What is Plantain Puff Puff?
Puff puffs are fluffy deep fried dough fritters that originated in Africa. These sweet fritters are made from flour, yeast, sugar and water. Adding ripe plantains to the batter, adds extra sweetness and makes for the perfect use of overripe plantains. These are usually served as a snack or dessert and are best enjoyed when they’re still hot.
Ingredients
The ingredients for this yummy recipe are quite simple and you may even have all of them in your pantry!
- overripe plantains (black skin)
- yeast
- flour
- warm water
- salt
- vegetable oil for frying
Toppings:
- granulated sugar
- confectioners sugar
- honey
- chocolate fudge
- hot sauce (traditional topping in Africa)
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements and instructions.
How to Make Plantain Puff Puff
Step 1: Activate the yeast
In a small bowl, combine ½ cup warm water with the yeast. Set aside and allow it to become foamy.
Prepare the plantains
Trim the ends of the plantains. Using a knife, make a shallow slit along the length of the peel. Since they are very ripe, the skin should remove easily. Peel and place the plantains in a blender.
Step 2: Blend
Blend the plantains until completely smooth and set aside.
Step 3: Make the batter
In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of flour with 1 cup of warm water. Mix well using a whisk or fork until smooth.
Step 4: Add the remaining flour, plantain puree, and yeast mixture.
Step 5: Combine and rest
Mix until a thick, slightly stiff batter forms. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30-40 minutes, or until slightly risen.
Step 6: Heat the oil
In a deep pan or saucepan, heat about 2 cups of oil over medium-high heat.
Step 7: Fry
Once the oil is hot, scoop tablespoon-sized portions of batter and carefully drop into the oil. Fry in batches, avoiding overcrowding.
Cook until golden
Fry until golden brown on one side, then turn and cook until evenly browned on all sides.
Drain
Remove and place on paper towels to drain. Let rest for about 2 minutes.
Serve
Enjoy warm with your favorite toppings or plain.
Note: I love these dusted with confectioners sugar!
Serving Suggestions
Puff puffs are yummy topped with a variety of finishing ideas:
- Dust with powdered sugar
- Roll in cinnamon sugar
- Drizzle with a little condensed milk
- Serve with honey or maple syrup
- Chocolate sauce
- Pepper sauce
- Caramel
Cathy’s Expert Tips
- Ripe plantains: Use plantains that have completely black skins or a lot of black spots.
- Oil temperature: It is important to keep the oil at a steady heat. If it’s too hot, they will brown too fast and if it’s too cool, the puffs will absorb too much oil.
- Cooking: Do not overcrowd the pot when frying, the puffs need space to inflate properly and you do not want to lower the oil temperature.
- Make-ahead: You can prepare the batter ahead of time for a quick treat later. Store the raw batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When you’re ready to make your puff puffs, let the batter come to room temperature, then fry.
- Storing and reheating: To store leftovers, store them in an air tight container or plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for 1-2 months. To reheat, place in a preheated 350°F (177°C) oven for 5-10 minutes, or until warmed through.
Recipe FAQ’s
It may be because your yeast may be old (inactive), or the batter didn't rest long enough in a warm environment.
You can but puff puffs are best fresh, you can however, make them and then reheat them for 5-10 minutes until heated through and soft.
Other Plantains Dishes We Love
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a ⭐ review below!
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📖 Recipe
Plantain Puff Puff Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 overripe plantains with black skin
- 1 packet active dry yeast or 2 ¼ teaspoons
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1½ cups warm water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- vegetable oil for frying
Toppings
- confectioners sugar
- granulated sugar
- honey
- caramel
- hot sauce
- chocolate fudge or syrup
Instructions
Yeast
- In a small bowl, combine ½ cup warm water with the yeast. Set aside and allow it to become foamy.
Plantains
- Trim the ends of the plantains. Using a knife, make a shallow slit along the length of the peel. Peel and place in a blender. Blend the plantains until completely smooth and set aside.
Batter
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of flour with 1 cup of warm water. Mix well using a whisk or fork until smooth.
- Add the remaining flour, plantain puree, and yeast mixture.
Mix and Rest
- Mix until a thick, slightly stiff batter forms. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30-40 minutes, or until slightly risen.
Frying
- In a deep pan or saucepan, heat about 2 cups of oil over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, scoop tablespoon-sized portions of the batter and carefully drop into the oil.
- Fry until golden brown on one side, then turn and cook until evenly browned on all sides. Fry in batches, do not overcrowd the pan.
- Remove the puff puffs with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Let rest for about 2 minutes.
- Serve warm plain or with your favorite toppings.
DPhoenix says
I’ve tried fritters before, but they didn’t come out well. THIS recipe, however, did. The fritters were so flavorful and crispy, with just the right hint of sweetness. Definitely a keeper!
Elgie says
Delicious! This recipe is going straight to my Favorited. Someone gave me a lot of ripe plantains and I didn’t know what to do with them. Then I saw this recipe, it looked easy and I had all the ingredients. Oh my goodness, these puff puffs came out so delicious we can’t stop eating them. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Catherine Arena says
Hi Elgie! So happy to hear you really enjoyed them! 🙂
Sam says
Shared with friends, we were all having for the first time and were amazed by these! But I must have done something wrong because mine didn’t turn out as airy and light as your pictures. but tasted great nonetheless! Gracias!!! Now I don’t have to be too disappointed when I forget to make the tostones I wanted.
Cathy says
Hi Sam! This is so great to hear! Thank you for trying out this recipe and sharing it with your friends! It’s wonderful having a recipe we can go to when our plantains get a little “too” ripe! I love it! As far as them not coming out as airy, two things, next time you make these, make sure the packet of dry yeast is good and not past its expiration date…also make sure to let batter rest at least 30 minutes, even an hour is good. Let me know how they turn out next time! Thank you for taking the time to let me know how much you enjoyed these and giving it 5 stars!