Chin chin

Name: Chin chin
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 12 people
Cuisine: Nigerian
Ingredients: 500 g Wheat flour, plain, plus more for rolling; 100 g Sugar; 100 g Butter, cold, cubed; 2 piece Egg; 100 ml Milk, evaporated milk is traditional; whole milk works; 1 tsp Nutmeg, freshly grated; 1 tsp Baking powder; 0.5 tsp Salt; 1 l Neutral oil, for deep-frying

Crunchy Nigerian fried pastry nibbles of sweet nutmeg dough, cut into small cubes and fried by the bowlful.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.

Start cooking

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 30 min
Rest: 20 min
Total: 1 hr 20 min
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: No chilli
Cost: Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Chin chin is a stiff sweet dough of flour, sugar, butter, egg and milk, scented with nutmeg, rolled thin, cut into little squares or strips and deep-fried until crisp and pale gold. The dough is worked just enough to come together, rested, then cut quickly with a knife or pizza wheel. The pieces are fried in batches and cooled on paper, where they crisp up fully. This version is the hard, crunchy kind. Some families make a softer, cakier chin chin with baking powder and less working; the dough here has a little baking powder but is rolled thin enough to snap.

What you'll need

9 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 9 ready

12 servings

Ingredients

Servings

Wheat flour, plain, plus more for rolling500 g
Sugar100 g
Butter, cold, cubed100 g
Egg2
Milk, evaporated milk is traditional; whole milk works100 ml
Nutmeg, freshly grated4.9 ml
Baking powder4.9 ml
Salt2½ ml
Neutral oil, for deep-frying1 l

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Mix the flour, sugar, nutmeg, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Rub in the cold butter until it looks like damp sand.
8 min
Step 2
Beat the eggs with the milk. Pour into the flour and bring together into a firm dough. Knead for a minute only, until smooth. Add a splash of milk if it will not hold, or a spoon of flour if it sticks.
5 min
Watch: Overworked dough fries up tough rather than crisp.
Step 3
Wrap and rest 20 minutes. Heat 6 cm of oil in a deep pot to 170 °C.
20 min170°C
Step 4
Roll a quarter of the dough on a floured surface to 4 mm thick. Cut into 1 cm strips, then across into 1 cm cubes. Toss with a little flour so they do not stick. Repeat with the rest.
15 min
Tip: A pizza wheel cuts a tray of cubes in half the time.
Step 5
Fry in batches, stirring with a spider so they turn, until pale gold and the bubbling quiets, 3 to 4 minutes a batch. They darken a shade as they cool, so pull them before they look done.
25 min
Step 6
Drain on paper and cool completely before tasting for crunch. Store airtight; they keep for weeks.
15 min

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 395 kcal
Protein: 5.6 g
Carbs: 40.6 g
Fat: 23.4 g
Saturated fat: 6.3 g
Fibre: 1.2 g
Sugar: 9 g
Sodium: 113 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Wheat
Milk
Eggs

Vegetarian
Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.

Substitutions

Butter → Margarine
Common in Nigeria, where butter is expensive. Slightly less flavour, same crunch.

Tips

Frying too many at once drops the oil temperature and the chin chin soak up fat. Keep batches to a single loose layer.
For a softer, cakey chin chin, use 2 teaspoons of baking powder and roll to 1 cm.

History & culture

Chin chin is Christmas and Eid, weddings and naming ceremonies, packed into jars and plastic tubs and handed round. It sells by the bag on buses and at school gates. The crunch is tested publicly; soft chin chin is a disappointment people will mention.

A fried-dough sweet from the colonial period, when wheat flour, sugar and tinned milk became common in Nigerian towns. It is sometimes compared to Scandinavian klenäter or Italian chiacchiere, but the shape, nutmeg and hardness are its own.

Traditional

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Chin chin take?

1 hr 20 min all in — 30 min prep, 30 min cook, 20 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 12 people. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Easy.

How spicy is it?

No chilli.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Milk, Eggs. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Nut-free.

8 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Mixing bowl, Rolling pin, Dutch oven, Spider or strainer, Chef's knife.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at ½ tsp.

How much sugar?

100 g of Sugar.

What can I use instead?

Butter → Margarine. Common in Nigeria, where butter is expensive. Slightly less flavour, same crunch.

What should I watch for?

Overworked dough fries up tough rather than crisp.

Any tips from this recipe?

Frying too many at once drops the oil temperature and the chin chin soak up fat. Keep batches to a single loose layer. For a softer, cakey chin chin, use 2 teaspoons of baking powder and roll to 1 cm.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.