What Is Bofrot? The Ghanaian Doughnut Explained
Bofrot is a sweet, fluffy Ghanaian doughnut, also called togbei. Here is what it is and where to buy the ingredients.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Bofrot is a beloved Ghanaian snack, a sweet, fluffy, deep-fried doughnut made from a simple yeast or batter dough of flour, sugar, water and often nutmeg, shaped into round balls and fried until golden. Also known as togbei, meaning sweet ball, and closely related to the puff puff found across West Africa, bofrot is soft and airy inside with a lightly crisp outside, enjoyed as a snack, a treat and a street food. It is a favourite at gatherings, from sale by the roadside to church and family events. In the UK you can make it easily with everyday ingredients from any food shop.
What to remember
- Bofrot is a sweet, fluffy, deep-fried Ghanaian doughnut, also called togbei.
- It is made from a simple dough of flour, sugar, water and often nutmeg.
- It is shaped into round balls and fried until golden, soft inside and lightly crisp outside.
- It is closely related to the puff puff found across West Africa.
- You can make it with everyday ingredients from any food shop in the UK.
For Ghanaians in Britain, bofrot is a sweet taste of home. It is the golden togbei bought hot from the roadside, the fluffy doughnuts made for a family gathering, the after-church treat, the sweet ball that says childhood and home. Frying bofrot far from home brings back roadside stalls and family kitchens and the simple pleasure of a warm, sweet snack, the warmth of home in every soft, golden bite.
There is real comfort in it too, in a treat so tied to everyday Ghanaian life and community. It reflects a whole culture of simple, homely, shared snacks, and to make bofrot is to keep that alive. Frying bofrot for family who grew up on it, or introducing a friend to their first warm, sweet togbei, is a small act of welcome. That sweet, comforting taste of home is the quiet gift of bofrot.
What Bofrot Actually Is
Bofrot is one of Ghana's most loved snacks, a sweet, round, deep-fried doughnut that is soft and fluffy inside with a lightly crisp golden outside. It goes by a couple of names, bofrot and togbei, the latter meaning sweet ball, and it is essentially the Ghanaian version of the puff puff enjoyed across West Africa, with the same irresistible appeal. Made from a simple, inexpensive dough, it is the kind of everyday treat that turns up everywhere, sold hot from roadside fryers, made at home, and served at gatherings.
The dough is straightforward: flour, sugar, water and a raising agent, usually yeast, often flavoured with nutmeg and a pinch of salt, mixed into a soft batter-like dough and left to rise so the finished bofrot is light and airy. Rolled or scooped into rounds and deep-fried, it becomes golden, puffy and sweet. Bofrot belongs to the world of Ghanaian snacks we cover in our guide to Ghanaian food, a close cousin of puff puff and a beloved treat.
How Bofrot Is Made
Making bofrot is simple and satisfying. A soft dough or thick batter is made from flour, sugar, and water or milk, with yeast to make it rise, and usually a little nutmeg and salt for flavour, then left in a warm place to prove until risen and airy, which is what gives bofrot its lovely fluffy texture. Some recipes use baking powder instead of yeast for a quicker version, but yeast gives the classic light, bread-like crumb.
The risen dough is then deep-fried: scooped or shaped into rounds, often by squeezing balls from the hand or using a spoon, and dropped into hot oil, where the pieces puff up and turn golden brown, cooking through to a soft, sweet inside. They are drained and eaten warm. Getting the oil temperature right so the bofrot cooks through without burning is the main knack. This is general food information rather than dietary advice. Sweet, soft and golden, freshly fried bofrot is hard to resist.
How Bofrot Is Enjoyed
Bofrot is enjoyed as a snack and a treat at all times of day, from breakfast with a hot drink to an afternoon snack or an after-church bite. It is classic street and market food, sold hot by roadside vendors and at stalls, cheap and satisfying, and it is a fixture at gatherings, parties, church events and family occasions, where a big bowl of bofrot is always welcome. It is loved by children and adults alike.
Simple, sweet and comforting, bofrot is the kind of treat that brings back happy memories for many Ghanaians, tied to childhood, home and community. For anyone exploring Ghanaian food, it is an easy, delicious snack to try, and simple to make at home. Whether bought hot from a fryer or made in the family kitchen, bofrot, or togbei, is a small, golden, sweet pleasure and a beloved part of Ghanaian everyday food.
Where to Buy the Ingredients in the UK
Making bofrot at home in Britain is easy, as the ingredients are everyday store cupboard items. Flour, sugar, yeast and nutmeg are in every supermarket, and African food shops stock them too, along with any specific flours or flavourings you might want and the oil for deep-frying. Because the ingredients are so simple, bofrot is a great, inexpensive treat to make at home, and African food shops can also help if you want particular ingredients.
If you want to make bofrot, any food shop has the basics, and an African food shop can point you to the ingredients and offer tips. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you. Made from a simple risen dough and deep-fried until golden and fluffy, bofrot brings a sweet, comforting taste of Ghana to your kitchen, perfect with a hot drink or shared at a gathering.
Frequently asked questions
What is bofrot?
Bofrot is a beloved Ghanaian snack, a sweet, fluffy, deep-fried doughnut made from a simple dough of flour, sugar, water and often nutmeg, shaped into round balls and fried until golden. Also called togbei, meaning sweet ball, it is soft and airy inside with a lightly crisp outside, and it is closely related to the puff puff found across West Africa.
What is the difference between bofrot and puff puff?
Bofrot and puff puff are essentially the same kind of sweet, deep-fried West African doughnut, with bofrot being the Ghanaian name, also called togbei, and puff puff the name used in Nigeria and more widely. Recipes and shapes vary a little from place to place, but both are made from a sweet, risen dough fried into soft, golden balls.
How do you make bofrot?
Bofrot is made from a soft dough or thick batter of flour, sugar, water or milk, yeast and usually nutmeg, left to rise until airy, then scooped into rounds and deep-fried in hot oil until puffed and golden. The yeast gives the light, fluffy texture. Getting the oil temperature right, so the bofrot cooks through without burning, is the main knack.
When is bofrot eaten?
Bofrot is eaten as a snack and treat at any time, from breakfast with a hot drink to an afternoon or after-church snack. It is classic street and market food, sold hot by roadside vendors, and a fixture at parties, church events and family gatherings, where a big bowl is always welcome. It is loved by children and adults alike.
Where can I buy the ingredients in the UK?
The ingredients for bofrot, flour, sugar, yeast, nutmeg and oil, are everyday items sold in any supermarket, and African food shops stock them too, along with any particular flavourings. Because the ingredients are so simple, bofrot is easy and inexpensive to make at home. A shop can point you to what you need and offer tips. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you.