Chin Chin Recipe – Sweet crunchy deep-fried snacks made with flour, sugar, milk, butter, and aromatic spice powder like nutmeg or cinnamon.
Chin Chin Recipe
Chin chin is a very popular Nigerian snack and it also comes in a savory version too which is more popular in Ghana (a west African country). The savory version uses a lot of onion, ginger with chili powder.
It’s very common to see this snack being made during festive seasons in Nigeria but since my kids love it so much I make it every now and then.
People have their preferences ranging from the really hard ones to the really soft ones. My preference is just in-between and that’s the recipe I have shared below.
I have also given some tips below on how you can make the soft or the hard version so you could choose your preference.
How to make Chin chin
Chin chin can be easily prepared at home without much efforts. All the ingredients you need are all pantry staples and everything comes together in about 30 minutes from start to finish.
In this recipe, I have added cinnamon and cayenne pepper just for a little bit zing!
You will need:
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Milk
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Flour
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Sugar
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Eggs
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Butter
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Salt
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Cayenne pepper (optional)
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Baking powder
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Cinnamon or nutmeg
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Oil for frying
These snacks are great for teatime, movie nights, game nights or anytime snack
How to check if the oil is hot enough for frying
To check if the oil is hot enough, drop a small piece of dough inside the oil.
- If the dough stays at the bottom for a long time, then the oil needs to be heated up a little more.
- If the dough rises too rapidly, then you may need to turn down the heat a little bit; otherwise, the chin chi will brown too quickly.
- If the dough gradually floats to the surface of the oil, then the oil is just right.
Recipe Notes:
- Don’t be in a haste to eat your chin chin, let it cool down properly in order for you to enjoy the crunch.
- If you are using powdered milk just dissolve 2 Tbs of powder milk in 8Tbsp of water then use the required amount in the recipe (6 to 7 Tbsp) and drink the rest!
- If you plan to store your chin chin, be sure to let it cool down completely before storing it in an airtight container. This will make the chin chin remain crisp and last longer.
Chin chin variations
- If you want the super-soft chin chin with little to no crunch then add 1 extra tablespoon of butter and an extra 1/4 tsp of baking powder
- If you are a fan of the super hard chin chin leave out the Egg and the baking powder; at this point, your dough will be hard but if you find it too hard to work then add about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of milk to make it workable.

Chin chin
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- A pinch of Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 egg large
- 5 to 6 Tbsp Milk
- 2 1/2 Tbsp Butter melted
- vegetable oil for frying
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon or nutmeg
Instructions
- Mix the Flour, baking powder, Sugar, and Nutmeg together in a Bowl
- Add the Egg, Melted Butter and Milk to the dry mixture and mix together until a dough is formed and knead the dough for a couple of minutes (about 2 to 4 minutes)
- Roll the dough it out into a thin sheet of about a 1/4 to 1/6 inch thickness and use a pizza cutter or a knife to cut the dough into tiny pieces as shown in the video above
- Preheat some oil - enough to deep fry the chin chin and fry until golden brown.
- Allow to cool completely before serving. Enjoy!
Mercy
Tuesday 5th of September 2023
I added too much baking powder a d butter ,my chinchin is crumbling,how can I correct it to achieve hard chinchin?. Should I add more flour to the dough?
Chef Lola's Kitchen
Sunday 22nd of October 2023
So sorry about this Mary. Yes, you can add more flour. You should also adjust other ingredients to get a flavourful and yummy chichin.
Motunrayo
Friday 1st of September 2023
Thanks Miss Lola...may God continue to strengthen you.
Lola Osinkolu
Tuesday 5th of September 2023
Amen!...Thank you.
Tuesday 27th of June 2023
Dear Lola thanks for sharing this important recipe. God Bless you
Chef Lola's Kitchen
Sunday 27th of August 2023
You're welcome.
Wednesday 7th of June 2023
You didn't add water at all? I will try this recipe and give you feedback
Chef Lola's Kitchen
Friday 9th of June 2023
I will be expecting your feedback
Smart Hannah
Friday 2nd of June 2023
I'm really really in love with your kitchen with what I'm seeing the main things you're doing you're doing great. And i wish I can achieve it through this preparation I will be very glad.Thank you. may God improve your hand work
Chef Lola's Kitchen
Friday 9th of June 2023
Amen. Thank you so much, Smart.