Searching of Nigerian Desserts ideas?
Well, I am not going to pretend, in Nigeria, desserts are not really our thing. Especially the typical sweet Western desserts.
Our heavy weights lay solidly in the savoury and snacks department.
However, there is still a bucket load of Nigerian foods that can be consumed as desserts, besides, sweet is not necessarily everyone’s preference.
Let’s take a closer look at various mouth-watering Nigerian desserts.
Fried/baked Nigerian Desserts
Here are some baked delicious Nigerian dessert ideas...
1. Chin chin
This delicious crunchy snack can be enjoyed as a dessert. The main ingredients for the dough are flour, sugar, butter, and milk. Egg and baking powder are optional, they will give it a softer consistency.
You can also play with the flavours by adding spices like nutmeg or cinnamon. If you want to make it healthier why not substitute white plain flour with wholemeal flour (more fibre) or almond flour.
Chin chin is commonly deep fried, but it can easily be made by baking.
2. Puff puff
This springy golden dough ball is loved as a snack and dessert in Nigeria. It is traditionally deep fried, but the dough can be enjoyed by baking method, as the consistency is similar to doughnut.
3. Coconut balls
These are so rich and luxurious in the mouth. They can be made with coconut flakes and condensed milk. You have the option of the no bake or baking method.
4. Kuli kuli
These yummy treats primarily made from peanut paste will make a tasty dessert. You can play around with the shapes and either make them as balls or cylinders.
Because peanuts are naturally oily you can also fry it in the extracted oil. They have a long shelve life and will keep fresh in an airtight container.
5. Donkwa
Donkwa is similar to kuli-kuli as peanuts are also the main ingredient. However, corn meal is added, which gives it a soft texture that simply melts in the mouth.
It has the bonus of not needing any cooking.
6. Gurudi
Gurudi is commonly referred to as coconut cookie. It is made by mixing grated coconut and cassava starch. You can add a sweetener of choice to achieve your desired taste
Creamy Pudding Nigerian Desserts
Here are a few creamy pudding Nigerian dessert ideas:
7. Pap / Akamu
Akamu is made from corn meal. It has the same consistency as custard. So, pap can also be used with any dessert that requires custard. The flavour and texture can be enhanced by adding milk and a sweetener.
8. Fonio
This pudding is common in the Northern region of Nigeria and is also known as acha. It is consumed as breakfast but would make a yummy dessert especially when milk and a sweetener of choice are added to enrich its already creamy texture.
Natural fruits Nigerian Desserts
Alright, I truly saved the best for last. Nigeria is blessed with an array of fruits that are delicious, succulent, and ideal as wonderful desserts.
And no, fruits are not boring.
Choose seasonal fruits, as they will be more affordable and the quality will be better. Now, let’s explore the different ways we can utilise fruits as desserts.
9. Fruit salad
You can enjoy fruits in their natural state. They are naturally a perfect dessert, so no ceremony is needed. You can have one fruit or combinations to make a fruit salad. For example: watermelon, pawpaw, soursop, pineapple, banana, oranges and so on.
10. Fruit kebab
If you are aiming to impress with your presentation skills, or inject a bit of excitement into the mix, why not place your fruits on skewers to make a fruit kebab. You can have a theme either based on colours or taste.
11. Smoothies
Fancy a sipping dessert, or one that is a bit thicker and creamy? No problem, throw some fruits in the blender, either by themselves or with cream, yoghurt, and ice cubes to make delicious and healthy smoothies.
12. Sorbet
Are you feeling the heat? Perhaps you would like a desert that will cool you down. Sorbets are like ice cream, but they are made of fruit (or fruit juice) and a sweetener of choice.
Because they are made from fruits, they are lower in calories compared to ice cream, and perfect if you are trying to lose weight. Just don’t pack it full of sugar please.
Some examples, mango and passion fruit sorbet (sweet taste) or lemon and grapefruit sorbet (tangy flavour).
13. Fruit ice lollies
If you want your dessert to be handy on a stick, why not freeze your fruit mixture in a lolly mould to make delicious and refreshing ice lollies.
You can make various designs and patterns that will be a sure delight both to the eyes and the palate. For example, guava ice lollies
A Quick Note
When someone mentions the word: dessert, automatically the mind wonders to sweet foods. Desserts are perfect at the end of a meal to wrap it all up. Or as a stand-alone if you need something to hit your sweet spot!
A lot of our Nigerian desserts tends to be deep fried. As you know fat is high in calories. Also, the oils commonly used are unhealthy and harmful.
So, you will notice that I recommend more baked goods. If you happen to have an air fryer, wonderful, as they do not need as much oil for the frying effect.
However, baking really does provide the glowing golden and crispy texture we all love about fried foods.
Nigerian Dessert Conclusion
Although the word desserts may conjure up images of sweet foods, however, as we have seen, they do not always have to be sweet.
Desserts are largely an indulgent meal, so moderation is key (especially when trying to lose weight). You can perform various tweaks to make them healthier and fit with your weight loss goals.
Better still, natural fruits offer the best all round option. And there is an abundance of Nigerian fruits. They are nutrient dense and are packed with dietary fibre.
So, don’t forget that fruits are an exciting addition to your dessert menu because there are so many ways to use them as desserts.
