Delight your tastebuds with the best New Orleans has to offer – a decadent, indulgent Beignet recipe that’s to die for!
Pillowy pockets of paradise with a powdered sugar dusting! Beignets are delicious, deep-fried dough bites made from simple pantry staples like flour, sugar, butter, milk, eggs, and dry yeast. They are soft yet crispy, rich and sweet, and completely addictive! Create these fabulous fritters at home and feel like an authentic chef at the Cafe du Monde!
Just a Spoonful of (Powdered) Sugar
Beignet dough is allowed to rise, then it’s rolled, cut into squares, and fried to a mouthwatering golden brown. As soon as the puffy pastries come out of the oil, they are dusted, no…rolled, no…coated, no…ENVELOPED in a snowstorm of powdered sugar! Just a spoonful of sugar is not enough! So, keep plenty of napkins on hand as you savor these hot, sweet treats with a luscious chocolate or Easy Raspberry Sauce!
Other French Quarter Style Recipes
- Start your Mardi Gras celebration with these incredible King Cake Donuts!
- Classic southern comfort – this Bread Pudding with Vanilla Caramel Sauce recipe is New Orleans cuisine at its finest!
Ingredients
Dry: Beignets are made from pantry basics like active dry yeast, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, and a pinch of salt, but there is nothing basic about the way these taste!
Wet: You’ll need warm water to activate the yeast, melted butter, whole milk, an egg, an egg yolk, and a good frying oil – like canola, sunflower, or peanut.
Coating: A generous amount of powdered sugar is the traditional coating for beignets – and it’s pretty hard to beat! But you can also coat your beignets with a cinnamon sugar if you like!
Sauce: Beignets don’t require a dipping sauce to be fantastic, but a little raspberry or chocolate sauce definitely takes them to the next level!
How to Make Beignets
STEP ONE: In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup of warm water with 2 tsps of sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit until foamy (5-10 minutes). When the yeast is ready, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add in the milk, egg, extra egg yolk, melted butter, and yeast mixture. Knead by hand for 8-10 minutes until the dough is soft and stretchy, but not sticky.
STEP TWO: Cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let it rise for 1.5 to 2 hours, until it has doubled in size.
STEP THREE: Once doubled, roll the dough out on a floured surface to a 1/4-inch thinness. Cut the dough into 2-inch squares.
STEP FOUR: Heat oil to 350 degrees F in a deep pot. Fry the beignets in small batches, so you don’t overcrowd the pot. Cook for 10-20 seconds per side until golden and puffy – watch closely – they brown fast.
STEP FIVE: Use a slotted spoon to remove from the oil to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Then immediately dust with powdered sugar while they are still warm.
Tips for Success
- Maintaining a 350°F oil temperature is key to light, fluffy beignets.
- Allowing the dough to rise a 2nd time will give you lighter, fluffier results.
- The ¼-inch thickness is ideal. Thinner and they won’t puff, thicker and they will be doughy inside.
- Test your yeast with a pinch of sugar and warm water, and wait to see if the yeast becomes foamy – that’s how you know it’s active.
- Cafe du Monde uses cottonseed oil for frying, but any neutral oil works fine. Canola, avocado, and grapeseed are ideal.
- Beignets can also be filled with jam, Nutella, or whipped cream, or rolled in cinnamon-sugar instead of powdered.
What is a Beignet?
A beignet (ben-yay) is a French pastry and is well-known as the defining delicacy of New Orleans. It is often described as a doughnut or fritter, though it is a small square of deep-fried dough that is generously coated with confectioner’s sugar. The word “beignet” comes from the French for “bump,” probably because they are just little bumps of dough.
What’s the Difference Between a Doughnut and a Beignet?
Doughnuts encompass a wide range of pastries. Traditional donuts are deep-fried, and “cake donuts” are baked. Doughnuts are round, either with a hole in the center or filled with cream, custard, or jam. They can be glazed or frosted and eaten warm or at room temperature. Beignets, while also deep-fried pastries, are small and square (or slightly rectangular). They are lighter and puffier, with a simple dusting of powdered or cinnamon sugar (think funnel cakes), and are eaten hot and fresh with a dipping sauce.
Other Recipes for Fried Dough Deliciousness!
- Funnel Cakes
- Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins
- Banana Donuts with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Sopapilla Cheesecake
- Fried Scones
- Churro Muffins
Ingredients
- ½ cup warm water (about 100 degrees F)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 envelope)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar divided
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup whole milk lukewarm
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 5 cups neutral oil for frying
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir the warm water with 2 teaspoons of the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top, stir, and let it sit for 5–10 minutes, until foamy.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer with the dough hook, combine flour, remaining sugar, and salt. Add the milk, egg, egg yolk, melted butter, and the activated yeast mixture. Mix until everything comes together.
- Knead for 5–6 minutes in a stand mixer on medium speed (or 8–10 minutes by hand) until the dough is smooth and elastic. It should be soft but not sticky.
- Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm spot for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a square about ¼ inch thick. Cut into 2-inch squares using a knife or pizza cutter. (see note)
- Heat the oil in a large pot to 350 degrees F using an oil thermometer. Fry the beignets in batches for 10-20 seconds per side until golden brown and puffed. Don’t overcrowd the pot and keep an eye on the beignets, they brown fast.
- Remove the beignets with a spider strainer and place them on a wire rack over paper towels to drain. Then dust with powdered sugar while still warm. Don't be shy! Beignets from New Orleans come with a snowstorm of sugar!
Notes
- For extra puffiness, let the cut dough rest under a towel for 20–30 minutes while you heat the oil. This is optional, but recommended if your kitchen is cool.
- Maintaining 350°F oil temperature is key. Too hot = dark outside, raw inside. Too cold = oily, heavy beignets. An oil/candy thermometer is a must-have for keeping the oil at the right temperature.
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