Beignets

Nothing beats homemade Beignets! They’re soft, pillowy, fluffy and airy, not to mention totally scrumptious. Close your eyes, take a bite and enjoy! 

Believe me when I say that you will never look at a store bought donut the same way ever again after trying a bit of one of my home made beignets. I love watching these pillowy little treats bobbing away in the hot fryer oil, promising deliciousness to come. These little treats are fluffy and airy, super tender and delicious to the very last bite.

My mom used to whip these up for me as a kid so I always think of her when I’m standing over these frying away, turning golden brown and filling the kitchen with the most delicious smell. I’m excited to share this recipe with you all, so let’s get into it!

What Are Beignets?

Beignet is a french word and it’s synonymous with the English “fritter” made from deep fried choux pastry. These fried fritters are sometimes also filled with fruit. But today, what we know as a beignet is mostly a square piece of dough, deep fried and dusted with powdered sugar.

This is probably what people think of when hearing the word beignet.  Beignets are also quite popular in New Orleans Creole cuisine, brought there by the French colonists back in the 18th century.

Ingredients

I made this recipe a bit more conservatively because I didn’t want too many beignets but if you’re planning on feeding a huge crowd go ahead and double the recipe because one thing’s for sure, these will disappear off the table in no time. Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

• Water – We want lukewarm water to help activate our yeast. Be sure to watch the temperature of your water otherwise you could kill your yeast!
• Yeast – Today we’re using dry active yeast, I’ve included a section below with details about yeast if you have any questions.
• Sugar – This sugar will both sweeten our recipe but it will also be food for our yeast to activate.
• Egg – We need only 1 large egg as a binder.
• Milk – Use any kind of milk you have on hand.
• Flour – All purpose works just fine for these little donuts.
• Salt – Every dessert recipe needs salt, just a bit to balance out all the sweetness.
• Butter – Unsalted and softened to room temperature.
• Oil – We want vegetable oil today, something like canola will work to fry our little beignets in.
• Powdered sugar – To sprinkle on top of our finished donuts, optional but highly recommended.

How To Make Beignets

1. Activate the yeast: In a small bowl combine the water, yeast and sugar. Whisk it all together a bit and let it sit for about 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast dissolves and starts to froth up. Once the yeast has dissolved, add the egg, milk and whisk.
2. Combine the dough: To the bowl of your mixer combine the flour and salt then add the yeast mixture and butter to the bowl. Using the dough hook, mix it well until well incorporated. You will know that the dough is done when it comes clean from the sides of the bowl.
3. Allow the dough to rise: Remove the dough from the mixer and place it in an oiled bowl. Cover it with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and let it sit and double in size, anywhere from 1 to 2 hours, in a warm place.
4. Form the beignets: Roll out the dough in a long rectangle that’s about 3/4 of an inch in thickness. Cut the dough in long strips then cut the strips to form squares.
5. Fry the beignets: Add about 3 inches of oil to a deep frying pan, I used a Dutch Oven. Before frying the beignets make sure the oil is hot, it needs to be 350 F degrees. Fry the beignets, about 5 or 6 at a time until golden brown on both sides making sure to turn them on both sides to fry them evenly.
6. Finish the dish: Transfer the beignets to a large bowl lined with paper towels to drain some of the excess oil. Sprinkle beignets with powdered sugar and serve.

Can I Bake My Beignets?

You sure can! If you’re not into frying or don’t have the tools necessary these will pop right up in the oven nicely.

• Once you’ve cut your beignets into their little squares, allow the dough to proof for a further 45 minutes.
• While this is happening preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. Brush your beignets with a little milk before placing in the oven
• Bake the donuts for 12 – 15 minutes until golden brown. Dust with powdered sugar and serve hot!

Having Trouble With Your Yeast?

1. Always check the expiration date on your yeast and make sure it hasn’t expired. All your yeast products whether it’s in a jar or a package should be stamped with a “Best if Used by” date. Always make sure you check this date, even when you purchase the yeast.
2. To keep your yeast fresh and longer lasting, unopened yeast packages or jars should be stored in a cool or dry place such as your cupboard.
3. However, you can also store your yeast in the fridge or freezer. If you do store it in the freezer and need to use yeast for your baking, make sure you take out the amount you need and let it sit at room temperature for at least half hour before using.
4. Once your yeast package or jar has been opened, you must refrigerate the yeast or freeze it in an airtight container.
5. One thing to remember about your yeast, is that it is a living organism and over time it will lose activity, even if you’ve never opened the jar or package. So if you don’t bake often, buy the smaller yeast packages rather than a big jar of yeast.
6. If after dissolving the yeast in the lukewarm water with the sugar, the yeast didn’t start to froth up, do not continue with the donuts, your dough will not rise.

What Can I Serve Beignets With?

These pillowy little treats pair perfectly with so much! Whether you’d rather snack on these all on their own or making a sweet spread, I’ve got you covered.

• Mulled Wine
• Nutella Frappucino
• A nice cup of coffee may I suggest cafe au lait?
• Banana Fritters
• Guinness Brownies
• Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tips For Making The Best Beignets

1. You could also use instant or rapid-rise yeast instead of the active dry yeast. If you do, you do not need to dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water. It could be mixed right into the dough.
2. To speed up the dough rising process, heat your oven to 200 F degrees. Turn off the oven and place your dough as specified in step 4 in the oven with the door closed. This will ensure a warm environment for your dough and the dough will rise fairly quickly.
3. But if you’re planning on feeding a huge crowd go ahead and double the recipe because one thing’s for sure, these will disappear off the table in no time.
4. Before frying these beignets make sure your oil is hot, it needs to be 350 F degrees. Try one at first and check out the oil, the beignet should fry pretty quickly.

Leftovers

Sadly these little doughy morsels lose their appeal when not eaten fresh. Frying them up day of is part of the appeal! So while I don’t recommend storing these cooked, lucky for us the uncooked dough can be stored for future use!

Fridge

You can refrigerate uncooked dough for up to 2 days if stored in an airtight container. Just be sure to take it out of the fridge and allow to come back up to temperature before frying, You never want to add cold dough to a fryer.

Freezer

Form the beignets and line them up raw on a baking sheet, place this in the freezer and once frozen through move the beignets to an airtight container or freezer bag. Keep this in the freezer for up to 1 month. Allow it to defrost fully on the counter before frying up!

Looking For More Donuts? Try These Delicious Recipes:

• Jam Filled Sour Cream Donuts
• Porky Monkey Donut
• Cherry Filled Donuts
• Mandazi African Donuts
• Paczki (Polish Donuts)
• Baked Jelly Filled Donuts