Beignets Recipe

Now you can have New Orleans-Style Beignets without leaving the comfort of your home! If you’ve never enjoyed these soft and pillowy fried doughnuts before, you’re in for a treat. Because this is the best beignet recipe!

We’re heading to New Orleans for vacation today! And I’m SO ready for it. But before we head to the airport, I’m popping in so I can share these beignets with you. And while I can’t say they’re exactly as good as the ones they serve at Café du Monde (aka the best beignets in New Orleans), I can say they’re pretty darn close. So yeah, I guess you could say this is my copycat Cafe du Monde recipe!

New Orleans-Style Beignets

Now you can have New Orleans-Style Beignets without leaving home!

Prep: 30min

Total: 165min

Yield: 3

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups warm water, between 110 and 115 degrees (F)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 and 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 2 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 7 cups bread flour
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 cups peanut oil, for deep frying
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Instruction:

1. In a medium-size bowl, add the warm water, sugar, and yeast and whisk well to combine. Sit aside for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture has bubbled up and become foamy.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and evaporated milk. Beat in 3 and 1/2 cups of the flour until smooth. Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly pour in the yeast mixture (careful here – this mixture can splash up if added to quickly!); beat until smooth. Add in the butter and beat until incorporated. Finally, beat in the remaining 3 and 1/2 cups of flour and salt. Beat until dough is smooth and cohesive; about 2 minutes. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.
3. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with three layers of paper towels, set aside.
4. In a large enameled cast-iron pan, heat 4-inches of oil to 360 degrees (F). Remove the dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Cut the dough into 2 and 1/2-inch squares.
5. In batches, fry the dough until they puff up and are golden brown in color, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beignets to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.
6. Dust with powdered sugar and serve at once!

Classic Beignets

This recipe makes the traditional beignet, a signature yeast-raised breakfast treat native to New Orleans. Incredibly strong black coffee laced with chicory is the classic accompaniment.

Prep: 25min

Total: 9h25min

Yield: 30 beignets

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (113g) water lukewarm
• 1/2 cup (113g) milk lukewarm
• 2 tablespoons (28g) butter melted
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons (12g) salt
• 4 cups (480g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast

Instruction:

Combine all of the ingredients, and mix and knead them together — by hand, mixer or bread machine — until you’ve made a soft, smooth dough., Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 1 hour, or until it’s puffy (though not necessarily doubled in bulk)., Gently deflate the dough, and place it in a greased bowl or greased plastic bag, choosing a bowl or bag that will allow the dough to expand. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for up to 2 days., Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and place it on a lightly greased or floured work surface; a silicone rolling mat works well here., Roll it into a 14″ x 10″ rectangle, squaring off the corners as well as you can without being overly fussy., Cut the dough into 2″ squares., Pour the oil to a depth of at least 3/4″ in a 10″ electric fry pan (first choice), or a deep, heavy-bottomed 10″ frying pan set over a burner., Heat the oil to 360°F, and drop 5 or 6 squares of dough into the hot oil. They’ll sink to the bottom, then after about 5 seconds or so, rise to the top., Fry the beignets for 1 minute, then use a pair of tongs to turn them over. Fry for another minute, until the beignets are puffed and golden brown all over., Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels., When the beignets are cool, sprinkle them heavily with confectioners’ sugar. For a real New Orleans experience, serve with strong coffee.

Beignets

Follow our easy beignets recipe to have this classic New Orleans’ dessert ready in no time. The best part? No yeast is required!

Prep: 10min

Total: 30min

Yield: 15 serving(s)

Nutrition Facts: calories 115 Calories, Fat 5 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 27 mg, Sodium 50 mg, Carbohydrate 15 g, Fiber 0 g, Sugar 7 g, Protein 2 g

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp. melted butter
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instruction:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl, combine egg yolks, sugar, ¼ cup water, melted butter, and vanilla and stir to combine. Fold into dry ingredients until just combined.
2. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form, then fold into batter.
3. In a large pot, heat oil to 375º. Drop small spoonfuls of batter into hot oil and fry until golden, about 5 minutes. (You want to keep the oil at 375º to make sure they cook all the way through.) Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate.
4. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Beignets Recipe