New Orleans Beignets

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Pour yourself a cafe au lait and enjoy these New Orleans beignets served warm with a heavy dusting of powdered sugar. These fried dough squares are tender, light, and the perfect way to celebrate Mardi Gras!

Is there any food more synonymous with New Orleans than a beignet? A warm, airy, square of puffed dough doused in powdered sugar and served alongside a steaming cup of chicory cafe au lait. Ahhhhhh….bliss.

If you ask me, NOLA is home to The. Best. Food. Ever. Gumbo, etouffée, muffuletta sandwiches, pecan pralines, and of course beignets. If you’ve made the trip to the Big Easy then no doubt you’ve waited in line at Cafe du Monde to score a little table and a plate of freshly fried beignets. These French-style doughnuts are famous for a reason. Simple, tender, and perfectly dunkable.

Beignets are surprisingly easy to make and the dough is very forgiving. It starts with yeast dissolved into warm milk then mixed into dry ingredients with egg and butter. After a little kneading with a dough hook, the smooth (but a little sticky) dough gets turned into an oiled bowl and chilled for a at least four hours or overnight in the refrigerator. It can go straight from refrigerator to counter to be rolled and cut into squares, no second rise required.

Just hot oil and a bag of powdered sugar and you’re minutes away from fried dough heaven. These are best eaten fresh and warm, but they’re still damn tasty at room temperature. But good luck having any left!

Let’s make New Orleans Beignets

1. Whisk active dry yeast into a warm milk with a pinch of sugar.
2. Combine flour, sugar, egg, salt, and butter in a bowl. 
3. Mix until well combined, then stir in the yeast mixture. Mix with a dough hook and then turn the dough into an oiled bowl. Cover and chill.
4. Roll or stretch into a rectangle. 
5. Cut into 18 – 2 inch squares.

7. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pot to 375 degrees F. Drop 4-5 squares into the oil at a time and fry on one side.
8. Flip and cook until browned on the other side.
9. Remove to a paper-towel lined sheet tray to drain. 
10. Pour confectioners sugar into a brown paper bag and add the warm beignets to the bag and shake.  Serve warm and coated with confectioners sugar.

Tips for success

• Check the temperature of the milk with an instant read thermometer before adding the yeast. Feed the yeast with a pinch of sugar and be sure the yeast bubbles and activates before adding to the flour mixture. If it doesn’t activate, throw it out and start again.
• After chilling the dough, roll or stretch it on a floured board into a rectangle. Cut it into roughly 2 inch squares, but they don’t have to be perfect. 
• Work with 4-5 squares of dough at a time and drop into the oil. Don’t crowd the pot and watch the temperature of the oil. Turn the heat down if it gets too hot.
• Have your paper towel-lined sheet tray ready to go and let the fried beignets drain before adding to the sugar.
• I love a paper bag to shake the beignets in the confectioners sugar. It absorbs the excess oil and distributes the sugar well. 

5 from 3 votes

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New Orleans Beignets

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Resting Time

4 hrs

Total Time

35 mins

 

Pour yourself a cafe au lait and enjoy these New Orleans beignets served warm with a heavy dusting of powdered sugar. These fried dough squares are tender, light, and the perfect way to celebrate Mardi Gras!

Course: Breads/Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beignet, new orleans beignets

Servings: 9 Servings

Calories: 415 kcal

Author: Cathy Roma | What Should I Make For...

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 oz active dry yeast (1 pkg)
• 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 - 2 cups confectioners sugar
• *brown paper bag

Instructions

1. Heat the milk over low heat to 105 - 110 degrees. Pour into a small bowl or measuring cup and whisk in the yeast. Let stand for a couple minutes until it begins to activate and froth.

2. Combine the flour, sugar, egg, salt, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until combined.

3. Pour in the milk/yeast mixture and vanilla and beat until just combined. Switch to the dough hook and knead the mixture for 3-4 mins. Mixture will be smooth, but still quite tacky.

4. Rub a little vegetable oil in a large bowl and turn the dough into the bowl, turning once to coat.

5. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill at least 4 hours or overnight.

6. Fill a heavy bottomed pot (a dutch oven will work) with at least 2 inches of vegetable oil. Fit the pot with a deep fry cooking thermometer and heat oil to 375 degrees.

7. While the oil heats, remove the dough from the refrigerator and turn it onto a well-floured surface.

8. Roll or stretch the dough into a rectangle (about 6 x 16 inches), about 1/2 inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut into 18 - 2 inch squares.

9. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and pour 1 cup confectioners sugar into a brown bag. Set aside.

10. Once the oil is up to temperature, carefully slide 4-5 squares of dough into the oil. Fry until golden brown on one side and using a spider strainer or a slotted spoon, turn the beignets to the other side to brown. Beignets will be done in about 3 minutes total.

11. Remove and drain on the lined baking sheet and then shake the still hot beignets in the confectioners sugar in the paper bag. Repeat with remaining dough.

12. Serve warm, with additional confectioners sugar if desired.

Recipe Notes

Yields: 18 beignets

Serving size: 2 beignets

• Check the temperature of the milk with an instant read thermometer before adding the yeast. Feed the yeast with a pinch of sugar and be sure the yeast bubbles and activates before adding to the flour mixture. If it doesn't activate, throw it out and start again.
• After chilling the dough, roll or stretch it on a floured board into a rectangle. Cut it into roughly 2 inch squares, but they don't have to be perfect. 
• Work with 4-5 squares of dough at a time and drop into the oil. Don't crowd the pot and watch the temperature of the oil. Turn the heat down if it gets too hot.
• Have your paper towel-lined sheet tray ready to go and let the fried beignets drain before adding to the sugar.
• I love a paper bag to shake the beignets in the confectioners sugar. It absorbs the excess oil and distributes the sugar well. 

Nutrition Facts

New Orleans Beignets

Amount Per Serving

Calories 415 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 26g163%

Polyunsaturated Fat 15g

Monounsaturated Fat 5g

Cholesterol 27mg9%

Sodium 81mg4%

Potassium 80mg2%

Carbohydrates 35g12%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 140IU3%

Calcium 31mg3%

Iron 1.8mg10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Update Notes: This post was originally published in January 2017 but was republished with tips and step by step photos in March 2019.