New Orleans Beignets are a beloved treat that captures the essence of Mardi Gras. These airy, fried pastries are dusted with a generous amount of powdered sugar, creating a sweet and indulgent dessert.
With their light and fluffy texture, beignets are the perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee or a festive celebration.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Beignets are typically served hot and fresh, often accompanied by a cup of chicory coffee. The combination of the crispy exterior, fluffy interior, and sweet powdered sugar makes for a truly irresistible treat.
Whether you're celebrating Mardi Gras or simply craving a delicious indulgence, these beignets are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Ingredients Overview
The history of beignets dates back to the French colonial era in New Orleans. The French brought their pastry-making traditions to the city, and beignets quickly became a popular street food. Today, beignets are synonymous with New Orleans and are enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Beignets
The secret to the perfect beignet lies in the dough, which is made with a combination of flour, milk, butter, and yeast. The dough is deep-fried until golden brown and then generously coated in powdered sugar.
The result is a light, fluffy pastry that is both indulgent and satisfying.
Proof the Yeast
- Sprinkle the dry active yeast on top of a small bowl with the warm milk and 1 teaspoon of flour or sugar. Stir and let sit 5 minutes.
- After bubbles appear on the top, you know your yeast is active. The warm milk and sugar 'proved' the yeast was active.
Make the Beignet Dough
- Transfer the milk & yeast mixture to a large bowl. Add the remaining sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, and melted butter.
- Add in half the flour to the wet ingredients and combine well.
- Add the second half of the flour and mix until you have a sticky dough. Scrape the sides and mix well.
- Knead the dough on a floured surface for 5 minutes, until it has a smooth textured surface.
- Place back in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let proof until doubled about 2 hours.
Cut Into Squares and Proof
- Roll the dough out on the floured surface about ½ inch thick. Cut into 2 inch squares or use a Mickey Mouse cookie cutter.
Deep Fry and Dust with Powdered Sugar
- Heat up the oil to 350 to 360 F. Use a thermometer if not using an electric fryer that has temperature settings.
- After the vegetable oil reaches that 350 - 360 F temp, add a few of the squares or Mickey cut out dough to the hot oil.
- Deep fry for about 2 minutes on each side. The dough will rise to the surface and puff up. Don't over brown.
- Allow the beignets to cool on some paper towels, about 5 minutes. Then, dust with a sieve full of powdered sugar.
Serving Suggestions
With these delicious and easy-to-make New Orleans beignets, you can bring a taste of the Big Easy to your own kitchen. With their light and fluffy texture, beignets are the perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee or a festive celebration.
Substitutions and Variations
- If you have sourdough starter, you can use the starter instead of yeast.
- Mickey Mouse Beignets - Use this cute Mickey Mouse cookie cutter to cut out the dough, then fry and dust with powdered sugar just like the Princess Tiana's Beignets at Disney World.
- Chocolate Beignets - After frying and cooling, use a piping bag fitted with a cream puff tip. Insert the tip and squeeze in your favorite chocolate filling (Nutella, chocolate pudding, chocolate creme, etc.).
- Cinnamon Beignets - Instead of dusting with powdered sugar, roll in granulated sugar and ground cinnamon mixture.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making these beignets.
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- Mickey Mouse Cookie Cutter
- Electric Mini Deep Fryer
- Rolling Mat
Storage
- Beignets are best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
- Reheat in a toaster oven or oven.
Tips for Success
- Cut out the dough and freeze so you can make fresh copycat Disney beignets any morning you want!
- Don't over fry, just until a light golden brown.
- Cool on paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
- Make sure the frying oil is at least 350 F so that the dough does not soak up grease.
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- Italian Panettone (Christmas Bread)
- Tsoureki Bread with Red Easter Eggs
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make the dough ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. However, it's best to fry the beignets fresh.
You can, but it is better to freeze the dough, and fry them as you need them. If you freeze the fried pastries, let them defrost in the refrigerator so the condensation doesn't wet the powdered sugar.
Sourdough Bread
- Potato Flake Sourdough Rolls
- Potato Flake Sourdough Bread
- Instant Potato Flake Sourdough Bread Starter
- Sourdough Discard White Sandwich Bread
Get the Recipe!
New Orleans Beignets
Ingredients
- 2½ teaspoon active yeast
- 1 cup milk warmed to 100 - 110° F
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 2¾ cup flour plus a little more for using on the rolling mat
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4 cups vegetable oil neutral tasting
Instructions
- Sprinkle the dry active yeast on top of a small bowl with the warm milk and 1 teaspoon of flour or sugar. Stir and let sit 5 minutes. After bubbles appear on the top, you know your yeast is active. The warm milk and sugar 'proved' the yeast was active.1 cup milk, 2½ teaspoon active yeast
- Transfer the milk & yeast mixture to a large bowl. Add the remaining sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, and melted butter. Add in half the flour to the wet ingredients and combine well.¾ cup sugar, 1 large egg, 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ cup butter, 2¾ cup flour
- Add the second half of the flour and mix until you have a sticky dough. Scrape the sides and mix well.
- Knead the dough on a floured surface for 5 minutes, until it has a smooth textured surface. Place back in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let proof until doubled, about 2 hours.
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about ½ inch thick. Cut into 2 inch squares or use a Mickey Mouse cookie cutter.
- Heat up the oil to 350 to 360 F. Use a thermometer if not using an electric fryer that has temperature settings.4 cups vegetable oil
- After the vegetable oil reaches that 350 - 360 F temp, add a few of the squares or Mickey cut out dough to the hot oil. Deep fry for about 2 minutes on each side. The dough will rise to the surface and puff up. Don't over brown.
- Allow the beignets to cool on some paper towels, about 5 minutes. Then, dust with a sieve full of powdered sugar. Serve!1 cup powdered sugar
Notes
- Cut out the dough and freeze so you can make fresh copycat Disney beignets any morning you want!
- Don't over fry, just until a light golden brown.
- Cool on paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
- Make sure the frying oil is at least 350 F so that the dough does not soak up grease.
- Cut out with Mickey Mouse cookie cutters and dust powdered sugar, just like Walt Disney World's Tiana's beignets!
