These New Orleans Beignets are the Real Deal! Heavenly morsels of dough are deep fried to golden brown perfection and topped with powdered sugar making you feel like you stepped off the plane right into NOLA.
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What is a Beignet?
Beignets are pillowy squares of lightly sweetened fried dough that are heavily dusted with powdered sugar.
They are the most famous in New Orleans and each time I go, I must have beignets from Cafe Du Monde and Cafe Beignet. I think both are fantastic and I am often asked which has the best beignet recipe.
I find Cafe Beignet’s to be lighter with a very different texture than Cafe Du Monde beignets. Cafe Du Monde has a much doughier texture overall and is the favorite in New Orleans so you must try both in my opinion and make a decision for yourself.
In my effort to bring Mardi Gras into my home, I searched for an authentic beignet recipe that might add a dash of creole soul to my kitchen. So of course, I turned to Mr. New Orleans himself, Emeril Lagasse for a bit of inspiration.
I was able to adapt his recipe, and it is perfect! These beignets are like heavenly morsels of dough that are quite delicious but oh so dangerous for the waistline shrinking resolution vowers.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- A well-tested recipe with countless failed trials along the way. I’ve pretty much made every mistake possible and I’m sharing with you all the tips I’ve learned along the way so you can avoid them.
- These fluffy New Orleans donut beignets are a treat both kids and adults will love!
- An authentic New Orleans dessert to serve for Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, or to end any cajun or creole dinner.
Ingredients
This beignet dough recipe relies on simple baking ingredients you might already have on hand. Here’s what you need:
- Active dry yeast: Yeast is essential for making the beignets puff up as the cook and gives them their texture.
- Granulated sugar: For sweetening the dough.
- Vegetable shortening: Gives the dough some moisture but has a more neutral flavor that works best when making beignets.
- Milk: I use whole milk for the richest flavor. You will need to warm it up slightly to 110 degrees so it can activate the yeast.
- Egg: A source of flavor and moisture for our beignet dough.
- All-purpose flour: The main ingredient to form the dough for the best beignets.
- Salt: Just a touch for flavor.
- Oil: The oil is for frying the beignets. Use any neutral oil that’s suitable for high-temperature frying.
- Powdered sugar: The final touch to making the best beignets.
How to Make Beignets
Beignets can be a very tricky thing to make but luckily for you, I’ve tested out this recipe more than a few times. I’ve spent days coating my kitchen in flour, powdered sugar, and egg shells just to be able to guarantee you a foolproof recipe.
- Add the yeast, sugar, shortening, and milk to an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook then set it to mix for two minutes.
- Add the egg and mix again.
- Slowly add in four cups of flour and salt then allow this to mix at a low speed until incorporated. Bump up the mixer to medium speed until the mixture forms a loose ball.
TOP TIP: The dough should be relatively soft, like drop biscuit dough. It should not be stiff like pie dough. Do not overmix the dough. You will have tough beignets if you overmix the dough.
- Remove your dough from the bowl, form it into a smooth ball (be careful not to use too much force), and place it in a lightly oiled bowl.
- Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and allow your dough to rise in a warm area for two hours.
- Your dough should double in size.
TOP TIP: Do not allow your dough to sit there for longer than two hours. If you let the dough rise for too long, the taste and texture of your beignets will suffer.
- Flour your work surface and pat out your dough into a 12.5×10 inch rectangle that is also 1 inch thick then proceed to roll it out to ¼ inch thickness.
- Use a sharp knife or dough cutter (dusted in flour!) and cut the dough into twenty 2.5-inch squares. You will most likely have scraps of leftover dough. Do not try to remix these scraps and cut them into squares. The scraps will only produce tough beignets because you are pushing air out of the dough.
TOP TIP: Flour is your friend! Don’t hold back, beignet dough can be notoriously sticky and no one wants to scrape dough bits off their counter all day. Flour your hands, work surface, rolling pin, and dough cutter or knife. If at any point your dough begins to stick to your surface or your tools feel free to add a bit more flour. I promise you won’t regret it!
- Fry the beignets a couple of them at a time until they are golden brown and crispy on all sides. This should take three to five minutes. Do not add too many pieces to the oil or else the oil temperature will drop and your beignets will fry up flat. They will not puff up.
- Drain your beignets on paper towels and coat them in as much powdered sugar as your heart desires. Eat as many as you’d like, get messy, and don’t forget to lick the sugar off your fingers!
What Do You Eat Beignets With?
Beignets are traditionally served with coffee but you could also serve them with hot chocolate or hot tea if you’re not a coffee drinker.
They are commonly served alone but I think adding some jam or caramel sauce for dipping makes this a truly special dessert.
They’re a great way to end a meal with all your favorite cajun foods. Such as Blackened Fish, Dirty Rice, and Shrimp Creole.
Make sure you make a huge feast like this Frogmore Stew Low Country Boil to celebrate these babies with at the end!
Expert Tips
- Don’t overcrowd the oil. Adding too many beignets lowers the temperature of the beignets and they won’t cook up right.
- It’s best to make your beignets as soon as the dough doubles in size. The longer it sits the dough will actually begin to degrade.
- Don’t skip the powdered sugar! It’s essential to the flavor in this easy beignet recipe.
- This traditional New Orleans beignets recipe is absolutely the best eaten hot, freshly fried. They truly don’t store all that great and even after sitting and cooling for a few minutes, they lose their appeal.
- Don’t skimp on the flour when rolling your beignet dough. Coat anything and everything that will touch the sticky dough.
FAQs
They are both basically sweet fried dough but with different shapes. Beignets are cut into squares while doughnuts are usually round with a hole in the center. Their basic recipes are also slightly different so they have a bit of a different texture as well.
Mostly definitely they are eaten hot. They lose much flavor and texture as they cool down even becoming more tough and chewy.
More New Orleans Recipe
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New Orleans Beignets
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ingredients
- 1 package active dry yeast
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 1 ¼ cups warm milk 110 degrees
- 1 large egg beaten
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- Pinch salt
- Oil for frying
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- In the bowl of an stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook, add yeast, sugar, shortening, and milk and mix together for 2 minutes. Add the egg and mix then add 4 cups of the flour and salt. Continue mixing on low speed until all of the flour is incorporated. This takes about 1 minute. Mix at medium speed until the mixture forms a ball, leaves the sides of the mixing bowl, and climbs up the dough hook.
- Remove the dough from the bowl. Form the dough into a smooth ball with your hands then lightly oil a bowl. Place the dough inside the bowl and push it along the sides to make sure it is slightly oiled all the way around. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in size. This takes about 2 hours.
- Preheat the vegetable oil a deep fat fryer to 360 degrees F.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Lightly dust the surface of the dough. Roll out the rectangle to 12 1/2 inches long by 10 inches wide and about 1/4-inch thick. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into twenty 2 1/2-inch square beignets.
- Fry beignets, just a couple at a time until golden brown and crispy on all sides, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and drain on a paper towels. Sprinkle the beignets with powdered sugar and serve.
Notes
- Don’t overcrowd the oil. Adding too many beignets lowers the temperature of the beignets and they won’t cook up right.
- It’s best to make your beignets as soon as the dough doubles in size. The longer it sits the dough will actually begin to degrade.
- Don’t skip the powdered sugar! It’s essential to the flavor in this easy beignet recipe.
- This traditional New Orleans beignets recipe is absolutely the best eaten hot, freshly fried. They truly don’t store all that great and even after sitting and cooling for a few minutes, they lose their appeal.
- Don’t skimp on the flour when rolling your beignet dough. Coat anything and everything that will touch the sticky dough.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in July 2019. It has been updated with new images and content.
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Unfortunately, I found these to be fairly flavorless. Better than Cafe du Monde, yet lacking something. I didn’t skimp out on the powdered sugar, that would be a sin.
I will say, they did puff up beautifully and made my family jealous when I sent them a picture! Will try to make again though
I adore these beignets, fluffy and satisfying with the perfect amount of sweetness. Already planning on making them again soon!
I love beignets, so I made these yesterday and they were FANTASTIC! I was surprised at how easy they were!
Oh my deliciousness! I could eat the whole batch myself. Yummy!
YES! Like YES! Not sure what else to say other than these were Heavenly! Thank you!
I’ve died and gone to heaven!!
Can I half this recipe? I would love to try it but that’s too large a batch for me.
Question:: Can you bake instead of fry these beignets?
I actually haven’t tried that with this dough so I can’t answer that for sure.
They’re not beignets is they are baked. Jocelyn posts hundreds of great ideas for baked goods.
There is nothing like good ole southern cooking! Being from the south and raised by a momma from South Carolina who’s family has been in low country since late 1600’s I know what I’m talking about. I can’t imagine my world without it. Thanks for sharing your recipes
I never made beignets before until I saw your recipe! Now, I’m going to try for myself this weekend. Thanks a lot for sharing this!