In my effort to bring Mardi Gras into my home, I created this authentic beignets recipe that is just bomb. I tested this recipe and worked from various recipes inspired by Emeril until it was perfect. I create a perfect puffed up dough before I fry it up and sprinkle on a mountain of powdered sugar. It’s a hit, and it will give you all the NOLA vibes you can handle.
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How to Make Beignets
- 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!
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- 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!
New Orleans Beignets Recipe
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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
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcrowd the oil. Adding too many beignets lowers the temperature of the beignets and they won’t cook up crisp on the outside but will become soggy.
- It’s best to make your beignets as soon as the dough doubles in size. The longer it sits the dough, the worst they become.
- 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 so don’t try to save them. They won’t be fit boos.
- Don’t skimp on the flour when rolling your beignet dough. Coat anything and everything that will touch the sticky dough.
More New Orleans Recipes
*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!
This post was originally published in July 2019. It has been updated with new images and content.
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It looks delicious, I’ll definitely make these!!
I was just wondering how much yeast is in the package you used? (in grams or tbs)
Love your recipes!!! Greetings from Mexico
Oh man! This look so delicious. Saving and pinning this post. I can’t wait to try this. Thank so much for sharing.
Love its unique look!
Wow, these beignets look to die for! Seriously can’t wait to try them!!
A fan of your website for some time! Beautiful photo’s and loving this recipe for Beignets! Can’t wait to try them!
I had never made beignets before until I tried your recipe! They are so good, everyone requests them all the time!
Made these today. Well, I made the dough yesterday, let it rise, punched it down and put in fridge overnight. Then cooked half the dough this morning. The beignets were perfect. Light and lots of airspace on the inside and golden on the outside. Apparently, letting the dough age overnight is a trick for getting them more air-filled when cooked. I’m no beignet expert, but these were perfect. Your site is beautiful and your Pinterest, a work of art. Watched a few of your you tube videos and enjoyed the heck out of them. Your grandma is the sweetest. Thank you so much for the incredible work you do. You are such a pro but still keep things warm and accessible for the rest of us.
Hooray thank you so so much!
There is no way to say no to beignets!
Absolutely, I am the same way.
Not talking bad about a home made recipe, but you can also call and order their mix and they will send it to you. I Live in Texas and do not go to NOLA very often. The last time I had them I was a teenager. Yes they are awesome.
Just wanted you all to know that you can order their mix.
Absolutely, there is nothing wrong with using a mix in a pinch!