Beignets are soft, sweet square donuts that are insanely delicious and highly addictive. I mean, is there anything better than freshly fried, warm donuts served with a cup of hot coffee? Making homemade beignets might seem daunting, but they’re actually super easy to make. My step-by-step recipe guides you through the whole process, and I have lots of helpful and important tips to ensure you make the very best beignets that you’ve ever tasted, just like they do in New Orleans.
I’ve tested a lot of donut recipes over the years, and my top tip before you get started is to make sure you have a candy thermometer. It’s pretty essential for frying donuts, so you get that perfect fluffy and airy center, but golden and crispy outside too.
A reader, Lauren, says: “Amazing recipe. Super easy to make, my family LOVED these. I even saved the dough for this morning (since this recipe makes 20), and they were even better! Will definitely be making these again and again and again.” ★★★★★
Beignet Recipe Key Ingredients
These are the main ingredients you need to make homemade beignets. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
Water – warm water is used to help activate the yeast. A warm environment encourages the yeast to grow, but it has to be warm water (100-110°F). If it’s too hot (120-130°F and above), it can kill the yeast, and your dough won’t rise at all.
Yeast – active dry yeast is best for this recipe. Be sure to check the expiration date of your yeast, too, because if it’s past its Best By date, it’s likely not to work or be as robust.
All-purpose flour – regular AP flour is fine for this recipe. There’s no need to use any fancy flours here. This standard flour will produce wonderfully light and slightly chewy beignets.
Butter – use unsalted butter because salt is added to the dough separately, and make sure that it’s very soft, at room temperature.
Whole milk – I use whole milk to make this recipe, but you can also use evaporated milk. The fat from the milk enriches the dough, helping it turn out tender and flavorful. I don’t recommend using low-fat or fat-free milk.
Sugar – white granulated sugar is used to sweeten the dough and help feed the yeast.
Vanilla – this adds so much delicious flavor. Be sure to use real vanilla extract and not essence.
Powdered sugar – to make authentic Beignets, you need to dust them in plenty of powdered sugar!
Vegetable oil – use a vegetable oil for deep frying the beignets. Canola oil or peanut oil are other good alternatives that won’t impart an oily flavor in the fried beignets.
Can I Make Beignets In Advance?
You can prepare the dough, then instead of letting it prove in a warm place, you can store it in the fridge for up to 48 hours. When you are ready to fry, let the dough sit at room temperature for 1 hour to warm up a bit, then cut and fry. No need to proof the dough after it has chilled—it will slowly rise while it’s in the fridge!
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes, you can freeze the raw dough. Cut the squares and freeze them on a baking sheet, making sure to keep a space between them so they don’t stick. Once frozen, you can store them in a Ziploc bag or an airtight container for up to 1 month. Make sure to thaw them without touching each other before frying.
Can I Bake Or Air Fry The Beignets Instead Of Frying?
I developed the dough in this recipe to turn quite light and airy when it hits the hot oil, and it won’t bake up in the same way. I have an excellent air fryer beignets recipe that you can follow, though! The dough is a bit different, and I developed it specifically to air fry nicely. There’s an alternative method for baking them in the oven, as well, in the FAQs section.
Pro Tips For Making The Best Beignets
Use a pizza wheel to cut out your beignets. It makes cutting out the donuts super easy! And don’t worry about them being identical—they’re supposed to look rustic and homemade.
Make sure to use a candy thermometer for monitoring the temperature of the oil. It’s essential when frying the beignets that the oil stays at the same temperature or thereabouts so they cook all the way through and don’t burn on the outside. No one wants burnt, raw donuts.
Don’t overcrowd the oil. Fry the Beignets in batches and don’t overcrowd the pan, or the oil will cool down too much.
How To Make Beignets
Below, I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe in step-by-step process images along with instructions for making New Orleans beignets at home. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.
1. Add the warm water, yeast, and a little sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and let it activate. The mixture will develop a thick layer of foam on top when the yeast is ready.
2. Next, add the milk, vanilla, and egg to the foamy yeast mixture. Whisk together until everything is well combined.
3. Add half of the flour to the wet ingredients and whisk together until smooth.
4. Attach the dough hook and add the remaining flour while mixing on a medium speed. After the flour is combined, add the butter a piece at a time, and continue to mix or knead the dough until it starts to pull away from the bowl. It won’t clean the sides, and the dough will still be quite soft and sticky. Add a little more flour if needed!
5. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and place it in a warm place to double in size, about 2 hours.
6. Generously flour your surface, then place the dough on it and flour the top of the dough. Roll the dough into a ½-inch-thick square, then cut out 20 squares around 2 inches each.
7. Working in batches, fry the beignets in hot oil (360F), making sure to use a candy thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature. Once puffed and golden brown, drain them on paper towels.
8. Transfer the donuts to a cooling rack and dust with plenty of powdered sugar, and serve immediately.
Beignets Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Electric mixer
- Mixing Bowls
- Pizza Cutter
- Large Pot
- Candy thermometer
- Spider strainer or large slotted spoon
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- ¾ cup warm water (100-110°F)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one 0.25-oz/7g packet)
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ½ cup whole milk or evaporated milk room temperature (120ml)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (10ml)
- 3¾ to 4 cups all-purpose flour divided (450-480g)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature (42g)
- Vegetable oil or Peanut oil for deep frying
- ½ cup powdered sugar (60g)
Instructions
- Add the warm water to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl if making this by hand or an electric mixer. Add the yeast and half the sugar then set aside for about 5 minutes or until the top becomes very foamy.
- Once the yeast mixture is bubbly, pour in the milk, vanilla, remaining sugar, and add the egg. Whisk together then add 1¾ cups (210g) of flour and whisk together until smooth.
- Attach a dough hook, then add the remaining 2 cups (240g) of flour and the salt, and begin mixing on medium speed. Once all of the flour is incorporated into the dough, add the butter, one tablespoon at a time.
- Stop to scrape down the bowl once the butter is all mixed in, then keep mixing on low speed until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 4 minutes. (It will not cleanly pull away from the bowl.) This dough is enriched and sticky. You should be able to tap it with your finger and it feels sticky, but doesn’t stick to your finger. If it seems too wet, you can mix in an extra ¼ cup (30g) of flour a little bit at a time until the dough feels right.
- Transfer the dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl then cover and allow to rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours. (You can also skip the warm rise, and immediately store the dough in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Let the dough sit at room temperature for an hour before you cut and fry it.)
- Add about 3 inches of oil to a large pot fitted with a candy thermometer and place over medium-high heat. Cover a wire cooling rack with a few layers of paper towels.
- Once risen, roll the dough into a ½ inch thick rectangle on a well floured surface. Cut into 2-2½-inch squares using a pizza cutter.
- Once the oil reaches 360°F add the beignets 3-4 at a time. Fry until the bottom is puffed and golden, then flip over and fry until the other side is golden. Then remove with a spider or slotted spoon. Place onto the paper towels, then dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Notes
- The dough is enriched and will be sticky, but if it seems too wet, you can add the additional flour. Add a little bit at a time, until the dough is tacky but doesn’t stick to your finger.
- Because the dough is very rich, it takes a little time to rise. Don’t be discouraged! It’s worth the wait.
- Use plenty of flour on your surface while rolling and cutting the dough. This will make handling the soft dough a bit easier and keep it from sticking to your counter and tools. You can brush off any excess flour if needed before frying.
Nutrition
How Do I Serve Beignets?
Beignets are so delicious just as they are served with a dusting of powdered sugar, but if you want to go a step further, why not serve them with some chocolate dipping sauce? Try the chocolate sauce from my churro recipe or make a thin ganache. They are classically served with a hot cup of coffee, which is also how I love to serve them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beignets are a French-style donut iconic to New Orleans. Traditionally, they are cut into squares and fried, producing a very light and soft interior with a golden exterior. Traditional American donuts are made with a richer dough (containing more eggs), so they are a bit denser than beignets. They also have a classic round shape with a hole in the middle.
Sweet, soft, and light fried donuts with a delicious taste of vanilla and powdered sugar. Beignets are incredibly delicious and pretty hard to resist.
It’s likely an issue with the yeast or proofing. If the yeast didn’t get foamy at the start of making the dough, it means it wasn’t active, and the dough won’t rise. If your dough got so puffy that it more than doubled in size, it may have overproofed. This means the yeast grew so much that it used up all of its food, and when you fried the dough, the beignets collapsed.
More Donut Recipes To Try
If you love beignets, try one of my other homemade donut recipes!
Glazed donuts are one of my favorite foods! This recipe produces impossibly light yeasted donuts with a delicate vanilla glaze.
Homemade apple fritters are super easy to make! It’s more like making a cake batter than a dough, and you can scoop it directly into the hot oil without rolling, shaping, or cutting a dough!
If you love cake donuts, you have to try my old-fashioned donuts. They are loaded with sour cream to keep them tender and moist, but develop a crispy, craggy crust perfect for holding the vanilla glaze.
Bomboloni are Italian custard filled donuts coated with granulated sugar. They are super light in texture and have a decadent vanilla filling.
Don’t want to deep fry? Try my easy baked donut recipe instead! Top them with a thick vanilla glaze and sprinkles for the perfect breakfast treat.
If you’ve tried this beignets recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Isabel says
Delicious! I’ve never made beignets before but this recipe left me with a great impression; an easy hands-on recipe (if you, like me, don’t have a stand mixer) with a rewarding result. I found that 500-525 grams of flour was what I needed to perfect the texture of the dough, 450g was very sticky and wet. But overall, they taste similar to a fluffy donut and I’d love to make these again sometime!
LAUREN says
Amazing recipe. Super easy to make, my family LOVED these. I even saved the dough for this morning (since this recipe makes 20) and they were even better! Will definitely be making these again and again and again.
Mar says
Truly delicious recipe, I’ve done it twice already. Thank you.
Kim D says
These were much easier to make then I expected! They are delicious. My 1st time making them and I received many compliments. I will be making these for special occasions!
Aalia says
The best recipe for fried dough nuts. Thank you
Melanie Moreno says
So easy to make
Jamie says
Omg so delicious! I served with a chocolate sauce, next time will try a coulis. 😋
AW says
Made this recipe for work & everyone RAVED about it! Delicious. Will absolutely make again:^)