New Orleans Beignets

Since I can’t get down to the Bayou State on a whim, these New Orleans beignets will do the trick. When I was in New Orleans for Crime Con, I ate them almost every day. Also, my kids have The Princess and the Frog on heavy rotation this summer, so they asked for some of Tiana’s beignets! Surprisingly, these fried squares of dough are easy to make, super delicious & they pair perfectly with a strong cup of coffee. While I’m a purist at heart, I’m super tempted to eat these along with drinking chocolate, fresh fruit or even an Irish Coffee. Let’s dive in.

It’s In The Dough

New Orleans Beignets are so simple, so your dough has to be on point! While you can use regular yeast, I’m a huge fan of SAF Instant Yeast. This way there’s no yeast starter or down time & you can just mix all your ingredients together & go. Don’t you want to just poke that dough? I did. It’s super soft and bounces back slowly. That’s what you want!

Roll the dough out. Note that it should be soft & pliable. Use any type of pizza cutter or knife & make as many squares as you can. Now, we need to get that oil heated up. The Food Hacker says for the true Cafe Du Monde Beignet flavor, use Cottonseed Oil. Well, I’m lazy & just use Vegetable Oil & I think they are great. But, if you want to go that extra step, get you some cottonseed oil.

Let’s Get Frying

When frying, make sure you don’t overcrowd. The New Orleans Beignets will expand a bit, so you want to give them room to breathe. It took at least a minute for mine to brown before I flipped them. You’re trying to achieve a rich golden brown color. When you get that, place the beignets on a cooling rack.

Now, don’t let them rest too long! You’ll want to dig in when they are warm. Get your powdered sugar ready to pour. Cafe du Monde serves 3 at a time, so I encouraged you to do the same.

New Orleans Beignets travel well. I took this pan over to my parent’s house. While nothing is as good as piping hot out of the fryer, they are still tasty slightly warmed.

I sure hope you enjoy this recipe! The dough is thick, not too sweet & it feels like you should be sweating your ass off in the think of the humid Louisiana air while eating these listening to some great Zydeco music!

If you’re Really Into recipes with a Louisiana flair, be sure to try our Natchitoches Meat Pies, Hurricane Rum Bundt Cake & Mardi Gras King Cake.

5 from 2 votes

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New Orleans Beignets

Feel like you're in the Bayou state with these New Orleans Beignets

Course Breakfast

Cuisine French

Cook Time 30 minutes

Resting Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Servings 20 beignets

Ingredients

• 3/4  cup  warm water 105 to 110 degrees F
• 1 1/2 teaspoons  active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup  granulated sugar heaping!
• 1/2  cup  whole milk
• 1  egg beaten
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups cups of all-purpose flour
• 2  tablespoons  vegetable shortening melted
• vegetable oil for frying
• Powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Mix the yeast, sugar & warm water in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer. Let the mixture rest 10-15 minutes or until foamy.
2. Mix in the milk, egg and salt. Slowly add 2 cups of flour.
3. Mix in the shortening.
4. Add the remaining flour & mix in the mixer for 5 minutes. The dough should be a bit sticky, but stay together.
5. Place the dough in an oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap or a towel in a warm spot to rise for at least 2 hours. The dough should double in size.
6. Preheat 3 to 4 inches of oil in a pan or deep fryer to 375 degrees F.
7. On a floured surface, roll out the dough until it is 1/4-inch thick. Use a pizza slicer or knife to cut the dough into 2 -inch square pieces. Cook beignets in the hot oil one minute each side and flip. They will be done when they are a rich golden brown.
8. Serve beignets with a ton of powdered sugar & enjoy!