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Soft and light French beignets that taste just like New Orleans. Easy homemade beignet recipe with a choux pastry dough and powdered sugar!
What Is a Beignet?
Beignets are donut-like fried dough that are dusted with powdered sugar. They are sometimes misspelled as benyas.
The country of origin is France but they are very popular in New Orleans, especially at the famed Cafe Du Monde.
I first learned about beignets from Princess and the Frog audio CD.
Beignet Recipe
Most beignet recipes calls for a yeast dough, such as the authentic New Orleans beignets. The texture is dense just like doughnuts.
This recipe is made from choux pastry dough.
It produces eggy, light and crazy delicious beignets that are golden-brown in color and dusted generously with powdered sugar.
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Main Ingredients
This recipe calls for the following ingredients to make the choux pastry dough:
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter
- Eggs
- Salt
- Sugar
- Water
There is no yeast in this recipe.
How to Make Beignets?
You can make them with a yeast dough or choux pastry dough.
First, make the dough and chill in refrigerator for one hour.
Shape the dough into small balls using a teaspoon or 1/2 tablespoon.
Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a frying pan on medium-low heat to deep fry the dough balls in batches.
They are ready when they turn golden brown. Transfer out with a strainer and drain on paper towels.
Sprinkle the powdered sugar generously and serve warm with a cup of coffee or tea.
Cooking Tips
Here are my deep-frying tips on perfectly round and golden brown beignets:
- The best oil to use is vegetable oil. It’s neutral tasting and great for high-heat frying.
- Use a wide frying pan.
- Don’t skim on the oil. Use at least 2-3 inches of oil.
- Shape the dough into a ball with a spoon before dropping them into the oil for frying.
Can I Use a Beignet Mix?
Yes, you sure can. If you live in New Orleans, you can buy Cafe Du Monde’s mix and make these sweet treats at home using the instant flour mix.
How Many Calories Are in Beignets?
Each beignet is only 58 calories, which is much lower calories than Cafe Du Monde’s in New Orleans.
What to Serve with This Recipe?
Serve this dish with other desserts for an afternoon tea party. I recommend the following recipes.
Beignets
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 4 oz. (125g) unsalted butter, stick, cut into pieces
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- oil for frying
- 1 teaspoon powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Place water, butter, sugar, and salt in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Stir until butter is melted and everything comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium.
- Add flour into the mixture, stir to combine well with the butter mixture. Continue to stir and cook until the dough pulls away from the sides and starts to form into a ball, about 1 minute. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the dough with the eggs, start with one egg until the egg is completely incorporated into the dough. Add the rest of the eggs, one at a time. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for one hour.
- After chilling, shape the dough into small balls using a teaspoon or 1/2 tablespoon. Arrange the dough balls on a plate lined with parchment paper.
- Heat 2-3 inches (5cm-7cm) of oil in a frying pan on medium-low heat. When the oil is fully heated, drop the dough balls and fry them in batches. Keep turning the dough balls around, so they are evenly browned and puff up considerably.
- The beignets are ready when they start to form a seam (the beignet will start to burst, creating a seam when it is ready). Transfer out with a strainer and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle the powdered sugar generously and serve warm.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can this dough be dropped by teaspoons and frozen? Then fry in oil as needed?
I don’t think you can do that. Just follow the recipe.
I’ve done this with cream puffs (same dough), and they work just fine. Of course they’re baked rather than fried. I just bring them to room temp first.
Thank you, Rasa. I was a teen when I had Cafe Du Monde’s, but I’ve tried several recipes lately. I hesitated to try yours because it asks for the choux pastry. But this is, by far, THE BEST I’ve had! Airy and light, and absolutely delicious (all that butter and eggs!!). I popped some raspberries and sprayed some cream for “dramatic effect”, but they are perfect on their own. Of note, they need to cool about 10-15min before adding eggs. I could not “roll them into balls” as the dough was way too sticky. I just used a spoon and small spatula to drop them into the pan. Also, they needed to fry a little longer after they ”broke the seam”. As a matter of fact, they puffed up even more after that. I just kept turning them, for even cooking, as I don’t like them too dark. Thank you, thank you! These are the best in my book!!
Awesome Ali, I love these beignets, too. So good! :)
Hi,
Will salted butter be ok, or no?