This beignet recipe is the closest you’ll get to New Orleans beignets. These soft pillowy doughnuts are easy to make at home!
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Beignets are snowy pillows of sugar and dough that are claimed as Louisiana’s state doughnut. You’ll find they are similar to my Zeppoles doughnuts! Don’t wait to try beignets in New Orleans, you can easily make these delights at home with this tried and true beignet recipe!
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Here it is, just in time for Mardi Gras (aka Fat Tuesday). What is that snowy, pillowy puff of deliciousness you ask? You’re looking at Louisiana’s state doughnut, the beignet! They are just as scrumptious as they look, too.
You won’t believe me when I tell you that this is one of the easiest doughs I’ve ever worked with. You do not need a stand mixer (although that’s what I use) and you can keep the dough in the fridge after the 2 hour rise, then roll it out and fry the doughnuts in the morning. Whatever you decide to do, just make sure you either have a big appetite, or a lot of friends and family to share these with, because this recipe yields a TON. (Which is good, because you won’t have any problem chowing down on a few at a time.)
Beignet main ingredients
A beignet is made of the following ingredients:
- sugar
- yeast
- eggs
- evaporated milk
- bread flour
- vegetable shortening
- powdered sugar
- vegetable oil, for frying
Beignets are very popular in Louisiana, especially during the Mardi Gras season. Many of you have heard of Cafe du Monde, which is a well-known place in NOLA that serves beignets. You can find their beignet mix on grocery store shelves, as well. But, let me encourage you to make these completely homemade instead as it is probably much easier than you think. You can eat them for breakfast or dessert!
Kids will love to make these with you, as long as you keep them away from the hot oil! 😉 I like to use my Dutch oven to fry these in order to avoid splattering.
Get them involved by letting them shake the paper bag filled with powdered sugar and a few warm doughnuts at a time. Then, of course, let them eat a bunch and watch their faces get covered with white! It’s priceless.
How long can you keep beignets fresh?
Beignets are best when they are fresh and hot. You can fry them up to 30 minutes ahead of time and keep them warm in a 200°F oven. Wait to shake them in the powdered sugar until just before serving/eating.
If you need to make the dough ahead of time, you can! You can make the dough the night before and store it (covered) in the fridge until morning. More details are given in the recipe card below.
Other recipes for Mardi Gras:
Paczki
Jambalaya
King Cake
This recipe was originally published February 11, 2013 and updated with recipe tips on January 13, 2020.
New Orleans Beignets
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 envelope (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
- 2 eggs , lightly beaten
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 7 cups bread flour
- 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
- Nonstick spray
- Frying oil
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Combine the water, granulated sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl). Let set for 10 minutes to bloom.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt and evaporated milk. Add to the yeast mixture and stir on low with the paddle attachment (or wooden spoon) until incorporated. Stir in 3 cups of the flour then mix in the shortening on medium speed. With the mixer on low, add in the rest of the flour.
- Change to the dough hook and knead the dough until smooth, adding more flour (up to 2-3 Tbs) if necessary. Alternatively, you can knead the dough on a floured surface by hand until smooth. Transfer the dough to a large bowl, lightly greased with nonstick spray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise for at least 2 hours.
- **At this point (after the rise) you can either continue on or store the dough in the refrigerator overnight and complete the rest of the steps in the morning.**
- Heat at least 1 inch of oil to between 350 to 380 degrees F in a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven.
- As the oil is heating up, roll the dough out to a large 1/4-inch thick rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 2-inch squares (pizza cutter works great). Once the oil reaches between 350 to 380 degrees F, fry 3 to 5 squares at a time until lightly golden, just a few seconds on each side. Tip: Once the dough pops to the top of the oil and puffs a little, flip them every 2-3 seconds to keep from browning too much on either side, and becoming hard to work with. Make sure you keep the oil between 350 to 380 degrees by reheating it between batches if necessary.
- Transfer fried doughnuts to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the oil for a few seconds. Place about 1 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar in a paper bag. While still warm, toss three to five doughnuts at a time into the sugar filled paper bag. Fold bag closed and shake to coat. Remove doughnuts from the bag and place on serving platter. Repeat with remaining dough and sugar.
- Serve immediately. These are best the same day they are made.
Notes
- You can keep fried beignets warm in a 200°F oven for up to 30 minutes and shake in the powdered sugar right before serving.
- Nutrition information is an estimate and based on serving size of 2 beignets.
- Source: Adapted from Paula Deen via The Food Network
Nutrition
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These are one of my most favorite things!! Excited to make them at home now!!
I am totally in love with this post. I’m heading to NOLA next week and can’t wait to try the real thing!!
I so need to make these! It’s been ages since I’ve had a beignet!
omg – the last time i had a beignet (it was my first time ever!) was 3 years ago at Cafe Du Monde in NOLA. I want one soooo bad. I need to make these ASAP!! 🙂
Come visit me and we’ll drive the 3 hours to NOLA and Cafe Du Monde! 😉
I just made beignets at home for the first time this weekend – they were completely irresistible! Yours look fantastic, and of course Judah is as cute as ever 🙂
Thank you for the post, Nikki! I used to get these all the time at Cafe Du Monde when my brother lived in New Orleans! Haven’t tasted one in years!!!! Sooo excited to give this recipe a try!
I love that Judah can enjoy a lollipop while coating the beignets! Love the video!
I found this recipe on Pinterest. After I pinned it, I spent days thinking about it. Finally I decided I had enough time and energy to make it. I LOVEEEE them. My husband loves them. (I can tell because he is working on his 8th one) Thank you for ruining my figure in a very delicious way.
Thanks, Kit! I’ve been thinking about these a lot lately, too. Time to make them again! 🙂
Hi Nikki–these look amazing! Have you ever ytied stuffing these with anything? Like jelly?
Hi Gina,
No, I haven’t, but that sounds like a good idea! 🙂
Hi, Nikki!
I’ve just found out your recipe through pinterest and am dying to try it out. However, I live in Brazil and we don’t have evaporated milk in handy like you have. Can I substitute it with normal milk?
Thank you!
Hi Fernanda,
I wouldn’t sub in regular milk. Instead, you can easily make your own evaporated milk as follows: To make 1 cup of evaporated milk, heat 2 1/4 cups regular milk and simmer until it evaporates down to 1 cup. Or, try a mixture of 3/4 cup whole milk and 1/4 cup half and half, although I haven’t tried this method in this recipe to be sure. Good luck!!
(And, please come back to let us know the turn out! We all can learn from each other, right?) 😉
comWell Spanish people were in NUEVA ESPAÑa or New Orleans long before French were there. Many of the dishes you call French are really Spanish This on e is one of them. And after centuries been connected how can you say a dish is Roman or French or Arab. We call these beignets BUÑUELOS and have been eaten long before the French. Several Spanish princesses married French Kings (Louis XV mother and a wife were from Spain). They took many recipes (ike chocolate, rice pudding, French toast -very traditional in holy week etc etc…-) to France . And later To NorthAmerica
Can I freeze the dough in portions so I can make just a few at a time?
Hi Mary Jo,
I’ve never frozen the dough, but I bet you can! You will want to thaw it out in the fridge overnight.
Thanks so much! I’ll try that! I’ll let you know…Thanks for your awesome posts!
What do you think about frying them in coconut oil?
Here is simple recipe for faux beignets. For the dough, substitute a tube of ordinary frozen biscuits(Pillsbury works fine). Cut each biscuit in half. Follow the rest of Nikki’s recipe starting at “Once the oil reaches between 350 to 380 degrees F”. I fry between 350F and 360 F. The difference in production time will more than compensate for the difference in taste.
Thanks, Harry! This is how my neighbor does it! I, personally, like the homemade taste better, but this definitely works in a pinch! 🙂
Where is the recipe?
Hi Sherry,
My apologies! Somehow the recipe disappeared. I added it back. Thank you!
A bit ‘late’ to the party:) but I just made them!
I did use butter (didn’t have shortening @home)
And they turned-out amazing!
I only used a 1/4 of the dough tonight and have a question:
Do I let the next dough portion rise outside the fridge and then roll it out? And if so, how much time should I set aside for this?
Thank you in advance
Jane
Hi Jane, I somehow missed your comment and didn’t leave a reply! So sorry! One year later, hopefully this answer at least helps other readers. If you are working with refrigerated dough, you can roll it out immediately after removing from fridge. If it seems too cold to roll, wait 5 minutes and try again. 🙂 I typically have no problems rolling it out immediately.