Easy Beignets Recipe

Have you ever tried making beignets? Beignets are delicious deep-fried donuts that originated in French cuisine. After frying, they are generously sprinkled with powdered sugar. The result is a sweet and airy treat. This is the best dessert option for a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. 

Beignets, the delightful French doughnuts, are a true indulgence that brings joy with every bite. This easy beignet recipe opens the door to a world of homemade sweetness without the need for advanced culinary skills. The airy texture, golden perfection, and the generous dusting of powdered sugar create a sensory experience that's hard to resist.

Vadim Rachok

Chef

Try making beignets at home and enjoy them with your family or friends. An easy beignet recipe allows you to make the dessert without any special cooking skills. Below is a step-by-step recipe. It will help you make beignets quickly and easily.

What Are Beignets?

Beignets are deep-fried donuts that can be enjoyed as a dessert, breakfast, or a delicious snack with a cup of coffee. They are best enjoyed hot and fresh from the fryer when they are at their crispiest and most pillowy. Beignets are light and fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. There are several variations of beignets, but the most common type in the United States is generously sprinkled with powdered sugar. You can also eat them filled with a variety of sweet fillings, such as jam or chocolate. 

‘Beignet’ Pronunciation

“Beignet” can be difficult for native English speakers to pronounce. For future reference, a beignet is pronounced: “ben-yay”.

Beignet Ingredients

Let’s take a look at the main ingredients you’ll need to make beignets:

• Wheat flour: It gives beignets their characteristic chewy texture and provides the main structure and bulk of the dough.
• Condensed milk: It adds sweetness and richness to the dough, enhancing its flavor and creating a tender crumb.
• Dry yeast: Dry yeast acts as a leavening agent, causing the dough to rise and become light and airy during frying.
• Sugar: Sugar sweetens the batter and adds flavor. It also aids in the browning process during frying, contributing to the golden color of the beignets.
• Vanilla sugar: It provides a subtle vanilla flavor and aroma to enhance the flavor of the dough.
• Eggs: Eggs add moisture and help bind the dough together.
• Butter: Use butter to add richness and flavor to the dough, resulting in a tender and flavorful pastry.
• Water: It helps hydrate the dough and activate the dry yeast, allowing it to rise properly.
• Peanut butter: It adds a unique flavor and richness to the dough, creating a delicious variation of traditional beignets.
• Powdered sugar: Powder sugar is used to dust the beignets with a sweet powdered coating after frying, adding sweetness and a decorative touch.
• Oil: You’ll need oil for frying beings and give them a crispy exterior.
• Salt: Enhances the overall flavor of the beignets.

How to Make Homemade Beignet?

The beignet recipe is easy to make and requires only a few simple steps:

1. To make beignets, mix the dough in a bowl or in a planetary mixer with the dough hook attachment. Add flour, 4,2 ounces (120 g) condensed milk, water, dry yeast, 2 eggs, sugar, and vanilla sugar.
2. Then, mix well by hand or with a planetary mixer. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl.
3. Add the room-temperature butter and mix again. Then, cover with a towel or plastic wrap for 40 minutes. Let stand at room temperature. 
4. When the dough has risen, place it on a work surface sprinkled with flour. Roll out the dough to 1 cm thick. Cut into squares.
5. Place half of the dough on the parchment, then roll the other half into balls, and place them on the parchment. Let it rest for another 15 minutes under plastic wrap or a towel. 
6. When the dough is ready (it should double in weight), it is ready to fry.
7. Heat the oil in a saucepan to 356 degrees F (180 degrees C). Add the beignets and fry for 1 minute each, turning constantly.
8. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a paper towel to remove any excess oil.
9. Sprinkle each doughnut with powdered sugar.
10. Mix 3 ounces (80 g) of condensed milk with peanut butter, add salt, stir well, and serve with the doughnuts.

Chef Recipe Tips:

• If you use fresh yeast, you will need three times as much, i.e. 0.74 ounces (21 g).
• Beignets are a versatile dessert, they taste great with fruit, Nutella, or chocolate sauce.

What to Serve With Beignets

The beignets are a delicious dessert that is better eaten hot. You can enjoy them with a cup of coffee or tea. Also, you can serve the beignets with hot chocolate.

How to Store Beignets?

It is better to eat beignets fresh right after frying. However, if you want to serve them, you must let them, cool and put them in an airtight container. There are three ways to serve beignets. You can leave them at room temperature for up to 1 day. You can also refrigerate beignets for up to 2-3 days. If you need to store beignets for a longer period, you can freeze them. They can be frozen for up to 1 month.