Homemade Beignets

Have the wonderful experience of eating New Orleans Beignets right in your home with this easy Homemade Beignets recipe.

Think you have to live in New Orleans to enjoy Beignets? Think again. These pillowy pieces of deep fried dough coated in powdered sugar can be enjoyed at home. They’re really not hard at all to make.

All it takes to make beignets is some dough and some hot oil. They can be enjoyed for breakfast, dessert, or a snack and are especially good with a cup of coffee.

That’s a mound of beignets isn’t it?

I used to live in New Orleans and I completely fell in love with beignets. Does anyone not like them? There’s no where near me in South Carolina to get them, so I decided to learn to make them at home.

What Are Beignets?

Beignets are pieces of yeast dough that has been cut into squares, deep-fried until golden and covered with powdered sugar. They are wonderful paired with a cafe au lait. Beignets were brought to New Orleans by 18th century French Colonists and they have become one of New Orleans most iconic foods.

This Homemade Beignets recipe is from Paula Deen and like all her recipes, it is slap your mama good!

It is best to make the dough a day ahead of time so plan ahead. Also, this recipe makes a huge amount of beignets, so you may want to cut it in half if you don’t plan on feeding half the neighborhood.

Be sure to go heavy on the powdered sugar. 🙂

I think you will find these are some of the best beignets you have eaten. Even better than Cafe du Monde.

If you’re looking for a quick and easy beignet recipe, try these Biscuit Beignets.

Recipe Tip

Wilna says- ” cannot tell you how pleased I am to get the Beignets recipe. They are wonderful. Just like I remembered. Thank you.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

How To Make

(More detailed instructions in recipe card below.)

1. Activate the yeast. Mix together the yeast, water, and sugar in a large bowl.
   
2. Mix the liquid ingredients. In a bowl, whisk eggs, salt, and evaporated milk together.
   
3. Combine the egg mixture and yeast mixture. Pour egg mixture into yeast mixture and mix together.
   
4. Finish making the batter. Add 3 cups of bread flour and stir it in. Then mix in the shortening and the remaining bread flour.
   
5. Knead the dough and then put in a bowl to rise.
   
6. Roll dough out and cut into 2-inch squares.
   
7. Fry the dough pieces in oil.
   
8. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.



Keep Dough For 3 Days

The dough needs to be made a day in advance and will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator. That’s 3 days you can have fresh beignets!

How To Store

Beignets unfortunately do not keep well. It’s best to fry up just the amount you want to eat right away. Leave the rest of the dough in the refrigerator where it will keep for 3 days.

Recipe Tips

• Be sure the water is not too hot or it will kill the yeast. You don’t want it to be any warmer than 115 degrees F.
• Use a deep-frying thermometer an make sure the maintain the oil at 350 degrees. If it drops much lower, the beignets will soak up too much oil.

Cook’s Note

Be careful when you eat beignets that you don’t inhale the powdered sugar. It is easy to do!

More New Orleans Favorites

• Mardi Gras Monkey Bread
• Mardi Gras Pound Cake
• Bananas Foster Coffee Cake
• Pecan Praline Cheesecake
• King Cake Cracker Candy
• Cinnamon-Pecan King Cake
• Bananas Foster Cake



Watch the short video below to see how easy it is to make Homemade Beignets.

Recipe Source: slightly adapted from Paula Deen



Originally posted February 4, 2015.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.