New Orleans-Style Beignets Recipe - The Best Beignet Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between French beignets and New Orleans beignets? ›

The difference between classic French beignets and the New Orleans-style fritters seen can be found in the preparation of the dough. The former is made from pâte à choux, while those from the Big Easy are made from leavened dough that's cut into squares and fried until crispy on the outside and airy within.

Do not add too many pieces to the oil or else the oil temperature will drop and your beignets will be fry up flat. They will not puff up. The only other reason the dough does not puff up would be if you rolled the beignet dough too flat. Try rolling the dough a little thicker.

Cafe du Monde in the French Quarter is the oldest and most iconic beignet shop, but several other cafes have become local favorites such as Cafe Beignet and Loretta's Authentic Pralines for their praline-filled beignets. See a full list of place to grab New Orleans beignets below.

Cafe Beignet on Royal Street – the one that started it all! Located in a converted 1800s carriage house, Royal St. offers a European cafe setting with a lush, tropical courtyard.

Beignet (/ˈbɛnjeɪ/ BEN-yay, also US: /beɪnˈjeɪ, bɛnˈjeɪ/ bayn-YAY, ben-YAY, French: [bɛɲɛ]; lit. 'bump') is a type of fritter, or deep-fried pastry, made from pâte à choux, but may also be made from other types of dough, including yeast dough.

Why are my beignets raw in the middle? Oil that's too hot will quickly brown the beignets before the centers have a chance to cook. Make sure to check your oil temperature, and reduce the heat if your beignets are browning too quickly.

If it isn't, the beignets absorb too much oil and the powdered sugar melts when served and the beignet is greasy, sticky, and a hot, sweet mess of soggy dough. Cafe du Monde fries their beignets in cottonseed oil, even though most recipes call for vegetable oil.

Can I let it sit overnight? Absolutely, most recipes call for an chilled overnight rest. The dough rolls out better when it's cold too. They don't need an overly long rise time before frying in the morning.

Tips for MAKING Your Fluffy Beignets:

Be sure that you oil is NIICCE and hot. We had our oil even 20 degrees hotter than the box called for and this really seemed to help the dough puff. Try to keep that oil temperature as even as possible!

At that time, beignets were generally called “French Market doughnuts,” something Fernandez rectified in 1958 when he rebranded them “beignets.” Asked why beignets are always served in threes, Roman had a very simple explanation: “My grandfather always sold them in threes, so that is what we still do today.”

What is the best oil to fry beignets? ›

It's the expert way that these pastries are cut and fried that makes Café du Monde's beignets a legend in New Orleans. People compare beignets to doughnuts, funnel cake, and other sugar-topped fried pastries. But those who've been to Café du Monde know them as a thing all their own.

Depending on the time of day you arrive, the line might be down the block so come prepared for at least a 30 minute wait. I waited roughly 15 minutes to order beignets from Cafe Du Monde. I showed up at 8:30am on a Saturday morning, and by 9am the line quadrupled and was down the block.

Kim absolutely loves the beignets from Café Du Monde in New Orleans, as documented on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, so why not treat her to her favorite dessert?

We can trace the consumption of fried dough back to the times of ancient Rome. Beignets are thought to have migrated with French settlers and were introduced to Louisiana when settlers made their home there. Though beignets are found in other parts of the world, they are mostly known in the French Quarter.

Beignets were also brought to Louisiana by the Acadians. These were fried fritters, sometimes filled with fruit. Today, the beignet is a square piece of dough, fried and covered with powdered sugar. They are served in orders of three.

beignet, French-style fried square doughnut. Introduced in Louisiana by the French Acadians in the 18th century, this light pastry is a delicacy in New Orleans.

French Bakery Beignets are nothing like what you'd expect from French pastries, yet they are quintessentially French. These plump buttery pillows rolled in sugar and filled with jams are found on most bakery stalls in France and are kids' favorites at the time of the “goûter” ( mid-afternoon snack).