Cookbooks
Never Say Never to Dolce
A brand-new collection of 50 approachable homemade desserts – from iconic Cannoli to Dolci al Cucchiaio and more – that proves there’s always room for a little sweetness.
Manuela’s Sweet Temptations
A collection of 50 irresistible dessert recipes, from classic Italian treats to modern favorites—including gluten-free options.
The Complete Italian Cookbook: Essential Regional Cooking of Italy
A collection of 50 irresistible dessert recipes, from classic Italian treats to modern favorites—including gluten-free options.
How to Make New Orleans-Style Beignets
Pillowy-soft fried dough covered in powdery layer of confectioner sugar
I’m so excited to share this recipe with you today. Because I know when you see these soft and light, lick-the-sugar-off-your-fingers yummy homemade beignets, you will be itching to dash to your kitchen and try these too! … Am I right?!?
And trust me, these beignets taste at least as good as they look!
Please note, that depending on how thin you roll the dough and how big you cut the squares, this recipe can yield anywhere from 30 to 60 little beignets. How many servings would these be?!? Hmmm… they are extra puffy and light (empty on the inside). They are cute and small, and so easy to pop in your mouth. So I can easily see eating at least 5 in one go… or maybe more!
Because these New Orleans Style beignets are best eaten right after frying, I recommend just rolling out, cutting, and frying the dough you plan to eat. You can store and save the remaining dough in an airtight container or the bowl covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for a few days. I fried mine in two times, and honestly the second day the dough was better – easier to roll, more flavorful, and puffed up even more in the hot oil.
Last but not least: don’t shy away from powdered sugar. The beignet dough is barely sweet so you need all the extra sweetness on top!
I’m also excited to share with you my first recipe card (see below!) One of my next goals for this blog is to make it a little more user-friendly so that you can more easily search, read, and print my recipes.
It will take a little more work, but for now… down here is my first recipe card! What do you think?!?
VIDEO RECIPE:
How to Make New Orleans-Style Beignets
Pillowy-soft fried dough covered in powdery layer of confectioner sugar
Servings:
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
15 min
Resting Time
Total Time
2 hr, 35 min
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (175 ml) warm water
- 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons, 7 gr) active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup (50 gr) sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) condensed milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 3/4 cups (475 gr) bread flour
- 2 tablespoons (30 gr) unsalted butter, softened
- oil for frying
- powdered sugar for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the water with the yeast and sugar. Mix to dissolve and let sit for five minutes until bubbly to activate the yeast.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg, condensed milk and salt. Mix at medium speed until combined.
- Add the water/yeast mixture and about half of the flour. Mix for a few minutes until well combined and smooth. Add the softened butter and mix some more.
- Add the remaining cups of the flour and knead with a dough hook for a few minutes until smooth.
- Make into a ball, place in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel. And let rest at room temperature for one hour. Refrigerate for at least one hour or until ready to fry (up to two days).
- Remove from the fridge, working in batches (I used half the dough at a time), roll out to a 1/8 inch thick. Cut into squares about 2 or 2.5 inches sides.
- Heat the oil until hot (360 degrees F or until you see bubbles around a wooden spoon inside the oil). Fry the beignets a few at a time until they pop up and are golden brown, it should take only a few seconds per side.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and drain onto paper towels. Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar on both sides. Serve warm!
