French Quarter Beignets

French Quarter Beignets on a platter

The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Inactive time: 4 hrs
Total: 4 hrs 25 mins
Servings: 48 servings

Imagine yourself in the French Quarter sipping chicory-laced coffee with these fabulous beignets. The little pillows of dough are deep-fried to fluffy perfection. In New Orleans, the beignets are traditionally served as a breakfast bread with a cup of Louisiana's famous coffee. 

Plan to prepare the dough the night before. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it until you're ready to cut them out and fry them.

Ingredients

  • 1 envelope active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water (approx. 105 F)

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 large eggs, beaten

  • 1 cup evaporated milk

  • 7 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1/4 cup shortening, softened

  • Vegetable oil, for frying

  • 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    French Quarter Beignets ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  2. In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water; stir to dissolve and let mixture stand 5 minutes.

    Yeast and warm water mixture in a bowl

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  3. Add sugar, salt, beaten eggs, and evaporated milk.

    Yeast, sugar, salt, beaten eggs, and evaporated milk in a bowl

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  4. With a whisk or electric mixer, blend mixture thoroughly. Add 4 cups of flour and the shortening; beat until smooth.

    Batter in a bowl with a whisk

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  5. Gradually blend in remaining flour.

    Beignet dough in a bowl

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  6. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for at least 4 hours or overnight.

    Beignet dough in a bowl covered with plastic wrap

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  7. Heat oil in a large, deep saucepan or electric deep fryer to 360 F.

    Oil in a pot on a burner

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  8. Roll dough out on a floured surface to 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch in thickness. Cut into 2 1/2 to 3-inch squares.

    Beignets dough rolled out and cut into pieces on a floured cutting board

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  9. Deep fry beignets for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they are lightly browned on both sides.

    Beignets frying in a pot with oil on a burner

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  10. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle generously with confectioners' sugar.

    French Quarter Beignets on a paper towel on top of a cooling rack, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

Tips

To freeze, cut the dough out and arrange the uncooked beignets on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the freezer. When the beignets are frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer bag. Thaw them and fry as directed.

 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
127 Calories
5g Fat
17g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 48
Amount per serving
Calories 127
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 7%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 10mg 3%
Sodium 36mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 18mg 1%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 40mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)