New Orleans Beignets
Recipe for fluffy and soft New Orleans beignets
The recipe for fluffy New Orleans beignets is a true feast for the palate, bringing delicious sensations straight from the heart of Louisiana. These traditional beignets are characterized by a soft, fluffy interior, and their golden surface is covered with a layer of delicate powdered sugar. What distinguishes these beignets is their unusual aroma and taste, which are the result of short deep-frying. Discover the taste of New Orleans in every bite of these delicious, fluffy beignets.
Table of content
New Orleans Beignets recipe step by step
If you like sweet beignets and are not afraid to make them yourself at home, then you must try this traditional recipe from America.
Fluffy New Orleans donuts recipe with video
Składniki
ingredients for New Orleans donuts
- approx 15 g yeast (fresh)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 250 ml water (lukewarm)
- 450 g wheat flour – all-purpose (3 cups + for dusting)
- 2 eggs (size L)
- 30 ml oil
- 45 g sugar (3 tablespoons)
- approx 70-150 g powdered sugar (for coating – 1/2-1 cup)
- oil (for frying)
Instrukcja
How to make New Orleans donuts
- Mix the yeast with sugar and lukewarm water, cover and set aside in a warm place for about fifteen minutes.approx 15 g yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, 250 ml water
- In a large bowl, place flour, sugar, eggs, and oil.450 g wheat flour – all-purpose, 2 eggs, 30 ml oil, 45 g sugar
- Add the yeast starter and knead a smooth dough (it will be quite loose and sticky – do not add more flour!).
- Cover the bowl with the dough and set aside in a warm place for 1.5-2 hours – until the dough doubles in volume.
- Take the risen dough out onto a floured surface and knead briefly.
- Dust the bottom with a little flour, sprinkle flour on top of the dough, and gently roll it out to a thickness of about 1 cm.
- Cut the dough into small pieces and start frying them immediately.
- In a wide saucepan, heat oil to 180 degrees Celsius.oil
- Place a few donuts at a time into the hot oil and fry for about 1-2 minutes on each side – until nicely browned.
- Remove the cooked donuts onto a paper towel and dry them.
- Immediately coat the donuts in powdered sugar.approx 70-150 g powdered sugar
Film
Uwagi
Wartości Odżywcze
Where do New Orleans beignets come from?
Today I invite you to try very tasty and incredibly light and fluffy traditional beignets originating from New Orleans in the United States. These beignets, also called French, came to the States with French colonists. Traditionally, they are prepared in small sizes and without filling. They have a characteristic square or slightly rectangular shape and are served coated in powdered sugar. Preparing these beignets is very simple and quick, so be sure to try this recipe.
What ingredients are essential for preparing beignets?
To prepare these French beignets, you will only need basic ingredients. Below is a short list with possible substitutes.
- wheat flour – the best here will be type 550 or 500 flour, although if unavailable, you can also use type 450 flour, all-purpose flour will be good too.
- yeast – I used fresh yeast here, but you can replace it with dried instant yeast – one 7g packet is enough.
- water – I used lukewarm water to prepare the yeast starter, but I have also seen recipes for these beignets where milk was used. So if you prefer yeast dough prepared with milk, you can use it.
- sugar – I added 1 tablespoon of vanilla sugar and 2 tablespoons of regular sugar – thanks to the vanilla, the beignets gained an extra nice flavor – I highly recommend this solution.
- oil – for frying the beignets, you will need about 1 liter of oil, you can also use lard.
How to make New Orleans beignets – tips
Preparing these American beignets is somewhat simpler and faster than preparing our traditional donuts. Primarily because these beignets are not left to rise, nor are they filled. Beignets fried without filling cook much faster and have less tendency to burn.
To make the dough for the beignets, simply knead all the ingredients for the dough – I recommend doing this with a mixer with a dough hook attachment. This way, the dough will be well-kneaded, and you won’t be tempted to add more flour. The dough for these beignets is looser than for traditional donuts, and you might be tempted to thicken it. Thanks to the loose and light dough, these beignets are delicate like a cloud. Therefore, add flour only when rolling out the dough, and sparingly – just enough so that the dough doesn’t stick to the countertop and rolling pin.
How to divide the dough for beignets?
These beignets are also divided differently than traditional donuts. We don’t cut circles here, nor do we roll balls from the dough. Instead, we cut the flat dough into strips and then into squares. It’s best to do this with a pizza cutter or a sharp knife. If the dough sticks too much to the knife, you can sprinkle the blade with a little flour – this will make cutting easier.
After cutting the dough into pieces, immediately start frying them in hot fat. Do not leave them to rise like traditional donuts. Their rising occurs mainly during frying. Thanks to the rather small pieces, frying the beignets is very quick, taking about a minute per side. Remember to flip the beignets to the other side. Drain the finished beignets on a paper towel to remove excess fat and immediately coat them in powdered sugar so that it adheres nicely. Below you can watch my short video on preparing and frying New Orleans beignets. See how simple it is!
How to fry beignets so they don’t absorb oil?
To prevent beignets from absorbing oil during frying, you need to heat the fat well. It’s best to heat the oil or lard to a temperature of 180 degrees Celsius. It’s good to check this with a kitchen thermometer. If the oil is not hot enough, the beignets will fry for a long time and absorb oil; if it’s too hot, they will burn.
What if you don’t have a kitchen thermometer? In that case, I drop a small piece of dough into the oil. If it immediately starts frying nicely, the oil is at a good temperature. Remember also that when you put the beignets into the oil, its temperature will naturally drop.
How to serve New Orleans beignets?
New Orleans beignets are traditionally served warm immediately. Very often, they are even eaten for breakfast with a cup of coffee. Thanks to the layer of powdered sugar, they don’t need any additional toppings. But you can also serve them with jam or chocolate sauce, in which you can dip the beignets and eat them bite by bite.
How many calories do beignets have?
Thanks to their small size, these New Orleans beignets have a relatively low calorie count overall. 100g of beignets has about 290 kcal. If you prepare 30 beignets from the dough, one piece will have about 106 kcal. These are, of course, averaged data, because for me, each beignet had a different size and weight. When cutting the dough for beignets with a knife or pizza cutter, it’s not easy to get equal portions.
How to store beignets?
These beignets are best eaten on the day of preparation and served warm immediately after frying and coating in sugar. If you can’t eat them all at once, transfer them to an airtight container with a lid. Do not put them in the refrigerator, as it is not good for them.
It’s best to briefly reheat them in the microwave (about 30 seconds) after they’ve cooled, so they become warm and super soft again. These beignets are not well suited for freezing, so it’s best to eat them fresh.
I hope this recipe, photos, and tips will encourage you to fry these delicious beignets. If so, I would be extremely happy if you share your comments under the recipe.
Recommended recipes for homemade donuts
Be sure to try my other donut recipes. There is a very large selection on the blog. You will find recipes for traditional donuts, as well as more innovative ones (like baked donuts) and donuts from different parts of the world. See other donut flavors and unusual fillings for them. I am convinced that you will find something for yourself! And here are three recipes I quickly recommend:
I found the recipe for these New Orleans beignets on the Bless this Mess website.
Popularne Przepisy
Polecane przepisy
New Orleans Beignets Recipe
Today, I invite you to try these traditional donuts from across the ocean. These delicious and incredibly fluffy donuts, with their signature square shape, are world-famous in New Orleans. Brought to the States by French settlers, they are also often called "French donuts."
In addition to their unique shape, they are characterized by having no filling and being coated in a thick layer of powdered sugar immediately after frying.
Check out my detailed step-by-step recipe, look through the preparation photos, and find out how to make the donut dough and how to fry them so they don't soak up oil and stay wonderfully light and airy. You can also watch my short video tutorial to see exactly how I made these New Orleans beignets in my own home.
