Easy Classic French Beignets

Written by
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin is a freelance lifestyle writer and recipe developer. Her expertise is in French cuisine, which she writes about and teaches.
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Rebecca Franklin
Updated 11/23/20
Easy Classic French Beignets

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 18 mins
Total: 28 mins
Servings: 28 to 32 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
51 Calories
4g Fat
3g Carbs
1g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 28 to 32
Amount per serving
Calories 51
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 2g 11%
Cholesterol 34mg 11%
Sodium 55mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 3g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Protein 1g
Calcium 11mg 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.)

This easy, yeast-free beignet recipe is a snap to throw together the morning after your Mardi Gras celebration. For added atmosphere, do as they do at the famed Cafe Du Monde, and add a steaming mug of black chicory-coffee brew or a serving of cafe au lait for a complete breakfast.

While you will see many recipes for beignets that use a yeast dough, making them with choux pastry dough is also traditional. Choux is the familiar dough used in cream puffs and eclairs. It is made only with butter, water, flour, and eggs and the moisture in it allows it to rise without the need for yeast. This is what makes this the easy version of beignets since there is no waiting on the yeast and you can make them on the spur of the moment.

You can use a deep fryer or a pan that is deep enough for the oil to fry the beignets. A deep fryer should allow setting the temperature, but you will need to use a thermometer if using a pan.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Easy Classic French Beignets ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter in the water over medium-high heat.

    butter and water in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Add salt and flour, and quickly stir until a sticky batter is formed. Remove from heat.

    flour added to the butter and water mixture in the saucepan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the batter is smooth.

    add eggs to the batter in the saucepan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Heat oil to 375 F.

    pot with oil

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Fry mounded teaspoons of dough, several at a time, for about 6 minutes or until light, golden brown on each side. Don't crowd the fryer; ensure each beignet has plenty of room to move around. They may flip over by themselves, or you can use a slotted spoon to flip them so they cook evenly on all sides.

    beignets cooking in a pot of oil

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Drain the beignets for a few minutes on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.

    French beignets on a paper towel

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  8. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm and enjoy!

    Easy Classic French Beignets on a plate

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Tips

  • When cooking them in several batches, ensure the oil comes back up to temperature before starting the next batch.
  • For less of a mess, put the powdered sugar in a bag, add the beignets, and shake the bag gently to coat them.

What Is a Beignet?

Beignet is a French term that means bump and it originally meant fritters made with choux pastry, as in this version. So while you may wonder whether you should really be taking the time to make a yeast dough, this is an authentic version. This pastry was enshrined as the official state doughnut of Louisiana in 1986, even though it has no hole. Beignets have been a traditional food for Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday or the day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday) in both France and New Orleans. They're often served for breakfast, dessert, or a coffee or tea time snack.

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