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.

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

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
×
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.)