Easy Beignet Recipe! (Fried dough) (2024)

FAQs

Are beignets the same as fried dough? ›

Beignets – Traditional New Orleans fried dough covered in powdered sugar and served fresh from the fryer. These chewy, yet airy sweet treats are best served with a cup of hot coffee.

Your cooking oil should be at 370 degrees Fahrenheit. We use cottonseed oil at the Cafe Du Monde, and we recommend you use cottonseed oil. However you may use any vegetable oil you wish. Remember that the temperature of the oil will drop when you add the beignet dough to the oil.

Tips for MAKING Your Fluffy Beignets:

Really coat that countertop and rolling pin with flour- you do NOT want these babies to stick and they really, REALLY want to. Be sure that you oil is NIICCE and hot. We had our oil even 20 degrees hotter than the box called for and this really seemed to help the dough puff.

If you don't have a deep fryer, you can use a large, deep saucepan, a Dutch oven, or a heavy-bottomed pot with tall sides. These options will provide enough space for the beignets to fry properly. How do I know when the oil is hot enough? To check if the oil is hot enough for frying, you can use a kitchen thermometer.

Fried dough is also known as fry dough, fry bread (bannock), fried bread, doughboys, elephant ears, beaver tails, scones, pizza fritte, frying saucers, and buñuelos (in the case of smaller pieces).

It is then kneaded and allowed to rise before being shaped into a pizza and baked. Fried dough, on the other hand, is typically made with flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. It is then mixed with water or milk and fried in hot oil until golden brown.

Gradually add another 4 cups of flour, stirring (or letting your dough hook do the work) until you have a sticky dough. If it's not too sticky to knead, knead it on a floured surface or with the dough hook; if it's still pretty sticky, add another 1/2 cup flour. Knead until it's smooth and elastic, yet still tacky.

If you want to prepare the dough ahead of time, you can do a slow rise in the refrigerator overnight. Then you can roll it out and cut the beignets. Since the dough will be cold, let the cut beignets come to room temp for about 30 minutes before frying.

A bunch of online recipes say: It's super important to keep your temperature consistent at 370 degrees F. That's why it's highly recommended to use a cooking thermometer with your pot/pan if you're not using an electric skillet, to ensure your oil temperature is maintained throughout your beignet frying.

Why are my beignets raw in the middle? Oil that's too hot will quickly brown the beignets before the centers have a chance to cook. Make sure to check your oil temperature, and reduce the heat if your beignets are browning too quickly.

What oil does Cafe du Monde use? ›

Cafe Du Monde recommends cottonseed oil as that is what they use there.

Can you use Beignet Mix after the expiration date? We DO NOT recommend using our mix after the best by date. One of the ingredients is powdered milk, and it will sour after the best by date.

This is in part because of the difference in the dough; donuts aren't made with choux pastry like beignets. Instead, most donut recipes call for more eggs, making them heavier, while beignets are quite fluffy and airy after frying. The donut's density is also thanks to the extras that donuts often get.

A beignet is a yeast-risen dough that is rolled out, cut into square shapes, and deep-fried until golden brown. A hollow pocket forms in the center of the beignet when frying. Right when the beignets come out of the frying oil, they are rolled in copious amounts of powdered sugar.

Variations of fried dough can be found across cuisines internationally; however, the origin of the term beignet is specifically French.

Donuts (also spelled doughnuts) are deep-fried pastries made from dough. Donut-like fried pastries appear in many forms the world over, both savory and sweet. However, in the United States, donuts are most often sweet treats commonly enjoyed at breakfast.