Having been born and raised in New Orleans, I regularly have a craving for the famous Cafe du Monde delicious beignets. The classic beignet is such a staple to be enjoyed while in the Big Easy, not just for Mardi Gras but also in the French Quarter with a hot cup of Cafe au Lait. Since receiving my Air Fryer, I have not stopped air frying all the foods because who needs the calories of deep frying when one can make homemade air fryer beignets at home with this easy recipe? Check out this easy and delicious Air Fryer Beignets recipe to make at home.
If you enjoyed this Air Fryer Beignets Recipe, check out these other air fryer recipe: Air Fryer Churros Recipe, Air Fryer French Toast Sticks Recipe, Air Fryer Smores Poptart Recipe, Air Fryer Toasted Perogi Recipe, easy Air Fryer Donuts.
Air Fryer Beignets Recipe
Being a native of New Orleans, it is only natural that I would try my hand at a New Orleans classic recipe and a sweet treat enjoyed by many using my air fryer. Not only did I want to bring this French Quarter treat to my readers, but I also wanted to give everyone a skinnier, more waist-line-friendly recipe because deep fryer beignets are fatty with a capital F. I mean, they are delicious, so they are totally worth it, but skipping the step of frying the beignets in oil is a total fat saver.
Ingredients
3 cups self-rising flour
1½ tsp salt
1 package instant yeast or active dry yeast
1 cup milk
2 TBS brown sugar
2 TBS butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
Powdered sugar, to taste
Directions
Whisk flour, salt, and instant yeast mixture together in a small bowl. Heat the milk in microwave until boiling hot. Combine milk with the melted butter and sugar in a large bowl and pour the steaming milk over the top. Stir so that the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Allow to cool to a lukewarm temp. Add the egg and vanilla to the milk mixture and mix thoroughly. Combine flour mixture with the wet ingredients and mix until a dough is formed. Knead dough for 3-5 minutes. Place dough into a lightly oiled bowl (I used vegetable oil). Cover and allow it to rise for about 1 hour or until it has doubled in size. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to about 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface and cut into a square shapes creating the beignet square pieces. Let the dough rest setting dough pieces aside on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes or until the risen dough have almost doubled in size.
Spray the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray and place the dough squares into the basket of the air fryer, making sure it remains a single layer in the basket. Depending on the type and size of your air fryer, times and temperatures will vary. I set my air fryer at 390 degrees F and set the timer to 10 minutes, flipping the beignet halfway through at about 3-4 minutes. Cook until the air-fried beignets are golden brown, remove, and place beignets parchment paper until cool enough to eat.
Top with powdered sugar, chocolate sauce, white sugar, or just a buttered side and enjoy with that hot cup of coffee!
Air Fryer Beignet Recipe
Famous New Orleans beignet recipe which is a little lighter on the waistline since it is cooked in an air fryer!
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 6 minutes mins
Total Time 2 hours hrs
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 9 people
Calories 180 kcal
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup milk
- 2 TBSP butter
- 2 TBSP brown sugar
- 1 pack active dry yeast
- 1 medium egg
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 sprinkle powdered sugar to taste
Instructions
Whisk flour, salt, and instant yeast mixture together in a small bowl. Heat the milk in microwave until boiling hot. Combine milk with the melted butter and sugar in a large bowl and pour the steaming milk over the top. Stir so that the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Allow to cool to a lukewarm temp. Add the egg and vanilla to the milk mixture and mix thoroughly. Combine flour mixture with the wet ingredients and mix until a dough is formed. Knead dough for 3-5 minutes. Place dough into a lightly oiled bowl (I used vegetable oil). Cover and allow it to rise for about 1 hour or until it has doubled in size. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to about 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface and cut into a square shapes creating the beignet square pieces. Let the dough rest setting dough pieces aside on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes or until they have almost doubled in size.
Spray the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray and place the dough squares into the basket of the air fryer, making sure it remains a single layer in the basket. Depending on the type and size of your air fryer, times and temperatures will vary. I set my air fryer at 390 degrees F and set the timer to 10 minutes, flipping the beignet halfway through at about 3-4 minutes. Cook until the air-fried beignets are golden brown, remove, and place beignets parchment paper until cool enough to eat.
Keyword air fryer recipe, beignet
FAQs
Do not add too many pieces to the oil or else the oil temperature will drop and your beignets will be fry up flat. They will not puff up. The only other reason the dough does not puff up would be if you rolled the beignet dough too flat. Try rolling the dough a little thicker.
What oil is best for frying beignets? ›
Ingredients for Easy Beignets:
- Oil, for frying – This recipe uses vegetable or canola oil because most people have these on hand, but if you want to get really authentic, try and find cottonseed oil! ...
- Confectioners' sugar – It isn't a beignet unless it's covered in confectioners' sugar, aka powdered sugar!
The difference between classic French beignets and the New Orleans-style fritters seen can be found in the preparation of the dough. The former is made from pâte à choux, while those from the Big Easy are made from leavened dough that's cut into squares and fried until crispy on the outside and airy within.
Why are my beignets raw in the middle? ›
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.
Are beignets supposed to be doughy in the middle? ›
Are beignets supposed to be doughy? On the inside, beignets should be light and fluffy, like a regular fried doughnut. If your final product is doughy, the oil might have been too cool when you added the beignets, causing them to absorb oil and become doughy.
How sticky should beignet dough be? ›
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.
Can you let beignet dough rise overnight? ›
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.
What oil does Krispy Kreme use to fry? ›
We use vegetable shortening (palm, soybean, and/or cottonseed and canola oil) for zero gram of trans fat per one serving of doughnut. All monoglycerides and diglycerides are vegetable based. Enzymes are also present. The lecithin we use is soy-based.
What is the most famous beignet shop in Louisiana? ›
Cafe Du Monde New Orleans.
What city is famous for beignets? ›
Famous for being a doughnut without the hole, this popular sweet treat is one of the city's most famous food staples that both locals and visitors savor all year long, available 24-hours a day in New Orleans at more than one coffee hotspot. The New Orleans beignet is great for breakfast, dessert or a midnight snack.
A traditional way beignets are prepared is using choux pastry dough. Otherwise known as the French-style beignet, this type of dough is typically made using butter, milk or water, sugar, flour, and salt. Choux pastry is versatile and is prepared differently by culture.
Can you eat beignets the next day? ›
Beignets really are best served fresh, but if you have any leftover you can keep them in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days or even freeze them for 1-2 months. Reheat the beignets in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds or in the oven at 350 degrees F for 3-5 minutes to serve them warm.
Why are my beignets chewy? ›
Beignets are different than doughnuts in a few ways. First, the dough is made with a single rise. This creates a chewy texture rather than a fluffy one.
Can I leave beignets in the fridge overnight? ›
Plan ahead, because this recipe needs to chill in the refrigerator overnight, or kept chilled up to 2 days. If you want same-day beignets, they must chill for 4 hours at the very least.
What is the secret to making beignets? ›
Café Du Monde's tips page says:
- “Do not overmix the dough. You will have tough beignets if you overmix the dough.”
- “Be sure to use plenty of flour.”
- “Don't add too many pieces at once to the oil or else the oil temperature will drop, and your beignets will fry up flat. They will not puff up.”
Beignets are different than doughnuts in a few ways. First, the dough is made with a single rise. This creates a chewy texture rather than a fluffy one. Because of this, the doughnuts taste best hot from the fryer.
How do you make beignets soft again? ›
Reheat the beignets in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds or in the oven at 350 degrees F for 3-5 minutes to serve them warm. You will just want to add a fresh dusting of powdered sugar before serving. They won't be quite as good as fresh, but still pretty darn good.
What makes dough fluffy? ›
Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.
