Experience a taste of New Orleans with our copycat Cafe Du Monde beignet recipe! They are pillowy soft, deep fried, and perfectly sweet, just like at the iconic cafe. Serve them alongside a cup of coffee or milk for a kid-friendly pairing.
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If you’ve ever been to New Orleans, you’ve probably heard of Café du Monde. It’s one of the most famous places in the world for beignets—those soft, fluffy pillows of fried dough covered in a mountain of powdered sugar. People line up early in the morning (and late at night!) just to get a taste.
We love Café du Monde so much, we wanted to bring that same magic home. This recipe is our copycat version of their world-famous beignets. They’re crispy on the outside, soft and airy on the inside, and perfect with a big dusting of powdered sugar. Whether you’ve been to New Orleans or not, now you can enjoy these sweet treats right in your own kitchen!
What are Beignets?
Beignets are a type of deep-fried pastry that originated in French cuisine. They are deep-fried, similar to doughnuts, but they’re square, irresistibly airy, and they’re doused in a generous shower of powdered sugar.
While beignets have their roots in French culinary traditions, beignets are a popular and beloved pastry in New Orleans. Particularly due to the influence of French colonial history in Louisiana.
Beignets Pronunciation
Beignets is pronounced “ben-yays.” The word comes from the French language, where it means “fritter” or “doughnut.”
Ingredients
- Water & Milk: Both should be warm (not hot!) to help activate the yeast.
- Active Dry Yeast: This is what helps the dough rise and gives the beignets their light, fluffy texture.
- Egg: Helps bind the dough and makes it soft.
- All-Purpose Flour: The base of the dough. Make sure to measure it correctly for the best texture.
- Sugar: Just a touch to sweeten the dough.
- Oil for Frying: Canola or peanut oil both work great—they have high smoke points and won’t add extra flavor.
- Powdered Sugar: A must-have for dusting on top! Be generous with it—it’s what makes beignets, beignets.
Special Equipment and Tools
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer: While not absolutely necessary, a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment can make this beignets recipe a lot easier. You can also use a hand mixer or knead by hand if you prefer.
- Rolling Pin: A rolling pin is essential for rolling out the beignet dough to the desired thickness.
- Powdered Sugar Sifter: A sifter or sieve can be handy for dusting the beignets with powdered sugar, creating that classic sweet finish.
How to Make Cafe Du Monde Beignets
- Activate the Yeast: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine warm water, warm milk, and yeast. Give it a gentle stir and let it sit for about 5 minutes. This step wakes up the yeast and gets it ready for action.
- Mix the Essentials: Add in the unsalted butter and crack in the large egg. Attach the dough hook to your stand mixer and mix on slow speed. Gradually introduce the all-purpose flour and granulated sugar into the mix. Keep the mixer going on a slow speed until everything is well combined. Alternatively, you can use a hand mixer.
- Kneading: Now, increase the speed a bit and knead until it turns soft and smooth. If you prefer hand-kneading, feel free to go old-school and work that dough by hand.
- Rise Dough Place your dough in a bowl, cover it up nice and tight, and let it rise for a whole hour. This is where the magic happens, as the dough puffs up beautifully. After one hour, gently deflate it and transfer it to a greased bowl. Pop a lid on it and let it chill in the refrigerator overnight.
- Roll and Slice The next day, place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a 14″ x 10″ rectangle, making sure those corners are squared off. Grab a pizza cutter or a trusty knife and slice into 2.5″ squares.
- Fry to Perfection: Pour enough oil into an electric fryer to have a depth of at least 1″. Heat to 360°F. Working in batches, gently drop those squares into the hot oil. Let them fry for about 1 minute, then give ’em a flip. Fry for another minute until your beignets are golden brown and delightfully puffed.
- The Sweet Finish: Carefully scoop out your beignets with a metal slotted spoon and let them drain on paper towels. Once they’ve cooled a bit, it’s time to sprinkle them generously with confectioners’ sugar.
- Serve and Enjoy: Grab a cup of your favorite coffee and savor every bite of these warm, sugary beignets. Your taste buds are in for a treat!
Recipe Tips
- Activate the Yeast Right: Make sure the water and milk are warm, around 100°F (37°C). If it’s too hot, it can kill the yeast. If it’s too cold, the yeast won’t work properly.
- Be Patient with Rising: Let the dough double in size, which usually takes about an hour. Then, refrigerate it overnight for even better flavor.
- Roll to the Right Thickness: Roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thick. If it’s too thin, the beignets might turn out crispy instead of soft and fluffy.
- Keep the Oil Just Right: Use a thermometer to keep the oil at 360°F (182°C). If the oil is too hot, the beignets will brown too fast and be raw inside.
- Fry in Small Batches: Don’t crowd the pot! Fry a few beignets at a time so they cook evenly and don’t stick together.
- Eat Them Fresh: Beignets taste best when they’re hot and fresh. Don’t make them too far ahead—enjoy them right away!
How to Serve
In New Orleans, beignets are traditionally served with a hot cup of coffee, but you can also pair them with a variety of beverages, such as milk, or hot chocolate.
Feel free to get creative with toppings. Some beignets recipes call for drizzling chocolate or caramel sauce over the beignets for an extra indulgent twist.
Commonly Asked Questions
It should be soft and smooth. Stretch a small piece between your fingers. If it forms a thin, translucent membrane without tearing, it’s kneaded enough.
Ensure that the oil is at the correct temperature, and don’t overcrowd the frying pot. Also, place the fried beignets on a paper towel-lined tray to drain excess.
This New Orleans beignets recipe is best when they’re fresh and hot. If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature and reheat them in the oven for a few minutes to restore some of their crispiness.
Cafe Du Monde Beignet Recipe
Equipment
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer While not absolutely necessary, a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment can make process easier. You can also use a hand mixer or knead by hand if you prefer.
- Rolling Pin A rolling pin is essential for rolling out the dough to the desired thickness.
- Sifter or Sieve A sifter or sieve can be handy for dusting the beignets with powdered sugar, creating that classic sweet finish.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water 100° F
- 1/2 cup lukewarm whole milk 100° F
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 large egg
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- canola oil for frying (peanut oil works well too)
- powdered confectioner’s sugar, for topping
Instructions
- Combine water, milk, and yeast in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Add butter and egg to bowl of stand mixer. Use dough hook attachment to mix ingredients on slow speed.
- Mix in flour and sugar on slow speed.
- Increase speed and knead until a soft, smooth dough has formed. Alternatively, you can knead dough by hand.
- Allow dough to rise in bowl, tightly covered, for 1 hour.
- Deflate dough and place it in a greased bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove dough from the refrigerator, and place it on a lightly floured work surface.
- Roll dough into a 14″ x 10″ rectangle, squaring off the corners.
- Cut into 2.5″ squares using a pizza cutter or knife.
- Pour oil to a depth of at least 1″ in an electric fryer and heat oil to 360°F.
- Working in batches, drop squares into the hot oil and fry for 1 minute. Use a pair of tongs to turn them over and fry for another minute, until the beignets are puffed and golden brown all over.
- Remove beignets from the oil and drain on paper towels. When beignets are cool, sprinkle them heavily with confectioners’ sugar and serve with a cup of your favorite coffee.
Notes
- Activate the Yeast Right: Make sure the water and milk are warm, around 100°F (37°C). If it’s too hot, it can kill the yeast. If it’s too cold, the yeast won’t work properly.
- Be Patient with Rising: Let the dough double in size, which usually takes about an hour. Then, refrigerate it overnight for even better flavor.
- Roll to the Right Thickness: Roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thick. If it’s too thin, the beignets might turn out crispy instead of soft and fluffy.
- Keep the Oil Just Right: Use a thermometer to keep the oil at 360°F (182°C). If the oil is too hot, the beignets will brown too fast and be raw inside.
- Fry in Small Batches: Don’t crowd the pot! Fry a few beignets at a time so they cook evenly and don’t stick together.
- Eat Them Fresh: Beignets taste best when they’re hot and fresh. Don’t make them too far ahead—enjoy them right away!
I really liked how fluffy the beignets came out. I did a trial run to make them for Mardi Gras and they tasted just as good as Café du Monde’s.
I can’t get to NOLA for Mardi Gras this year so I had to try your recipe and it is just right! The beignets are nice and fluffy and not too sweet so the powdered sugar sets them off just like Cafe de Monde. Thank you!