Mardi Gras Beignets

MAKES: 32

COOK TIME: 40 Min

Celebrate Mardi Gras with a New Orleans classic! Beignets are basically fritters, in that they're made from dough that's dropped into hot oil and deep-fried until golden and delicious. Before they're ready to be enjoyed our Mardi Gras Beignets are sprinkled with confectioners' sugar, just like they do in N'awlins!

What You'll Need

1 (1-pound) loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, divided
2 cups vegetable shortening

What to Do

In a medium bowl, combine bread dough and 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar. Using your hands, knead sugar into dough. Lightly flour a cutting board and with a floured rolling pin, roll out dough to an 8-inch by 16-inch rectangle. Cut into 2-inch squares.
In a large deep skillet over medium heat, heat shortening until hot. Add dough squares a few at a time and cook in batches about 30 seconds per side, or until golden. Drain on a paper towel-lined platter.
Sprinkle beignets with remaining confectioners’ sugar and serve warm.

Tip

Beignets are traditionally served with chicory coffee or café au lait (a mix of half hot coffee and half scalded milk) but any way you serve them, they're the perfect way to start or end the day.

Craving even more mouthwatering recipes like this one? Check out our collection of Quick & Easy Mardi Gras Recipes.

Up Next:

Mardi Gras King Cake

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urdchan 7936213

Mar 20, 2019

I can't even imagine using frozen bread dough for these. If you don't want to make completely by scratch, just get the box mixes sold by Cafe DuMonde. Even our local grocery store carries it now and the result is almost exactly what you get when you eat at their restaurant in New Orleans. I'll stick with either making them from scratch or from the box mix. I suspect this recipe will produce more of what I see at many Chinese buffet restaurants, where they fry up basic refrigerator biscuits (the ones in tubes) and toss them in sugar. I want authentic beignets.

RachelAnne

Feb 28, 2017

Love these! They remind me of my trip to New Orleans from a few years ago. Mmmm!

sILVER bELLE

Aug 17, 2012

I LUBBOCK Beignets & my grands took me to Cafe du Monte YEARS ago in New O. We made a weekend ot it. Even a brain aneurysm like mine can't erase everythinh.

loveumom 1950251

Mar 10, 2012

what do you mean by bread dough, where do you get or how do you make?

countrylady62

Feb 12, 2013

You can find frozen bread dough in the freezer section of your local supermarket.

PatC13X

Feb 21, 2012

How about Polish PACZKI for Mardi Graz? Do you have a recipe for that one? Thanks!

janmae

Feb 21, 2012

This sounds so good and easy, BUT------- since they are not the real thing, how would they be baked instead of fried? Have you got any real good baked yeast doughnut recipes? Thanks

drozdibob 7537844

Feb 18, 2012

I'll try this one. What I am looking for is the Polish equivalent called "ponczi" (sp?), pronounced by some as poonch-key or punch-key by others. The tradition behind this very, very rich eggy filled donought is that Polish housewifes, not wishing to be wasteful, would try to use up all the butter, eggs, sour cream, and other rich ingredients before ASh Wednesday. They made these huge rich donoughts to do so. Typical fillings include but are not limited to custard, jellies, lekvar, lemon pudding, apple. We had a bakery in Beaver County that made them and now it is a diner. I would like to make these at home. How about it, Mr. Food? Do you have this one?

jhklosz 5541868

Feb 18, 2012

They are called Paczki. RecipeLion.com has a variety of recipes on Page 15. Good luck.

Lisa A

Feb 21, 2012

Our grocery stores start carrying these treats in January each year. I've never tried them because they're so expensive. But a homemade version sounds delightful.

deniseerica

Jun 17, 2011

These were just okay - perhaps better with your own yeast dough. If you have ever been to the New Orleans' Cafe du Monde, you will agree these just dont make it as a comparison.

Lisa A

Feb 21, 2012

I've only been to N'Awlins (as the locals pronounce it :) ) once and my first stop was the Cafe du Monde. Nothing beats sitting at those little tables, eating beignets and drinking chickory coffee and watching the activity around! I had such a wonderful time there, I started each day by visiting Cafe du Monde to get my caffeine and sugar rush for the day! LOL

rave

Feb 21, 2012

there is nothing better than a freshly cooked batch of Beignets from Cafe du Monde, which is still in the same place in the french market, even Katrina couldnt take it down...Woot!