This pillowy New Orleans classic is easy to make at home in your air fryer and uses far less oil than the original. As a bonus, you can use the same sweet yeasted dough to make air fryer doughnuts – just cut into rings and air fry at the same temperature as the beignets. Finish with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar or a quick glaze.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 20 beignets |
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for working the dough (see Cook’s Note)
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- One 1/4-ounce packet instant yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg plus 1 yolk
- 1/2 cup lukewarm whole milk (about 110 degrees F)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the bowl
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the beignets
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Combine the flour, granulated sugar, yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix to combine. Add the egg, egg yolk, milk, butter and vanilla and mix on low to combine. Increase the speed to medium high and knead until the dough forms a loose ball around the hook and is smooth and elastic, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface and lightly knead by hand just enough to bring it together into a smooth ball. Brush a medium bowl with melted butter and add the dough, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm area until doubled in size, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Punch the dough down and roll out on a lightly floured surface to a slightly larger than 10-inch square. Trim the edges with a sharp knife or pizza cutter to make an even square. Cut the square in a 4 by 5 grid pattern to make 20 rectangles. Loosely cover the dough and let rise right on the countertop for about 15 minutes.
- Preheat a 3.5-quart air fryer to 350 degrees F. Add half the beignets and spray them lightly with cooking spray. Cook until puffed and golden, about 6 minutes. Remove and repeat with the remaining beignets. Dust the beignets with confectioners’ sugar and serve warm.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 20 servings |
| Calories | 117 |
| Total Fat | 5 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 15 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Cholesterol | 14 mg |
| Sodium | 56 mg |
Reviews
Really quick recipe. I used a fryer instead. I didn’t let them raise because I didn’t have time. Not sure if they’re supposed to be gooey inside? But I liked them.
I tried this recipe and it came out really more like a biscuit and not like a beignet at all. They didn’t taste bad but definitely not a beignet.
Agree with everyone. Immersion in the oil is what makes the dough rise and form the light, airy pastry that is beignet. This is why it does not work in the air fryer, though it is still edible but is more like a biscuit.
They were good but dense. They were like cake donuts instead of raised donuts.
Good flavor, held up to the raspberry jam and honey, but not what I remembered as beignets in New Orleans.
It worked…but the recipe needs more sugar, they came out super bland. In addition, they aren’t very fluffy (at all) since it’s in an air fryer.
These did not rise at all and were not light and airy like beignets should be. Maybe allow the yeast to activate in the warm milk before mixing with the rest of the ingredients. Flavor was just meh, though. I think if you’re going to the trouble of making beignets, find a different recipe and deep fry them!
Good
Made the dough twice and it never rose. Third time it rose slightly but Mede I cooked them they were inedible.
It’s good.. will make it again.
it taste amazing !! but if you accidentally add 2 eggs it’ll taste just fine !