New Orleans Style Beignets Recipe (Cafe du Monde) - Amy in the Kitchen (2024)

Published: / Updated: by Amy / 16 Comments

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The best beignets recipe tastes just like the ones from Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. Warm and fluffy donuts are covered with powdered sugar and served with coffee for a delicious treat.

New Orleans Style Beignets Recipe (Cafe du Monde) - Amy in the Kitchen (1)

Some of my fondest childhood memories are set firm in the French Quarters of New Orleans. When I was about 10 years old, I had the rare experience to watch Fats Domino play the piano on a second floor veranda while he sang "Blueberry Hill". I was in awe.

Taking a stroll through Jackson Square to watch street performers was always a treat. To earn money, the local boys would createtap shoes by attaching co*ke bottle tops to the bottom of their sneakers with a piece of string. I was mesmerized by their ability to stay completely in tune with each other as they danced to the music that was playing near by.

Artists painting and sculpting, beautiful jazz music in the air and of course a visit to the famous Cafe du Monde.

New Orleans Style Beignets Recipe (Cafe du Monde) - Amy in the Kitchen (2)

Anytime we made a trip to the Big Easy, I knew at some point in the day, my little fingers would be covered in sweet white powdered sugar from the beignets.

If you ever go to New Orleans, Cafe du Monde is a must see. When I say, must see, I mean you must go and enjoy their one of a kind beignets and coffee.

In simple terms, beignets are rectangular shaped donuts that are covered with powdered sugar. Enjoythem with a cup of cafe au lait or hot chocolate and you'll understand what all the fuss is about.

Cafe du Monde is always packed with tourists and locals, but don't worry, the lineis quick. If you can't get a table, get a brown bag of beignets "to go". Walk over to the levee on the Mississippi River, lay back and watch the barges go by.

You'll be amazed at how beautiful it is.Visiting southern Louisiana is like going to another country. The French Quarter boasts original wrought iron horse stands and brick paved roads.

There's always music in the air and of course a party going on at all hours of the day and night.

If you can't get down to New Orleans to try a plate of beignets, why not make your own?

You'll be surprised how easy they are to make. Laissez le bon temps rouler!

Louisiana inspired recipes

You'll love these easy and delicious southern style recipes. All inspired from growing up in Louisiana.

  • Turkey Gumbo
  • Louisiana Bread Pudding
  • Crab Meat au Gratin
  • Pink Shrimp Dip
  • New Orleans BBQ Shrimp

New Orleans Style Beignets Recipe (Cafe du Monde) - Amy in the Kitchen (3)

New Orleans Style Beignets Recipe

Amy Duska

The best beignets recipe tastes just like the ones from Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. Warm and fluffy donuts are covered with powdered sugar and served with coffee for a delicious treat.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 minutes mins

Rise Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 17 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups warm water
  • 1 teapsoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 7 cups flour
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons fast acting instant yeast 1 packet
  • ¼ cup shortening
  • 4 cups canola oil for frying, may need more
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Place the water, salt, eggs and evaporated milk in a stand mixer and mix together using a dough hook.

  • In a separate bowl stir together the flour and yeast.

  • Add 3 cups of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat until blended. Add the shortening and beat until blended well. Add the remaining flour, a cup at a time, until the dough is coming together and starting to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter for 2 hours.

  • Heat the oil to 350° using a candy thermometer to measure temperature.

  • Using a rolling pin, roll the dough on a floured surface, into a large rectangular shape. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the dough into 2" x 3" rectangles.

  • Drop the rectangles into the oil, 2-3 at a time, and let them fry on each side until they turn light brown, this only takes about a minute. Keep an eye on them or they will over cook.

  • Take them out of the fryer and place them into a brown paper bag. Shake the bag to coat the beignets. Add more powdered sugar to the bag as needed. (If you don't have a paper bag, dust with powdered sugar.) Serve them warm.

Notes

Store cooked beignets at room temperature in an air tight container for up to 2 days.

Keyword beignets

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Stacey says

    Nola can I make the dough in advance and keep it in fridge for about 8 hours after it rises?

    Reply

    • Amy says

      Hi Stacey, I have never stored mine in the fridge but ... I've read that it can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days before frying them!

      Reply

    • Julianna Westgor says

      You can make the dough ball in bulk and keep in fridge after making. When you want to use then take and roll/ cut/ proof to room temp before baking should work just fine! I’m a pastry chef and always have to find a way to make doughs for multiple days this is how I tend to do my yeast doughs!

      Reply

  2. Didi says

    LOVE NOLA! Though I must say, I prefer morning call over Cafe du Monde. We bought a box of Cafe du Monde beignet mix and I am waiting for the perfect moment to try it. LOL

    Reply

    • Amy says

      There's another restaurant that gives Cafe du Monde a run for their money too(being from Louisiana I'm really not supposed to say that....shhhh). If you are ever in Savannah, GA, stop by a restaurant named Huey's. They have delicious beignets that they serve with praline sauce. Amazing! I'm pretty sure the owner is originally from Louisiana too....

      Reply

      • Carrie Golliher says

        Absolutely! We had Huey’s beignets and they were to die for ❣️

    • Kathie says

      I was just at Morning Call and I agree with you.

      Reply

  3. Elizabeth @ Bowl of Delicious says

    This certainly took me back! I lived in NOLA for 2 years and constantly miss it- especially moseying around the French Quarter, smelling the smells of beignets and listening to the clip clop of horses on the cobblestones... it's a multi-sensory experience that is unlike any other. I can't wait to try these!! Pinned 🙂

    Reply

    • Amy says

      It's good to hear from someone who can really appreciate the beauty of all things New Orleans! I miss it so much. Thanks for stopping by Elizabeth!

      Reply

  4. Chrissy says

    I lived in NOLA for 4 years for grad/law school and Cafe du Monde is the reason I now drink coffee. The beignets are of course amazing, but the coffee...I still dream about whatever crack they put into it and to this day, cafe au laits are my go-to morning pick me up.

    Reply

    • Amy says

      It brings back such good memories!

      Reply

    • nancie says

      Grew up in New Orleans. My favorite city in the world! Still have beignet dreams LOL. Sadly, I have discovered I am allergic to gluten, so dreams they must remain. The coffee traditionally has chicory added. Maybe that is the flavor you miss.

      Reply

      • Amy says

        Hi Nancie! I definitely miss the chicory! It's certainly not for everyone but it does bring back memories 🙂 Might have to try to make them gluten free.

    • Mary says

      Aren't you missing the sugar in this recipe?

      Reply

  5. Elizabeth says

    New Orleans Style Beignets Recipe (Cafe du Monde) - Amy in the Kitchen (4)
    Just reading your description of New Orleans put me right back at little cast iron table at Cafe Du Monde with a cup of thick, sweet coffee and a plate of beignets. Your photographs are stunning - all that texture, and I love the white on white!

    Reply

    • Amy says

      Thank you Elizabeth. I wish I could go back more often!

      Reply

Did you make this recipe? Let me know!

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New Orleans Style Beignets Recipe (Cafe du Monde) - Amy in the Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in Cafe du Monde beignet mix? ›

What are the ingredients in your beignet mix? Enriched wheat flour, enriched barley flour, milk, buttermilk, salt, sugar, leavening (baking powder, baking soda, and/or yeast), natural and artificial flavoring.

What oil does Cafe du Monde use for beignets? ›

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.

How many beignets does Cafe du Monde make a day? ›

The kitchen at Cafe Du Monde. I believe Cafe Du Monde sells around 30,000 beignets a day, give or take.

Why are my beignets not fluffy? ›

Tips for MAKING Your Fluffy Beignets:

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. Try to keep that oil temperature as even as possible!

What are the two items that are served at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans? ›

It's been around for more than a century, and basically serves two items: beignets and café au lait. The beignets are similar to Spanish buñuelos, fried fritters of dough, and are one of those French traditions that's survived here more durably than in France.

How much powdered sugar does Cafe du Monde use in a day? ›

The worker said they replace the powdered sugar machine each hour with 50 lbs of sugar. So 50 lbs x 24 hours = 1200 lbs of sugar.

Why are my beignets hollow? ›

Finally, the beignets made from dough that rested two hours and then was rolled, cut, and fried had more of a hollow center — light and airy and perfect for filling with Nutella etc, if you'd be so inclined.

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.

Why are my beignets chewy? ›

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. If they cool down, they will get slightly tough and won't be as good.

How many beignets does Cafe Du Monde Mix make? ›

A: Cafe Du Monde Beignet Mix. Our 28oz. box makes up to four dozen French doughnuts.

What is the coffee to water ratio for Cafe Du Monde? ›

The Coffee and Chicory should be brewed to the ratio of 2.0 US gallons per 13 ounces of Coffee and Chicory. One 15oz can should be brewed with 2.3 US gallons.

Do Cafe du Monde beignets have eggs? ›

And I know how busy they always are at the cafe. So I emailed my query, they did email back with a photo of the box mix ingredients - no egg.

Why do beignets come in threes? ›

At that time, beignets were generally called “French Market doughnuts,” something Fernandez rectified in 1958 when he rebranded them “beignets.” Asked why beignets are always served in threes, Roman had a very simple explanation: “My grandfather always sold them in threes, so that is what we still do today.”

Can you eat beignets cold? ›

Instead, get a hot beignet -- don't eat these things cold -- because the sugar will hold onto the surface of the beignet and will melt more quickly as you eat. Next, carefully lift the beignet to your mouth but do not breathe! If you have to take a breath first, put the beignet down.

Why does Cafe Du Monde have chicory? ›

It is added to the coffee to soften the bitter edge of the dark roasted coffee. It adds an almost chocolate flavor to the Cafe Au Lait served at Cafe Du Monde. The Cafe Du Monde Coffee and Chicory is traditionally served Au Lait, mixed half and half with hot milk.

Does cafe beignet have chicory coffee? ›

Our coffee is sourced locally from roasters with over 30 years of experience roasting their own blends. Café Beignet is proud to continue the tradition of serving Chicory Coffee, first introduced by the French to New Orleans when it was still a colony of France.

Is beignet mix the same as funnel cake mix? ›

Absolutely not: funnel cakes are made of pancake batter that is deep-fried. Funnel cake batter does not contain yeast, nor does it require a rising time. Beignets are more similar to donuts than funnel cakes.

How much powdered sugar does Cafe Du Monde? ›

Do you know how many pounds of powdered sugar the famous Café du Monde in New Orleans goes through? To keep their famous beignets completely loaded with powdered sugar, they use approximately 5,000 lbs every week!

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