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Make Café du Monde copycat beignets at home! These fluffy fried dough squares topped with powdered sugar bring a taste of New Orleans to your kitchen.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
Light, pillowy texture – just like the iconic New Orleans treat, these beignets puff up beautifully when fried.
Simple ingredients – pantry staples come together to make something delicious.
Perfect for sharing – a batch makes plenty, so it’s ideal for family, brunch, or a fun gathering.
Authentic café experience at home – enjoy the magic of Café du Monde without leaving your kitchen.
Dusted with a cloud of powdered sugar – sweet, messy, and irresistible, just the way beignets should be.
Originally established as a coffee stand in 1862, Cafe du Monde is located in the French Quarter of New Orleans. It is famous for its cafe au lait and it’s french beignets. If a trip to Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans is on your bucket list, like it is on mine, I may have just saved you a trip!! This copycat Cafe Du Monde beignet recipe is pretty amazing.
What is a Beignet?
“Beignet” is French for bump and a beignet is basically a piece of fried dough tossed in powdered sugar. A beignet is a french doughnuts. They are best eaten warm and fresh. One tip, when eating a beignet, don’t wear black. With all that powdered sugar they are a bit messy to eat but so worth it.
Originally established as a coffee stand in 1862, Cafe du Monde is located in the French Quarter of New Orleans and is famous for its cafe au lait and it’s french beignets.
Eating a beignet at Cafe du Monde is definitely on my food bucket list but until then I will just make them at home!
Ingredients Needed
- Active Dry Yeast
- Sugar. You will need granulated sugar and powdered sugar.
- Salt
- Eggs
- Evaporated Milk
- Flour. I use unbleached all purpose flour
- Vegetable Shortening. I use Crisco.
- Oil for Frying. I use corn, vegetable or canola oil.
How to Make Cafe Du Monde Beignets
- Proof the yeast and 2 tsp of sugar into lukewarm water for 10 minutes.
- Add the remaining sugar, salt, eggs, and evaporated milk into yeast mixture.
- Stir in 4 cups of the flour and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and thoroughly blended. I used my Kitchen Aid stand mixer with the dough hook.
- Beat in the shortening, then add the remaining flour, about 1/3 cup at a time, beating it in with a spoon until it becomes too stiff to stir, then working in the rest with your hands.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight in a greased bowl. (I didn’t refrigerate)
- Roll the dough out onto a floured board or marble pastry surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch, then cut it into a 3-inch squares with a sharp knife.
- Heat oil to 360 degrees F. Fry a square piece of dough in hot oil. Be sure and regulate your oil temperature with a thermometer. One clue that you are doing things right is that the dough will float right up to the surface after you put it into the oil and begin to puff up like a pillow or a bump (thus the name!)
- Give the beignet an oil bath. Take your spoon and gently spoon oil onto the top side of the dough so that it is actually cooking too. You want them nice and golden brown and puffed up.
- Remove them from the oil and put them immediately into a brown paper bag full of powdered sugar.
- Shake the bag to coat and then be ready to eat and enjoy! Remember, you must eat these fresh and warm!!
Tips from leigh Anne
- When possible, refrigerate overnight – prep the dough the night before, then roll and fry in the morning for a no-stress breakfast. I have also cooked the dough up right after making and it worked fine. Dough will last for a few days in fridge.
- Freezer trick – cut dough squares, freeze on a baking sheet, then transfer to a bag. Fry from frozen, just adding an extra minute of cooking time.
- Don’t skimp on the powdered sugar– the classic look is a generous snowfall of powdered sugar. Dust them while they’re still warm so it sticks.
- Serve immediately – beignets are best eaten hot, fresh out of the fryer. They lose their magic as they cool.
And I can pretty much guarantee you won’t be able to eat just one. When you bite into this yummy, sugary goodness the inside will be nice and airy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate it?
I have made the dough and refrigerated it over night and I have also cooked the dough up right away, both ways worked great.
Can I halve the recipe?
Yes, you can. It halves or doubles beautifully.
How long will the dough keep in the refrigerator
It will keep up to 2 days.
So hopefully one day I will get to Cafe Du Monde where I can partake of the real thing but until then the next time a Cafe Du Monde beignet craving I can take care of it right here at home! The recipe makes a lot of beignets – probably about 50 or so but the dough can be refrigerated for several days so you can enjoy them all week!
Some other delicious treats we love include:
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Cafe Du Monde Beignets
Ingredients
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups warm water 100 to 115 degrees F
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 7 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
- Oil for deep frying
- Powdered Sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Put the warm water into a large bowl, then sprinkle in the yeast and a couple teaspoons of the sugar and stir until thoroughly dissolved.
- Let proof for 10 minutes.
- Add the rest of the sugar, salt, eggs, and evaporated milk.
- Gradually stir in 4 cups of the flour and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and thoroughly blended. I used my Kitchen Aid
- Beat in the shortening, then add the remaining flour, about 1/3 cup at a time, beating it in with a spoon until it becomes too stiff to stir, then working in the rest with your hands.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight in a greased bowl. (I didn’t refrigerate)
- Roll the dough out onto a floured board or marble pastry surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch, then cut it into rectangles 2 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches with a sharp knife.
- Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 360 degrees F.
- Fry the beignets about 3 or 4 at a time until they are puffed out and golden brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per batch.
- Turn them over in the oil with tongs once or twice to get them evenly brown, since they rise to the surface of the oil as soon as they begin to puff out.
- After removing from oil put into a brown paper bag full of powdered sugar and shake to coat.
- Eat warm and fresh.
- Dough can be refrigerated for several days.
Tips & Notes:
- When possible, refrigerate overnight – prep the dough the night before, then roll and fry in the morning for a no-stress breakfast. I have also cooked the dough up right after making and it worked fine. Dough will last for a few days in fridge.
- Freezer trick – cut dough squares, freeze on a baking sheet, then transfer to a bag. Fry from frozen, just adding an extra minute of cooking time.
- Don’t skimp on the powdered sugar– the classic look is a generous snowfall of powdered sugar. Dust them while they’re still warm so it sticks.
- Serve immediately – beignets are best eaten hot, fresh out of the fryer. They lose their magic as they cool.
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Lauryn says
Made these for someone who was born in New Orleans and they said it tasted just like home ❤️
Laurie Coffel says
Great recipe. These turned out perfectly. Thank you!
Donna says
Try this recipe