These oven baked beignets are just as delicious as fried beignets without the extra calories and hassle. They are soft and fluffy and you won't be able to stop eating them. Enjoy them for breakfast, brunch, snack, afternoon treat or dessert. My family loves them with a cup of coffee. By the way, have you tried my cinnamon rolls yet?
Step-by-step video tutorial
Can I either bake or fry them?
Yes absolutely. The sweet yeast dough used in this recipe is suitable for baking or frying. The texture of baked and fried beignets is very similar. When baking, it's important not to overbake them and to brush the surface with melted butter after removing from the oven and before dusting with powdered sugar. Baking is definitely an easier and cleaner method. However, if you love the slightly crispy surface of fried beignets, you can simply fry them at 375°F / 191°C for 30-60 seconds on each side.
Prepare the dough the day before
If you want to make the dough the night before to bake it fresh in the morning, just make it and let it rise in the fridge overnight. It should be at least double or even triple in size. Before rolling and cutting, take the dough out of the fridge for about 30 minutes to allow it to come to room temperature. After cutting, let rise until doubled in size. Since the dough is still cool, this will take a little longer than stated in the recipe.
Expert tips for success
- Resist the urge to add too much flour to the dough. It should be a soft, smooth, slightly tacky dough that is not stiff. Don't work more flour into the dough as needed.
- If your dough isn't rising, it could be due to expired yeast. You can try putting the dough in a warmer environment and see if it just takes longer to rise. If it doesn't rise at all, it's better to start over with fresh yeast.
- Do not roll out the dough too thin. Aim for a thickness of ¼ inch (5mm).
- Let the cut dough pieces rise until they have doubled in size. If you bake them under-proofed, your beignets will turn out flat.
- Make sure your oven is preheated and really hot. When the beignets hit the oven, the first few minutes are crucial and determine how much they will rise. If the temperature is too low, they won't rise enough. Be quick when transferring them to the oven, and don't leave the oven door open for too long.
Storing and freezing instructions
These baked beignets stays soft and fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. It's also possible to freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in freezer bags or containers. To defrost, unwrap and let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour.
More yeast bread recipes to try
Recipe
Oven Baked Beignets (French-style)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup lukewarm water
- ¼ cup superfine sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted (divided)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ½ to 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 tablespoon milk
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°F (100°C). Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, using a stand or handheld mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine water, sugar, and yeast and stir to combine. Let sit for about 10 minutes until it starts to get foamy on the surface.
- Add the egg, buttermilk, 3 tablespoon melted butter, salt and vanilla and whisk to combine. Replace the whisk attachment and attach a dough hook. Add 3 + ½ cups of flour and stir on medium-low speed until the dough comes together. The dough should be slightly sticky to touch but shouldn't stick to the bowl anymore. If it does stick to the sides of the bowl add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until it doesn't stick to the bowl anymore. Then turn on medium speed and knead for about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased (brush a few drops of oil in a bowl or use a non-stick spray) heatproof bowl. Turn off the preheated oven and place bowl in the oven to rise for about 15 minutes. Leave the oven door ajar.Â
- Remove the bowl from the oven and preheat again to 200°F (100°C).Â
- On a lightly floured surface roll the dough out into a rectangle or square, about ¼ inch (0.6 cm) thick and cut 2-inch (5x5cm) squares with a pizza cutter or knife. Place on the prepared baking sheets. Turn off the preheated oven and place all 3 baking sheets in the oven to rise for about 30 minutes until they are puffy and doubled in size. Leave the oven door ajar.
- Remove the baking sheets from the oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C). Brush the tops of the dough pieces lightly with milk. Bake one baking sheet after another for about 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for about 5 minutes then brush the tops lightly with the remaining melted butter and generously dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.
- Note: If you plan to eat them on the next day, you can warm them in the microwave for about 10 seconds if desired. Brush with butter and dust with sugar just before serving.
Video
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Kari
Hi there!! I would love to have these on Mother’s Day. Can I make it the day before then actually bake it the next day? Thank you!
Sabine
Hi Kari, You can prepare them the day before and store the cut beignets in a container in the fridge. Then remove them from the fridge and let them come to room temperature at least one hour before you bake them. However, they are best and fluffiest when prepared and baked on the same day. I hope that helps. Happy Mother’s Day!
Melanie
If I don’t have a machine, how long would you think you’d have to knead by hand? Understanding it’s a guideline....
Sabine
To be honest, I've never kneaded this dough by hand. I imagine that it would take about 5 minutes longer and you maybe need more flour that you can work with. But keep the flour as low as possible because the more flour the drier the beignets. I hope that helps!
Mary m vaughan
Can I use cake flour?
Sabine
Yes, that shouldn’t be a problem. Just don’t use bread flour.
O
I was looking for low calorie beignets and stumbled upon your recipe! Is the calorie count on this page accurate or is it secretly more? Lol also, am I able to use almond milk instead of regular milk??
Sabine
The calorie count is correct because it is counted for one beignet. Yes, you can replace regular milk with almond milk 1:1.
Sherry Hanshaw
I’m thinking of making these. I was looking for a baked not fried recipe. Less calories and I don’t have a deep fryer. Any other tips for this recipe? I’m a seasoned baker but a first for Beignets!! Thank you!.
Sabine
Hey Sherry, The number one tip I can give you is not to add too much flour. Too much flour makes the beignets dry. So stop adding flour until the dough is sticky to touch but starts to come off the sides of the mixing bowl. Hope that helps!
Antonella
As always Sabine your recipes are amazing and never fail in taste factor!
I've been looking for an airy soft recipe that I can cut out as doughnuts and bake in the oven. I know that nothing can compare to an actual fried doughnut with all those gorgeous airy pockets. I was wondering which recipe you think has more of those qualities, this recipe or your baked yeast doughnut recipe? Also does this recipe stay soft for a while or does it start drying out after a day?
Sabine
Thank you so much, Antonella! I'm glad you like my recipes! I would say these beignets are even more fluffy than my baked yeast doughnuts thanks to the buttermilk. They keep fresh up to 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature but of course, they are best eaten on the same day. Have a great day!
Melinda A Walters
You're right. I'm pretty sure I will be making these fairly often as they are pretty versatile. I used some as their intended purpose with butter and powdered sugar. Then i used some as a biscuit alongside some stew. And now I just snacked on one with nutella on top. They were so pillow-y soft and delicious right when coming out of the oven that I just slathered butter on top and ate them that way too! Thx for the recipe
Sabine
Melinda, I'm so happy that you like them. Eating them with Nutella is great! Thank you so much for your lovely comment! Happy baking. (:
Jenny
Can I use bread flour for this?
Sabine
I used all-purpose flour for the beignets. I don't recommend using bread flour for beignets because it leads into a chewy instead of light and airy consistency.
Natalie
I love beignets! These look absolutely amazing - so delicious!
Sabine
Thank you so much, Natalie! I love beignets too. They are so pillowy.
Alia @ Everyday Easy Eats
Hi Sabine! I don't think I have ever tried French Beignets before, but you have got me intrigued! I loved watching your video! Great photos too! I wish I could reach through my computer screen and eat one right now! lol 🙂
Sabine
Alia, I would love to share with you! Thank you so much, I'm happy that you like the photos and the video. Have a great hump day! xo