We are putting our own spin on our yeasted dough to make these incredible, mouth-watering vegan beignets that will have you feeling like you’re sitting in a french cafe!
We had never had beignets until we went to Disney, but it was an immediate love story. The soft, warm dough, topped with powdered sugar is something to get everyone excited about. And today, we’re making vegan beignets that are just as delicious as that first bite we took years ago.
What are beignets?
Beignets traditionally are made from a pâte à choux, however, some versions are also made from a yeasted dough and that’s the variation we are going to make today. Essentially it’s a fried dough that is then covered in powdered sugar, though there are different variations all over the world.
In the United States, New Orleans, made this dish popular by serving at breakfast with the powdered sugar, especially at the world famous Cafe du Monde.
Beignets are meant to be eaten very soon after they are fried and eaten hot and fresh. They can also be served as a dessert.
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Vegan Beignets INGREDIENTS:
Below are notes about the ingredients before we get into the full recipe located lower in this post on how to make these Vegan Beignets:
- flour – we use bread flour for the recipe to give it the perfect texture
- vegan sugar – Cane sugar is what we are using. If you want to learn more about why your sugar may not be vegan, you can learn more by clicking on the link.
- yeast – we are using active dry yeast so that we get the perfect bloom and rise out of the dough
- non-dairy milk– we want a rich dough so we are using non-dairy milk here. While any non-dairy milk will work, you will get the best vegan beignets if you use a thicker non-dairy milk like creamy oat or soy. Canned coconut milk will also work, but will get a hint of coconut flavor that is not traditional in beignets
- baking soda – this is helping us get a rise out of the dough when we fry it
SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS:
- flour – you can use all purpose flour. We have not tested this to be gluten free
- vegan sugar – swap with date or coconut sugar
- yeast – you can use instant yeast as well
We don’t recommend other changes.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Beignets are light, airy and fluffy. They are similar to donuts; however, they are risen more, not as sweet inside, and they are fluffy and have somewhat of a hollow center. The corners are crispy and the middle is softer and delectable.
Both donuts and beignets are very similar. Both use yeasted dough that has been sweetened. Donuts dough typically are sweetened more; while beignet dough is just a hint of sweetness and then more is added to the top at the end. Beignets are traditionally square, whereas most donuts are round with a hole in the middle.
There is flour, dairy free milk, and vegan butter in this recipe.
If you are completely Top 8 Free, use an alternative dairy free milk like oat or hemp for this recipe. You could also use water.
For the vegan butter, use a soy free version like Flora or Earth Balance soy free.
We cannot recommend a gluten free flour to use with this dough at this time.
While it’s not traditional, you definitely can. The easiest way to fill a vegan beignets is to use the end of a chopstick or a small metal funnel tip. Move it around to make a hole to fill. You just need to do this at the edge as the inside of a beignet is already hollow
Then use a piping tip with piping bag to fill the beignets. Pull out as you fill until it’s no longer inserted.
If you don’t have a piping bag, you could tip a small tip off a zipped sandwich bag and try your best to get it directly into the hole but this won’t be as easy.
In New Orleans, where beignets are famous in the US, beignets are served as both a breakfast and a dessert option. The choice is yours on how you want to serve them as they are delicious no matter what time of day you are serving.
Beignets are best eaten fresh while still warm. Within a few hours they will still be great. If you do need to store, we recommend not adding powdered sugar on top of those, and storing in an air tighter container for 2-3 days. To reheat, we recommend an air fryer or oven for a few minutes until crispy at 350 degrees F.
Instant yeast rises faster and less of an issue for people who aren’t used to making yeasted dough. So it can be used as well.
No, not at all. We prefer it, but it’s not a requirement. You can make this recipe with a bowl and a silicone spatula. But the kneading by hand will be the hardest part.
What other vegan donut ideas could I make?
If you love donuts as much as us, then you may want even more recipes! Here’s some more ideas!
Yeasted Donuts
- Black Chocolate Brioche Vegan Donuts
- Strawberry Cream Filled Vegan Donuts
- Fried Vegan Donut Holes
- Chocolate Cream Filled Vegan Donuts
Cake Like Donuts
- Vegan Chocolate Donuts
- Vegan Maple Donuts
- Glazed Vegan Donuts
- Vegan Eggnog Donuts
- Vegan Apple Cider Donuts
Also try our Vegan Apple Cider Donut Cake!
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Let’s see your creations!
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Vegan Beignets
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast* (this equals 1 packet)
- 2/3 cup vegan cane sugar
- 1 cup warm water (no higher than 115 F/46 C)
- 1/2 cup non-dairy milk, warm (any will work, but thicker ones like creamy oat, soy or coconut milk are better)
- 1/3 cup vegan butter, melted but NOT hot
- 4- 4 1/2 cups bread flour, divided
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Additional Ingredients
- 1 qt vegetable oil, for frying
- 1/2 -1 cups powdered sugar
Dipping
Instructions
For the Dough
- In a stand mixer bowl, with a dough hook attachment, (or a large bowl) add the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Whisk together. Let sit for 5 minutes or until it blooms. Add in warm non-dairy milk and melted butter. Combine again.
- Add 4 cups (480g) of flour, salt, and baking soda. Turn stand mixer onto low and knead until smooth and begins to pull away from the bowl (about 5 minutes). Dough should be soft and pretty sticky. If too sticky (kind of wet) use the additional flour, 1/4 cup (30g) at a time.
- Spray bowl, form into a ball and place ball inside. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let sit for 1-2 hours in a warm, draft free place until doubled in size.
- After it has risen, lightly flour a surface and roll out dough into a rectangle to be about a 1/4 inch thick. Use a pastry cutter or pizza cutter and cut 2 1/2 or 3 inch squares (you should get about 24-30 squares)
- Heat oil up to 350 degrees F (149 C). Fry for about 1 minute on each side. Carefully remove beignets from hot oil and place on a cooling rack with a sheet pan under it to catch the oil or a towel lined plate.
- Repeat until all beignets are cooked. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before topping with powdered sugar as desired. Serve with caramel dipping sauce if preferred. Best served warm and fresh.
Hello! Have you ever used the air fryer for this recipe?? Thanks!!
We haven’t, but would think it would be okay. If you try it let us know!