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Quick & Fluffy Beignets

5 from 1 vote
These Homemade Beignets with French Hot Chocolate are the ultimate cozy treat. The beignets fry up soft and pillowy on the inside with a perfectly golden, crisp, and slightly chewy exterior, then get buried under a generous snowfall of powdered sugar. Dip them warm into the thick, rich, velvety French hot chocolate that’s decadently smooth and topped with marshmallow fluff, homemade whipped cream, and chocolate shavings. It’s the dreamiest café-style pairing — cozy, indulgent, and truly unforgettable.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Calories: 250
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup milk of choice, warmed to 110F I place in the microwave for ~1 minute; it should feel like a warm bath, but not too hot)
  • 1/2 cup 110g granulated sugar, divided
  • 2 1/4 tsp 8g; one pack active dry yeast
  • 6 tbsp 85g salted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 eggs at room temperature
  • 2 tsp 8g vanilla bean paste or extract
  • 4 cups 480g bread flour (substitution: all-purpose flour)
  • 1 tsp 6g salt
  • Olive or avocado oil for frying
  • Homemade French Hot Chocolate:
  • 1 1/2 cups 360ml whole milk or milk of choice
  • 1/2 cup 120ml heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp 25g granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp 6g unsweetened dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • Optional: 1/4 tsp instant espresso powder
  • 9 oz dark chocolate chopped (I used 7oz of 72% cacao dark chocolate with 2oz of 60% cacao dark chocolate)
  • 1 tsp 4g vanilla bean paste or extract
  • Large pinch of sal
  • Homemade Whipped Cream Optional:
  • 1 cup 240ml heavy whipping cream, cold
  • 1/4 cup 30g powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp 2g vanilla bean paste or extract

Method
 

  1. Activate the yeast for the dough:
  2. Start by activating the yeast for the beignet dough. Pour the warm milk into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Add 1 tbsp (12g) of the granulated sugar and sprinkle the yeast overtop. Stir and allow to sit for 5-7 minutes, until frothy and activated.
  3. Continue preparing the dough:
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside.
  5. Once activated, pour the yeast mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if mixing/kneading the dough by hand). Add the rest of the sugar (1/2 cup minus the 1 tbsp that was used to activate the yeast), eggs, butter, vanilla, and the flour mixture.
  6. With the dough hook attachment (or with a wooden spoon if mixing by hand), mix on low speed for 1 minute, until barely combined. Allow to rest for 5 minutes so the flour can soak up the liquids.
  7. Then, mix on medium speed for 7-8 minutes, until the dough is elastic, smooth, and is pulling away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough seems a little too sticky, you can add 1 tbsp more flour at a time, until it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Don’t add too much, you want the dough to be slightly sticky! If you are mixing and kneading by hand, add the rest of the flour mixture to the bowl, mix, and then pour the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 7-8 minutes by hand.
  8. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and allow to rise in a warm environment for 1-1.5 hours, or until doubled in size. I did a full 1.5 hours!
  9. Prepare parchment paper squares & shape the beignets:
  10. Once the dough is almost finished rising, cut out 16 squares of parchment paper and spread them across 2 baking sheets. These will be used for the beignets to sit on once shaped and make it easier to transfer the beignets to the oil once ready to fry.
  11. Once the dough is doubled, punch it down and turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out to a 10x10” square that is ~1/2” in thickness. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the dough into 16 squares (they don’t have to be absolutely perfect). Each beignet should measure about 2.5x2.5”.
  12. Place the beignets onto the prepared parchment paper squares on the baking sheets. Loosely cover with a kitchen towel and allow to proof for 30-45 minutes, until puffy.
  13. Prepare the french hot chocolate:
  14. While the beignets are proofing, prepare the french hot chocolate so it’s ready to serve once the beignets are fried. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the milk, heavy cream, sugar, cocoa powder, and instant coffee (if using). Stir to combine and heat until heated through. Add the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is fully melted. Then, remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and salt. The hot chocolate should be on the thicker side, if you would like your hot chocolate to be thinner, whisk in more milk until you get your desired consistency. Set aside until ready to serve.
  15. Fry the beignets:
  16. Once the beignets are almost done proofing, fill a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven with oil, filling ~2” in the pan. Heat on medium-high until it reaches 350F-365F.
  17. Line a wire cooling rack with a thick layer of paper towels.
  18. Once the oil is hot enough, carefully transfer the parchment paper squares with the beignets on them slowly into the hot oil, 3-4 at a time. After 10-15 seconds, pull the parchment paper away from the beignets (it should almost immediately release). Fry the beignets for 1-2 minutes on each side (2-4 minutes total), until a golden brown.
  19. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the beignets from the oil and transfer to the rack with paper towels. Repeat with the remaining beignets.
  20. Prepare whipped cream (if using) and serve:
  21. Once ready to serve, prepare the whipped cream (if using). Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the of a stand mixer (or mixing bowl).
  22. Use the whisk attachment or a hand-held mixer, and beat the ingredients together, starting on low speed and increasing to high slowly as it begins to firm up. Beat for 60-90 seconds until stiff peaks form. Stopping once halfway through to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  23. Gently reheat the hot chocolate over the stove (if needed). Serve the beignets warm with a generous dusting of powdered sugar and a cup of the hot chocolate with the whipped cream.
  24. Enjoy!

Notes

 

  • I HIGHLY recommend weighing your ingredients always (it's much more accurate). If you are using cups, please make sure to scoop and level your flour properly, this is one of the biggest mistakes that occurs when it comes to baking because it's very common to over-measure flour when using cups. Click here for a tutorial on how to properly scoop and level your flour for cup measurements.
  • If you are having trouble getting your yeast to activate, make sure to check that your yeast is not expired. I also highly recommend using a thermometer to ensure that your milk is at the correct temperature (I always add my sugar and yeast once the milk hits 110F).