What are Beignets?

Published on March 4th, 2025

 The Deep-Fried Dessert That Sells by the Thousands in New Orleans

New Orleans runs on beignets. Cafe du Monde, the most iconic beignet shop in the world, in the heart of the French Quarter of New Orleans, produces more than 36,000 beignets a week. It’s a must-stop for most visitors to the city. The deep-fried dough under mounds of powdered sugar are, like many things in Louisiana, French with a southern twist.

What are beignets made of?

Beignets are made of fried dough. Recipes vary. Many are made with only water, flour, butter, and egg. Other variations include milk, buttermilk, salt, and  sugar. While traditional beignet pastry does not use yeast, some beignet recipes do include yeast or baking powder. They’re then fried in oil and doused in lots and lots of powdered sugar. In New Orleans, they’re typically eaten plain and served with chicory coffee. Some establishments will add a jam or chocolate sauce.

While beignets are eaten year-round, they’re especially popular during Mardi Gras, when tourists flock to New Orleans. Don’t confuse them with the other iconic Louisiana dessert––king cake–which has a much denser dough and more leeway on the variety of fillings allowed.

What are beignets filled with?

Traditional beignets don’t have a filling. The dough is just sweet enough, and they’re served with heaps of powdered sugar. Some modern variations are filled with raspberry jam, chocolate, nutella, cream, or other fillings. In Italy, people eat a version of beignets called frittelle during Mardi Gras. Those are typically filled with an egg custard and rum. In Poland,  Chicago, Detroit, and other cities with large Polish populations, people eat fried jelly doughnuts.

What does a beignet taste like?

A beignet is sweet, but not too sweet. The dough is yeasty and fried, but not dripping in oil. The sweetness comes from the small amount of sugar in the dough and the powdered sugar on top. Some people say beignets taste like plain donuts, while others say they’re more like a fritter. If you’ve ever had fried dough like a funnel cake at a festival, you probably have an idea of what beignets taste like.

History of beignets

The history of beignets goes way back, all the way to ancient Rome. According to New Orleans Historical, a project from the University of New Orleans, Romans ate dough fried in animal fat. Eventually, French cooks created pastry as we know it today, with yeast as a raising agent, and pastry that uses steam to rise. Pastry that rises under steam is called choux, and that’s what beignets are. 

French settlers migrated to the Acadian region of Canada in the 17th century, and later were forced to move south. Many of these Acadians settled in Louisiana, where they became known as Cajuns. They brought recipes like fried pastry dough with them. 

“The dough is rolled out very thin–about one-eighth of an inch thick. An ordinary table knife, the blade broken off at the middle, is used to cut the dough in strips. The strips are then cut in squares and dumped in a vat containing six or seven gallons of hot grease. They immediately puff out and turn a beautiful golden color. They are done in two minutes and are served with a sprinkling of powdered sugar,” he wrote. Today, beignets are one of many New Orleans foods people add to their must-try lists on a trip to the city, alongside muffulettas, oysters, gumbo, po’boys and more.

What is the difference between a donut and a beignet?

The original Cafe du Monde beignets were actually called French Market donuts. It wasn’t until 1958 when they were rebranded as beignets, in reference to their French roots. The Cafe du Monde owners also wanted to distinguish their product from other donuts that had become popular in the city. While most donuts are round, beignets are square. Most donuts use more eggs than beignets, so they’re a heavier texture. Beignets are also usually less sweet than donuts, and have fewer fillings and toppings. You can eat either any time of day, but Louisianans will tell you beignets are for breakfast.

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