Easy No Yeast Beignets Recipe - My Gorgeous Recipes (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Daniela Apostol · This post may contain affiliate links · 31 Comments

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Easy No-Yeast Beignets Recipe with a touch of cinnamon and lemon, or the best fried donuts. So simple, no need to wait for the dough to prove, these beignets are ready in less than 15 minutes. Quick and easy, and absolutely delicious.

Easy No Yeast Beignets Recipe - My Gorgeous Recipes (1)
Jump to:
  • What are beignets?
  • Ingredients used
  • Step-by-step photos and instructions
  • Expert tips
  • Easy No-Yeast Beignets Recipe

What are beignets?

Beignets is the French term for doughnuts (donuts). The shape is usually square or round (but never with a hole in the middle) and they are coated in powdered sugar once they cool down a bit.

In Romania we love them too, and, although traditionally you would make them with yeast, the easy version tastes just as good, with so little prep and effort.

Ingredients used

Easy No Yeast Beignets Recipe - My Gorgeous Recipes (2)
  • plain flour - if you only have self-raising flour, that's also ok
  • eggs - at room temperature
  • yogurt - I used Greek yogurt, but plain yogurt is another option
  • sugar - caster or granulated
  • ground cinnamon
  • lemon zest /and or lemon extract - you can leave it out if you wish
  • oil - for frying
  • a pinch of salt

Step-by-step photos and instructions

  • In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, lemon extract and cinnamon and mix them well.
  • Beat the eggs lightly, and add them to the yogurt and mix well.
  • Use a silicone spatula to mix everything together, you should have a smooth batter than is thicker than the pancakes one.
  • Heat up the oil in a deep frying pan.
  • Use a spoon to scoop batter, and carefully dip it in the pan.
  • Fry for 1-2 minutes until golden brown, then turn on the other side. You will notice than once they are turned on the other side, they become from flat nice and round.
  • Transfer on a plate lined with kitchen paper and once they cool down a bit, sprinkle with powdered sugar
Easy No Yeast Beignets Recipe - My Gorgeous Recipes (3)

Expert tips

Don't use fat-free or low-fat yogurt, the full-fat version is the best, otherwise the consistency of the batter might change. Plus, the real deal tastes a lot better, and, believe it or not, it's healthier too. The yogurt, that is, the beignets can't be classified as healthy :))

Make sure the heat is not too high, otherwise the beignets will brown too quickly, while the middle is still raw. Plus then they could look burnt before you have a chance to get them out of the pan. Especially after a few batches, the oil becomes super hot, so do be careful here.

Use a regular teaspoon to drop the dough into the oil, in this way you know they will have pretty much the same size and shape. Dip the spoon into the hot oil first, so the dough can easily drop off the spoon and into the pan.

Don't overcrowd the pan, as you won't have time to get them all out before they brown, they are ready pretty quickly, about a minute or so. Turn them on the other side to ensure even browning.

Easy No Yeast Beignets Recipe - My Gorgeous Recipes (4)

Other doughnuts recipes

Are you looking for the non-fried doughnuts? I have this amazing recipe for baked chocolate doughnuts. Oh my Lord! What a treat that is!!! You can't really say they are baked, they taste like the real deal, trust me on that.

Another recipe for doughnuts I love, is the Romanian absolute favourite: Cheese doughnuts aka Romanian papanasi.If you ever visit the country, you will definitely be offered some! So, let's make some beignets now!

Easy No Yeast Beignets Recipe - My Gorgeous Recipes (5)

If you’ve tried these EASY NO YEAST BEIGNETS or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can alsoFOLLOW MEonFACEBOOK, andPINTERESTto see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.

Easy No Yeast Beignets Recipe - My Gorgeous Recipes (6)

Easy No-Yeast Beignets Recipe

Easy No-Yeast Beignets Recipe with a touch of cinnamon and lemon, or the best fried donuts. So simple, no need to wait for the dough to prove, these beignets are ready in less than 15 minutes. Quick and easy, but absolutely delicious, serve them with just powdered or icing sugar, or sour cream and jam. Another delicious way of serving them in dipped into a nice chocolate sauce. So many options, amazing doughnuts!

4 from 32 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Romanian

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 20 beignets

Calories: 61kcal

Author: Daniela Apostol

Ingredients

  • 200 g plain flour
  • 3 tablespoon caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • zest of one lemon (optional)
  • 2 eggs
  • 200 ml Greek yogurt
  • 2 cups oil (for frying)

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, lemon extract and cinnamon and mix them well.

  • Beat the eggs lightly, and add them to the yogurt and mix well.

  • Use a silicone spatula to mix everything together, you should have a smooth batter than is thicker than the pancakes one.

  • Heat up the oil in a deep frying pan.

  • Use a spoon to scoop batter, and carefully dip it in the pan.

  • Fry for 1-2 minutes until golden brown, then turn on the other side. You will notice than once they are turned on the other side, they become from flat nice and round.

  • Transfer on a plate lined with kitchen paper and once they cool down a bit, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Video

Notes

  • If you'd like to see the measurements in CUPS and OUNCES, please click on the US CUSTOMARY link.
  • The amount of ingredients can be adjusted according to the number of servings you need, please click on the number of servings to change it.
  • Don't use fat-free or low-fat yogurt, the full-fat version is the best, otherwise the consistency of the batter might change.
  • Make sure the heat is not too high, otherwise the beignets will brown too quickly, while the middle is still raw.
  • Plus then they could look burnt before you have a chance to get them out of the pan. Especially after a few batches, the oil becomes super hot, so do be careful here.

Nutrition

Calories: 61kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 24IU | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Silvia

    Nu am mai mancat asa ceva de multi multi ani..

    Reply

    • Daniela Anderson

      Sunt foarte bune, pana si maimutica mea a gustat, deja nu prea a fost impresionata ?

      Reply

  2. Lisa | Garlic + Zest

    Beignets are one of my all-time favorites -- every time I think of them, I'm transported back to New Orleans -- and that fantastic chicory blend coffee!

    Reply

  3. valentina

    How delicious! My son would LOVE this!

    Reply

    • Daniela Anderson

      Thank you

      Reply

  4. Willow | Will Cook For Friends

    My mouth is officially watering. These look and sound so good! I make beignets sometimes, but the recipe I use is way more involved (and does use yeast). I'll have to give these a try!

    Reply

    • Daniela Anderson

      They are lovely indeed, and so easy to make. Glad you like my recipe.

      Reply

  5. Allison - Celebrating Sweets

    You made these almost too easy! Now I have to try them. 🙂

    Reply

    • Daniela Anderson

      Thank you! It is a super easy recipe indeed ?

      Reply

    • Daniela Anderson

      Thank you, Kathleen! ?

      Reply

  6. Daniel Bennett

    yummmy.............looking delicious i will try at my home ...thanks for sharing this and pix also too good

    Reply

    • Daniela Anderson

      Thank you, happy that you like them!

      Reply

  7. Mike Dickerson

    can I use a deep fryer

    Reply

    • Daniela Anderson

      Hi Mike! Thank you for your comment. The deep-fryer should work fine, although l have not used one for beignets. Let me know how it goes!

      Reply

      • Jean everson

        How much flour don,t understand225

        Reply

        • Daniela Anderson

          Hi Jean! The recipe calls for 225 grams of flour, if you have kitchen scales, that would help, otherwise you can use a cup of flour, that should do. Let me know if that helps.

          Reply

  8. V

    I used gluten free all purpose flour. Also I used 2 tsp of powdered sugar and little extra vanilla (I didn't have a sachet of vanilla sugar) and these turned out amazing! So if anyone is wondering if they can make this gluten free, it turned out great!

    Reply

    • Daniela Anderson

      I am so pleased that it worked with gluten free flour too, the beignets are really delicious. Thank you very much for your lovely comment!

      Reply

      • Rita

        Thank you for sharing that you made these gluten free!

        Reply

        • Daniela Anderson

          It was indeed very nice to let us know, glad the recipe can be tweaked to cater for a gluten-free diet too.

          Reply

          • V

            Has anyone tried making these in an air fryer?

      • V

        I rely on comment sections to help navigate through recipes. This recipe is amazing! So good that I made my first comment on a recipe! Thank you for this!

        Reply

        • Daniela Anderson

          Thank you for your very kind comment, greatly appreciated. I'm always pleased when l get positive feedback about my recipes.

          Reply

      • Meggie

        Easy No Yeast Beignets Recipe - My Gorgeous Recipes (7)
        I hardly ever comment on recipes, but these were absolutely amazing and so quick and easy to make. Kids and adult loved them! Thank you for sharing!

        Reply

        • Daniela Apostol

          I am very glad you liked them! It's big hit with us!

          Reply

  9. david mark

    wow very nice, thanks for sharing

    Reply

    • Daniela Anderson

      Thank you, glad you like the recipe!

      Reply

  10. Jamie

    Easy No Yeast Beignets Recipe - My Gorgeous Recipes (8)
    We made these this morning and love, love, love them!

    Reply

    • Daniela Anderson

      Glad you liked them! 😁

      Reply

  11. Carla

    Can I bake them instead I need an air fryer....has anyone tried?

    Reply

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Easy No Yeast Beignets Recipe - My Gorgeous Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why are my beignets not fluffy? ›

Do not add too many pieces to the oil or else the oil temperature will drop and your beignets will be fry up flat. They will not puff up. The only other reason the dough does not puff up would be if you rolled the beignet dough too flat. Try rolling the dough a little thicker.

What oil does Cafe du Monde use for beignets? ›

The Café Du Monde beignet is a square piece of dough, always fried in cottonseed oil and lavishly covered with powdered sugar. A plate of three is served for less than $3.

Why are my beignets raw in the middle? ›

Why are my beignets raw in the middle? Oil that's too hot will quickly brown the beignets before the centers have a chance to cook. Make sure to check your oil temperature, and reduce the heat if your beignets are browning too quickly.

What is the secret to beignets? ›

Tips for MAKING Your Fluffy Beignets:

Be sure that you oil is NIICCE and hot. We had our oil even 20 degrees hotter than the box called for and this really seemed to help the dough puff. Try to keep that oil temperature as even as possible!

Is beignet mix the same as funnel cake mix? ›

Absolutely not: funnel cakes are made of pancake batter that is deep-fried. Funnel cake batter does not contain yeast, nor does it require a rising time. Beignets are more similar to donuts than funnel cakes.

What kind of flour does Cafe du Monde use? ›

A yeast dough will produce a lighter and sweeter beignet than a basic white flour dough, which many recipes recommend. Cafe du Monde uses multiple flours in their mix, including rye flour, and they aren't willing to share the exact mix and proportions in their recipe.

Can you let beignet dough rise overnight? ›

If you want to prepare the dough ahead of time, you can do a slow rise in the refrigerator overnight. Then you can roll it out and cut the beignets. Since the dough will be cold, let the cut beignets come to room temp for about 30 minutes before frying.

Why do beignets come in threes? ›

At that time, beignets were generally called “French Market doughnuts,” something Fernandez rectified in 1958 when he rebranded them “beignets.” Asked why beignets are always served in threes, Roman had a very simple explanation: “My grandfather always sold them in threes, so that is what we still do today.”

Can Cafe du Monde beignet mix go bad? ›

We DO NOT recommend using our mix after the best by date. One of the ingredients is powdered milk, and it will sour after the best by date.

How sticky should beignet dough be? ›

If it's not too sticky to knead, knead it on a floured surface or with the dough hook; if it's still pretty sticky, add another 1/2 cup flour. Knead until it's smooth and elastic, yet still tacky. Put the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and let rise for 1 1/2-2 hours.

Can you eat beignets the next day? ›

Beignets really are best served fresh, but if you have any leftover you can keep them in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days or even freeze them for 1-2 months. Reheat the beignets in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds or in the oven at 350 degrees F for 3-5 minutes to serve them warm.

Why are my beignets chewy? ›

First, the dough is made with a single rise. This creates a chewy texture rather than a fluffy one. Because of this, the doughnuts taste best hot from the fryer. If they cool down, they will get slightly tough and won't be as good.

Should leftover beignets be refrigerated? ›

Beignets are best served fresh, hot out of the fryer, but if you do happen to have leftovers (which would certainly be unusual), store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, or freeze for up to two months. Bring to room temperature and warm lightly in the microwave or oven before serving.

What texture should beignets be? ›

Beignets are different than doughnuts in a few ways. First, the dough is made with a single rise. This creates a chewy texture rather than a fluffy one. Because of this, the doughnuts taste best hot from the fryer.

What makes dough fluffy? ›

Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.

What makes dough puffy? ›

As yeast cells feed on sugars, they produce carbon dioxide gas and ethyl alcohol in a chemical process known as fermentation. The carbon dioxide gas released by the process of fermentation gets trapped in the sticky, elastic dough, causing it to “puff up" or rise.

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