Vanilla French Beignets (Printable)

Light, pillowy vanilla beignets dusted with powdered sugar — a classic French treat perfect for any time of day.

# What You Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
05 - 3/4 cup whole milk, lukewarm
06 - 1/4 cup warm water
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
09 - 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

→ For Frying

10 - 4 cups vegetable oil for deep frying

→ Finishing

11 - 1 cup powdered sugar for dusting

# Directions:

01 - Combine warm water and yeast in a small bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy and activated.
02 - Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer until well combined.
03 - Add the yeast mixture, lukewarm milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract to the flour mixture. Mix with a dough hook on medium speed for 5–7 minutes until a smooth, slightly sticky dough forms.
04 - Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1–1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
05 - Punch down the dough and turn it onto a floured surface. Roll out to about 1/2 inch thickness, then cut into 2-inch squares using a sharp knife or pastry cutter.
06 - Place the squares on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover lightly, and let rise for another 30 minutes until puffy.
07 - In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat vegetable oil to 350°F.
08 - Fry beignets in batches for 1–2 minutes per side, until golden brown and puffed. Do not overcrowd the pot.
09 - Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. While still warm, generously dust beignets with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The vanilla adds this gorgeous aromatic depth that regular beignets miss completely
  • They somehow taste even better when you make them for people you love
02 -
  • The dough temperature matters more than you think, too cold and they will not rise properly
  • Oil temperature drops every time you add dough, let it come back up between batches
03 -
  • Use a pizza cutter to cut the squares, it is so much faster and cleaner than a knife
  • Let the oil come back to temperature between batches or you will have sad greasy beignets

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