My first beignet was not at Cafe Du Monde. It was at Disneyland's Jazz Kitchen, in a paper bag, powdered sugar all over my hands before I got to the second one. Now whenever we want one, we make a batch at home, no park tickets required.
These are my copy of those Disneyland beignets, cut with a Mickey cutter instead of into squares. Soft yeast dough, about an hour to rise, fried until they puff hollow and get buried in powdered sugar while still hot.
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If you're building a dessert spread rather than a snack, my Sticky Toffee Pudding is the other thing I make when I want something warm and worth the effort.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe?
- No park tickets needed. A 3-pack at the Mint Julep Bar runs about six dollars. This batch makes 18, which is six of those, for the price of flour and oil.
- Pantry ingredients. Flour, yeast, sugar, an egg, butter, evaporated milk. Nothing you need a specialty store for.
- They puff hollow. Fried right, a beignet inflates into a pillow with an airy center, which is what separates it from a dense doughnut.
- The cutter does the work. A Mickey cookie cutter is the only thing standing between a square beignet and the ones from New Orleans Square. A pizza cutter works too if you want the classic squares.
- Good with kids. Rolling and cutting is the fun part and they can do all of it. You handle the oil.
What are Beignets?
Beignets (pronounced "ben-YAY") are squares of fried yeast dough, buried in powdered sugar, with no hole in the middle. Fried right, they puff up hollow, which is what separates them from a dense doughnut. Crisp on the outside, airy and almost empty inside.
The French brought them to Louisiana, and New Orleans made them its own. Cafe Du Monde has been serving them in the French Quarter since 1862, three to a paper bag with chicory coffee. Disneyland's version came later and swapped the square for a Mickey head, which is the one most people outside Louisiana have actually eaten.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: The structure. Beignet dough is sticky by nature, so keep extra on hand for your hands, the counter, and the rolling pin.
- Active dry yeast: What makes them puff hollow instead of dense. Proof it first so you know it's alive before the flour goes in.
- Warm water: For blooming the yeast. Aim for 105 to 110°F. Too hot kills it, too cool and it never wakes up.
- Granulated sugar: Used twice, a pinch to feed the yeast and the rest in the dough. Check the recipe card for the split.
- Evaporated milk: The traditional choice in New Orleans beignet recipes. It has less water than fresh milk, which gives a richer dough. Whole milk works if that's what you have.
- Egg: Adds protein and structure. The dough relies on it, so this isn't one to skip.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the flavor of the fried dough. Use extract, not essence.
- Butter: Richness and a softer crumb. Some New Orleans recipes use shortening instead, since shortening has no water and can give a bigger air pocket. Butter tastes better and works fine here.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and keeps the yeast from running away.
- Powdered sugar: Not a garnish. Beignets get buried in it while still hot so it sticks.
- Neutral oil for frying: Vegetable, canola, or peanut. All have a high enough smoke point for 350°F and won't flavor the dough.
Makes 18 Mickey-shaped beignets. See the recipe card for quantities.
Substitution and Addition
- No evaporated milk? Whole milk works. Evaporated has less water, so the dough will be slightly less rich, but nothing you'd notice under the powdered sugar.
- Dairy-free: Full-fat coconut milk in place of the evaporated milk, and a plant-based butter. Coconut reads a little sweeter, which is fine here.
- Butter or shortening? Shortening has no water in it, which is why some New Orleans recipes swear it gives a bigger hollow. Butter gives better flavor. Half and half is a reasonable compromise if you want both.
- Cinnamon-sugar instead of powdered: Skip the powdered sugar and toss the hot beignets in cinnamon and granulated sugar instead. Works better than adding spice to the dough, where it mostly disappears.
- Lemon zest in the dough: A teaspoon cuts the sweetness. Add it with the wet ingredients, not to the powdered sugar, where it turns the sugar damp and clumpy.
How to Make Disneyland Beignets
- Bloom the yeast. Combine the yeast, a pinch of the sugar, and warm water in a small bowl. Aim for 105 to 110°F, warm to the touch but not hot. Let it sit 5 to 10 minutes until it foams. No foam means the yeast is dead or the water was too hot, and it's worth starting over rather than pushing on.
- Mix the dough. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, remaining sugar, and salt. Add the yeast mixture, evaporated milk, egg, vanilla, and melted butter. Stir until it comes together into a shaggy dough.
- Knead. Turn it onto a floured surface and knead 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic. This dough is sticky, so keep flouring your hands and the counter as you go. Resist adding too much flour into the dough itself, or the beignets come out tough.
- Let it rise. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise about an hour until doubled.
- Punch down and roll. Deflate the dough and roll it out on a floured surface to ¼ inch thick, no thinner. Thin dough fries flat instead of puffing.
- Cut the shapes. Use a Mickey cookie cutter for the Disneyland version, or a pizza cutter for classic 2-inch squares. Set the scraps aside, you can re-roll them once at the end.
- Heat the oil. Bring 2 inches of neutral oil to 350°F in a deep pot or fryer. Keep a thermometer in it. The temperature drops the moment dough goes in, and anything below 350°F gives you greasy, flat beignets.
- Fry in small batches. Two or three at a time, no more. They should float and puff within seconds. Flip once and fry until golden on both sides. Let the oil come back up to 350°F between batches.
- Drain and dust. Lift them out with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel-lined plate. Dust heavily with powdered sugar while they are still hot, so it sticks. Serve warm.
Equipment You'll Need
- Large mixing bowl: Big enough for the dough to double without climbing out.
- Rolling pin: For getting an even ¼ inch. Uneven dough fries unevenly.
- Mickey cookie cutter, or a pizza cutter: The cutter is the only thing making these Disneyland beignets instead of regular ones. A pizza cutter or knife gives you the classic squares.
- Deep pot or fryer: Deep enough for 2 inches of oil with room above it, since the oil rises when dough goes in.
- Candy or deep-fry thermometer: The one piece worth not skipping. Oil temperature is what decides between hollow and greasy, and you cannot judge 350°F by eye.
- Slotted spoon or spider skimmer: For lifting them out without carrying half the oil with them.
- Paper towels and a plate: For draining, right before the powdered sugar.
Variation
- Filled beignets. Fry them plain, let them cool for a minute, then pipe in jam, Nutella, or pastry cream with a long piping tip through the side. Fill them after frying, not before. Filling that goes into 350°F oil expands, splits the seam, and spits.
- Cinnamon-sugar. Skip the powdered sugar and toss the hot beignets in cinnamon and granulated sugar instead. Do the coating rather than spicing the dough, where it mostly disappears under the frying.
- Ube beignets. Disneyland has run an ube version dusted with ube-flavored powdered sugar. Blend a teaspoon of ube powder into your powdered sugar before dusting. My ube halaya also works piped inside, using the filled method above.
- Savory beignets. Cut the sugar in the dough down to what the yeast needs, then fold in shredded cheese and herbs. Skip the powdered sugar entirely and serve them warm with something to dip.
- Dipping sauces. The parks sell them with caramel, strawberry, and chicory coffee sauces on the side. Any of the three is easy to buy or make, and it turns a plate of beignets into something closer to dessert.
What to Serve with Beignets
- Café au lait with chicory. The New Orleans pairing, and the reason Cafe Du Monde is as known for its coffee as its beignets. Chicory is roasted root, not coffee, and it adds a slightly bitter edge that cuts through all that powdered sugar. Sold in most grocery stores as a New Orleans-style blend.
- A cold mint julep. The Disneyland one is non-alcoholic, a lemon-lime drink with mint, and it has been on the New Orleans Square menu since 1966. It is what people are drinking at the Mint Julep Bar while they eat these.
- Hot chocolate. The better choice if you're making these for kids, or for breakfast on a cold morning. My Dubai hot chocolate is thick enough to dip a beignet into, which is closer to how the parks serve theirs with a sauce on the side.
- Dipping sauces. The parks serve theirs with sauces on the side and the lineup rotates seasonally. Caramel, chocolate, or a jam thinned with a splash of water all work at home.
- Something sharp on the side. Sliced strawberries, orange segments, or a spoonful of tart berry compote. Beignets are sweet on sweet, and one acidic thing on the plate keeps a batch of six from feeling like too much.
How to Store and Make Ahead
Beignets are a fresh food. They are best in the first ten minutes and noticeably worse the next day, so make what you'll eat.
- Leftovers. Airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Don't refrigerate them, the fridge dries out fried dough faster than the counter does. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 3 to 5 minutes to bring back the crisp, then dust with fresh powdered sugar. The original coating dissolves overnight.
- Make the dough ahead. This is the better plan if you want beignets for breakfast. After the first rise, punch the dough down, cover it, and refrigerate overnight or up to two days. The cold slows the yeast and develops more flavor. Let it sit out for 30 minutes before rolling, then fry as usual. King Arthur's classic recipe uses this overnight method by design, so it isn't a compromise.
- Freeze the cut shapes. Cut your Mickeys, freeze them flat on a tray until solid, then bag them. Fry from frozen, adding a minute or so. Good for up to 2 months.
Rose's Tips
- Flour everything, but not the dough. This dough is sticky. Flour your hands, the counter, the rolling pin, and the cutter. What you don't want is to keep working extra flour into the dough itself, which is what turns beignets tough instead of tender.
- A thermometer is not optional. Oil that drops below 350°F soaks into the dough instead of puffing it, and you can't see the difference until you bite one. This is the single thing that separates a hollow beignet from a greasy one.
- Two or three at a time. Every piece of dough you add drops the oil temperature. Crowding the pot is the most common reason a batch comes out flat, and waiting 30 seconds between batches costs you nothing.
- They should puff almost immediately. Dough that sits and browns without inflating means the oil is too cool or the dough was rolled too thin. Stop and check before you fry the rest.
- Sugar them hot. Powdered sugar sticks to a beignet straight out of the oil and slides off a cooled one. Have the sugar ready before you start frying, not after.
- Re-roll the scraps once. Gather them, roll to ¼ inch, and cut again. A second re-roll makes them tough, so fry the leftovers as odd shapes instead.
Recipe FAQs
Why are my beignets flat instead of puffed?
Usually the oil. Below 350°F the dough absorbs oil instead of inflating, and every beignet you add drops the temperature, so crowding the pot does the same thing. The other cause is rolling the dough thinner than ¼ inch. A beignet fried right should puff within seconds and end up mostly hollow inside.
What is the difference between a beignet and a doughnut?
Beignets have no hole and are cut from a rolled sheet of yeast dough rather than shaped individually. Fried correctly they puff up hollow, so the texture is lighter and airier than a doughnut, which stays dense through the middle. They're finished in powdered sugar rather than glazed.
Can I make beignet dough the night before?
Yes, and it's the better plan. After the first rise, punch the dough down, cover it, and refrigerate overnight or up to two days. The cold slows the yeast and builds more flavor. Let it sit out about 30 minutes before rolling.
Can I air fry beignets?
You can, at around 340°F for two to four minutes, flipping halfway. They'll come out more like a soft roll than a fried beignet, without the crisp shell or the hollow center. Coat them in powdered sugar right away since there's no oil to help it stick.
Why is my dough so sticky?
That's normal for beignet dough and it's part of why they come out light. Flour your hands, work surface, rolling pin, and cutter rather than working more flour into the dough itself. Extra flour in the dough makes the beignets tough.
What do beignets taste like?
Like a light, slightly sweet fried dough, closest to a powdered sugar doughnut but airier. The dough itself isn't very sweet, most of the sugar comes from the coating.
More Bread Recipes To Try
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Disneyland Copycat Beignets (Mickey-Shaped)
Copycat beignets from Disneyland's New Orleans Square, cut with a Mickey cookie cutter instead of into squares. Yeast dough rises for about an hour, then fries into puffy pillows that get buried in powdered sugar while still warm.
Equipment
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 cookie cutter
- 1 frying pan/ Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 4 cups All-Purpose Flour
- ¾ cup water (lukewarm)
- 2½ teaspoon yeast
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- ⅓ cup white confectioner's sugar
- ½ cup evaporated milk or any drinking milk nonfat, low-fat or whole
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 whole egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoon melted butter
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup oil vegetable, canola or avocado
Instructions
- Bloom the yeast. Combine the yeast, a pinch of the sugar, and the warm water (105 to 110°F) in a small bowl. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes until foamy. If it doesn't foam, start over with fresh yeast.2½ teaspoon yeast, 1 teaspoon white sugar, ¾ cup water
- Mix the dough. Whisk the flour, remaining sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture, evaporated milk, egg, vanilla, and melted butter. Stir until a shaggy dough forms.4 cups All-Purpose Flour, ⅓ cup white confectioner's sugar, ½ cup evaporated milk or any drinking milk, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 whole egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 tablespoon melted butter
- Knead. Turn onto a floured surface and knead 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Keep flouring your hands and the counter, but avoid working extra flour into the dough.
- Rise. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise about 1 hour until doubled.
- Roll. Punch the dough down and roll out on a floured surface to ¼ inch thick.
- Cut. Cut with a Mickey cookie cutter, or into 2-inch squares with a pizza cutter. Set the scraps aside to re-roll once.
- Heat the oil. Heat 2 inches of neutral oil to 350°F in a deep pot. Use a thermometer.1 cup oil
- Fry. Fry 2 to 3 at a time, flipping once, until golden on both sides. They should puff within seconds of hitting the oil. Let the oil return to 350°F between batches.
- Dust and serve. Lift onto a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Dust heavily with powdered sugar while still hot. Serve warm.¼ cup powdered sugar
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Notes
Makes 18 Mickey-shaped beignets, including one re-roll of the scraps.
Check your yeast first. Bloom it in water at 105 to 110°F, warm to the touch but not hot. If it hasn't foamed after 10 minutes, the yeast is dead or the water was too hot. Start over rather than continuing, the dough will not rise.
Flour everything except the dough. This dough is sticky by design. Flour your hands, the counter, the rolling pin, and the cutter. Working extra flour into the dough itself makes the beignets tough instead of tender.
Roll to ¼ inch, no thinner. Thin dough fries flat instead of puffing.
Keep a thermometer in the oil. 350°F is the target and 350 to 375 is the working range. Below 350 the dough absorbs oil instead of inflating, and you cannot judge this by eye.
Fry two or three at a time. Every piece you add drops the oil temperature. Crowding the pot is the most common reason a batch comes out flat. Let the oil recover between batches.
They should puff within seconds. Dough that sits and browns without inflating means the oil is too cool or you rolled too thin. Stop and check before frying the rest. A beignet done right is mostly hollow inside.
Sugar them hot. Have the powdered sugar ready before you start frying. It sticks to a beignet straight out of the oil and slides off a cooled one.
Make the dough ahead. After the first rise, punch it down, cover, and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. The cold slows the yeast and builds flavor. Let it sit out 30 minutes before rolling.
Freeze the cut shapes. Freeze flat on a tray until solid, then bag. Fry from frozen, adding about a minute. Keeps 2 months.
Storage. Airtight at room temperature up to 2 days. Don't refrigerate finished beignets, the fridge dries fried dough out faster than the counter. Reheat at 350°F for 3 to 5 minutes and dust with fresh powdered sugar, since the original coating dissolves overnight.
Tried this recipe?Leave us a comment below and share how it came out!
Nutrition Facts
Disneyland Copycat Beignets (Mickey-Shaped)
Amount per Serving
Calories
453
% Daily Value*
Fat
22.2
g
34
%
Saturated Fat
9.5
g
59
%
Cholesterol
37
mg
12
%
Sodium
2286
mg
99
%
Potassium
1214
mg
35
%
Carbohydrates
43
g
14
%
Fiber
12.9
g
54
%
Sugar
2.4
g
3
%
Protein
25.2
g
50
%
Calcium
54
mg
5
%
Iron
11
mg
61
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
