Make Tiana's beignets from The Princess and the Frog using a stand mixer or bread machine for easy, foolproof dough. These golden, fluffy New Orleans donuts are covered in powdered sugar and taste just like the famous ones from Disney.
Quick Look
- 📖Tiana's Beignets from The Princess and the Frog
- ⏱️ Time: 20 minutes prep, 20 minutes cook, 4 hours rising (4 hours 40 minutes total)
- 🍽️ Servings: 24 beignets
- 👩🍳 Difficulty: Easy -bread machine does all the work for you!
- 🍞 Method: Bread machine or stand mixer for foolproof dough
- 💡 Top Tip: Make the dough once and refrigerate for up to a week. Fry fresh beignets whenever you want them!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Bread machine option makes it foolproof. The bread maker does all the kneading work for you. Set it and walk away while the dough rises perfectly.
- Make the dough once, fry fresh all week. Refrigerate your dough for up to a week and fry fresh beignets whenever you want them.
- Perfect for entertaining. These are ideal for a Disney movie night, birthday party, or special brunch. Make a big batch and watch them disappear.
- Simple ingredients you already have. No specialty ingredients needed. Everything is probably already in your pantry.
Jump to:
We couldn't put together a The Princess and The Frog themed dinner and movie night without making some beignets! They're so good, and pretty easy to put together. We made our dough in the bread maker, so it did all the hard work for us. You can also make the dough in a stand mixer, or by hand if you prefer.
Love homemade donuts? You might also like our Homemade Honey Cruller Donut Recipe, Easy Bread Machine Jelly Donuts, and Easy Sour Cream Donut Hole Recipe.
What Makes Tiana's Beignets Special
We first tried beignets at Walt Disney World and loved them! If you're a Disney fan or annual passholders, you have to try them there too. But with our traditional recipe, you can also enjoy them at home.
Beignets are the official doughnut of Louisiana. They were originally brought to New Orleans by French settlers and none are more famous than the ones from Café du Monde in New Orleans Square. In the movie, Tiana is dreaming of opening her own restaurant, Tiana's Place, and serving her famous beignets. They're one of Tiana's specialties.
These are traditionally served covered in powdered sugar, and that's how we served ours. But if you're not opposed to breaking with tradition, try dipping these in a little jam or Nutella for a fun addition.
Ingredients
Full recipe card below with measurements and instructions.
- Sugar: Feeds the yeast and adds a touch of sweetness to balance the powdered sugar topping.
- Evaporated milk: Adds richness and helps create a tender texture.
- Active dry yeast: Gives the beignets their light, airy inside.
- Butter: Adds flavor and helps keep them moist.
Equipment
- Deep fryer: These are relatively inexpensive and make frying so much easier. The built-in thermometer regulates the heat automatically for perfect, consistent results every time. If you're using a regular pot instead, you'll need a cooking thermometer to monitor the oil temperature and keep it as steady as possible for even cooking.
- Bread machine: Makes the dough foolproof with no hands-on kneading. You can find them inexpensively at the thrift store often. If you don't have one, a stand mixer with dough hook works great too.
- Pizza cutter: This little trick is the easiest way to cut clean, even squares. Much faster than a knife!
How To Make Beignets
- Step 1: Layer water, sugar, salt, egg, butter and evaporated milk without stirring. Add flour, then yeast on top. Set to dough cycle and start. When done, place dough in oiled bowl, cover, and refrigerate 3 to 4 hours.
- Step 2: Roll chilled dough on floured surface to ½ inch thickness. Cut into 3 inch squares with pizza cutter.
- Step 3: Heat oil to 365 degrees F in deep fryer or large pot. Fry beignets in small batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown. Flip with tongs.
- Step 4: Drain the fried donuts on paper towels or a wire rack. Dust generously with powdered sugar while warm. Serve immediately.
Storage
Beignets are best eaten as soon as they are fried. If you don't need a full batch, wrap the extra dough in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to a week. Fry the donuts fresh anytime you want them.
Tips for Perfect Beignets
- Watch your oil temperature closely. Keep it at 365 degrees F. Too hot and they'll brown before cooking through. Too cool and they'll absorb too much oil and taste greasy.
- Don't skip the chilling time. Cold dough is much easier to roll and cut cleanly. It also fries up better.
- Work in small batches. Fry only 4 to 5 beignets at a time. Overcrowding drops the oil temperature and makes them cook unevenly.
- Dust them while hot. The powdered sugar sticks better to warm beignets. Be generous! There should be a mountain of sugar on each one.
- Use a thermometer. Guessing oil temperature leads to inconsistent results. A simple cooking thermometer is worth it.
- Save extra dough for later. Keep any unfired dough in the fridge for up to a week. Fry fresh beignets whenever you want them.
Topping and Dipping Ideas:
- Classic powdered sugar (traditional)
- Drizzle with honey (like Tiana does in the movie!)
- Serve with strawberry jam or raspberry preserves
- Dip in chocolate sauce or Nutella
- Dust with cinnamon sugar instead of powdered sugar
- Serve with fresh berries on the side
Troubleshooting
- My beignets didn't puff up: Your oil wasn't hot enough. Make sure it reaches 365 degrees F before adding the dough. Use a thermometer to check.
- They're too greasy: The oil temperature was too low. They absorbed oil instead of frying quickly. Increase the heat and wait for it to reach the right temperature before adding more.
- The dough is too sticky to roll: Add flour to your work surface, not to the dough. Dust your rolling pin and the counter generously. Cold dough from the fridge is easier to work with than room temperature dough.
- They're browning too fast: Your oil is too hot. Lower the heat and let it cool down to 365 degrees F. Test with a small piece of dough first.
- They're dense and heavy: You may have added too much flour during rolling. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Also make sure your yeast was fresh and active.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beignets are square shaped French pastries that puff up when fried and are topped only with powdered sugar. Donuts are typically round with a hole, have various toppings, and can be cake style or yeast raised. Beignets have a lighter, airier texture.
Yes! Mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon until combined, then knead by hand on a floured surface for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Vegetable oil or peanut oil both work well. Choose an oil with a high smoke point. You'll need enough to fill your pot 2 to 3 inches deep.
Absolutely! In fact, chilled dough is easier to work with. Make it the night before and let it chill overnight in the fridge. It will keep for up to a week.
In Disney's The Princess and the Frog, Princess Tiana makes beignets throughout the movie. They're her specialty and part of her dream to open her own restaurant. These beignets are inspired by the ones she makes in the film.
Make the dough up to a week ahead and keep it refrigerated. Fry them fresh right before your party starts. They're best served warm and fresh, so don't fry them too far in advance.
More Donut Recipe Inspiration
If you make Tiana's Beignets or any thing else from the blog please leave a comment and rating below. Thanks for visiting Life is a Party today!
Recipe
Tiana's Beignets Recipe from The Princess and The Frog
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg beaten
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 3 teaspoon instant active dry yeast
- oil for frying
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a bread machine, layer in the water, sugar, salt, egg, butter and evaporated milk in order and without stirring. Next layer in the 4 cups of the flour, and lastly the yeast. Set your bread maker to the dough setting and push start.If you're making the dough in a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and add the water, sugar, salt, egg, butter, evaporated milk, flour and yeast in the large bowl of the mixer and combine until smooth.Place the finished dough in a well oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 3-4 hours to chill.1 cup warm water, ¼ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 egg, 2 tablespoon butter, ½ cup evaporated milk, 4 cups all purpose flour, 3 teaspoon instant active dry yeast
- To form the donuts, roll the dough on a floured work surface to around a ½ inch thickness. Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut out 3 inch dough squares.
- Heat several inches of vegetable oil in a deep fryer to 364 degrees F. Fry several beignets at a time in the hot oil until they are golden brown on each side, using tongs or a slotted spoon to flip them over.oil for frying
- Drain the fried beignets on paper towels or a wire rack, and then coat them in powdered sugar. Serve fresh, best eaten on the day they're made.1 cup powdered sugar
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