This Fluffy Air-Fryer Beignets Recipe Is The Winter Treat You Need

We know, you’re obsessed with your air fryer. But if you’re tired of making the same three recipes every week, put down the potatoes and grab a mixing bowl, ’cause we’ve got a delicious New Orleans-inspired beignet recipe for you.

Ingredients

¾ cup lukewarm water (90 degrees)

2 teaspoons of sugar (for yeast proofing)

1 teaspoon of active dry yeast

1 teaspoon of salt

¼ cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of salted butter, brought to room temperature

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 egg, lightly beaten

½ cup evaporated milk

¼ cup of melted butter

1 ½ cups of confectioners’ sugar

Mix together the lukewarm water, 2 teaspoons of sugar, and the yeast in a bowl and let it proof for 5 minutes. Make sure this mixture froths a little. If it doesn’t react, your yeast is not active and you should try again with a new yeast.

Mix 3½ cups of flour, a pinch of salt, 2 tablespoons of butter, and ¼ cup sugar in a large bowl. You can use a stand mixer, but that’s not necessary.

Add the egg, evaporated milk, and yeast mixture to the bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together in a sticky ball. If your dough isn’t forming, add a little more flour to get it to the sturdier consistency. Move the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours or until it has doubled in size.

Time is key here! The longer you let it rise, the better for flavor development. If you have the time, you can let the dough rest in the refrigerator overnight, however make sure to bring it to room temperature before proceeding to the next steps.

Next, you’ll roll the dough out to ½-inch thickness. Cut the dough into rectangular or diamond-shaped pieces. The beignet size is really up to you, but this recipe should yield 24 (2-inch-by-3-inch) rectangles.

Preheat the air fryer to 350ºF.

Brush the beignets on both sides with some of the melted butter and air-fry in batches at 350ºF for 6 minutes, turning them over halfway through if desired. (They will brown on all sides without being flipped, but flipping them will brown them more evenly.)

Don’t overcrowd your air fryer, especially if you have one with a small basket. The more space you give them, the more even your consistency will be.

Once the beignets are finished, transfer them to a plate or baking sheet and dust with the confectioners’ sugar.

Of course, you can keep it classic with just the sugar powder; however, we do recommend serving them with a dipping sauce, like a hazelnut spread, dulce de leche, or one of the recipes that follow.

Dipping Sauces

Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients

¾ cup of hazelnut spread

⅓ cup whole milk

2 tablespoons of salted butter

Process

Add hazelnut spread and milk to a small pot on high heat.

Stir until the hazelnut spread has melted completely.

Add butter and stir until melted.

Let simmer for 2-5 minutes.

Serve hot.

Raspberry Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup of fresh raspberries, rinsed

¼ cup of water

½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

Process

Add raspberries to a small pot on medium heat and mash with a wooden spoon.

Add water and stir.

Add vanilla extract and stir.

Let simmer until desired consistency.

Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

¾ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup water

4 tablespoons of butter

½ cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

½ teaspoon of salt

Process

Add both sugars to a small pot on medium heat. Stir until the sugar darkens.

Lower heat and whisk in the butter and half of the cream, stirring until smooth.

Add remaining cream, vanilla extract, and salt, stirring until smooth.

Let simmer for 1-2 minutes and serve hot.