While we get the whole get-your-party-out-before-a-period-of-fasting thing, we’re still bummed that Mardi Gras only comes around once a year. Thankfully, though, we’re basically time and space travelers in the kitchen, so we can recreate that annual fest whenever we want. And what would Mardi Gras be without our favorite treat, the beignet? That deep-fried, powdered sugar-covered confection is pretty much our fave. We’ve collected 32 of the best and quirkiest beignet recipes, so we (and you!) can pretend we’re in New Orleans whenever we want.
1. Beignets With Raspberry Sauce: Sugary fried dough and raspberries sound like an angelic combination to us. Swap the paper cone for a plate and you’ve got a pretty elegant dessert on your hands. (via Country Cleaver)
2. Vegan Beignets With Dark Chocolate Espresso Sauce: We got you, vegans. We’re all about spreading the dessert love, especially when that love includes dark chocolate espresso sauce. (via The Frosted Vegan)
3. Beignets D’Ananas: France is joining forces with the tropics in this pineapple-infused treat. One bite and you’re sunbathing in Martinique. (via Prairies on Petals)
4. Seaweed-Tofu Beignets With Jalapeño and Shikusawa Jam Paste: Remember when we said these recipes were quirky? We love us some sushi, so we’re down to try these Japanese-inspired beignets. And as a bonus, they’re also vegan-friendly! (via Olives for Dinner)
5. Pumpkin Pie Beignets: While we’re all about living up everything autumnal in season, we can’t help wishing that pumpkin could be a year-round nom. Whether you’re in our boat and are whipping these up this weekend, or you’re pinning them for when October rolls around, you won’t be disappointed. (via Jane’s Adventures in Dinner)
6. Beignets With Zinfandel Dipping Sauce: We stopped listening after Zinfandel. You don’t need to convince us to indulge in some boozy desserts. (via Refinery29, photo via CPK)
7. Tapioca Beignets: We’re not exactly sure how the tapioca flour brings these beignets to new heights, but it so does. If a donut could be as smooth as silk, it would be this one. (via Lady + Pups)
8. Cherry Tomato + Maytag Blue Beignets: You really think we could let dessert have all the fun? Fresh summer tomatoes and creamy blue cheese make these a slam-dunk in our new favorite meal category, dessert-for-dinner. (via Simmer Till Done)
9. Krafne: A cousin of paczki, these Croatian donuts are closer to beignets than an American donut. Add some rum extract, orange peel and a gooey jam filling, and you’ve got one good donut on your hands. (via Mogwai Soup)
10. Nutella Filled Beignets: If you thought we could talk about French food without mentioning Nutella, you were sorely mistaken. If you love pain au chocolat, your tastebuds might just die of joy when they taste beignet au Nutella. (via Hot Chocolate Hits)
11. Sweet Potato + Rosemary Beignets: We’re 3-for-3 on the vegan recipes today. All the homey goodness of Thanksgiving in a bite-sized snack! (via Olives for Dinner)
12. Elderflower Fritters: A greater appreciation for the elderflower is one of the many things we could stand to learn from the Brits, and pretty much all their European neighbors. (via Honest Food)
13. New Orleans-Style Gluten-Free Beignets: No flour doesn’t mean no fun. Let’s be real, it’s all about the mountain of powdered sugar anyway. (via Gluten-Free On A Shoestring)
14. Baked Coconut Beignets: We’re crazy for coconuts. And while we love us a deep fried treat every once in a while, a healthier baked option means we can eat this for breakfast as often as we want. (via Mess Makes Food)
15. Sunchoke Beignets: Yep, artichokes in your beignets. Don’t knock it ’til you try it. But once you do, be prepared to make them again and again. (via Almond Corner)
16. Mini Soft Mandazi: Mandazi is an East African cousin of the beignet. It’s a sweet, spicy yeast donut flavored with cardamom and coconut milk. Can you say yum? (via Immaculate Bites)
17. Sourdough Beignets: We’re always looking for ways to use that sourdough starter we made in a fit of bread-baking glory. It might be our San Francisco showing, but a touch of sour coming through the sweet dough sounds just about right. (via Ben Starr)
18. Kabocha Squash Donuts: Squash is another of those foods we know we should eat more often than we do. Healthy ingredient + unhealthy treat = totally healthy. (via Zen Can Cook)
19. Blue Cheese Lobster Beignets With Spicy Avocado Cream: New Orleans meets Boston in this gorgeous beignet. It’s pretty much all of our favorite foods in one. (via Half Baked Harvest)
20. Biscuit Beignets With Praline Sauce: Southern perfection meets lazy girl food hacks. The number of foods you can MacGyver out of a Pillsbury biscuit is boundless. (via Kevin + Amanda)
21. Beignets With Red Grapefruit + Honey Sauce: Summer + citrus go together like pb + j. These beignets are the fruit of that happy union. (via Daily Squeeze)
22. Boysenberry Beignets: Never mind the delightful GoT-themed source, these boysenberry-stuffed delights are the epitome of the jelly donut. (via A Song of Spice and Fire)
23. Lemon Ricotta Beignets: It’s one of our fave cake combos, and now we can enjoy it in a handy bite-sized form. (via Michelle Smith)
24. Herb Beignets: We all know every great dinner isn’t complete without a little somethin’ to soak up sauces and juices. These herb beignets are a great change-up pitch off the normal bread or roll. (via Jane’s Adventures in Dinner)
25. Bugnes: While essentially the same as a beignet, this particular variation hails from Lyon. Three cheers for another baked option to get your French on. (via Buttercream + Chantilly Factory)
26. Apple Beignets With Caramel Sauce: They look like a donut, but we’re all good with calling them a beignet as long as we get some warm caramel sauce with it. (via Sweet Paul)
27. Bite-Size Beignets With Gruyere, Fennel + Piment d’Espelette: We’re certainly not professing an ability to choose a favorite French cheese, but gruyere has got to be top five. We can promise these will be making an appearance at our next dinner party. (via Once Upon a Plate)
28. Buttermilk Beignets: We know by now beignets are basically French pastry chefs’ perfect food, but creamy, delicious buttermilk is certainly not an unwelcome addition. (via Brave Tart)
29. Apricot Beignets: Stone fruits FTW. We wish we could say we were surprised by how tasty these apricot munchkins were, but we’re not fooling anyone. (via 2 Peas + a Pot)
30. Greek Golden Loukoumades: Turns out sugary fried dough is a universal language. From the East African coast to Croatia to Greece, thank goodness we’ll never have to go far for beignet perfection. (via Sucrèe Athens)
31. Big Easy Beignets: Of course we couldn’t leave out the classic. Enjoy a sugary pillow of dough alongside a cup of Cafe du Monde Chicory coffee and browse Airbnb for next year’s Mardi Gras accommodations. (via Will Cook For Friends)
32. Beignets Tiramisu With Chocolate Ganache: We were pretty sure you couldn’t make tiramisu any better, but man were we wrong. This is breakfast, dessert and our choice for last meal all rolled into one. (via Half Baked Harvest)
Are you ready to hop on the riverboat down to New Orleans yet? Which beignet recipe has you singing some sweet jazz?
