Easy 2 ingredient Air Fryer Beignets! Made with buttery puff pastry and coated with powdered sugar with no oil! Ready in 9 minutes!
Check out my take on these not so traditional air fryer beignets made with puff pastry instead of a yeast dough! Made in the air fryer, with only 2 ingredients and no oil needed!
Air-fried beignets start with a regular beignet dough – a soft egg and milk enhanced yeast dough. The dough needs to rise for a couple hours until it has doubled in bulk and then you’re ready to cut the beignets into your desired shape. Diamond shape is customary, but you could cut them into squares or circles or whatever shape you really like. Once the dough is ready to go, do make sure you pre-heat the air fryer first. In many instances, you don’t have to bother with pre-heating, but for beignets, you do really want the air fryer hot before you pop them inside. Brush them with melted butter generously and air-fry for just 5 minutes. They will puff up and brown.
Beignets can be made ahead of time – as long as you don’t bake them. In fact, if you make the dough and let it rise in the refrigerator overnight, rather than on the counter for 2 hours, they will have more time to develop their flavor and be even tastier. So, the make ahead plan is to make the dough in the evening, rise it over night and then air-fry the beignets in the morning. Just give the dough 30 minutes or so to shake off the chill of the fridge before rolling them out and cutting them into squares or diamonds.
Every cultural group, no matter how big or small, has its own version of fried dough. Pennsylvania has funnel cakes. Ontario has beaver tails. Newfoundland has toutons. And New Orleans has beignets – their version of a fritter or doughnut, dusted with powdered sugar and eaten with joy. Beignets are little pillows of heaven, but those little pillows can take a while to make and deep-frying them can make a mess, so make air-fried beignets instead! By air-frying your beignets, you can save yourself a lot of work and mess and lessen the guilt that might accompany each delicious bite.
To be perfectly honest, beignets are really only great the day they are made – within hours of making them actually. I know no-one likes to throw out food, so eat them up the day you make them or store them in an air-tight container until tomorrow. Re-heat them in the air fryer gently and forgive them for not being as delicious as they were yesterday.
These air-fried beignets are delicious on their own, but you can make a chocolate sauce or raspberry sauce to dress them up if you like. To make a super easy and quick raspberry sauce, stir ¼ cup of raspberry jam together with 1 tablespoon of warm water. Thin it just to the consistency you like for dipping. Et voilà!
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So let’s clear the air first. No these are not your traditional New Orleans beignets. While doing some research on beignets, I found out that we are typically accustomed to beignets being made with yeast, which is what helps them get puffy.
This is a spin off from how the French make theirs. The original recipe for the pastry that is used in beignets is made with a pâte à choux, which relies on the water content of eggs to rise the dough.
I made mine with puff pastry. Puff pastry is made with layers and layers of butter and flour. Why because beignets ultimately are a deep fried pastry and I am in love with puff pastry. So theres that.
You guys went super wild for these puff pastry beignets and someone asked if you could air fryer them! That put me on a mission to find out!
Air Fried Beignets (with Recipe + Reaction)
FAQ
Why won t my beignets puff up?
Can I deep fry in my air fryer?
How do you reheat beignets?
Why are my beignets raw on the inside?
Can You air Fry beignets?
Air Fryer Fruit-Filled Beignets: Add a burst of fruity flavor by stuffing the beignets with your favorite jam or jelly before air frying. Simply cut the dough into squares, spoon a dollop of jam in the center, and pinch the edges closed. After air frying, dust them with powdered sugar and enjoy the sweet surprise inside. 6.
Can one cook broccoli in an air fryer?
Yes, you can cook broccoli in the air fryer like any other vegetable. You can add a little salt, garlic powder and pepper to enhance the flavor.
What are air fryer beignets?
Air Fryer Beignets are puffy, fluffy, and dusted with lots of powdered sugar for a sweet treat! Not only are they extremely delicious, but they’re also one of the EASIEST desserts you’ll ever make! For other rustic and homemade pastries, don’t miss our Sopapillas, Mexican Bunuelos, and Authentic Churros!
How do you cook beignets in an air fryer?
Loosely cover the dough and let rise right on the countertop for about 15 minutes. Preheat a 3.5-quart air fryer to 350 degrees F. Add half the beignets and spray them lightly with cooking spray. Cook until puffed and golden, about 6 minutes. Remove and repeat with the remaining beignets. Dust the beignets with confectioners’ sugar and serve warm.