Beignets Without Yeast Recipe: How to Make Beignets

Traditional beignets lack yeast, as baking powder is the leavening agent in classic beignet recipes. When making beignets without yeast, bakers mix the baking powder right into the dry ingredients instead of blooming active dry yeast with warm milk or water and sugar. Modern beignets, however, do use a yeasted dough—such is the case with New Orleans beignets (also known as French doughnuts or French donuts), which also feature a light to heavy dusting of powdered sugar.

The texture of no-yeast beignets more closely resembles that of a cake donut or fritters rather than that of a yeasted donut; however, many donut recipes use a choux pastry dough containing softened, unsalted butter, whereas no-yeast beignets do not.

While some contemporary beignet recipes use yeast, the most traditional versions use baking powder instead of a yeast mixture. Here are tips to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible:

1. 1. Opt for bread flour. All-purpose flour is acceptable for beignets, but bread flour has a higher gluten content, which imparts better structure and elasticity. Using bread flour will ensure your no-yeast beignets have a texture closer to yeast beignets.
2. 2. Use baking powder over baking soda. French beignets should be light and fluffy versus flat and dense like dumplings. Be sure you’re using baking powder, which gives baked goods lift, instead of baking soda, which encourages baked goods to spread out while cooking.
3. 3. Test your baking powder. Save yourself from disappointment by testing baking powder in advance to ensure it’s still active. Mix two teaspoons of baking powder into one cup of hot water. If the mixture bubbles and fizzes immediately, the baking powder is still good and ready to use.
4. 4. Skip kneading. Yeasted doughs require kneading; however, baking powder beignet dough does not. This is especially true for the more batter-like recipes. Simply rest the dough for about fifteen minutes before proceeding with your recipe.
5. 5. Air-fry the beignets. For fewer calories, less cholesterol, and less saturated fat than recipes that call for deep-frying, air-fry the beignets. Instead of dropping the batter into hot oil, add a little more flour and roll out the dough on a floured surface. Then cut the dough into beignet shapes you can add to your air fryer.