Beignets are square, fried pastries that are synonymous with New Orleans cuisine. Since they’re made from fried dough, it’s easy to mistake them for a version of a doughnut, but that’s not the case, at least in a few key ways.
The most obvious one is their shape; when was the last time you saw a square doughnut? Also, beignets only need to rise once, while doughnuts need to rise twice.
Beignets can also be made from choux pastry dough, which you’re probably familiar with from baked goods like éclairs. Choux pastry is a simple mixture of water, flour, eggs, and butter, and instead of using yeast, it uses its own moisture to expand.
That being said, in New Orleans, leavened beignets dough is the preferred choice, hence the doughnut comparison. Another potential difference is that after being fried, beignets are simply coated in a thick layer of powdered sugar, and that’s it—no frosting, fillings, or anything of the sort (though they are sometimes served with desserts for dipping). Now that we’ve discussed that beignets aren’t technically donuts, let’s get that out of the way. Louisiana’s state donut is, in fact, the beignet. Apparently, they’re similar enough in spirit that nobody bothers with the details, including state legislators.
Thanks to French settlement, the beignet has played a big role in Louisiana’s culinary history, and was eventually officially crowned the state donut in 1986. (Though, if cake and yeast donuts can be lumped under the same name, why not the beignet?)
It’s one of two official state donuts in existence. See if you can guess the other, since it’s also a symbol of place. Give it up? It’s the Boston cream donut (not to be confused with the Bavarian cream), which is the official donut of Massachusetts.
So whether a beignet is a true donut really depends on your mindset. But one thing is for sure: Everyone loves fried dough. Often eaten as a breakfast food, beignets are a great way to balance out the sugars with a cup of bitter coffee—and you know what else pairs perfectly with coffee? Donuts. Let’s just think of it as one big happy family.
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