If you haven’t tried making gluten free beignets yet, you are in for a special treat. These fried beignets are light and fluffy with a delicious powdered sugar crispy outside. This is a popular New Orleans dessert that is easy to make gluten free! I include a dairy-free option, too!
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If you have been to New Orleans, you have heard of beignets. They are fried pieces of dough dusted in powdered sugar. They are fried crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the insides like gluten free fried dough.
Beignets are one of those desserts I swore to make a gluten free version of. This beignet dough is similar to my gluten free fried jelly donuts dough. Both make a great donut base for fried donuts and donut holes!
If you are planning to celebrate Mardi Gras, here are some of my favorite Gluten Free Mardi Gras Recipes.
Why I love these gluten free beignets:
- This gluten free beignets recipe is not only epic on the scale of yummy gluten free desserts, but this dessert is a great beginner dessert.
- It is easy to make and enjoy at any time!
- Dust them in powdered sugar or dip them in chocolate.
- Eating these gluten free beignets will take you back to all of the fun of New Orleans :-).
If you love dessert, you will want to check out my easy gluten free dessert recipes!
Delicious! I made these for Mardi Gras this year & they were a perfect dessert. I suggest serving them along with raspberry preserves as they are not too sweet even dusted with powdered sugar. Yum!”
serena, blog comment
Allergen Information:
These homemade beignets are gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, and oat-free. Make them dairy-free using non-dairy butter and milk.
Ingredients Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten free flour blend – I tested this recipe using Cup4Cup and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend. I do NOT recommend the Bob’s Red Mill 1:1. It didn’t rise well. That doesn’t mean others will not work; I have not tested other flours. Cup4Cup is the best for fluffy beignets.
- Xanthan gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Yeast – I used regular dried packet yeast and not quick-rise yeast. Do not use Red Star Platinum yeast. This one is not gluten free.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter. Use dairy-free butter to make this recipe dairy-free.
- Coconut milk – I used canned full-fat coconut milk. You can also use milk.
- Powdered sugar – If you can sift it so you get the lumps out.
- Oil – Make sure to use an oil that can tolerate high-heat cooking. My favorite oils for beignets are coconut and canola oil. Do NOT use olive oil or other low-heat oils.
Tips For Success
1. Make sure the gluten free flour blend you choose to use works with yeast. Many brands will state on the back of the bag not to use yeast recipes.
2. Use an oil with a high smoking point! This article talks more about oils with a high smoking point.
3. When removing the fried beignets from the hot oil, use an extra-long slotted spoon not to get your hand too close to the hot oil.
4. Always line your plate or baking sheet with paper towels to absorb excess oil after frying.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Are you ready to make this simple gluten free beignet recipe? Here is an easy step-by-step list of the directions.
Step 1: Add the yeast, sugar, and warm coconut milk to a bowl. Let it sit for 10 minutes until the yeast mixture is frothy.
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Step 2: Add your dry ingredients to a large
Step 3: Mix the ingredients to form a soft dough.
📢 Sandi says: Every gluten-free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. The brand of gluten-free flour you use will affect the moisture of the batter. If your cake batter is too runny, add more flour, and if it is too thick, add more liquids.
Read Why Gluten-Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more about this.
Step 4: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the beignet dough to rise for 45-60 minutes.
🔑 Sandi says: Easy Gluten-Free Dough Rising Tip: Heat your oven to 200º F. Turn the oven off. Rise your dough in the warm oven.
Step 5: Remove the plastic and put a piece of wax paper down. Dust it with gluten free flour and put the dough on top. Roll the dough to 1/2 inch thickness and use a sharp knife or pizza wheel to cut small 1-inch squares.
Step 6: Heat the oil in a dutch oven or large 12″ cast iron skillet. I use the side burner on my grill for this, so my house doesn’t smell like hot oil. You want your oil to be 350º F.
Add the squares of beignet dough a few at a time. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes and flip them over with a slotted spoon. If your oil is too hot, your beignets will get dark on the outside but be raw inside, so ensure your oil temperature is no hotter than 350º F!
Step 7: Remove the cooked gluten free fried dough pieces and place them on a paper towel-lined platter or pan. The paper towel will absorb the extra oil. Dip the beignets in powdered sugar and toss to coat.
Enjoy hot or cool! These taste just as good as any gluten free beignets in New Orleans!
Beignet Topping Ideas:
- Dip the beignets in chocolate! Then add sprinkles! (Make sure to use gluten free sprinkles!)
- Drizzle icing over them.
- Glaze them (1/2 cup powdered sugar to 2 TBSP milk or coconut milk)
- Dust them in sugar and cinnamon.
Frequently Asked Questions:
If your beignets are raw inside, you didn’t cook them long enough, or your oil was too hot and cooked the outsides too fast.
Beignets taste like fried dough or are similar to funnel cakes.
Your beignets will be best the day you make them. If you store them in the refrigerator, they will lose the crisp outside. You can store them for up to 3 days, then heat them in the oven to re-crisp them.
Many flour blends, including the Bob’s 1:1 I tested, do not work with yeast. A reader said they had luck with this blend. I tested it as well but didn’t get the fluffy rise like the Cup4Cup blend.
More Gluten Free Dessert Recipes:
- Gluten Free Honey Cake
- Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
- Easy Gluten Free Churros
- Gluten Free Chocolate Custard
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Gluten Free Beignets
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet
Ingredients
Yeast Mix:
- 2 teaspoons dry active yeast
- 6 tablespoons warm water 110º F
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Beignets:
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup canned coconut milk * see note
- 1 egg large
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Frying:
- 2 cups oil * see note
Dusting:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
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Instructions
- In a small dish, add the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Allow the yeast to sit 10 minutes until it is frothy.
- Add your dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk to blend. Pour the yeast mixture, eggs, milk, and butter into the bowl.
- Mix the ingredients together to form a soft dough.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the beignet dough to rise 45-60 minutes. I like to rise mine in an oven. Preheat your oven to 200º F. Turn it off and put the bowl into the oven. Leave the door cracked open.
- Remove the plastic and put a piece of wax paper down. Dust it with gluten free flour and put the dough on top. Roll the dough to 1/2 inch thickness and use a sharp knife or pizza wheel to cut small 1 inch squares.
- Heat the oil in a dutch oven or large cast iron skillet. I use the side burner on my grill for this so my house doesn't smell like hot oil. You want your oil to be 350º F.
- Add the squares of beignet dough a few at a time. Cook 1 1/2 minutes and flip them over with a slotted spoon. If your oil is too hot, your beignets will get dark on the outside but be raw inside so make sure your oil temperature is no hotter than the 350º F!
- Remove the cooked gluten free fried dough pieces and place on a paper towel. The paper towel will absorb the extra oil. Dip the beignets in powdered sugar and toss to coat.
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with Cup4Cup and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. That doesn’t mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours. Note Bob’s didn’t work well as it is not made for yeast recipes. It had some rise, but not a ton so I recommend Cup4Cup and it is linked above.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
- I used full-fat canned coconut milk (with no hard cream lumps). You can also use evaporated milk. There is a dairy evaporated milk and many stores carry a dairy-free version made with coconut milk. You can also use milk
- It is important to use an oil that can tolerate high heat. I recommend using either coconut oil or canola oil for frying these beignets.
- When frying, you want your oil deep enough so the beignets are not close to the bottom of the pan. If they are close to the bottom while frying, they can burn.
- These beignets will keep up to 3 days, but they are definitely better the day you fry them. If they get soggy in the refrigerator, bake them in the oven to re-crisp them.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
This post was updated from an older April 2021 post with more detailed instructions.
Just made these using Bob’s 1 to 1 Gluten free flour blend, because that’s all I could get. Definitely a stickier dough, but the blobs (impossible to make nice squares) fried up light and fluffly. Also used soy milk instead of coconut milk.
I am glad soy milk worked well. If you couldn’t form the dough to make squares, I recommend adding 2-3 Tablespoons of additional flour. I am really glad they turned out nice and fluffy!
These turned out amazing! Used Cup for Cup flour. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much, Sandra! I am so glad you were able to enjoy Beignets!!
I needed to know if you can keep the cut beignets in the fridge after cutting.
Hi Paris, How long would you need to store them? I am not sure how well the yeast would keep in the dough over time.
Hi. Thanks so much for this recipe. The beignets came out great. One thing to note is that the flour you are recommending contains dairy, so even with your recommended vegan modifications, they are not vegan with the cup 4 cup flour. I learned this after buying all of the ingredients and had to make a second vegan batch. I used king Arthur measure for measure. That one didn’t rise very well. I will keep trying because the recipe is otherwise spot-on. Please update your recipe though, so that vegans know they will need an alternate flour.
I am so glad you loved the recipe. I often make this recipe with KA as well. You could try adding more baking powder to help stimulate more rise as they fry.
Sandy, would KA measure for measure or their gf bread flour work better? Also, how much more baking soda did you add? Thanks!
Hi Jim, the Measure for Measure doesn’t work well in yeast recipes. I wish it said this on the back of the bag, but it does on the website. I can’t test the KA bread flour because it uses wheat starch, which makes me really sick. I suspect it will work. Note every gf flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio, so you will need to keep an eye on the dough consistency and add more flour or liquid as needed. Try to match the dough consistency of my images in the recipe, and you should be fine.
Whooops, I meant Sandi!
No worries 🙂
Hey! Would you recommend ka bread flour or measure for measure? Aldo how much additional baking powder? Thanks!
Hi Jim, I just answered your other comment. Also, there is no baking soda or powder in this recipe. It has yeast for the rise.
Delicious! I made these for Mardi Gras this year & they were a perfect dessert. I suggest serving them along with raspberry preserves as they are not too sweet even dusted with powdered sugar. Yum!
I want to try these with raspberry preserves next. That sound so good!
Cup4Cup won’t work if a dairy free option is needed. This flour blend actually has milk.
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Would it be possible to bake instead of frying?
Hi Deborah, I have not tested baking these. Maybe try them in the air fryer?
hi, do we use quick rise yeast or regular?
Hi Sheri, I used active dry yeast. I suspect quick yeast would work, but I haven’t tested it.
These are amazing! I made them for my picky GF teen and they were a winner, soft and delicious! Thanks for sharing this easy recipe! You knocked it out of the park again Sandi!
I am so glad you and your teen loved these. I really appreciate your coming back and letting me know :-).
Does the Coconut Milk need to be at room temperature when you add it?
Hi Elle, you can use any temperature of coconut milk. (other milk types and non-dairy are also fine.)
Have you ever tried this without an egg, using an egg substitute?
Hi Angela, I haven’t tested this recipe without egg. If you try it, please come back and let us know how it turned out.
Can you replace the evaporated milk with heavy cream ?
Hi Sharon, I haven’t tested that. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out.
LOVED them! Whole family devoured and they don’t even need to be gf!
I’m planning on making them again but am confused to do I need 6 TBS of water AND the milk? I used both last time but after rereading realized it call the coconut milk to be warm.
I am so glad everyone loved them. I think the milk gives a little creaminess, but I don’t think using both is necessary if you prefer one over the other.
Hi, this recipe looks delicious and I’d love to try it, but I’m not seeing any amounts in the recipe. Like how much flour, sugar etc?? Am.i missing something?
Thanks
Hi Devora, the recipe card is below. I include step-by-step details because many readers like to see the actual steps. If you are at the top of the post, hit the big Jump to Recipe button to get to the actual recipe and amounts.
Weird, not sure how I missed that! Thank you!
So what do you do with the coconut milk???
Add it in with the wet ingredients. I edited the recipe to make this more clear. Thank you!