Easy Chocolate Beignets

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Celebrating Mardi Gras this year with the easiest Chocolate Beignets! A light and airy chocolate dough that’s made with only a handful of ingredients, fried to perfection, and tossed in a powdered sugar and cocoa powder mixture. Every bite is pillow-y, perfectly sweet, and extra chocolate-y! Serve with a chocolate dipping sauce or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a delicious treat everyone will love.

About The Recipe

The one thing my mom and I do every year is make beignets for Mardi Gras! It’s such a fun tradition that we love. Though, this year, we decided to do something a little different than our classic New Orleans Style Beignets.

Introducing…Chocolate Beignets!

My mom and I are both serious chocolate-lovers. So, we thought it would be fun to add some cocoa powder to the dough to see how it would taste.

Well, we loved it so much that we just HAD to share it with all of you!

These beignets are light and airy, just like the classic ones you know and love, but with a rich chocolate undertone. Though, my favorite part might just be the cocoa powder and powdered sugar mixture!

It adds just the right amount of sweetness, while adding a little more chocolate-y goodness.

Though, be sure to serve these delicious beignets with dips/sauces for extra deliciousness! I personally just loved dunking it in my cup of coffee.

What is a Beignet?

A beignet is a square piece of yeasted dough that’s been deep-fried and coated generously with powdered sugar! Think, doughnut. But instead of serving whenever, these beignets are truly best served hot with a cup of coffee (or even a scoop of ice cream!).

There are many variations of these sweet treats, but this version strays a little bit from traditional. We added some cocoa powder to the dough, as well as a little extra sugar, and some cocoa powder to the powdered sugar!

It’s a fun twist on the classic treat.

Reasons You Will Love These Chocolate Beignets

• No overnight rise!
• Can easily be filled, if desired.
• Ready in 45 minutes.
• Extra chocolate-y!
• Perfect for Mardi Gras or really any time of year.

Equipment Needed

• Mixing Bowl
• Stand Mixer
• Rolling Pin
• Pizza Cutter
• Large Stock Pot
• Slotted Spoon
• Whisk
• Sifter

Ingredients

(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)

For The Beignets:

• All-Purpose Flour – No fancy flours are needed for this recipe! Plain unbleached all-purpose flour gives these beignets the perfect structure and texture.
• Natural Process Cocoa Powder – We added just a little bit of cocoa powder to this recipe to give these beignets a delicious chocolate flavor!
• Instant Yeast – Provides the rise needed to give these beignets their structure and texture.
• Unsalted Butter – We chose to use unsalted butter in this recipe to help us control the amount of salt going into these beignets. If all you have is salted butter, no worries! You can use that. Just omit the salt in the recipe.
• Granulated Sugar – Adds much needed sweetness to these beignets!
• Salt – Helps enhance all the flavors.
• Boiling Water – You can use a kettle or a pot on the stove to boil your water!
• Evaporated Milk – This is essential! Be sure that you have evaporated milk and not sweetened condensed.
• Large Eggs – For this recipe, you will need one large egg and a yolk. Remember to set them out ahead of time to allow them to come to room temperature.
• Vegetable Oil – This is for frying the beignets. The amount you need will vary, depending on the size pot you use.

For The Topping:

• Powdered Sugar – Adds a delicious sweetness to the beignets!
• Cocoa Powder – We added just a dash of cocoa powder to the powdered sugar to give it more of a chocolate flavor.

How To Make Chocolate Beignets

Step 1: Prepare dough

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine flour, cocoa powder, and yeast.

Combine butter, sugar, salt, and boiling water in a small bowl. Stir until butter melts.

Mix in evaporated milk. Allow to cool.

Whisk in egg and egg yolk.

Pour over dry ingredients. Mix at low speed for 1-2 minutes. Increase speed to medium high. Knead until dough becomes smooth, about 6-8 minutes.

Step 2: Roll and cut

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to 3/16 inch. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut beignets into 40 pieces.

Step 3: Fry

Cook beignets, a few at a time, for about 1 minute per side. When cooked through, remove from oil with a slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels.

Step 4: Make topping

Whisk together sugar and cocoa.

Sift over the tops of hot beignets, turning to coat both sides.

Can Chocolate Beignets Be Reheated?

Yes! Obviously, beignets are best eaten as soon as they are cooked. However, you can re-heat them within a couple of hours after cooking. Just place them on a sheet pan, not touching, and warm in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or so. Personally, we just have a tendency to leave them out on the stove and snack on them at room temperature all day.

Though, keep in mind that this recipe does not keep in the fridge or freezer after frying. Plan accordingly!

What To Serve With Chocolate Beignets

The best part about beignets is that they are either an indulgent breakfast treat or sweet dessert! Here are some of my favorite things to serve alongside these chocolate beignets.

• A cup of coffee! Personally, I love dunking it into a cappuccino or a caffe mocha.
• Fresh Fruit (strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries are a personal favorite!)
• Chocolate Sauce
• Caramel Sauce
• Bourbon Crème Anglaise
• Chantilly Cream
• Vanilla Ice Cream
• Cinnamon Ice Cream

Looking for more recipes like this? Here are a few you may like: New Orleans Beignets, Homemade King Cake, Southern Pecan Pralines, Old Fashioned Chocolate Doughnuts

Expert Tips

• 7/8 cup is equal to ¾ + 2 Tablespoons.
• 5 ounces of evaporated milk is the same as 1 small can.
• To boil the water, you can use a tea kettle, a small pot on your stove, or even your microwave!
• When mixing the liquid ingredients, make sure the milk mixture is cool enough to NOT cook your egg. You don’t want scrambled egg bits in your beignets!
• Be careful to not over mix the dough. This is super important. Follow the times listed in the recipe card for mixing for the best results!
• If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can knead this dough by hand. Though, it does take much longer, but it can be done.
• Remember to dust the excess flour off the beignets before you drop them in the grease. 
• Keep the oil temperature as close to 325 degrees as possible. If temperature is too cool, beignets won’t rise as well. If it is too hot, they’ll burn before they are cooked through.
• Don’t leave the beignets unattended when they are frying. They will may burn!
• These beignets are best served warm.

When you make these Easy Chocolate Beignets, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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