Vegan Beignets

You’ll fall in love with these vegan beignets. We’ve got you covered with a vegan alternative to this classic French dessert. 

Traditional French beignets are the ultimate fried dessert. With a soft, pillowy texture and powdered sugar top, what’s not to love? Well, if you’re vegan, some of the ingredients aren’t to love. No worries, though. Follow our steps below to learn how to make them vegan. 

Ingredients 

As you know, vegan food does not contain any animal products, whether it’s meat or a byproduct, so no eggs, butter, or cow milk will be used in this recipe. Instead, here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• All-Purpose Flour: This is used as the base of the recipe, and it also brings the dough together.

• Yeast, Salt, And Sugar: The yeast is used to help the dough rise. The salt and sugar is used to provide a savory sweet flavor to the dough. 

• Unsweetened Coconut Milk (Warm). It best to use warm coconut milk as it will activate the yeast. 

• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract is used to help enhance and make all the flavors pop!

• Olive Oil: Is used to help keep the dough from sticking and help provide some elasticity to the dough. 

How To Make Vegan Beignets

Some beignet recipes call for butter, and others shortening. You’re fine to use vegetable shortening, as that is vegan. Another alternative is to use a plant-based butter.

Start by mixing all of the dry ingredients together. 

The use of milk when baking beignets varies from recipe to recipe. Although in this recipe we are using coconut milk, you may also use almond milk or any plant-base or nut milk.

The unsweetened milk versions will not affect the taste. 

Once you are done adding the dry ingredients, add in the warm coconut milk, oil, and vanilla extract – alternating between each liquid ingredient. 

The biggest downfall in much vegan baking is the lack of eggs. Eggs are an important binding agent, keeping the batter, or in this case the dough, together, so it bakes properly. 

Knead the dough for 10 minutes. 

To make up for the lack of eggs, you can use a couple combinations of ingredients. Aquafaba, or the liquid from a can of chickpeas, can be combined with coconut oil. 

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean paper towel and proof for 1 hour and 30 minutes. 

Apple cider vinegar can be used with baking powder, too. Either combination will work, as will a variety of other substitutes, but it’s necessary to use the ingredients in tandem to ensure the beignets turn out properly. 

After the dough has risen, place the dough into a lightly floured surface and shape the dough into a rectangle. 

Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut the dough into small squares; no more than 2-inches. 

Fry the dough at 325 degrees for 4-6 minutes per side or until completely cooked and lightly golden brown. 

Transfer the vegan beignets onto a paper toweled bowl and allow to cool. 

Once the beignets are cooled top with powder sugar.  Serve immediately and enjoy. 

Baking Tips

• Traditional beignets are made with yeast, and yes, yeast is vegan! Hooray! A couple things on yeast – it adds time to the recipe. Anytime you bake with yeast, you must wait for the yeast to activate and for the dough to rise, which takes time. Plan accordingly. 

• If you use plant-based milk in your recipe, make sure it doesn’t get too hot. This could kill the yeast, which will deactivate it, and your dough will not rise. Yeast needs to stay alive. 

• Depending on what binding agent you use, particularly aquafaba and coconut milk, the dough might be sticky and wet, so make sure you have flour nearby for kneading if the dough is too wet. Roll the dough so it’s about ½ an inch thick. And don’t worry, they’ll expand when you fry them. You may use your hands to shape the dough into a rectangular shape. Once your dough has risen, you’ll cut it into even squares and pop into your oil. Place them on a paper towel to drain, and you’re finished! 

Serving and Storage Tips

Top your vegan beignets with some powdered sugar. This will make them look beautiful and taste great. If you’re worried there are animal byproducts in the powdered sugar, opt for Stevia, or another powdered sugar substitute. 

Serve your tasty treats with caramel or chocolate sauce, or with some ice cream. They’re great alone, too. 

If you have any left, store in an airtight container for a couple days, or pop them in the freezer to enjoy months later. Happy vegan baking!

If you loved these vegan beignets, try this air fryer Oreos next. 

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Vegan Beignets

Savory Thoughts

Traditional French beignets are the ultimate fried dessert. These vegan beignets are soft with a pillowy texture and topped with powdered sugar. Each bite is as equally addictive.

5 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 minutes mins

Proofing Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 6 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American, French

Servings 8 People

Calories 295 kcal

Equipment

• Deep fryer

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 Cup All-Purpose Flour Sifted
• 3 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar
• ½ Tsp. Kosher Salt
• 2 ¼ Tsp. Dray Active Yeast
• 1 Cup Coconut Milk Warm
• 1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 2 ½ Tbsp. Olive Oil Grape-seed oil, Coconut oil, Avocado or Canola Oil will also work.
• Oil for Frying
• Powder Sugar For Dusting

Instructions

 

• Warm the coconut milk in the Microwave. The temperature should read 110°F or for about 1 minute. Set aside.

  In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, sift the flour.

  Next, add in the salt, sugar, and yeast. Mix well to combine. If using a Kitchen Aid mixer, set the speed to "stir".
  
• Start adding the liquid: Add about ½ cup of the milk and increase the speed to 2.

  Then add in the vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil as the machine is running.

  Add in the remaining coconut milk and increase the speed to 4.

  Knead for 10 minutes total: Within 5 minutes of kneading add in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. **The dough may start to stick on the side and on the bottom of the bowl, add a few drops (about ¼ teaspoon) of oil as the dough mixes to prevent it from sticking to the bowl. If the dough stick only to the bottom of the bowl, that's fine. As the dough mixes it should form a "tornato".

  After 10 minutes, turn off the mixer and lightly oil a large bowl with oil (about ¼ teaspoon olive oil).

  Place a small amount of oil in the palm of your hands, rub your hands together, and remove the dough from the bowl, form the dough into a ball, and transfer it to the large oiled bowl. Brush a small amount of oil on top of the dough to help keep it from drying.

  Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and proof in a warm place for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
  
• Punch a whole in the middle of the dough. Rub a small amount of oil on a clean surface, and transfer the dough onto the clean surface.

  Gently Roll the dough to about ¼ inch thickness. Or your hands to shape the dough into a rectangular shape. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to cut the dough into small squares.

  Heat the oil to 325°F and fry the dough in small batches for 4-6 minutes per side.

  Placed the cooked dough on a paper toweled plate or bowl. Allow to cool then top with powder sugar. Serve immediately and enjoy.
  

Notes

**** When printing the recipe, please unselect the camera so that the pictures are NOT printed with the recipe (if preferred).

 

Calories are estimated per serving. 

 

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Nutrition

Serving: 6PeopleCalories: 295kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 20gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 140mgPotassium: 62mgFiber: 3gSugar: 58gCalcium: 3mgIron: 5mg

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