Gluten Free Beignets Recipe
Feather-light, airy puffs of dough fried (or air fried) and smothered in powdered sugar. That's heaven on a plate. That's a gluten-free beignet.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water 110° F
- 1/4 cup granulated cane sugar
- 1 package active dry or instant yeast
- 1 large egg or 1 Tbs. vegetable oil + 2 Tbs. water + 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk see directions below for making non-dairy evaporated milk or use Coconut Evaporated Milk
- 3 3/4 cup gfJules All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 Tbs. shortening vegetable or palm shortening
- high heat vegetable oil for frying
- confectioner’s sugar to dust Beignets
Instructions
- Combine the warm water, sugar and yeast; stir and set aside to activate the yeast. Allow mixture to sit until it becomes frothy, at least 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat together the egg and milk. Add 1 cup of the gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour and the salt. Beat until integrated.
- Cut the shortening into small chunks and mix in with the 1 cup flour, egg and milk. Slowly beat in remaining flour and the proofed yeast mixture until completely mixed. The dough should start to pull away from the sides of the bowl and not be stiff or sticky at this point.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean surface or pastry mat lightly dusted with gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. Roll gently into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle.
- Using a large, sharp knife, cut strips of dough 2 inches wide, on a diagonal (not straight up and down, leaving a diagonal edge to the strips). Cut across these strips 2 inches across in the same way, creating 2x2 diamond-shaped Beignets.
- Cut in this way, you should have approximately 24 Beignets with extra dough scraps.
- Leave any scraps of dough to test the temperature of the oil – do not knead together and cut again. Place cut Beignets onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover loosely with a damp towel or parchment paper.
- Allow to rise in a warming drawer or an oven brought to 200° F, then turned off. The Beignets will roughly double in size after rising for 45 – 90 minutes (I’ve left them covered overnight in the refrigerator or a chilly garage for a long, slow rise as well, and they turned out great!).
- After the Beignets have risen, pour vegetable oil into a large saucepan to a depth of 2-3 inches. Heat the oil on medium-high to approximately 370° – 385° F.
- Test the temperature of the oil by using any risen scraps of dough remaining. Gently submerge a piece of dough in oil – if it rises to the top of the oil immediately and begins to bubble, the oil is hot enough; if it does not rise to the top of the oil, it is not hot enough. If the dough turns dark brown within 30 seconds of being submerged, the oil is too hot.
- Once the oil is to temperature, gently submerge 2 – 3 Beignets in hot oil and cook until lightly browned and puffed on each side – approximately 1- 2 minutes only.
- Remove with a skimmer or slotted spoon to drain on paper towels, and sprinkle confectioner’s sugar liberally over top of each Beignet. Serve warm.
- Directions for Non-Dairy Evaporated Milk:Measure 1 cup non-dairy milk of choice and pour into a small saucepan.
- Over low-medium heat, stir milk occasionally to prevent a skin from forming or the milk from sticking to the pan. Heat until the milk is reduced by half to measure 1/2 cup of liquid (allow approximately 30 minutes for this process).
- Once reduced, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before adding to dough per recipe.
- Alternatively, mix 2/3 cup warm water with 1/2 cup powdered non-dairy milk (like coconut milk powder). Whisk together, then measure out enough for your recipe.
** Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.