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Sweet Potato Beignets

Pillowy yeasted sweet potato beignets fried until they puff hollow, then dusted heavily with powdered sugar. A Southern spin on the New Orleans classic.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword sweet potato beignets
Prep Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings 18 beignets

Ingredients

For the Dough

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast 1 packet
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup whole milk warmed to 110 degrees F
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • ¾ cup mashed sweet potato roasted and mashed, or plain canned puree, drained
  • 1 large egg beaten, room temperature

For Frying and Finishing

  • 6 cups vegetable oil for frying, plus more for the bowl
  • 1 cup powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

Make and Proof the Dough

  • Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, instant yeast, and salt together in a large bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, stir the warm milk, mashed sweet potato, beaten egg, and softened butter until mostly smooth. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix to a shaggy dough.
  • Knead for 6 to 8 minutes by hand or 5 minutes with a dough hook, until soft and slightly tacky. Do not add extra flour.
  • Turn the dough into an oiled bowl, cover, and rise in a warm spot for 60 to 90 minutes, until doubled.

Roll, Fry, and Finish

  • Roll the dough out on a lightly floured counter to ¼ inch thick and cut into 2 ½-inch squares. Rest the cut squares uncovered for 15 minutes.
  • Heat 3 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 360 degrees F.
  • Fry 3 or 4 squares at a time for about 1 minute per side, flipping once, until light golden brown and puffed. Spoon hot oil over the tops as they fry.
  • Drain on a wire rack for 30 seconds, then dust heavily with powdered sugar through a fine sieve while still hot. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Oil temperature: Hold at 360 degrees F. Below 340 the beignets absorb oil, above 375 the outsides brown before the centers cook.
  • Soft dough: A slightly tacky dough fries into pillows. Adding flour until it feels easy to handle gives you dense, bready beignets.
  • Make ahead: Refrigerate the risen dough up to 24 hours for deeper flavor. Rest 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling.
  • Reheating: Oven or air fryer at 350 degrees F for 4 to 5 minutes, then re-dust. Never microwave.