beignet

American  

[ben-yey, be-nye] / bɛnˈjeɪ, bɛˈnjɛ /

noun

• beignets
  plural

1. a fritter or doughnut.

2. French Cooking. any fruit, vegetable, seafood, etc., dipped in batter and deep-fried.

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beignet British  

/ ˈbɛnjeɪ /

noun

1. a square deep-fried pastry served hot and sprinkled with icing sugar

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• beignets
  plural

Etymology

Origin of beignet

1830–35, < Louisiana French beignet ( def. 1 ), French beignet ( def. 2 ), Middle French bignet pastry filled with fruit or meat, equivalent to buyne literally, bruise, lump from a blow (of uncertain origin; cf. bunion) + -et -et

Explanation

A beignet is a type of sweet fried dough. New Orleans is famous for its beignets, and the beignet was named Louisiana's official state doughnut in 1986. You could describe a beignet as a small French doughnut. These delicious pastries are made from a yeasted dough—or sometimes a light choux pastry, which uses steam to puff up—that's cut into squares, fried in hot oil, and dusted with powdered sugar while still warm. In New Orleans, where beignets were introduced around 1700 by French immigrants, they're often served for breakfast. Beignet comes from the Old French buigne, "bump or lump," referring to the way the dough puffs into small, golden lumps as it fries.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

beignet beignets

Bur is a sweet fried bread or doughnut similar to a beignet.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 29, 2021

In pastelillos de guayaba, guava — the epitome of tropical flavor — is balanced by crumbly, salty queso en hoja, fresh cheese, which is baked into a beignet and delightfully dusted with powdered sugar.

From New York Times ● Mar. 22, 2021

“This is how much I like you,” Gadot said as the host picked up a jelly sufganiyot, a cross between a beignet and a jelly donut, served at Hanukkah.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2020

Nothing new about that, even if the humor has, by now, grown staler than a day-old French Quarter beignet.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 30, 2013

Her skin matches the exact shade of mine—a sugared beignet fresh from the oil, golden brown and glistening under the lantern light.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

To put it another way: No one has been confused that New Orleans Square has ghosts and pirates next to a cozy place for beignets.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 14, 2026

McIlroy’s introduction to New Orleans included a sampling of crab beignets from popular restaurant Le Petit Grocery on Wednesday night, a meal he shared with Lowry.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 25, 2024

We ate beignets on Bourbon Street and went night swimming.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2024

I remember when I ordered a bag of beignets, there were several handfuls of powdered sugar at the bottom.

From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2023

Rose-shape pavilions sell snowmelon cider, peach champagne, fluffy beignets, and luna pastries.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton