How To Reheat Beignets – 5 Best Ways

Airy and slightly crispy and served with a liberal coating of powdered sugar, beignets go perfectly with morning tea and afternoon coffee. To be honest, they are great for any time of the day. 

But these puffy treats are best enjoyed hot. Is there a way to warm them up if you have made a large batch and now have leftovers?

How do you reheat beignets? There are a few methods for reheating beignets. The best way for reheating leftover beignets is in the oven. But you can also reheat them in the microwave, in the air fryer, and on the stovetop using a skillet. 

Continue reading for step-by-step instructions on reheating beignets using different methods. You will also learn how to reheat frozen and stale beignets for the best results!

What Are Beignets?

Beignets are soft and crispy pillowy pastries. To make beignets, the dough is typically cut into squares, fried, and dusted with powdered sugar. 

Different types of dough may be used to make beignets. The French-style beignets, which are one of the main types of beignets, are made of choux pastry. 

Thanks to their way of preparation, these beignets are something in between donuts and fritters. This is why beignets are often referred to as French doughnuts. 

But beignets can be made of yeast dough too. New Orleans beignets are particularly popular. The dough recipe for this type of beignets uses yeast too. 

Can You Eat Beignets Cold?

Traditional French-style beignets don’t have any filling. Made of simple ingredients, these pastries can last 2-3 days at room temperature stored in an airtight container.

If your beignets have a filling made of perishable ingredients, you might consider storing them in the fridge for a couple of days. 

And while beignets keep well, they are best eaten fresh and warm. But can you eat beignets cold? 

Technically, you can. But it won’t be your best beignet experience. Powdered sugar gets all melty and sticky on hot beignets which is not the case when they are cold. 

If freshly fried beignets are the only way you like having these treats, we recommend making only as many beignets as you will be eating.

You can store the leftover beignet dough in the fridge for up to 4 days and make a new batch of fresh hot beignets whenever you want. 

Can You Reheat Beignets?

As eating beignets cold is not preferable, it’s good to know that you can reheat them using a few different methods. Reheating leftover beignets brings these puffy treats back to life. The beignets become soft and slightly crispy again. 

While reheating beignets is a great idea and another opportunity to enjoy these delicious pastries, you should avoid overcooking the beignets no matter which reheating method you choose. 

Overcooking the beignets will cause them to become dry or soggy depending on the reheating method you are using.

But how long you should reheat beignets depends not only on the reheating method but also on how many beignets you are heating at a time. 

With this said, as beignets are typically on the small side, they don’t take long to get heated through no matter which method you are using. 

4 Ways To Reheat Beignets

There are four methods for reheating beignets. You can reheat beignets in the oven, in the microwave, in the air fryer, or in a skillet. Continue reading for step-by-step instructions for each reheating method for beignets. 

1. In The Oven

If you have a couple of beignets left from yesterday, the best method to reheat them is to put them in the oven for a few minutes. The hot air of the oven circulating around the beignets will refresh them. 

Here’s how to reheat beignets in the oven:

• Turn on the oven to 350°F and let it heat.
• When the oven is preheated, arrange the beignets on the wire rack or a baking sheet.
• Sprinkle some water on the beignets.
• Cover the beignets with a sheet of aluminum foil.
• Bake the beignets for around 5 minutes. 
• When you take the beignets out of the oven, remove the foil immediately so that the steam trapped under it doesn’t make the beignets soggy. 

2. In The Microwave

Microwave is one of the easiest and quickest ways to reheat food. But the thing with reheating beignets in the microwave is that the microwave makes them soft. If you overdo it, it can make them too soft. 

Another thing you should be aware of when reheating beignets in the microwave is that you should eat them immediately once you take them out. When microwaved beignets cool off, they become dry and chewy. 

Here’s how to reheat beignets in the microwave if you don’t mind the beignets being on the softer side:

• Put the beignets on a microwave-safe plate. 
• It is best to not overcrowd the plate with beignets to make sure each beignet heats evenly.
• Microwave the beignets on a high setting for 15 minutes. Check on the beignets and reheat in as many 10-second intervals as needed until the beignets are warm and soft. 

3. In The Air Fryer

If you own an air fryer, you can reheat beignets using it too. Here’s how: 

• Turn on your air fryer to 350°F. 
• Put the beignets in the air fryer basket in a single layer making sure they are not touching each other. 
• Air fryer for around 4 minutes. 
• Remove the beignets from the air fryer and serve with a fresh dusting of powdered sugar. 

4. In A Skillet

Reheating beignets in a skillet is another good method for when you need to reheat only a couple of them. Here’s how you do it: 

1. Preheat the skillet and add some butter to it.
2. When the butter melts, put the beignets in the skillet and fry them for a minute on each side. This will make the exterior of the beignets pleasantly crispy. 
3. If the beignets are on the bigger side and they are not heating through, sprinkle some water on them and cover the skillet with the lid. 
4. The steam will cause the beignets to heat through. This trick also works with stale beignets. 
5. Once hot, dust some powdered sugar on the beignets and enjoy. 

5. In A Toaster Oven

Reheating beignets in a toaster oven is a good idea. The toaster oven heats up quicker than a regular oven and will work perfectly for reheating a couple of beignets. 

Turn on your toaster oven to 350°F. Place the beignets into the toaster oven for 3-4 minutes to warm them up.

As in the case of the toaster oven, the beignets are closer to the heating elements of the oven, they require less time to get hot than in a regular oven. 

The good thing about using a toaster oven for reheating the beignets is that it brings back the softness of the pastries while making them slightly crispy from the outside. 

How To Reheat Stale Beignets

Beignets that are a few days old will still be safe for consumption. However, the longer the beignets are exposed to air the staler they get. 

If this is the case for your beignets, there is an additional step you should take when reheating them. Also, it is best to reheat stale beignets in the microwave. 

When reheating stale beignets in the microwave, cover them with a damp paper towel before turning on the microwave. The damp towel creates steam which softens and refreshes the beignets. 

You can also use the oven for stale beignets though it doesn’t work as well as the microwave method.

If you are reheating stale beignets in the oven, your best bet is to either sprinkle some water on them to create steam or wrap the beignets in aluminum foil. 

How To Reheat Frozen Beignets

If you have too many leftover beignets that you know you won’t be eating within the next few days, it is good to freeze them.

Cooked beignets will keep well in the freezer for up to 2 months and remain safe for consumption past that time too. 

Use the microwave to defrost and reheat frozen beignets. The frozen beignets can go from the freezer right into the microwave.

Line a microwave-safe plate with a paper towel, place the frozen beignet on the plate, and reheat it for 10 seconds.

After this, check on the beignet and repeat for as many 10-second intervals as needed to get the beignets heated through. 

You can also thaw the beignets in the fridge and reheat them in the oven to bring back the crispiness. 

And while defrosted and reheated beignets won’t have the same flavor and texture as fresh beignets they will still be good topped with some powdered sugar. 

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