How To Reheat Beignets – I Test 5 Methods [Pics]

This article was updates on 02/08/2023 to improve readability and to incorporate new insights.

Fresh beignets are delicious, but what about the next day? Some enthusiasts will say ‘don’t bother’, but I went ahead and tested multiple ways to reheat a beignet to see which one was the best. 

In a rush?

The best way to reheat beignets is in the microwave. Microwave them in 10-15 second intervals, and cover them with a damp paper towel if they’re stale. You can also use the oven or fry the beignets in a skillet.

How I tested reheating beignets

Since I like doing things the hard way, I made a batch of beignets and then stored them in the fridge for several days. For scientific purposes, I reheated some beignets when they were only a day old and others after a few days.

This way, I could tell which methods work best for relatively fresh or thoroughly stale beignets.

Here’s a quick overview of the methods I tried:

• Oven: Refreshes day-old beignets well, but not so good for stale ones.
• Microwave: The best method, quick and produced soft beignets.
• Air Fryer: A bit too drying.
• Skillet: Gives the beignet a crunchy, sticky outside (yum).
• Refrying: Avoid this method.

Related: How To Reheat Churros

Reheating beignets in the microwave

Time: 10-15 seconds
Rating: 9/10

1. Place your beignets on a microwave-safe plate (maximum 2).
2. If they’re stale, cover them with a damp paper towel.
3. Microwave on high for about 10 to 15 seconds, or until they’re warm and soft.

Warning: If the beignets have any filling, it can get very hot. Be careful not to burn your mouth by biting into the beignet right away.

The damp paper towel creates steam which helps to rehydrate stale beignets. But avoid wrapping the beignet in the damp paper towel, because this can leave you with a soggy bottom. And if your beignets are still quite soft, you can skip this step.

Results: The microwave is ideal if you want soft and delicious beignets fast. The only downside is that you have to eat the beignet quickly. The microwaved beignet took about 5 minutes to become chewy and dry again in my experiment.

Reheating beignets in the oven

Time: 5-7 minutes
Rating: 7/10

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Place your beignets on a wire rack or baking sheet.
3. If the beignets are stale, I recommend sprinkling them with a few drops of water and wrapping them in foil. 
4. Heat the beignets for about 5-7 minutes, then remove. If you wrapped the beignets in foil, you should remove the foil immediately so they don’t get too moist.

The water in the foil creates steam, which helps soften hard doughnuts, but it wont be as effective as the microwave.

For large batches of beignets, you’ll need a bit longer than 5-7 minutes. In this situation, check on the beignets every couple of minutes until they’re warm enough for your liking.

Results: Overall, this method worked well enough, and the day-old beignets tasted pretty good. They held the heat well too. However, the oven wasn’t so good at refreshing the staler beignets.

Reheating beignets in a skillet

Time: 3-4 minutes
Rating: 8/10

1. Lightly grease a skillet with butter and warm it on medium heat until the butter is melted.
2. Fry the beignets for one minute on each side.
3. If the beignets are stale, sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of water around the pan (but not on the beignets) and then cover with a lid to steam them*.
4. Re-dust with powdered sugar if you wish before serving.

*The steam will penetrate through stale beignet dough and help soften it .

Pay close attention to the side with sugar on it while you’re frying it to make sure the sugar doesn’t burn. I like to use butter as my grease because I like the taste, but you can use oil or cooking spray if you prefer.

Results: The sugar caramelized in the skillet and created a crunchy shell around the beignet, which was really delicious to bite into – albeit a bit of a departure from a true “beignet”. One downside to this method is having to clean the pan afterwards.

Reheating beignets in the air fryer

Time: 3-4 minutes
Rating: 6/10

1. Set your fryer to 350°F (180°C).
2. Arrange the beignets in the air fryer in a single layer.
3. Heat for 3-4 minutes.
4. Dust with powdered sugar before serving (because the old sugar will be blown off).

Check on your beignets often in the air fryer because they can go from just done to overcooked very quickly (I learnt this the hard way!).

Also, be aware that the outside of the beignet will get very hot very quickly, but the inside will take slightly longer to warm up. So don’t be fooled by a burning hot outside.

I like to line my air fryer with some parchment paper and use this to pull the beignets out. This means I don’t have to worry about burning my fingers!

Results: The air fryer was too drying for my liking, even with still-kind-of-fresh beignets. The beignets weren’t ruined by any means, but they weren’t scrumptiously soft. If you have stale beignets, I would steer clear of this method.

How to store beignets

To store beignets, make sure they’re completely cool before placing them in an airtight container. For an extra layer of protection, wrap the beignets in plastic wrap to lock in moisture. You can keep the beignets at room temperature for up to two days.

For long-term storage, I recommend freezing the beignets so that the don’t become stale. I don’t recommend keeping beignets in the fridge because this will speed up the staling process.

Can you freeze beignets?

Yes, you can freeze beignets for up to 3 months, but they’ll never be quite as crispy as the fresh version. I like to flash freeze my beignets for 1 hour first, before transferring them to a heavy-duty freezer bag.

To flash freeze the beignets, spread them out on a parchment-paper-lined cookie sheet, and place the cookie sheet in the freezer for an hour. The beignets will then be frozen enough not to stick together in the freezer bag.

If you want to skip the flash freezing step, wrap each beignet tightly in plastic wrap instead.

Before you seal the freezer bag shut, its best to remove as much air from it as possible to minimize the chances of freezer burn. I like to do this with a straw, but you can use a vacuum sealer if you have one.

How reheat frozen beignets

The best way to reheat frozen beignets is to microwave them. Place the beignets on a microwave-safe plate lined with a paper towel (to soak up excess moisture) and heat it in 10-second intervals until it’s warmed through. 

How To Reheat Beignets [Tested Methods]

While beignets are delicious when fresh, what about the next day?  Some enthusiasts will say, "don't bother," but I went ahead and tested multiple ways to reheat a beignet to see which one was best.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beignet, how to reheat beignets

Prep Time: 1 minute minute

Cook Time: 4 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 person

Calories: 195kcal

Ingredients

• 1 piece beignet

Instructions

• Place your beignets on a microwave-safe plate (maximum 2).
• If they're stale, cover them with a damp paper towel.
• Microwave on high for about 10 to 15 seconds until they’re warm and soft.

Notes

Warning: If the beignets have any filling, it may be pretty hot. Be careful not to burn your mouth when eating.

The damp paper towel creates steam which helps to rehydrate stale beignets. If your beignets are still quite soft, you can skip this step.

Avoid wrapping the beignet in the damp paper towel, because this can leave you with a soggy bottom.

Nutrition

Serving: 100g | Calories: 195kcal