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 methods on how to reheat a beignet.
In fact, I tried four reheating options to see which one was the best.
This article will look at reheating a beignet in the oven, microwave, air fryer, and skillet. Here’s what I found.
A note on my experiment
Since I like doing things the hard way, I made a batch of beignets and then stored them in the refrigerator 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 donuts.
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 (even if they were really stale).
- Air Fryer – A bit too drying.
- Skillet – Gives the donut a crunchy, sticky outside (yum).
Related: How To Reheat Churros
Reheating beignets in the microwave
To reheat beignets in the microwave, place them on a microwave-safe plate. For stale beignets, cover them with a damp paper towel. Heat the beignets for about 10 to 15 seconds until they’re soft. Eat the beignets ASAP after reheating them because they will get hard as they cool.
Beignet dough is notoriously soft and pliable, so you only need a few seconds for the best results.
How to reheat beignets in the microwave:
- 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.
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 re-moisturize stale donuts. If your donuts 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.
Don’t reheat too many donuts at one time. If the microwave is too crowded, it won’t heat evenly.
My verdict
The microwave is ideal if you want soft, fast, and delicious beignets.
The only downside is that you have to eat the donut quickly. The microwaved beignet took about 5 minutes to become chewy and dry in my experiment.
Reheating beignets in the oven
To reheat a beignet in the oven, set your appliance to 350°F (180°C). If the beignets are stale, sprinkle a few drops of water over them and cover them with foil. Heat the beignets on a wire rack or baking sheet for 4-5 minutes. Remove and let them rest for 30 seconds before eating.
How to reheat beignets in the oven:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Place your beignets on a wire rack or baking sheet.
- If the beignets are stale, I recommend sprinkling them with a few drops of water and wrapping them in foil.
- Heat the beignets for about 4-5 minutes, then remove. If you wrapped the beignets in foil, you should remove the foil immediately so that they don’t get too moist.
The water in the foil creates steam, which helps soften hard dough so it doesn’t end up chewy.
For large batches of beignets, you’ll need longer than 4-5 minutes.
In this situation, check on the beignets every couple of minutes until they’re warm enough for your liking.
My verdict
Overall, this method worked well enough, and the day-old beignets tasted pretty good.
However, the oven wasn’t so good at refreshing the staler beignets.
The oven is generally quite a drying heating method, so the hard dough didn’t soften as much as I would have liked.
Reheating beignets in a skillet
To reheat beignets in a skillet, melt a small amount of butter in a pan over medium heat. Once melted, add the beignets and cook them for about a minute on each side, being careful not to burn the sugar. For stale beignets, add a little water to the pan and cover it with a lid for the last 30 seconds.
How to reheat beignets in a skillet:
- Lightly grease a skillet with butter and warm it on medium heat until the butter is melted.
- Fry the beignets for one minute on each side.
- 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*.
- 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.
My verdict
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 that it requires a bit of extra work, and you have to clean more dishes afterward, which could be a dealbreaker for some!
Reheating beignets in the air fryer
To reheat a beignet in the air fryer, set the appliance to 350°F (180°C). Place the beignets in the air fryer in a single layer, leaving some space between each one. Air fry the beignets for 3-4 minutes. Once finished, dust the beignets with powdered sugar and enjoy.
How to reheat beignets in the air fryer:
- Set your fryer to 350°F (180°C).
- Arrange the beignets in the air fryer in a single layer.
- Heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Dust with powdered sugar before serving (because the old sugar will come off).
Check on your beignets often in the air fryer because they will go from just done to ruined very quickly.
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!
My verdict
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 delicious.
If you have stale beignets, I would definitely 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 they don’t become stale.
Can you freeze beignets?
Yes, you can freeze beignets. I recommend freezing beignet dough, not fried donuts. However, you can freeze pre-made beignets too. To freeze a beignet, put it into a heavy-duty freezer and remove as much air as possible to ensure long-lasting freshness. The beignets will last 3 months in the freezer.
How to freeze beignets:
- Place your beignets on a parchment-paper-lined cookie sheet, leaving space between them. Don’t put more than one layer on the sheet.
- Put the beignets in the freezer for 2-3 hours until they’re hard to the touch.
- Then move the beignets to an airtight freezer bag (or container).
- Remove as much air from the container as possible, either using a vacuum sealer or by simply squeezing it out with your hands.
- Freeze the beignets for up to 3 months.
Top tip: use a straw to suck the air out of your freezer bag if you don’t have a vacuum sealer. A straw can turn you into a human vacuum sealer!
Flash freezing the beignets stops them from sticking together in the freezer. If you only have one beignet in the freezer, it’s not necessary.
An alternative to flash freezing the beignets is to wrap each individual one in plastic wrap before putting them in the freezer bag.
But this uses too much plastic for my liking.
Removing as much air as possible from the bag will help prevent freezer burn.
This is one reason I always recommend freezer bags over airtight containers – because it’s impossible to remove all the air from an airtight container!
How to thaw and reheat 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.
You can also thaw beignets at room temperature.
Keep the beignet in its freezer bag or with some sort of airtight covering while it’s thawing to prevent too much moisture loss.
If you need to speed the process up, submerge the beignet and the freezer bag in warm water.
How long do beignets last?
If you keep a beignet out at room temperature, it will last two to three days. After that, it will become too stale to reheat effectively. If you’re talking about beignet dough, you can store it for a few extra days because it hasn’t been cooked or fried yet.
Beignets can last up to 3 months in the freezer, and even longer if you store them in vacuum-sealed, airtight bags.
The Best Way To Reheat Beignets
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.
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