A beignet is the French-derived pastry that is a classic New Orleans breakfast item. Louisiana-style beignets are usually square or rectangular pieces of leavened dough, deep-fried and covered generously with powdered sugar.
French colonists and Acadians brought beignet traditions to New Orleans in the 18th century. The pastry became part of the city’s Creole food culture, where it developed into a particularly recognizable local style. New Orleans beignets are commonly served hot with coffee or café au lait and are meant to be eaten soon after frying.
The term covers several related pastries. French beignets can be made from choux pastry, yeast dough, or other batters, and some versions contain fruit or savory fillings. New Orleans versions generally use yeast-leavened dough rather than the classic cream-puff-like pâte à choux associated with some French preparations.
Beignets are often described as doughnuts, but they are not identical. They usually have no central hole and are cut into squares before frying. Pain au chocolat, éclair, and croissant are also French pastries, but they are not the signature New Orleans breakfast pastry described here.