These Banana Beignets are easy, yeast-free 5-ingredient beignets, filled with soft, caramelized pieces of bananas. They are healthier than regular beignets using olive oil in the dough, and no frying!
I love beignets and donuts like my Vegan Beignets or Air Fryer Donut Holes but today I wanted a recipe to use all my bananas, with some reaching the almost-too-ripe point. So I had to make something, banana beignets.
The full recipe is just below, but don’t miss my ingredient selection tip, step-by-step pictures, and baking tricks further down!
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Banana Beignets
These Banana Beignets are easy, yeast-free 5-ingredient beignets, filled with soft, caramelized pieces of bananas.
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Servings: 16 beignets
Calories: 158.9 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup Mashed Banana - (note 1)
- 2 ⅔ cups Self-Rising Flour - (note 2)
- ¼ cup Sugar
- 3 tablespoons Light Olive Oil - + 4 extra teaspoons to work the dough
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract - optional
To coat the beignets
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ cup Sugar - (note 3)
- 2 tablespoons Light Olive Oil
To fill the beignets
- 1 large Banana - yellow and firm, sliced into 0.2 inch pieces
Instructions
- Mash the banana into a smooth puree, make sure you get 1 cup or the beignet batter won't come together with the same ratio of flour.
- Stir in sugar, olive oil, and vanilla extract if used.
- Fold in the flour, stir with a rubber spatula at first then, when it starts to be difficult to stir and forms lumps, lightly oil your hands with olive oil and squeeze and knead the dough to form a dough ball. Use a bit of flour if too sticky, but you shouldn't have to add much more. If too sticky, the best is to add a bit of oil onto the dough and hands and rub to make a soft elastic dough. Adding too much flour now would make the beignets dense, packed, and taste like bread. You should form a nice consistent banana dough that stays moist and a bit sticky.
- Rub 2 teaspoons of olive oil on your work surface and place the dough ball on it. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil on top of the dough ball.
- Rub, the dough with oil and knead again 3-4 times to incorporate some of the oil, but mainly form a shiny, elastic dough that won't stick to your hands.
- Divide the dough into 16 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball between your oiled hands. Each ball should look a bit oily, that's normal.
- Press the dough balls between the palm of your hands to flatten them into a disc, place a slice of banana in the center of the disc, pinch the sides together to enclose the piece of banana into the dough, and roll into a cylinder to form a beignet shape.
- Spray oil in the air fryer basket and place the oiled beignets in it, leaving about and inch (3 cm) between them as they will expand. I fit 6 in a XXL basket.
Air Frying
- Air fry the beignets at 350°F (180°C) for 8-9 minutes, flipping them halfway, or until puffy and golden brown. They will look like dry bread, don't worry that's normal.
- To make these banana beignets taste like beignets, brush the warm beignets with melted plant-based butter, melted coconut oil, or light olive oil using a pastry brush. Then, roll them warm into cinnamon sugar to coat evenly.
- Repeat the step above to air fry the remaining beignets.
Deep Frying Method
- Heat about 2 inches (5 cm) of avocado oil to 370 °F (190 °C) in a large pot.
- Carefully add each of the banana beignets to the hot oil.
- Fry until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes in total, flipping them halfway using forks or metal tongs.
- Let them cool on a plate covered with absorbent paper for 2 minutes, then roll them into cinnamon sugar to coat.
Notes
Note 1: About 2 large ripe bananas.
Note 2: You can also replace the amount above with 2 2/3 cups of all-purpose flour and stir in 6 teaspoons of baking powder.
Note 3: Feel free to use a Monk fruit-erythritol blend for a sugar-free option. Coconut sugar or unrefined cane sugar are good refined sugar-free options.
Storage: You can store the beignets in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, eat them cold or rewarm them in the air fryer.
Nutrition
Serving: 1banana beignet | Calories: 158.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 26.6g | Protein: 2.7g | Fat: 4.8g | Saturated Fat: 0.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3.2g | Sodium: 0.8mg | Potassium: 102.4mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 9.1g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.3mg | Magnesium: 11.4mg | Phosphorus: 25.2mg | Zinc: 0.2mg
Ingredients and Substitutions
This paragraph gives you all my tips about picking the right ingredients. For the full recipe with measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post!Go to Full Recipe
You only need 5 ingredients to make these banana beignets. Here’s how to pick them.
- Banana – For both the dough and to put a slice in each beignet. I use very ripe bananas for the dough and firmer bananas for the filling. Bananas provides natural sweetness and moisture, contributing to the soft texture of the dough. If you prefer a different taste, try substituting part of the banana in the dough with unsweetened applesauce for a milder flavor.
- Self-Rising Flour – This flour with baking powder gives structure and lifts the beignet dough, ensuring they puff up and remain light. You can also use all-purpose flour with baking powder if you don’t have self-rising flour. I haven’t tried gluten-free flour in this recipe.
- Sugar – For both sweetening the dough and for the coating. It contributes to the crisp exterior. You can use unrefined sugars like coconut sugar or also a Monk fruit-erythritol blend for a sugar-free option.
- Light Olive Oil – It’s essential for both incorporating into the dough and keeping your hands and work surface slick during kneading. It contributes to the dough’s elasticity and prevents overworking. If deep frying, opt for a high-smoke point oil like avocado oil.
- Vanilla Extract – This is optional but it boosts the flavor.
- Cinnamon – I use cinnamon to make a cinnamon sugar for the coating.
How to Make Banana Beignets
This recipe is really easy to make and doesn’t even require deep frying. Here’s how in pictures.
Mash the bananas in a bowl and measure the amount needed.
Pour the other wet ingredients, stir the mixture, and incorporate the flour.
Work the dough with your oiled hands and divide it into 16 dough balls.
Flatten each dough ball in your hands and place a slice of banana in the middle.
Wrap the dough around the chunk of banana and seal into a ball.
Bake the beignets in an air fryer at 350°F (180°C) for 8-9 minutes.
Carine’s Tips
Let me share a few more tips for perfect beignets.
- Proper Dough Consistency: When mixing your mashed banana, sugar, oil, and vanilla, aim for a smooth, sticky mixture before adding flour. If the dough feels too sticky, lightly oil your hands instead of adding too much extra flour.
- Knead with Oiled Hands: As the dough starts to come together, oil your hands generously. This not only prevents sticking but also helps develop a smooth, elastic dough that will yield light, airy beignets.
- Avoid Over-Flouring: Add flour gradually—excess flour can make the beignets dense and bread-like. The goal is a moist, slightly sticky dough that’s pliable enough to form a pocket around the filling.
- Keep Fillings Firm: Use a firm banana for the filling. Firmer slices are easier to encase within the dough without mashing, ensuring a good contrast between the dough and the sweet banana center.
- Shaping Technique: When forming the beignets, press each dough ball into a disc, place a slice of banana in the center, then pinch and roll to fully enclose the filling. This technique is key to keeping the filling intact during cooking.
- Air Fry for Healthier Results: If you’re air frying, pre-spray your basket with oil and leave about an inch of space between beignets to allow for expansion. For a traditional flavor, deep fry using a high-smoke point oil like avocado oil, but be extra cautious with temperature control.
- Crispy Coating: After frying, brush the warm beignets with melted plant-based butter, coconut oil, or olive oil, then roll them in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. This step is crucial to achieve that classic beignet crunch.
This worked exactly as written, thanks! My family love them.