Prep time: 15 minutes
Rising time: 45min to 2 hours (depending on the warmth of your home)
Bake time: 12-15 minutes per batch
Please note: Some of the links to products and gluten free foods in this blog are affiliate links, including Amazon Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As an Amazon Affiliate, Skinny Beets LLC may receive a small commission off of qualifying purchases made through those links. All commissions go back into producing new content for this blog and supports the creators to make more content. THANK YOU for your support!
Blend the best of both with these seasonal gluten free beignets. This Skinny Beets original recipe is a modification of the Gluten Free Beignets that uses King Arthur’s Gluten Free Bread and Pizza Dough mix as the core dough and the traditional dried fruit and spice from the traditional Irish sweet bread, Barm Brack. This recipe is a blend of two distinct sweet bread traditions from two of my favorite places in the world: France and Ireland.
You can either fry these like traditional beignets, which will give them a lovely fluffy feel with a thin outer crunchy layer. Or you can bake them for a sweet, chewy but fluffy party for your tastebuds.
What’s Barm Brack and what do they have to do with beignets?
First, let’s talk about Barm Brack! Barm brack, also known simply as "brack," is a traditional Irish fruitcake. It is a type of sweet bread that is typically filled with dried fruits, most commonly raisins and sultanas. The name "barm brack" comes from the use of "barm," which historically referred to the yeast foam that forms on top of fermenting beer. This yeast foam was often used as a leavening agent in bread.
Barm brack is associated with Irish Halloween traditions. In Ireland, it is a custom to bake a ring and a small trinket (such as a coin or a pea) into the brack. The person who finds the ring is said to be destined for marriage within the year, while finding the trinket may indicate wealth or other fortunes.
The recipe for barm brack can vary, but it generally includes ingredients such as flour, sugar, dried fruits, tea (or sometimes whiskey), and spices. The dried fruits are often soaked in tea or whiskey before being added to the dough, imparting a rich flavor to the bread.
Barm brack is enjoyed sliced and served with butter, making it a popular treat during the fall and especially around Halloween in Ireland. It's a delicious and festive bread that has a rich history in Irish culture.
Beignets, however have French origins, and the word "beignet" itself is French for "fritter" or "doughnut." These delicious pastries consist of deep-fried dough, often sprinkled with powdered sugar. Beignets are particularly associated with the cuisine of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States, where they have become a popular and iconic treat.
The French-style beignets can be traced back to French colonists who settled in Louisiana, bringing their culinary traditions with them. The beignets enjoyed in New Orleans are often square or rectangular in shape and are served hot and fresh, topped generously with powdered sugar. They are a beloved part of the city's culinary heritage and are commonly associated with the Café du Monde, a famous coffee stand in the French Quarter known for serving beignets and coffee 24 hours a day.
While the concept of deep-frying dough exists in various cultures around the world, the specific version of beignets associated with New Orleans is a product of the blending of French culinary traditions with local influences in the American South. Today, beignets are enjoyed not only in New Orleans but also in many other places, both in the United States and internationally, often as a delightful fried pastry treat.
Now take that traditional Irish fruitcake idea, take all the fun of the tradition and all the flavors of those candied fruits and add them to beignets… You get the fluffy beignet (in our case, gluten free) and the deep flavors of barm brack. This is a fusion of two beautiful bread traditions from two very different cultures.
Why make gluten free beignets?
Making gluten-free beignets can be a choice for individuals who have gluten sensitivity or celiac disease. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, and consuming it can cause adverse reactions in people with gluten-related disorders. Beignets are traditionally made with wheat flour, which contains gluten. By creating a gluten-free version, individuals with gluten intolerance can still enjoy this popular pastry without experiencing negative health effects.
Here are some reasons why someone might choose to make gluten-free beignets:
Celiac Disease: People with celiac disease have an autoimmune reaction to gluten, damaging the lining of the small intestine. Consuming gluten can lead to serious health problems for those with this condition.
Gluten Sensitivity: Some individuals may experience symptoms similar to those of celiac disease but without the autoimmune response. They may still benefit from a gluten-free diet to manage their symptoms.
Wheat Allergy: In some cases, people may be allergic to wheat, one of the primary sources of gluten. A gluten-free diet helps them avoid allergic reactions.
Personal Dietary Preferences: Some individuals may choose a gluten-free diet for personal preferences or lifestyle reasons. While this is less common, it's still a valid choice for some. Of course, deep frying your beignets might not seem like a healthy choice after going gluten free, so we’ve added a baking option too!
When making gluten-free beignets, alternative flours such as rice flour, almond flour, or a gluten-free flour blend can be used. Here, we’ll be using King Arthur’s Bread Pizza Dough Mix!
Our ingredients
We are using King Arthur’s Gluten Free Bread and Pizza Dough Mix as the perfect gluten free flour base for these beignets. The flour is certified gluten free and fluffs up beautifully when fried! We love King Arthur as a company and feel confident using them in our gluten free baking and you will too!
We prefer using pure maple syrup instead of powdered sugar or granulated sugar. It’s a lot easier on the gut and in our household, that’s important. You can read more about pure maple syrup in the article we wrote HERE.
This recipe calls for two eggs, but egg replacer works just as well. I actually prefer the egg replacer (there’s a recipe for flaxseed egg replacer in the directions below) because if it’s a chilly day, I can leave the dough to rise for longer as needed without worry about raw egg being left out too long in the mixture.
Baking powder and baking soda help with the rise and fluffiness of the beignets, while the apple cider vinegar works with these ingredients to get a softer result as well as more lovely air pockets that beignets are known for.
Mixed spice, salt and dried fruit create the perfect flavors - in this mix, I prefer using dried apricots, dried cranberries, satsuma peel, and dates, though you can add sultanas and raisins if you wish.
Apple juice and applesauce are both for sweetness and also for a beautiful, soft and moist gluten free beignet. Applesauce has long been knowns as a powerhouse of moisture to help get the most out of those gluten free grains and give a soft and fluffy result. It also makes them tase amazing!
When it comes to the glaze, there are only two ingredients - butter (or any dairy free or vegan margarine) and pure maple syrup. Together, these make an amazing, sweet and delicious glaze that really brings the most out of the gluten free barm brack beingets.
Are you ready? Let’s get baking!
Ingredients:
-1 bag King Arthur’s Bread and Pizza Dough mix (affiliate link)
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- two eggs or egg replacer (flax meal ‘eggs’)
-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
-1/4 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon sea salt
-1 teaspoon mixed spice
-1 tablespoon chopped orange peel
-1/8 cup chopped dates
-1/8 cup dried fruit of choice (I prefer cranberries!)
-1/2 cup applesauce
-1/2 cup apple juice
-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
-oil for frying
-additional gluten free flour (affiliate link) for dusting
For glazing:
-1 tablespoon butter
-1 tablespoon additional maple syrup
Method:
First, open the King Arthur’s Gluten Free Bread and Pizza Dough pack and take out the yeast. Mix it with the 1/2 cup warm water (mix well with a fork to break up all the bits) and let it stand for 5-10 minutes in order to activate. You should see it frothy by the end of that 5-10 minutes and you’ll know it’s ready.
-If you’re using egg replacer, prep that now. To make flaxseed meal replacer for two eggs - add two tablespoons of flaxseed meal to six tablespoons of purified water, mix and let stand for 5 minutes.
-Mix the pizza mix with all the baking soda, baking powder, salt, mixed spice.
-Next, add the maple syrup, eggs or flaxseed meal eggs, applesauce, apple juice, and apple cider vinegar and mix in well with a wooden spoon.
-Once all these ingredients are blended, add in the peel and dried fruit and dates.
-This is where it gets sticky if you’re doing it by hand. If you have a mixer, you can use that and mix it for about 3 minutes with the flat paddle. If it’s too crumbly, you can add a little water or oat/nut milk to moisten it.
-Let it sit for 5 minutes before kneading! This will allow the gluten free flours to really absorb the moisture it needs and bind better.
-lightly flour your surface/counter for kneading and knead the dough for about five minutes.
-Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into rectangles or squares (you should get about 26 if you cut them 2x3 inches). Lie them on a lightly floured, flat surface and loosely cover with parchment paper to let them rise in shape. If your home is warm, they should rise in about 40 minutes, but if cooler, it can take up to 2 hours. You know your home - find the warmest spot away from any pets and stumbling feet and let the dough fill your space with amazing smells.
IF FRYING:
-Once the dough has risen, heat your oil (365 is the ideal temperature) and set up a plate with layers of paper towels to absorb excess oil (this is where your fried beignets will hang out until it’s glazing time
-Fry the beignets 2-3 at a time, flipping them half way through cooking until both sides are light golden brown
-take out the cooked beignets and place them on the draining towels then start the next batch. Repeat until all are cooked (or, make half and freeze the other half for another time)
IF BAKING:
-Preheat oven to 350F and place the beignets on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 12-16 minutes or until light golden brown. Once cooked, pull them out of the oven to cool as you prepare the glaze.
-Now for the really fun part! Melt the butter and mix in the extra maple syrup until both are blended, then with a pastry brush, apply the glaze over each perfect pastry. You’ll want to do this over a plate or greaseproof baking paper.
Now they’re ready to serve! If you have leftover maple butter glaze, you can dip your hot beignets in it for an extra delightful flavor. Enjoy!
Editor’s note: We aim to make delicious gluten free recipes, but we’re also catering to those who have additional health needs. Those who have celiac, also often suffer from lactose intolerance (we found out the hard way!) which is why our ingredients are usually milk-free. Sensitive guts have a hard time with traditional sweeteners and rich butter, which is why again, we swap these out for a healthier alternative. If you want to know more about celiac disease, you can visit these amazing websites which have helped our family immeasurably. Beyond Celiac has some amazing resources that we go back to often and Celiac.org is our resource for new and old celiac research. They are both working hard to find a cure to celiac disease and have some great additional links. Also, speak to you doctor if you think you might have celiac disease or something similar. And, if you want to more about potato bread, you can find my article on the subject HERE.
