Disneyland Mickey Mouse Beignets are a must on every Disneyland trip and now you can make them at home with the original recipe and my tips for success!
We’re taking a break from all things pumpkin to share an all-time Disneyland treat – Mickey Mouse Beignets! Disneyland Mickey Mouse Beignets can be found at the Disneyland Resort at Café Orleans and the Mint Julep Bar. Whenever we’re visiting the park, we always try to pick up a few.
If you order them from Café Orleans, a sit-down restaurant, they’re served with dipping sauces. If you order them at the Mint Julep Bar, they’re served in a paper bag so you can take it to-go. Regardless of where you order them from, the Disneyland Mickey Mouse Beignets are always served warm with a generous dusting of powdered sugar. The beignets are perfectly fried, giving it a nice crust on the outside and a soft doughy inside. Enjoying these puffs of heaven are a MUST whenever you visit the park.
When I spotted the recipe, I had to give them a try myself! I was a little intimidated at first because I wasn’t sure I could make them to the standard of the Disneyland Resort. But I must say that once I got the hang of it, I dare say they are just as good! :D And, as far as difficulty goes, it’s easier than you might think. I’ve included tips below to help guide you on your beignet-making journey and to give you the best possible chance of a successful batch.
Tips for Successful Disneyland Mickey Mouse Beignets
The first step is to combine all the ingredients together to form a smooth dough. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Next, place a double layer of cheesecloth on your counter top and dust it generously with flour. Roll the dough out directly onto the cheesecloth and cut out shapes using a Mickey Mouse cookie cutter. Let the dough rest for 1 ½ hours. The flour-dusted cheesecloth will prevent the dough from sticking to your counter top so that it can be easily lifted up, while maintaining the integrity of the shape when it comes time to fry.
The last step is to fry the dough. The optimal frying temperature is 350°F, but I’d suggest begin frying once the oil reaches 300°F because the oil only continues to heat up and quickly at that. I found that if I began frying once the oil reached 350°F, the dough would end up frying in oil that’s much hotter than 350°F, resulting in a really dark exterior. So, begin frying at 300°F and lower the heat as necessary as you go along (I used the rate of dough darkening as a gauge. If the dough got dark in a matter of seconds, I knew the oil was too hot).
Once the dough has been carefully placed in the oil, watch it closely. As soon as it begins to puff up, let it rise for a few seconds and then flip! Don’t worry if the first side isn’t golden brown yet. At this point you’re just controlling how much steam is building up inside the beignet and in turn, how inflated the dough becomes. If you allow the dough to continue puffing up until it stops on it’s own, you will end up with overly inflated, hollow beignets.
After flipping, allow the second side to cook until golden brown and then flip the beignet back to the first side to finish cooking.
Allow to drain on a paper towel and give it a heavy dusting of powdered sugar while warm. Enjoy immediately!
Disneyland Mickey Mouse Beignets
Ingredients
- ¾ cup warm water, separated
- ½ teaspoon instant yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Heat ¼ cup water to 105°F* and stir in the yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes. Heat the remaining ½ cup of water to boiling and off the heat to let cool slightly.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the sugar, shortening, salt, cream, egg, flour, the boiled water, and the yeast mixture.
- On medium speed, knead the dough until combined and a smooth and soft dough forms. The dough should not be sticky. Cover the dough loosely with a dish towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Place two layers of cheesecloth on the counter. Dust generously with flour. Turn the risen dough onto the cheesecloth and roll out to ¼-inch thick. Cut out Mickey Mouse shapes using a Mickey Mouse cookie cutter**. Unused scraps can be combined and re-rolled for additional cuts.
- Cover loosely with a dish towel and let rest for 1 ½ hours.
- During the last 10 minutes, heat 3-inches of oil over medium heat to 300°F***, as measured by an instant-read thermometer. Once the temperature has reached 300°F, use a metal spatula to gently lift the beignets and transfer into the oil. Let the beignets float to the surface and watch carefully as they begin to inflate. After a few seconds of inflating, flip the beignet over and fry until golden brown. Flip the beignet again if more time is needed to achieve a golden brown exterior on the first side.
- Transfer the beignet to a paper towel-lined cooling rack. Let cool for 5 minutes, just until warm. Toss in a bowl of powdered sugar and serve immediately.
Notes
Adapted from Babes in Disneyland
Where did you get the cutter for this? I’ve tried finding one, but all of the shapes don’t look right. :[
I purchased it from a gift shop at Disneyland. If you can’t make it there, here’s a link where you can purchase it online. It’s the exact one I have :) https://www.shopdisney.com/mickey-mouse-cookie-cutter-1254471
Way too dense. Not like the Disneyland ones at all. Followed recipe exactly as given. They were edible but NOT like the ones we always get in New Orleans Square.
From my experience the ones from New Orleans Square are hollow. I tried to achieve less hollow beignets, which is what the recipe is written to accomplish. If you’d like more hollow beignets like the ones at Disneyland, allow the dough to inflate for a longer period of time before flipping. I hope you give them a try again. I’d love to know how they turn out :D