Brandied Apricot Beignets with Chocolate Dipping Sauce

From the kitchen of Carly

Pillowy fried dough stuffed with brandied apricots and served alongside silky chocolate sauce. These beignets balance warmth and indulgence, perfect for when you want something decadent but not heavy. Pure comfort in every bite.

Brandied Apricot Beignets with Chocolate Dipping Sauce

Beignets deserve better than jam. Plump brandied apricots studded straight into the choux dough give you bursts of tart sweetness and a supple crumb, while the chocolate sauce gets spiked with apricot syrup for depth that cuts through the richness. They're hot, golden, and dusted with powdered sugar before they hit the plate. The choux comes together in stages, which feels fussy but isn't once you're in it.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 3/4 cupheavy whipping cream
  • 1 tbspbrandy
  • 1 tbsphoney
  • 10 ozbittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cupchopped dried apricots
  • 3 tbspplus 1/2 cup water
  • 3 tbspsugar
  • 3 tbspbrandy
  • 1/2 cupwhole milk
  • 6 tbspunsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/2 tspsalt
  • 1 cupall purpose flour
  • 4 largeeggs
  • 1Vegetable oil
  • 1Powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Combine the heavy whipping cream, brandy, and honey in a medium saucepan and bring just to a boil. Pull the pan off the heat, drop in the chopped chocolate, and let it sit for 30 seconds before whisking until completely smooth. The sauce can be made up to 4 days ahead; cover and refrigerate until needed.

  2. In a medium saucepan, combine the dried apricots, 3 tablespoons of water, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and the brandy. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let everything steep, still covered, for 30 minutes. Drain the apricots, setting both the fruit and the syrup aside separately.

  3. Pour the 1/2 cup of water, milk, butter, and salt into a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and dump in the flour all at once, stirring briskly until the dough pulls together into a ball. Return the pan to medium heat and stir constantly until a film forms on the bottom of the pan, about 2 minutes. Let the dough cool for 5 minutes, then use an electric mixer to beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the reserved apricots. The dough can rest, covered, at room temperature for up to 4 hours.

  4. Set the oven to 200 degrees F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Fill a large deep saucepan with oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches and clip a deep-fry thermometer to the side. Heat the oil to between 330 and 340 degrees F. Working in batches of 5 or 6, drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into the hot oil. Cook the beignets until deep golden brown, turning them after 2 or 3 minutes and adjusting the heat to hold the temperature steady, about 5 minutes total per batch. Lift them out with a slotted spoon, transfer to the lined baking sheet, and keep warm in the oven while you fry the rest.

  5. Gently rewarm the chocolate sauce over low heat, then stir in the reserved apricot syrup until combined.

  6. Sift a generous shower of powdered sugar over the beignets, divide them among plates, and serve alongside the warm chocolate sauce.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Stir the choux dough over heat for the full 2 minutes to cook out moisture and develop the structure, otherwise your beignets won't puff properly. Don't skip this step.
  • Drop the beignets by rounded teaspoon straight into oil at temperature. Too cool and they'll grease-log; too hot and they'll brown before cooking through. A thermometer is non-negotiable here.
  • Make the apricot syrup and chocolate sauce ahead so you're only managing the frying and plating when guests arrive. Both rewarm in minutes.
  • Let steeped apricots cool completely before folding into the dough, or the heat will start cooking the eggs. Patience pays off.

Variations

  • Swap the apricots for diced dried figs and use a splash of Cognac instead of brandy for a more austere, elegant finish.
  • Skip the apricots in the dough and serve the beignets with a salted caramel sauce spiked with brandy instead, dipping them as you eat.
  • Use all apricot nectar or juice instead of the syrup reduction to thin the chocolate sauce, leaning into a lighter, fruitier delivery.
  • Dust the beignets with cinnamon sugar instead of plain powdered sugar and serve with the chocolate for a warming contrast.

Make ahead and storage

Beignets are best eaten within 30 minutes of frying. If you have leftovers, store them uncovered at room temperature for a few hours and eat at room temp or rewarm gently in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes. The chocolate sauce keeps refrigerated for 4 days and freezes well.