Banana Chocolate Chip Beignets

With Mardi Gras around the corner (I feel like it’s sooner and sooner every year but I digress) I thought it would be a great time to share these Banana Chocolate Chip Beignets on the site. Partly because of that but also because I had some ripening bananas sitting on the counter just taunting me. I like slightly green bananas so as soon as one tiny brown spot appears I just let them go fully ripe at that point because I won’t eat them anymore. The problem is that I usually never know what to make with them because you can only make so many banana bread loaves. All that to say, these beignets are a great way to use up those ripening bananas.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. In a separate bowl, mash the banana until smooth.

**Note: You want to use a ripe banana for this. So it’s a great way to use up any browning bananas just sitting at your counter. And it’s super easy to double the batch for more beignets as well!**

Add the mashed banana to the eggs along with the milk and vanilla and whisk until well combined.

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon and nutmeg and fold until just combined. You don’t want to over-mix the batter at this point.

Add the mini chocolate chips and stir to combine. You can omit the chocolate if you don’t have any or just want to have banana beignets.

Once the oil is hot and reaches temperature, drop the batter by spoonfuls and fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 4-6 minutes.

**Note: To prepare for frying, fill a medium pot halfway with either vegetable or canola oil and heat to 360°F.**

Use a slotted spoon to remove the beignets from the oil and place onto paper towels or on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Continue frying the rest of the batter, allowing the oil to reach temperature in between each batch.

Dust the tops of the beignets liberally with powdered sugar and serve immediately. If you plan on serving these later on, you can dust them with powdered sugar later on when you plan on serving them, but just keep in mind that the beignets are better if eaten sooner rather than later.

These are perfect as a sweet treat after dinner but they’re also great for breakfast or brunch if you’re wanting to treat yourself to something on the naughty side.

I love this recipe because it’s super easy to put together and doesn’t require any rest time or any fancy ingredients. These can also be made without the banana, if you happen to not have a ripe one on hand. Give them a try and be sure to let me know what you think below. Thank you for following along and reading!