NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Eggs, water, yeast, milk, vanilla, sugar and lots of powdered sugar – the recipe for one of New Orleans’ favorite desserts is sweet and simple. But on the city’s first day of fall, Beignet Fest added a little something extra to the recipe.

From options like cookies and cream ice cream stuffed beignets from Bof Bars and Cheddar Bacon Beignets with Chipotle Crema from the Howlin’ Wolf, it was hard to choose what to try.

There were savory options, like the jerk chicken beignets from Afrodisiac NOLA. A worthy opponent in the fight. Smokey and sweet. Using the sweetness of the beignet’s base, the flavor in the chicken acted as a powerful magnifier to take a traditionally sweet dish to a savory creation.

There were also pizza beignets from PJ’s Coffee. It had everything you love about a pizza — crisp, buttery and an amazing sauce base. Plus, not to mention sprinkles of parmesan cheese to mimic powdered sugar. Presentation, we love to see it!

Diva Dogs served up beignet fries. The spice of crawfish added to the beignet batter, topped with a butter sauce. Both components leveled each other out in a pleasant way. Not too salty and enough sweetness to create a whirlwind of flavor for the taste buds.

Then there was the pear and brie beignet from The Vintage NOLA. Succulent and slightly savory. The pear glaze on top had a slight taste of salt to the dish, making the flavors pop with creamy brie. Certainly, a go to for breakfast.

Of course, there was the tried-and-true classic, Mrs. Loretta’s praline stuffed beignet. The praline inside added a perfect pop of flavor without being two sweet. Flaky dough and amazing flavor combinations.

To kick off fall, there was the sweet potato cheesecake espresso from the Ruby Slipper. The robust flavor of espresso powder mixing with the sweet potato cream was reminiscent of an early morning. The puree added a soft boost to the flaky dish.

This year, The Vintage NOLA’s pear and brie beignet was crowned the winner. Ms. Loretta’s took home the title for the best savory beignet with its famous crabmeat beignet. Café Beignet took home the title for best traditional beignet.

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