Nothing screams “Mardi Gras!” quite like the iconic King Cake. This traditional delicacy adorned with purple, green, and yellow sprinkles is typically made from a brioche-like dough, rolled up, and glazed with a sweet icing. While there’s nothing like a traditional King Cake from New Orleans, it’s not the easiest thing to whip up for your guests. So this year, turn this festive favorite into a playful bite-sized, handheld, or dippable version instead. Here, 8 desserts inspired by the king of them all to try for Fat Tuesday.
Stuffed Monkey Bread King Cake
If you love sticky monkey bread, this Mardi Gras–inspired recipe from HGTV will have you cooing, “Laissez les bons temps rouler!” It’s such a cinch to make with refrigerated biscuit dough, even the kids will want to help.
King Cake Spritz Cookies
These cookies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories are a bite-sized version of traditional King Cake, but no plastic babies were baked in the process! Parchment paper and a cookie press are key to getting these sweet morsels just right—it might take a little practice, but you’ll get the hang of it in no time!
King Cake Crack Candy
Want the great taste of a King Cake without having to make the cake? Cake N Knife has created this King Cake Crack Candy recipe that features a surprising base: saltine crackers! Drizzle with homemade caramel, cinnamon, butter, and the iconic multicolored sprinkles. Beware, this confection will go fast!
No-Churn King Cake Ice Cream
No machine is required for this ice cream recipe. Simply whip heavy cream and fold it into the vanilla and sweetened condensed milk base. To emulate the classic King Cake, the ice cream is studded with caramelized croutons and finished with festive sprinkles. Don’t worry—Food Network didn’t forget the hidden treasure!
King Cake Cupcakes
This recipe from Short Street Cakes shared by Garden & Gun is as close to a traditional King Cake as you’ll find on this list, but instead of a cake, the sweet, yeasty dough is cut into small medallions and baked up in cupcake tins. They’re handheld and much easier to pass out to your guests.
King Cake Macarons
We love these brightly colored macarons from Heather Baird for HGTV. They’reperfect for packing up in little cellophane bags and gifting to your Mardi Gras guests as they head home.
King Cake Dip
This playful recipe from Homemade Hooplah has all of the components of a classic King Cake—icing, pecans, even sprinkles—but in a party-friendly dessert dip. Even these colorful coated pretzels will be a big hit on their own. The dip relies on several shortcut grocery-store ingredients, so it’s a cinch to whip up.
King Cake Pops
We love these adorable cake pops from Nola.com because you can make them with a store-bought sheet cake OR keep the party going after Mardi Gras and make them with leftover bits of traditional King Cake. The trick for getting the best shape is to keep your cake mixture extra-cold, popping it back in the refrigerator as needed.
Karen Nielsen says
Love your show! I probably wouldn’t be alive to watch it if you hadn’t talked me into going to the doctor during breast cancer month in 2001. THANK YOU!
Tanji says
Karen-Thank you so much for the feedback, and I’m thrilled you’re doing well! 🙂