Mardi Gras Desserts? That’s right: fried dough covered in powdered sugar, cakes loaded with cinnamon, and all the purple, green, and gold sprinkles.
I mean, think about what this list means. It means you’re going to find some golden brown fried treats and coat them in a luscious sweet glaze.
1. New Orleans-Style Beignets
Can’t get to Cafe Du Monde? No problem at all! You can make some absolutely amazing New Orleans-style beignets in your own kitchen.
Think of them as a kind of doughnut. They are just sweet, fried dough, and they get finished with a heavy dusting of powdered sugar. Just make sure to serve them up warm!
2. Mardi Gras Trifle
I’m just going to say it, layered desserts are always a win. You get all those different flavors and textures in every single spoonful. It’s like a party in your mouth!
This trifle gets its inspiration from the colors of Mardi Gras, using vibrant vanilla cupcakes layered up with a creamy frosting (whatever kind you love!).
You could even add a little cinnamon to get that King Cake vibe, or toss in some fruit for a fresh feel. And you know sprinkles are always a fun move.
3. King Cake Cookies
Butter cookies always make everyone happy. And these are just perfect for a Mardi Gras party.
The shortbread itself is so buttery and delicious, with those great warm notes of nutmeg (or cinnamon!). Then you have the colorful royal icing, which is light and has a nice lemony brightness.
When you put them together? It’s total flavor magic.
4. Paczki (Polish Donuts)
Paczki are just a delicious treat, so similar to the donuts we know and love.
They start with an enriched dough that gets shaped and then fried. After that, they are filled with all kinds of yummy things, like custard. All you do is top them with sugar and they are ready to go!
5. Mardi Gras King Cake
This one is the classic. It’s the most traditional and famous dessert of the whole Mardi Gras celebration.
If you’ve never tried one, just picture a giant, single-layer cinnamon roll. It’s soft, sweet, and so delicious. The King Cake is all about that brioche dough, tons of cinnamon, and of course, the colorful sugar.
And this specific recipe brings in a cream cheese icing, making it taste exactly like a cinnamon roll. Those colors, by the way, represent power, faith, and justice.
6. King Cake Cracker Candy
I am warning you, you will not be able to stop eating this cracker candy.
Saltine crackers, toffee, white chocolate, and sanding sugar all come together in one perfect bite. That sweet and salty combo is just completely irresistible.
7. Mardi Gras Lemon Bliss Bundt Cake
This cake is named perfectly. It’s a bright and citrusy bundt cake that is pure bliss. Plus, it has a colorful surprise waiting inside!
It uses both lemon oil and lemon juice, which packs loads of citrusy goodness into the cake and the icing. Every single bite is just so cheerful and mouthwatering.
8. Bananas Foster Upside Down Cupcakes
These cupcakes are inspired by the Bourbon Street classic and they are seriously delicious!
Just picture it: moist, cinnamon and vanilla cake, with warm, caramelized bananas, and toasted pecans all in a bourbon caramel. Are you drooling yet?
9. Mardi Gras Muddy Buddies
Muddy Buddies, Puppy Chow… whatever name you use, they are delicious and so addictive. That makes them perfect for a celebration like Fat Tuesday.
These are next-level celebratory! First, you use cinnamon Chex cereal as a little nod to King Cake. Then, you swap out the regular chocolate for Mardi Gras-colored candy melts.
Add some colorful sanding sugar into the powdered sugar for extra oomph. They almost look like they’re sparkling!
10. King Cake Oreo Balls
Oreo truffles are just so simple to pull together, and they are so darn good!
We’re talking decadent, super chocolatey, and just a really fun Mardi Gras spin on the average Oreo truffle. Usually, you just need cream cheese, a package of Oreos, and some white chocolate.
But this is for Mardi Gras, so you absolutely need sprinkles or sanding sugar in gold, green, and purple.
11. Bread Pudding
Bread pudding is such a Southern classic. It’s rich, custardy, and just divine.
This amazing recipe uses bourbon-soaked raisins and a boozy bourbon sauce. This one is definitely for the adults!
That said, you can make it kid-friendly by using caramel sauce or a creme Anglaise instead. But since this is for Mardi Gras, I’d just make two batches if kids are around. One for them and one for the grown-ups.
12. Mardi Gras Cupcake Recipes (King Cake Cupcakes)
These cupcakes, inspired by King Cake, are perfect for your Fat Tuesday celebrations. They are so fun, colorful, and absolutely delicious.
The cupcake part is a sweet and simple vanilla cake. This recipe is from scratch, but if you’re in a rush, a box mix works too.
The cupcake gets topped with a warm and tangy cinnamon and cream cheese frosting, which is all colored up in Mardi Gras colors.
13. Mardi Gras Moon Pie Bars
If you’re new to this, a Moon Pie is a s’mores-like cookie treat. It’s built with Graham Crackers and marshmallow fluff, and then it’s covered in chocolate.
These super yummy bars have all the best parts of a Moon Pie, minus the hassle. They are chocolatey, marshmallowy, buttery… basically little bites of heaven.
14. Mardi Gras Candy Charcuterie
Oh my gosh, look at all that colorful candy! This super fun charcuterie board is loaded with oodles of delicious candy, all in the official Mardi Gras colors.
It is a total show-stopper. And you just know it is out-of-this-world sweet!
15. Bourbon Pecan Monkey Bread
Transport yourself straight to Bourbon Street with this tasty treat!
The street might not be named for the alcohol, but you can find plenty of it there. Mostly, that street is famous for its decadence, and this dessert totally fits the bill.
It’s sticky, sugary, and just dripping with an amazing buttery, bourbon-cinnamon-pecan-caramel sauce.
16. King Cake Cheesecake Bars
If you don’t want to mess with yeast and proofing, just skip the traditional King Cake and make these cheesecake bars instead!
They are full of incredible flavor and have a luscious, creamy texture. You can even customize this recipe with fruit or a different pre-made dough.
The only thing you absolutely MUST have are those fantastically bright colors! Otherwise, it just isn’t King Cake.
17. Mardi Gras Cinnamon Pecan Vanilla Cake Pops
These festive cake pops are just ideal for a Mardi Gras party! They are also great if you’re on the go!
The cake is made with vanilla batter that’s swirled with cinnamon sugar and toasted pecans. Then every pop gets dipped in white chocolate and decorated with Mardi Gras colors.
You can use colored candy melts, sprinkles, and sugar to make a bunch of different-looking pops.
18. Mardi Gras Layered Jello
If you’re looking for a treat that feels a little bit lighter, give this tasty Jello a try. It’s layered in the festive colors of Mardi Gras, so it’s perfect for your party.
Lemon, lime, and grape-flavored Jello make up all the layers. It gets topped with fresh whipped cream and sprinkles. The kids are going to love this one!
Or, you could add some vodka for an adult-only version.
19. King Cake Dip
This cakey, tangy cinnamon dip is so good you could just eat it by itself. But, it’s topped with pecans and caramel, so it’s super indulgent.
This recipe is served with candy-coated pretzels in gold, green, and purple. But feel free to dip in whatever sounds good to you!
20. Mardi Gras King Cake Pecan Praline Puff Pastry
This pecan praline puff pastry is flaky, creamy, nutty, caramelly, and so delicious. It gets topped with vanilla icing and sanding sugar in all the Mardi Gras colors.
This recipe does take a little bit of effort, but I promise it is so worth it.
21. King Cake Bites
These little bite-sized sugar nuggets are going to take your Mardi Gras party to the next level. I can guarantee these will disappear fast.
They’re sweet, creamy, and just bursting with fragrant cinnamon.
Just like the cheesecake bars from earlier, these use pre-made pastry dough and a filling that’s like cheesecake. These are just individual and fun-size!
22. Mardi Gras Meringues
Meringues are just like pretty, chewy pillows of sugar. They have such a fantastic texture, and they will literally melt in your mouth.
These cheery meringues are colored in the traditional Mardi Gras colors, and they’re pretty easy to make. This recipe makes vanilla meringues, but you could totally use cinnamon extract instead if you want that King Cake taste.
23. King Cake Donuts
Fat Tuesday doesn’t need to be quite so fat, and these King Cake donuts prove it.
They are baked instead of fried, which means they have fewer calories than your average donut. But don’t worry, they still taste amazing!
The donut itself is flavored with vanilla and spice. Then it’s iced with an almond glaze and topped with Mardi Gras sprinkles (or sugar).
24. No-Churn Mardi Gras King Cake Ice Cream
Fat Tuesday is all about indulgence, and this easy ice cream totally lives up to that standard. It’s luxurious, delicious, and super easy to make.
The base is a homemade, no-churn vanilla ice cream. It also has chunks of King Cake and Mardi Gras-colored sugar sprinkled all through it.
25. Mardi Gras King Cake Milkshake
You are going to want to get your camera ready for this one. This milkshake is completely insane and SO Instagram-worthy.
The shake part is simple, just King Cake ice cream and milk. It’s all the extras that make this thing crazy!
The glass gets a rim of white chocolate and Mardi Gras sprinkles. Then, you top the whole thing with whipped cream, some mini beignets, and even a piece of King Cake.
This recipe does use some pre-made items that might be tough to find outside of NOLA, but lucky for you, we’ve got recipes for all the toppings right here on this list!
