Delicious and Easy Mardi Gras Desserts (2024)

FAQs

What is the signature Mardi Gras dessert? ›

The name “king cake” comes from the Biblical story of the three kings who bring gifts to Baby Jesus. A blend of coffee cake and cinnamon roll, king cake is usually iced in yellow, green and purple – the colors of Mardi Gras -- and is frequently packed with fruit fillings and decadent cream cheeses.

Beignets were first introduced to the city by the French-Creole colonists in the 18th century. The concept is simple – dough is fried then covered with mounds of powdered sugar – but the result is extraordinary.

Try classic Mardi Gras recipes like shrimp étouffée, jambalaya, or red beans and rice, or fix something unexpected for a group of party guests like warm gumbo dip or cornbread hush puppies. No collection of Mardi Gras recipes would be complete without sweets.

A mainstay of Louisiana's dessert cuisine, bread pudding has a humble beginning. The dessert was originally a unique way to use older bread so that it didn't go to waste. The bread is soaked in milk, eggs and sugar, then baked and often topped with a bourbon-based sauce.

The king cake is a mixture of a French pastry and a coffee cake. Its oval shape and festive colors give it a unique appeal. The original version features the royal colors of gold, purple, and green. Gold represents power, purple represents justice, and green signifies faith.

A krewe is, simply, a club or organization that exists to celebrate Carnival. But while a krewe has royalty, the positions of king and queen are merely ceremonial. The identities of the queen and her maids are usually public, while the identities of kings are often secret—Rex being a notable exception.

Baton Rouge has its fair share of sweet treats, from specialty pies to ice cream - even beignets! If you scream for ice cream, check out Sweet Society for traditional Japanese taiyaki ice cream or Gail's Fine Ice Cream for small-batch ice cream in flavors such as milk and cookies.

Since we adopted the tradition in 1870, the classic king cake has started a revolution in the culinary scene, inspiring everything from twists on the traditional dessert itself to king cake flavored pastries and even drinks – think a very New Orleans-specific version of pumpkin spice.

Bread Pudding

It's a truly classic New Orleans dessert, and every grandma has her own recipe. The comforting bread pudding is typically made with day-old french bread cut into cubes. The bread is soaked in milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and then baked.

What is the most popular pie in Louisiana? ›

Louisiana loves it some pecan pie, America's most popular type of pie.

Every king cake contains a trinket — often a small figurine in the shape of a baby — which plays a crucial part in the celebration of the holiday that inspired this pastry. Whomever finds the trinket in their slice of cake gets to be the “king” for a day.

One of the key differences between Rosca de Reyes and a traditional King Cake is the type of pastry used. Rosca de Reyes is made with a sweet, buttery dough that is similar to brioche, while King Cake is made with a denser, richer dough that is more similar to a pastry.

At a Mardi Gras party, the king cake is sliced and served fresh. Each reveler looks to see if their piece of king cake contains the small baby. If so, then that person is declared “king for a day” and bound by historical Mardi Gras custom to host the next party.