King Cake Cookies Recipe | Mardi Gras Cookie Treats

Soft king cake cookies with cinnamon, icing, and festive colors. A Mardi Gras inspired dessert that is easy to bake and perfect for parties.

Make festive king cake cookies with butter, cinnamon, sweet glaze, and purple, green, gold sprinkles. This easy Mardi Gras recipe brings traditional New Orleans flavors to soft cookies which are perfect for celebrations. Step-by-step instructions included.

King Cake Cookies Recipe | Mardi Gras Cookie Treats

King Cake Mix Cookies are soft, pillowy rounds with a golden edge and a warm hint of cinnamon running through the treat. Each cookie is topped with a smooth, creamy glaze that adds sweetness and a slight richness, creating the perfect canvas for their festive finish. Stripes of sparkling green, purple, and yellow sugar sprinkles transform each cookie into a miniature version of the traditional Mardi Gras King Cake. These cookies are both vibrant and celebratory with a soft and spiced inside and a glossy and colorful top. This is an incredibly easy recipe that completely captures the spirit of Mardi Gras in bite-sized form.

One thing I was very surprised about when we moved to the Pensacola area is how New Orleans-ish it is here. There is a parade every week from the beginning of January through Fat Tuesday. Every. Week. The Gulf Coast is more southern than Florida, with a dose of the bayou thrown in for flavor.

We do have many traditional Southern foods in this area, such as gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp, and grits, along with New Orleans foods such as crawfish or shrimp étouffée, shrimp creole, and muffulettas. Restaurants proudly display and advertise their NO cuisine. This crash and burn cocktail is my interpretation of a popular drink at a Cajun restaurant.

Oddly, we do not have many places that serve beignets in the area, but to be quite honest, the last time I was in New Orleans a few months ago, I passed them. They just aren’t my favorite sweets. We do have King Cakes, and if you would like to make your own King Cake recipe, click here. But sometimes festive Mardi Gras cookies are what is called for instead of the traditional cake! These are especially easy to make as they begin with a boxed cake mix. This simple Mardi Gras dessert recipe captures New Orleans tradition in bite-sized form.

Having a mardi gras celebration? This little guy is over the top adorable, and this mardi gras wreath is simply beautiful.

Tips and variations for making these King Cake cookies:

● If you are working in a hot environment or if the dough is really sticky and hard to scoop, simply pop the dough in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to firm it up.
● Make sure that you are scooping out the dough evenly. This will help with consistent and even baking.
● Do not use wax paper as it is not made for oven heat.
● In the United States, ½ cup butter = 1 stick, 1 cup = 2 sticks
● Butter in Baking: Essential Tips for Perfect Baked Goods
● For my UK and Australian friends: confectioners’ sugar is icing sugar (powdered sugar, 10x).
● How to make vanilla extract
● How To Make Colored Sugar
● You can use colored royal icing if you like.
● Cooling the cookies on the pan prevents any breakage.
● The cookies must be fully cooled before adding the glaze.
● The glaze should stay put on the cookie. If it is too runny, add a tablespoon of confectioners’ sugar to the glaze until it is the consistency that you need. If the glaze is too thick or hardening too quickly, add a splash of heavy cream.
● These king cake cookies are made with ingredients commonly found in your local grocery stores.
● If you decide to make mini king cake cookies, watch your bake time.
● Store leftovers in a single layer in an airtight container for up to four (4) days. If you do need to stack them, I would suggest placing a piece of parchment paper between the layers. If you need to store them longer, you can place in the fridge for up to seven (7) days. The glaze will be firm, but the cookies will remain soft. If using the fridge, allow the cookies to warm up to room temperature before eating.
● You can freeze these cookies, but the glaze and sugar sprinkles do not. If you are planning on freezing, avoid making the glaze. Freeze just the cookies in an airtight container. If you are going to stack them, place a piece of parchment paper between the layers. When you are ready to eat, thaw at room temperature, then add the glaze and sprinkles. If you do happen to freeze the decorated cookies, just know that the colour in the sprinkles could run and make things a little messy.

King Cake Cookies Recipe Ingredient List:

For the Cookies:

● 1 Vanilla or Yellow Cake Mix
● 2 Large Eggs
● 1/3 cup Unsalted Butter, melted
● 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

For the Glaze:

● 1 cup Confectioner’s Sugar
● 3 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
● 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
● Purple Sprinkles, Yellow Sprinkles, and Green Sugar Sprinkles (traditional Mardi Gras colors)

King Cake Cookies Mise en Place:

● Baking Sheet(s), Cookie Sheet, Baking Tray
● Parchment Paper
● Measuring Cup
● Measuring Spoons
● Medium Cookie Scoop or Tablespoon
● Large Bowl
● Small Bowl(s)
● Spoon
● Spatula
● Wire Baking Rack (Cooking Rack, Baking Rack, Wire Rack)

King Cake Cookies Recipe Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set it aside for just a moment.

3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cake mix with the eggs, melted butter, and cinnamon.

4. Spoon tablespoon-sized dough balls of the cookie dough onto your prepared cookie sheet, leaving at least an inch and a half between the cookies.

5. Bake for 9-11 minutes in a preheated 350ºF oven. The cookies will be puffy, and the edges will be golden brown.

6. Cool on the cookie sheet for 5-7 minutes before transferring them to a rack so that they can cool fully.

7. Once the cookies have cooled completely, start working on the glaze.
8. In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream together. The glaze will be thick but very spreadable.

9. Spoon a teaspoon of the glaze over each cookie and use the back of a spoon to smooth it out a little.

10. Before the glaze starts to set, sprinkle the green, purple, and yellow sugar sprinkles in stripes over the top of the glaze.

11. Let the cookies stand for about 5 minutes to set before enjoying.

Yield: 24

King Cake Cookies Recipe | Mardi Gras Cookie Treats

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King Cake Cookies Recipe | Mardi Gras Cookie Treats. Soft king cake cookies with cinnamon, icing, and festive colors. A Mardi Gras inspired dessert that is easy to bake and perfect for parties.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 20 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 Vanilla or Yellow Cake Mix
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1/3 cup Unsalted Butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

For the Glaze:

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 cup Confectioner's Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Purple Sprinkles, Yellow Sprinkles, and Green Sugar Sprinkles (traditional Mardi Gras colors)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set it aside for just a moment.
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cake mix, eggs, melted butter, and cinnamon.
4. Spoon tablespoon-sized dough balls of the cookie dough onto your prepared cookie sheet, leaving at least 1.5 inches between the cookies.
5. Bake for 9-11 minutes in a preheated 350ºF oven. The cookies will be puffy, with golden-brown edges.
6. Cool on the cookie sheet for 5-7 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool fully.
7. Once the cookies have cooled completely, start working on the glaze.
8. In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream together. The glaze will be thick but very spreadable.
9. Spoon a teaspoon of the glaze over each cookie and use the back of a spoon to smooth it out a little.
10. Before the glaze starts to set, sprinkle the green, purple, and yellow sugar sprinkles in stripes over the top of the glaze.
11. Let the cookies stand for about 5 minutes to set before enjoying.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 162Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 168mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 1gSugar: 20gProtein: 1g

Note: for exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information provided is simply a guideline.

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