Transport your party to New Orleans with these Mardi Gras desserts. Yes, beignets and king cake are classic options, but there are plenty of other rich foods that capture the Big Easy vibe!
1/25
Beignets
From the Recipe Creator:
These sweet French doughnuts, inspired by the ones found in Cafe du Monde in New Orleans, are square instead of round and have no hole in the middle. They're a traditional part of breakfast in New Orleans. —Beth Dawson, Jackson, Louisiana
Beignets are an absolute New Orleans staple, and no visit to the city is complete without grabbing a plate at Cafe du Monde. Luckily, there’s no travel necessary when you make beignets at home for your Mardi Gras party. It’s important to let the dough rise overnight in the fridge to create the lightest, puffiest beignets possible, so plan ahead.
2/25
King Cake Recipe
From the Recipe Creator:
Get in on the fun of traditional king cake by hiding a little toy baby inside. Whoever finds it has one year of good luck! —Rebecca Baird, Salt Lake City, Utah
King cake is the Mardi Gras dessert. Known as galette des rois in French, this cake serves as both a dessert and a game. It is tradition to hide a toy baby somewhere in the cake. If you’re the one to get the baby in your slice, you’ll have good luck for the rest of the year!
3/25
Bourbon Pecan Pralines
From the Recipe Creator:
Like authentic pecan pralines found in New Orleans, these treats are sweet, crunchy and rich! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
One of our favorite Mardi Gras desserts is a praline, a sugary sweet candy that melts in your mouth. You’ll find this treat all over New Orleans, and making it is relatively simple. Heating the ingredients to the soft-ball stage (236°F) may sound intimidating, but it’s easy to do with a candy thermometer.
4/25
Bananas Foster Sundaes
From the Recipe Creator:
I have wonderful memories of eating bananas Foster in New Orleans, and as a dietitian, I wanted to find a healthier version. I combined the best of two recipes and added my own tweaks to create this southern treat. —Lisa Varner, Charleston, South Carolina
It’s said that this dessert was created at Brennan’s Vieux Carré restaurant on Bourbon Street as a way to use up excess bananas. The dish is often made tableside with a technique called flambé, where rum is set on fire in an impressive performance. We skip the theatrics with this dessert and make it on the stovetop—no fire extinguisher is needed to enjoy this tasty treat.
5/25
Mardi Gras Cupcakes
From the Recipe Creator:
Take these simple Mardi Gras cupcakes to a get-together and watch them disappear. Kids will love to help decorate them with the colorful sprinkles. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
These festive cupcakes capture the spirit of the classic Mardi Gras king cake—decorated purple, green and gold to represent justice, faith and power—but their miniature form makes them easier to serve. Separating the batter to mix with flavored gelatin adds to the fun, and layering the cupcakes creates a gorgeous color contrast.
6/25
Bourbon Pecan Pie
From the Recipe Creator:
When I first made the original recipe for this bourbon-splashed pie, I added some vanilla extract and eliminated the flour. We loved the result. —Paul Falduto, Efland, North Carolina
A splash of bourbon in a traditional pecan pie adds notes of vanilla, spice and caramel, complementing the nutty, dark richness of this southern staple. The bourbon also balances the cloying sweetness of pecan pie. Save the rest of the bourbon for sipping, of course!
7/25
Butter Pecan Cake
From the Recipe Creator:
Pecans and butter give this cake the same irresistible flavor as the ever-popular butter pecan ice cream. —Becky Miller, Tallahassee, Florida
I love this cake because there’s actual butter-toasted pecans in the cake layers and frosting. No raw pecans and butter extract here! Make the cake the day before the party and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
8/25
Turtle Praline Tart
From the Recipe Creator:
This rich dessert is my own creation, and I'm very proud of it. It's easy enough to make for everyday meals but special enough to serve guests or take to a potluck. —Kathy Specht, Clinton, Montana
This five-ingredient dessert looks like it took hours to make, but it actually couldn’t be easier. The pie crust needs to be prebaked, but the remaining ingredients set up in the refrigerator to create a no-bake tart. Get ready to hand out the recipe, because this is one of those Mardi Gras desserts that gets gobbled up fast!
9/25
Bananas Foster on the Grill
From the Recipe Creator:
Bananas Foster is my husband's favorite dessert, and this is one of the easiest recipes I've ever found. Not only is it delicious, it's a great way to use those bananas that are a little too ripe to just peel and eat. —Rebecca Clark, Warrior, Alabama
Making this classic New Orleans dessert on a barbecue gives the bananas grill marks that look gorgeous when you bring the dish to the table. Just be sure to keep your bananas inside the peel when you slice them in half. The fruit will soften and turn mushy (in a good way) as it cooks, and it would be a real pain to turn the bananas without the peel providing a little structure.
10/25
Pecan Chewies
From the Recipe Creator:
This treat is one of my husband's favorites. I've been making these bars for many years, and we still can't get enough. I never mind making this recipe—it's about as easy as baking can be! —Judy Taylor, Shreveport, Louisiana
Not all Mardi Gras parties involve sitting around a table. You might be up dancing or playing games instead. These pecan chewies are perfect if you want a dessert that can move with your guests. They taste exactly like pecan pie, but they’re handheld and easy to eat. Of course, you could serve them on a plate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream too.
11/25
Springtime Beignets & Berries
From the Recipe Creator:
I've always loved beignets, but never thought I could make them myself. Turns out they're easy! Sometimes I'll even make a quick berry whipped cream and pipe it inside for a fun surprise. —Kathi Hemmer, Grand Junction, Colorado
These deep-fried doughy delights get a burst of freshness when they’re served with fresh berries. To customize the recipe for your Mardi Gras party, add purple, green and gold sprinkles to the whipped cream before serving. Or, color the confectioners’ sugar with decorating dust and dust the platter in three different waves.
12/25
Caramel Creme Brulee
From the Recipe Creator:
This recipe comes out perfect every time and it's always a crowd-pleaser! A torch works best to get the sugar caramelized while keeping the rest of the custard cool. You may want to use more sugar to create a thicker, more even crust on top. —Jenna Fleming, Lowville, New York
French cuisine abounds in New Orleans, which means a classic like creme brulee is a perfect dessert for Mardi Gras. But instead of filling a ton of little creme brulee ramekins, this caramel creme brulee recipe cooks the custard in one big dish so it’s ready to serve all at once!
13/25
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Monkey Bread
From the Recipe Creator:
Time to give rum cake a little competition! If this boozy take on monkey bread is too strong for your taste, cut back on the bourbon or use milk as a nonalcoholic substitute. —James Schend, Plesant Prairie, Wisconsin
We love monkey bread, but it’s even more delicious when the dough balls are stuffed with chocolate and baked with bourbon-infused chocolate and caramel sauces. The homemade dough is light and fluffy, but it can be a little time-consuming. As a shortcut, use a couple cans of refrigerated biscuit dough instead.
14/25
Favorite Chocolate-Bourbon Pecan Tart
From the Recipe Creator:
I grew up in Louisiana where, as in most of the South, pecan pie is a staple. This tart variation is extra-good because it includes chocolate. I decided to up the decadence even more by adding bourbon and drizzling some caramel on top. —Amber Needham, San Antonio, Texas
Pecan pie has a special place in our hearts, but we’ll never say no to a tart version that’s loaded with chocolate and bourbon. This tart can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator, then just bring the dish to room temperature before serving. It can also be frozen for three months and thawed overnight in the fridge.
15/25
Candied Pecans
From the Recipe Creator:
I pack these easy candied pecans in jars tied with pretty ribbon for family and friends. My granddaughter gave some to a doctor at the hospital where she works, and he said they were too good to be true! —Opal Turner, Hughes Springs, Texas
Pecans are a quintessential part of southern cooking, and candying them in butter and sugar creates a light but flavorful dessert. Make sure to spread the pecans in an even layer on the baking sheet before popping them in the oven or they won’t toast evenly. As a bonus, any leftovers can be used on a salad for lunch tomorrow.
16/25
Banana Bread Pudding
From the Recipe Creator:
When I visited my grandmother in summer, I always looked forward to the comforting pudding she'd make. With its crusty golden top, custard-like inside and smooth vanilla sauce, this bread pudding is a real homespun dessert. Now I make it for my grandchildren. —Mary Detweiler, Middlefield, Ohio
Is bread pudding a breakfast or a dessert? Both! This recipe uses pieces of bananas to amp up the bananas Foster vibe, so it’s a wonderful dessert for a Mardi Gras dinner party. Of course, we wouldn’t be upset if it were served during a Mardi Gras brunch either.
17/25
Berry-Filled Doughnuts
From the Recipe Creator:
Four ingredients are all you'll need for this sure-bet breakfast treat. Friends and family will never guess that refrigerated buttermilk biscuits are the base for these golden, jelly-filled doughnuts. —Ginny Watson, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Filled doughnuts called paczki are one of the most famous Fat Tuesday snacks, so berry-filled doughnuts absolutely fit the bill for your next Mardi Gras dessert platter. There’s no need to make the dough from scratch either—you’ll be amazed at how well refrigerated biscuit dough works here! By the time you dust them with confectioners’ sugar, no one will be the wiser.
18/25
Margarita Cake
From the Recipe Creator:
This margarita cake is perfect for a picnic on a warm day. You'll be surprised at how closely it tastes like the real thing. —Dawn Lowenstein, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
Extravagant drinks are a big part of Mardi Gras, and this cake captures all the flavor of a margarita without any of the booze. If you can’t find the frozen margarita mix called for in the recipe, substitute a can of frozen limeade or liquid margarita mix instead. Don’t forget to check out our collection of the best Mardi Gras drinks.
19/25
Butter Pecan Cookies
From the Recipe Creator:
When my daughter was a teen, these butter pecan cookies earned her blue ribbons from two county fairs. Then a few years ago, her own daughter took home a blue ribbon for the same cookie. Needless to say, these mouthwatering morsels are winners! —Martha Thefield, Cedartown, Georgia
Butter pecan cake or ice cream is great, but they’re not super easy to hold while mingling at a Mardi Gras party. These cookies, however, are built for it. Feel free to add a touch of butter pecan extract if you really enjoy the flavor.
20/25
Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce
From the Recipe Creator:
There's nothing better than this comforting bread pudding on a cold, wintry day. The bourbon sauce tastes extravagant, but it's really simple to prepare. The slow cooker does the most of the work for you! —Hope Johnson, Youngwood, Pennsylvania
This slow-cooker dessert recipe is a lifesaver if you’re struggling to get everything together for a Mardi Gras party. The bread pudding is completely hands-off, cooking in about three hours on low in the slow cooker and freeing you up to work on the event’s other components. When it comes time to serve, bring the sauce ingredients to a boil, scoop the bread pudding into cups or bowls, and drizzle on the sauce.
21/25
Banana Cream Eclairs
From the Recipe Creator:
To surprise my banana-loving family, I made this dessert for a reunion, where it stood out among the usual fare. These special treats are something to look at and mouthwateringly delicious. —Ruby Williams, Bogalusa, Louisiana
If doughnuts are served at most Fat Tuesday celebrations, we think eclairs also belong on the Mardi Gras dessert menu—especially when they bring a strong bananas Foster energy! If you end up with extra banana whipped cream after filling the puffs, serve it on the side with fresh berries or use it to top coffee or hot chocolate.
22/25
Banana-Hazelnut Pain Perdu Duet
From the Recipe Creator:
The ultimate breakfast at our house is French toast with warm bananas and Nutella. Pass it around with confectioners' sugar, maple syrup and fresh mint. —Charlene Chambers, Ormond Beach, Florida
Pain perdu is basically a fancy name for French toast, and this recipe combines some of our favorite Mardi Gras desserts into one dish. It has a cream cheese filling like king cake and brown-sugared bananas like bananas Foster. It could easily be served for brunch, but we love it for dessert too.
23/25
Jell-O Shots
From the Recipe Creator:
A flash from the past to your good ol' college days, these gelatinous shots are simple yet delicious. Only three ingredients—vodka, water and berry-flavored Jell-O—are needed to make these sweet, fun drinks. —Ceara Milligan, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Jell-O shots are just as easy to make as they are to take. Dye these using grape-flavored Jell-O to get purple, lime for green and pineapple for yellow, and they’re all set for Mardi Gras!
24/25
Bourbon Balls
From the Recipe Creator:
Remember the days at Grandma and Grandpa's house when you made these wonderfully traditional treats? We love these Kentucky Derby bourbon balls—the blended taste of bourbon and pecans is irresistible! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
This boozy dessert combines bourbon, pecans, butter and confectioners’ sugar to create the truffle, which is then enrobed in chocolate. But make sure you get started on this early: The pecans soak in the bourbon overnight. Yum!
25/25
Pecan Pralines
From the Recipe Creator:
My pecan praline recipe is special to me since I received it from my mother, who was an excellent cook! I am a Texas Aggie mom and I use pecans from a South Texas Aggie grower that our Aggie mom's club has purchased from for many years. The quality is outstanding and far better than you will find in any grocery store. —Carol Jones, Blue Ridge, Texas
While there are many versions of the praline—bourbon, maple, chocolate—it’s hard to beat the original. Pecan pralines are a Louisiana staple, and this classic recipe pays tribute to them.
Mardi Gras Desserts FAQs
What is the most popular dessert for Mardi Gras?
The most popular dessert for Mardi Gras is the king cake. It’s a tradition to serve this sweet bread cake on Fat Tuesday to see who gets the slice with the toy baby inside and, in return, good luck for the entire year! If you don’t have time to make a king cake this year, you can buy one from your local bakery or the grocery store, or get a king cake delivered right to your door.
What are some easy Mardi Gras desserts to make?
Easy Mardi Gras desserts to make for a party include a bananas Foster sundae, pecan chewies, a banana bread pudding, a margarita cake, butter pecan cookies and bourbon balls. There are no crazy techniques or niche baking tools involved. Some of them are even no-bake friendly.
What else should I serve on Mardi Gras?
Other Mardi Gras recipes to serve at your party can include New Orleans favorites like jambalaya, gumbo, the iconic muffuletta, savory beignets, passion fruit Hurricane cocktails, red beans and rice, or buttery shrimp and grits. Crawfish etouffee is another classic dish, and air-fryer shrimp po-boys would send your party food over the top.
