Flavorful Mardi Gras King Cake Cookies Recipe with Festive Icing Easy and Best
These Flavorful Mardi Gras King Cake Cookies blend cinnamon, nutmeg, and cream cheese for ultra-soft, tender cookies topped with festive purple, green, and gold icing. Perfect for Mardi Gras parties or a comforting sweet treat.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Louisiana / Cajun
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (can swap half for almond flour for gluten-free)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons milk (whole or 2%)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Food coloring gels in purple, green, and gold/yellow
- Colored sanding sugar or sprinkles in Mardi Gras colors (optional)
Instructions
- Soften butter and cream cheese to room temperature. Measure dry ingredients and preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until combined.
- In a mixer bowl, beat softened butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Beat in egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing on low speed just until combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Drop dough balls about 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets using a cookie scoop or tablespoon. Optionally, roll into small logs and form circles.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until edges are golden and centers look set but soft. Remove from oven.
- Transfer cookies to cooling racks and cool completely, about 15 minutes.
- Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Divide into three bowls and tint with purple, green, and gold food coloring gels.
- Decorate cooled cookies with colored icing using a spoon or piping bag. Sprinkle with colored sanding sugar or sprinkles while icing is wet.
- Allow icing to set at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Soften butter and cream cheese before mixing for tender texture. Avoid overmixing dough to prevent toughness. Use gel food coloring for vibrant icing colors. Chill dough if too sticky. Rotate baking sheets halfway through baking for even browning. Cool cookies completely before icing to prevent melting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 10
- Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Protein: 2
Keywords: Mardi Gras cookies, king cake cookies, festive cookies, cinnamon nutmeg cookies, cream cheese cookies, Mardi Gras dessert, colorful icing cookies