King Cake Donuts belong at every New Orleans Party
on Feb 09, 2026
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These King Cake Donuts are a fun alternative to a traditional King Cake for Mardi Gras. They have all the familiar flavors you expect, like warm cinnamon and brown sugar, a soft cake-like texture, and a sweet glaze on top. They’re baked instead of fried, quick to pull together, and perfect for sharing.
Serve for breakfast on Fat Tuesday, or as a festive nod to New Orleans food with a Muffaletta sandwich or Creole shrimp.
Why I Love This Recipe
King Cake is a classic for a reason, and these donuts keep that tradition alive in a fresh, easy way.
- Festive homemade recipe
- Great for sharing
- Simple yet special
Ingredients Needed
King cake donuts will take you straight to Bourbon Street with a little nod to the Fat Tuesday tradition, especially when you finish them off with purple, green, and gold. It’s hard not to smile when you see them.
These homemade baked donuts are made with simple pantry ingredients. Get the full list in the recipe card.
How to Make It
These donuts are especially great when you want something festive without committing to a big baking project. The cinnamon swirl is baked right into the donuts, while the glaze and sprinkles bring all the Mardi Gras color.
See the full, detailed instructions in the recipe card below.
Mix donut ingredients together as directed.
Pipe donut mixture into a greased donut baking pan.
Add cinnamon swirl mixture and another layer of donut dough, then bake.
Dip the baked and cooled donuts into the glaze and set them on a wire rack.
Recipe Tips
Store leftover donuts in an airtight container and refrigerate.
While the donut glaze is still wet, add the purple, green, and gold sprinkles to each donut. Allow to set completely before eating, put on a little Louis Armstrong in the background, and enjoy!
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King Cake Donuts
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cinnamon swirl:
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
For the topping:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
- Purple, green, and gold sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease donut pan(s) with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
- In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon for the swirl.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag and pipe a small amount of batter into each donut cup.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar cinnamon mixture over the top of the batter, then top it off with the remaining batter to fill the cup.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the donuts bounce back when pressed lightly with your finger.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- When the donuts are cool, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk until smooth.
- Dip the top of each donut in the glaze, then decorate with the purple, green, and gold sprinkles.
- Allow the glaze to harden before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
