Craving a sugary trip to the Big Easy? Get your sweet tooth ready for these 20 authentic Cajun dessert recipes!
From iconic treats to flavorful spins on Southern classics, I’ve gathered a collection of recipes guaranteed to bring the party to your palate.
1. New Orleans Pralines
Authentic Cajun sweets, pralines come in a close second.
These delights are a tad crumbly and chewy while delivering an amazing flavor.
This recipe features a load of brown sugar and pecans, ensuring you’ll enjoy both.
2. King Cake
Almost everyone is familiar with king cake, a popular Cajun dessert. This version is one of my favorites!
This cake is basically a cake-sweet bread-cinnamon roll combination. Plus, the beautiful hues make it almost too pretty to taste! If you want a solid king cake recipe this Mardi Gras (or any time), try this one.
3. Louisiana Stranger Cake
This cake has Louisiana flair! Instead of standard yellow cake mix, you’ll need butter pecan. Add toasted pecans with a can of caramel coconut pecan frosting.
Everything’s dusted with powdered sugar, giving it sweetness and nuttiness. Anyone who whips up this cake will become your new best friend!
4. King Cake Oreo Truffles
Maybe I overdid the king cake recipes, but remember that you can enjoy these treats whenever, not just for Mardi Gras. Oreo truffles make a simple anytime treat.
Just toss some Oreos and cream cheese in a food processor, and shape the mixture into balls. After freezing and dipping in melted white chocolate, add colorful sprinkles and re-freeze for five minutes before serving.
5. Mardi Gras Jello
Mardi Gras Jello shots pack a little kick. But you can leave out the alcohol to make a kid-friendly snack.
Either way, these wobbly treats are beautiful and festive, alcohol or not.
6. Cajun Cake
Even when topped with dry ingredients like pecans and shredded coconut, this cake remains moist.
Crushed pineapples within the batter provide an outburst of flavor and texture with every mouthful. The topping delivers sweetness and crunch, ensuring a fantastic experience.
7. Mardi Gras Snack Mix
This mix merges the greatest ingredients: pretzels, Bugles, rice Chex, mixed nuts, and more! Then, everything’s coated with melted white chocolate chips.
This mix will be your latest addiction and offers an ultra-satisfying crunch. It makes a great snack for movie nights or whenever you want a treat.
8. King Cake Earthquake Cake
This cake is created using yellow cake mix, not a cinnamon roll or sweet bread. This recipe also features cream cheese, pecans, vanilla, cinnamon, powdered sugar, butter, milk, and salt.
Crown it with purple, yellow, and green sugar for signature king cake style. Those who want cake instead of bread will enjoy this king cake.
9. King Cake Cheese Ball
Here is a colorful variation on a cheese ball. It combines cream cheese, brown sugar, and cinnamon covered with purple, yellow, and green sprinkles.
The sweetness means it goes best with vanilla wafers or graham crackers, not standard crackers.
10. Praline Brownies
Pralines give a delightful flavor. They boast sweetness, nuttiness, and chewiness.
Now, picture dropping them onto chocolate brownies. The result is almost too delectable to imagine.
The brownie softens the pralines and gives a cake-like texture that’s great to taste.
11. Crawfish Cakes
You’d never think that crawfish cakes could pass as dessert until now! No crawfish are used in this recipe.
Rather, ladyfingers get a body of red icing, Twizzlers make legs, and candy provides the eyes. Here’s a unique dessert for crawfish boils or whenever you want something distinct.
12. Pumpkin Tarte à la Bouille
Here’s pumpkin pie cranked up! Consider this recipe the pie’s prettier older sibling.
All the greatest elements of pumpkin pie combine in a lighter-tasting and smoother texture that looks amazing. Take it over the top with whipped cream!
13. Southern Sweet Potato Pie
This simple sweet potato pie is a Southern tradition. The necessary ingredients include flour, sweet potatoes, eggs, sugar, and different spices.
This dessert has a smooth, sweet, buttery feel, which makes it ideal for Thanksgiving. However, it tastes great at any time!
14. Pecan Praline Cookies
The best of cookies and candy unite in this recipe! These brown sugar cookies offer a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
The caramel pecan praline topping will have you devouring these in one sitting. Though messy while warm, the praline firms as it cools.
The end result? A super tasty cookie you’ll want all to yourself!
15. Bananas Foster
Want the real deal? This recipe features rum and fire!
To forgo alcohol, use rum extract with some fruit juice. However, it won’t ignite and tastes a bit different.
In just 15 minutes, you can prepare the real deal. The perfect partner? Ice cream!
16. Mardi Gras Swirled Lemon Bark
If you boast some artistic talent, show off your skills with this dessert.
You’ll prepare this dazzling dessert with ease by melting, pouring, and swirling. Each zesty, lemony bite would have even Van Gogh bursting with pride.
17. King Cake Milkshake
Blue Bell’s Mardi Gras King Cake ice cream mixes with beignets, a mini-king cake, and purple, green, and gold sprinkles to produce one New Orleans-themed milkshake!
This amazing milkshake delivers a sugar rush and ranks among the most beautiful desserts ever. Share it with friends at any fun occasion.
18. King Cake Bites
If you want the colors and tastes of a king cake but want to try something new, try these easy bites. For the pastries, grab crescent rolls, cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon.
Blend milk, powdered sugar, and colored sugar for the glaze. These make delicious bite-sized breakfast pastries, or save them for dessert.
19. Cajun Hash Cake
Pouring and mixing makes this hash cake a breeze, so let your oven do all the work! This cake requires pantry standards, walnuts, and cocoa powder.
A marshmallow topping joins more pantry items plus mini-marshmallows. After baking the cake for a half-hour, sprinkle the marshmallows and bake until melted.
A tasty dessert is ready!