Introduction

Celebrate Mardi Gras with these festive King Cake Cinnamon Roll Cookies. They capture the classic cinnamon swirl flavor in a bite-sized treat, topped with colorful sprinkles to bring the party spirit right to your kitchen.

Mardi Gras King Cake Cinnamon Roll Cookies Recipe - Recipe Image

Ingredients

1 cup butter (softened)
⅓ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup light brown sugar (packed)
1 large egg yolk
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1½ tsp butter flavor extract
1 tsp almond extract
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp butter (melted)
⅓ cup light brown sugar (packed)
2½ tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp salt
1 tsp light or dark corn syrup
3 oz cream cheese (softened)
3 oz butter (softened)
1¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp milk
¾ tsp cream cheese flavoring extract
½ tsp butter extract
⅛ tsp almond extract
Purple sprinkles
Yellow sprinkles
Green sprinkles

Instructions

Step 1: Cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar together until creamy, about 5 minutes.
Step 2: Mix in the egg yolk, vanilla extract, butter flavor extract, and almond extract until well combined.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and salt.
Step 4: Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined.
Step 5: Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or overnight. If refrigerated overnight, let it come to near room temperature before rolling.
Step 6: Lightly flour a flat surface or use two sheets of parchment paper to roll out the dough.
Step 7: Roll the dough into a 12 x 10-inch rectangle.
Step 8: In a small bowl, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and corn syrup until combined.
Step 9: Immediately pour the filling evenly over the dough. Use a spatula to spread it carefully, leaving about ½-inch space on all sides without filling.
Step 10: Position the longer (12-inch) side of the dough toward you. Carefully and tightly roll the dough into a log, using the parchment paper to guide and keep it tight.
Step 11: Wrap the log in parchment paper and freeze on a sheet pan for 15 minutes.
Step 12: Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 13: Cut the dough log into ¼-inch thick slices. You can cut it in half first and then slice each half into 15 pieces, making a total of 30 slices.
Step 14: Bake the slices for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool before frosting.
Step 15: To make the frosting, cream the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the softened butter and beat together.
Step 16: Beat in the salt, powdered sugar, and milk until combined and smooth.
Step 17: Mix in the cream cheese flavoring extract, butter extract, and almond extract, beating until fully incorporated.
Step 18: Frost each cooled cookie and sprinkle generously with purple, yellow, and green sprinkles to celebrate Mardi Gras.

Tips & Variations

Use parchment paper for rolling and shaping to keep the dough from sticking and help achieve a tight roll.
For a quicker option, chill the dough for 15 minutes instead of overnight, but overnight chilling improves flavor and texture.
Adjust the cinnamon filling quantity based on your preference for sweetness and spice.
Add chopped pecans to the filling for a crunchy texture.

Storage

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, keep them refrigerated for up to a week. Reheat briefly in the microwave or oven to soften before serving if desired.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes, the dough can be prepared and refrigerated overnight. Just make sure to bring it to near room temperature before rolling.

What can I substitute for the flavored extracts?

If you don’t have all the flavored extracts, vanilla extract alone will still provide great flavor. Almond and butter extracts add depth but are optional.

Mardi Gras King Cake Cinnamon Roll Cookies Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.7 from 72 reviews

These Mardi Gras King Cake Cinnamon Roll Cookies capture the festive spirit of King Cake in a delightful cookie form. Soft, cinnamon-spiced dough is rolled with a rich brown sugar filling, baked to golden perfection, and topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting and colorful Mardi Gras sprinkles. Perfect for celebrations or a sweet treat anytime.

Author: Daniel
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yield: 30 servings 1x
Category: Cookie
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

Dough Ingredients

1 cup butter (softened)
⅓ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup light brown sugar (packed)
1 large egg yolk
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1½ tsp butter flavor extract
1 tsp almond extract
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
½ tsp salt

Filling Ingredients

2 tbsp butter (melted)
⅓ cup light brown sugar (packed)
2½ tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp salt
1 tsp light or dark corn syrup

Frosting Ingredients

3 oz cream cheese (softened)
3 oz butter (softened)
1¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp milk
¾ tsp cream cheese flavoring extract
½ tsp butter extract
⅛ tsp almond extract

Toppings

Purple sprinkles
Yellow sprinkles
Green sprinkles

Instructions

Cream Butter and Sugars: In a mixing bowl, cream together softened butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar until the mixture is creamy and smooth, about 5 minutes.
Add Egg Yolk and Extracts: Mix in the egg yolk followed by vanilla, butter flavor, and almond extracts until well incorporated.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and salt.
Mix Dry into Wet: Gradually pour the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined to form the dough.
Chill the Dough: Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes or up to overnight. If chilled overnight, bring to near room temperature before rolling.
Prepare Surface: Lightly flour a flat surface or use parchment paper (preferably two sheets) for rolling out the dough.
Roll Dough: Roll the dough into a 12 x 10-inch rectangle on the prepared surface.
Make Filling: In a small bowl, melt butter in the microwave then stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and corn syrup until well combined.
Spread Filling: Pour the filling evenly over the dough rectangle and use a spatula to spread it out carefully, leaving about a ½-inch border free of filling on all sides.
Roll Dough Log: Starting from the longer 12-inch side, carefully and tightly roll the dough into a log, using the parchment paper to guide and keep the roll tight.
Freeze Roll: Wrap the dough log in parchment paper and freeze on a sheet pan for 15 minutes to firm up.
Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice Cookies: Remove the log from the freezer and slice into ¼-inch thick pieces. You can cut the dough in half and then into 15 slices per half for 30 total cookies.
Bake Cookies: Arrange slices on the lined baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting.
Prepare Frosting: Cream softened cream cheese until smooth, then add softened butter and beat until combined. Gradually beat in salt and powdered sugar along with milk until smooth and fluffy.
Add Extracts to Frosting: Mix in cream cheese flavoring extract, butter extract, and almond extract thoroughly.
Frost Cookies: Spread or pipe the frosting onto cooled cookies evenly.
Decorate Cookies: Top frosted cookies with purple, yellow, and green sprinkles to capture the Mardi Gras theme.

Notes

For best texture, ensure the butter is softened, not melted, to cream properly with the sugars.
Chilling the dough before rolling helps with easier handling and better shape retention.
Rolling the dough tightly is key to creating neat cinnamon swirl layers in each cookie slice.
You can prepare the dough log ahead and freeze for longer storage; just slice and bake from frozen with an extra 1-2 minutes.
Be sure cookies cool completely before frosting to prevent melting.
Use parchment paper for rolling and freezing to avoid sticking and facilitate rolling the dough log.
Extracts in both dough and frosting layers bring a complex and rich flavor profile reminiscent of traditional King Cake.

Keywords: Mardi Gras, King Cake, Cinnamon Roll, Cookies, Festive, Sweet Treat, Holiday Cookies