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Mardi Gras King Cake Cinnamon Roll Cookies Recipe

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★★★★★

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.

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

  1. 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.
  2. Add Egg Yolk and Extracts: Mix in the egg yolk followed by vanilla, butter flavor, and almond extracts until well incorporated.
  3. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and salt.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Prepare Surface: Lightly flour a flat surface or use parchment paper (preferably two sheets) for rolling out the dough.
  7. Roll Dough: Roll the dough into a 12 x 10-inch rectangle on the prepared surface.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. Freeze Roll: Wrap the dough log in parchment paper and freeze on a sheet pan for 15 minutes to firm up.
  12. Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. Add Extracts to Frosting: Mix in cream cheese flavoring extract, butter extract, and almond extract thoroughly.
  17. Frost Cookies: Spread or pipe the frosting onto cooled cookies evenly.
  18. 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

Find it online: https://thehungrymason.com/mardi-gras-king-cake-cinnamon-roll-cookies-recipe/