Ready for a culinary trip to Louisiana? I’ve compiled 20 magnificent Cajun dessert recipes that’ll make your mouth water.
From traditional sweets to inventive creations, prepare to be enchanted by the flavors of the South!
1. Cajun Cake
Despite its unassuming presentation, this is one of the most wonderfully damp cakes I’ve ever tasted. The inclusion of crushed pineapple is to thank.
Its presence adds a burst of flavor and moisture with each bite. The topping adds a sweet, crispy component, making it a genuinely remarkable pastry all around.
2. Louisiana Stranger Cake
This dessert has a basic bundt cake shape with a little Louisiana taste. Instead of yellow cake mix, you’ll use butter pecan.
You’ll also need some toasted pecans and a can of caramel coconut pecan frosting. The entire thing is dusted with powdered sugar, making it both nutty and sweet.
Anyone who bakes this cake for you will quickly become your closest friend.
3. King Cake Oreo Truffles
I may have gone overboard with the king cake variations, but bear in mind that these desserts may be enjoyed at any time, not just during Mardi Gras.
Because they’re so simple to prepare, these Oreo truffles are a superb treat for any occasion. Throw Oreos and cream cheese into a food processor, then form the mixture into balls.
Freeze them, dunk them in melted white chocolate, and sprinkle with colorful sprinkles. Freeze for another 5 minutes, and you’re ready to eat!
4. Mardi Gras Snack Mix
This sweet and savory trail mix combines the best ingredients, such as pretzels, Bugles, rice Chex, mixed nuts, and more; then coats them in melted white chocolate chips.
It’s super addictive and crunchy. It’s great as a movie night snack or simply anywhere you feel like eating it.
5. Southern Sweet Potato Pie
This basic sweet potato pie is more than a dessert; it is a Southern tradition. To prepare it, combine flour, sweet potatoes, eggs, sugar, and seasonings.
It is delicate, sweet, and buttery, and while it is ideal for Thanksgiving, it can be enjoyed at any time.
6. King Cake Milkshake
Could anything be more New Orleans than Blue Bell’s Mardi Gras King Cake ice cream, beignets, a mini-king cake, and purple, green, and gold sparkles? Definitely not!
This decadent milkshake is a sugar rush waiting to happen, but it’s also one of the most stunning treats I’ve ever seen. This milkshake is a fun, thrilling dessert for any occasion if you want to impress your friends and share it with someone.
7. Pumpkin Tarte à la Bouille
This amazing meal transforms pumpkin pie up a notch. It’s pumpkin pie’s more gorgeous older sister. It’s incredible.
It has everything you love about pumpkin pie, but it’s more appealing, the texture is more seamless and satiny, and it tastes lighter somehow. If you truly want to indulge, add a dollop of whipped cream.
Either way, it’s too fantastic to pass up.
8. Mardi Gras Jello
These Mardi Gras Jello shots are ideal if you’re seeking a treat that packs a punch. (For a kid-friendly version of this wiggly snack, omit the alcohol.)
In any case, these Jello snacks are festive and colorful, whether or not they contain alcohol.
9. King Cake Bites
If you want the gorgeous colors and taste of a king cake, these are a fantastic option. Plus, they’re simple to prepare.
You’ll require crescent rolls, cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon for the pastries, as well as milk, powdered sugar, and colored sugar for the glaze. They’re delicious as breakfast pastries or as a dessert.
10. New Orleans Pralines
Pralines must be a close second when it comes to real Cajun desserts. These candies are both sweet and nutty, with a texture that’s soft and chewy.
Whether you love them for the brown sugar or the pecans, this recipe is sure to please.
11. King Cake Earthquake Cake
This king cake has yellow cake mix instead of something like sweet bread or a cinnamon roll. It also includes cream cheese, pecans, vanilla, cinnamon, powdered sugar, butter, milk, and salt.
It’s topped with purple, yellow, and green sugar for the vibrant king cake effect. This is the best king cake choice if you prefer your cakes to be cake-y rather than bread-like.
12. Mardi Gras Swirled Lemon Bark
If you have a flair for art, you might want to try your hand at this vibrant Mardi Gras swirled lemon bark, because it’s truly a masterpiece. It seriously looks like something that would win $50,000 on a TV cooking competition.
It is mostly a matter of melting, pouring, and swirling, despite its amazing appearance. It is a zesty, lemony treat that even Van Gogh would appreciate.
13. Praline Brownies
Pralines are wonderful. They are delicious, nutty, and chewy.
Now, imagine adding them on top of chocolate brownies. That is almost too good to think about!
That’s precisely what this recipe achieves. The brownie not only makes the pralines sweeter and more decadent, but it also gives them a cake-like texture that is pleasant to eat.
14. Crawfish Cakes
If crawfish cakes don’t sound like a dessert, that’s because you haven’t seen these. These “crawfish cakes” do not use any crawfish.
Instead, you’ll use ladyfingers covered with red cupcake icing, Twizzlers for legs, and candy eyes for the eyes. These are great for crawfish boils, kids’ parties, or when you simply want something different.
15. King Cake
King cake is a popular Cajun dessert, and this recipe is one of my favorites. It’s a cake/sweet bread/cinnamon roll hybrid, and all of the gorgeous colors make it nearly too beautiful to eat.
If you need a good king cake recipe this Mardi Gras, try this one.
16. Bananas Foster
This recipe is for real Bananas Foster, made with rum and set on fire. If alcohol isn’t your thing, you may use rum extract and some fruit juice, but you will not be able to light it, and it will taste a little different.
It’ll still be delicious, though. It only takes 15 minutes and a short ingredients list to make the real thing. It tastes best when served with ice cream.
17. King Cake Cheese Ball
This is a delicious and colorful take on the typical cheese ball. It is made with cream cheese, brown sugar, and cinnamon and topped with purple, yellow, and green sprinkles.
Because it’s a sweet cheese ball, you’ll want to serve it with vanilla wafers or graham crackers rather than plain Ritz crackers.
18. Pecan Praline Cookies
These cookies are the magical place where candy and cookies meet. These cookies are made with brown sugar.
They’re soft, chewy, and melt-in-your-mouth good. Once you top them with the caramel pecan praline, you won’t be able to stop eating them.
The praline will start as a runny, gooey, delicious mess but will firm up as it cools. You’ll be left with a super tasty cookie that you won’t want to share.
19. Cajun Hash Cake
You can prepare this amazing Cajun hash cake if you can pour and mix things. Your oven handles the heavy lifting.
For the cake, you will need simple baking supplies, walnuts, and cocoa powder. You’ll also need more basics and cocoa powder for the topping, as well as a bag of mini-marshmallows.
Combine everything, bake for about 30 minutes, then drop your marshmallows on top. Bake for a few more minutes to melt the marshmallows, then drizzle your topping.
It’s a simple, tasty treat.