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District Handpie's Carnival creations.
District Handpie's Carnival creations.
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The Best, Weirdest, & Wildest King Cake-Inspired Dishes of 2016

Louisiana loves King Cake so much that it inspires dishes and drinks of all kinds.

by Nora McGunnigle and Gwendolyn Knapp Updated
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District Handpie's Carnival creations.
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by Nora McGunnigle and Gwendolyn Knapp Updated

King cake, the tasty symbol of Carnival, is a staple for everyone from January 6 until Ash Wednesday. Although Mardi Gras is on the short side this year, everyone can make up for it by integrating not just the delicious king cake variations, but also, other food and drink items that the sweet cinnamon brioche flavor inspires.

In addition to the new king cake flavored dishes listed below, and the ubiquitous seasonal king cake vodka selection, a few new products have also just hit the market this year: Thibodaux brewery Mudbug Brewing's King Cake Ale, Abita's king cake soda (reportedly, Abita president David Blossman wouldn't sign off on the recipe until his kids approved.), and Cocktail & Son's limited-edition king cake syrup, so do be on the lookout for those.

Seen any other king cake-inspired creations that should be on this list? Let us know in the comments or via email.

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Rivista

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Not only does Rivista offer four different types of king cake, but you can wash them all down with a king cake latte.
4226 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 371-5558
(504) 371-5558
Lauren Gaudin

PJ's Coffee

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The many locations of this local coffee shop chain will be offering king cake coffee, king cake lattes, king cake velvet ice, and ground and pod versions to go.
New Orleans, LA
Bond Public Relations

Café B

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Cinnamon king cake pancakes are on the Sunday brunch menu at this Metairie restaurant with creole cream cheese icing and carnival sugar.
2700 Metairie Rd, Metairie, LA 70001
(504) 934-4700
(504) 934-4700
Facebook

NOLA

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King Cake bread pudding is now available with house-made Creole cream cheese ice cream, strawberry compote and toasted pecans for $8 on the dessert menu. Try with a King Cake Martini – Absolut Vanilla, Frangelico and lemon, garnished with lemon zest.
534 Saint Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 522-6652
(504) 522-6652
Facebook

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Charcoal's Gourmet Burger Bar

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Get your grownup King Cake milkshake with King Cake Vodka, vanilla ice cream, cinnamon, brown sugar, and whipped cream sprinkled with purple, green and gold sugar. Non-alcoholic version available.
2200 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 644-4311
(504) 644-4311
Charcoal's Gourmet Burger Bar

Emeril's

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Emeril's flagship restaurant offers King Cake Monkey Bread ($9), with flavors changing weekly such as bananas foster (pictured); pralines n’ cream; café brulot; brandy milk punch; and chocolate strawberry.
800 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 528-9393
(504) 528-9393
Facebook

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Bourbon House

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king cake bevvy - vanilla ice cream, rum, cinnamon syrup, orgeat (almond syrup), orange juice, cinnamon, tri-color sugar, baby swizzle stick. Also King Cake Cheesecake with a cinnamon crust
144 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 522-0111
(504) 522-0111
Facebook

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Meauxbar

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Christopher Brian created Meauxbar's king cake cocktail for 2016, which can be either vodka or rum based, with amaretto, almond milk, and allspice dram.
942 N Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 569-9979
(504) 569-9979
Christopher Brian, Meauxbar

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Emeril's Delmonico

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Check out Delmonico's annual King Cake Doughnuts served with strawberry compote and toasted pecans for $7.
1300 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 525-4937
(504) 525-4937
Facebook

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Smoothie King, various locations

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The new Smoothie King King Cake smoothie is here through February 9 and tastes like, according to NOLA.com, "somewhere amid banana pudding, a cinnamon roll, a slice of wedding cake, and a vanilla milkshake with a maraschino cherry on top." Comes in a Gladiator as well as frozen yogurt version.
New Orleans, LA USA

Trūburger

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Truburger has found the most direct way to get king cake flavor into a milkshake - soak a king cake in milk then blend it all up with vanilla ice cream. Boom.
8115 Oak St, New Orleans, LA 70118
(504) 218-5416
(504) 218-5416
Facebook

Commander's Palace

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This is perhaps the most unique twist on a king cake dish, and on this list, that's saying something. Commander's Mardi Gras Float takes king cake beignets, fills them with a whipped meyer lemon cream cheese, and that's dunked in an Abita root beer syrup and covered in a foie gras-vanilla bean foam.
1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 899-8221
(504) 899-8221
Commander's Palace

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Copeland's of New Orleans

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Cheesecake and king cake, together at last with this Copeland's perennial favorite. Layer of cinnamon king cake, layer of cheesecake, then a layer of cinnamon streusel, and then covered in purple-green-yellow sugar and whipped cream..Yassss.
4338 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 897-2325
(504) 897-2325
Facebook

DISTRICT: Hand Pie & Coffee Bar

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District's king cake hand pie has returned!
5637 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115
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DISTRICT. Donuts. Sliders. Brew.

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At District's LGD hotspot, the king cake doughnut features cinnamon-cardamom cream cheese filling and royal icing with orange zest. Yes, indeed.
2209 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 570-6945
(504) 570-6945
Brasted

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ASAP at French Market

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ASAP (A Soft & Awesome Pretzel) is turning out a sweet king cake version of their soft pretzel in the French Market. The Bywater location is also expected to officially open in the next week too.
1008 N Peters St, New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 522-2621
(504) 522-2621
Facebook

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Rivista

4226 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115
Not only does Rivista offer four different types of king cake, but you can wash them all down with a king cake latte.
4226 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 371-5558
(504) 371-5558
Lauren Gaudin

PJ's Coffee

New Orleans, LA
The many locations of this local coffee shop chain will be offering king cake coffee, king cake lattes, king cake velvet ice, and ground and pod versions to go.
New Orleans, LA
Bond Public Relations

Café B

2700 Metairie Rd, Metairie, LA 70001
Cinnamon king cake pancakes are on the Sunday brunch menu at this Metairie restaurant with creole cream cheese icing and carnival sugar.
2700 Metairie Rd, Metairie, LA 70001
(504) 934-4700
(504) 934-4700
Facebook

NOLA

534 Saint Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130
King Cake bread pudding is now available with house-made Creole cream cheese ice cream, strawberry compote and toasted pecans for $8 on the dessert menu. Try with a King Cake Martini – Absolut Vanilla, Frangelico and lemon, garnished with lemon zest.
534 Saint Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 522-6652
(504) 522-6652
Facebook

Charcoal's Gourmet Burger Bar

2200 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Get your grownup King Cake milkshake with King Cake Vodka, vanilla ice cream, cinnamon, brown sugar, and whipped cream sprinkled with purple, green and gold sugar. Non-alcoholic version available.
2200 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 644-4311
(504) 644-4311
Charcoal's Gourmet Burger Bar

Emeril's

800 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Emeril's flagship restaurant offers King Cake Monkey Bread ($9), with flavors changing weekly such as bananas foster (pictured); pralines n’ cream; café brulot; brandy milk punch; and chocolate strawberry.
800 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 528-9393
(504) 528-9393
Facebook

Bourbon House

144 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130
king cake bevvy - vanilla ice cream, rum, cinnamon syrup, orgeat (almond syrup), orange juice, cinnamon, tri-color sugar, baby swizzle stick. Also King Cake Cheesecake with a cinnamon crust
144 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 522-0111
(504) 522-0111
Facebook

Meauxbar

942 N Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70116
Christopher Brian created Meauxbar's king cake cocktail for 2016, which can be either vodka or rum based, with amaretto, almond milk, and allspice dram.
942 N Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 569-9979
(504) 569-9979
Christopher Brian, Meauxbar

Emeril's Delmonico

1300 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130
Check out Delmonico's annual King Cake Doughnuts served with strawberry compote and toasted pecans for $7.
1300 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 525-4937
(504) 525-4937
Facebook

Smoothie King, various locations

New Orleans, LA USA
The new Smoothie King King Cake smoothie is here through February 9 and tastes like, according to NOLA.com, "somewhere amid banana pudding, a cinnamon roll, a slice of wedding cake, and a vanilla milkshake with a maraschino cherry on top." Comes in a Gladiator as well as frozen yogurt version.
New Orleans, LA USA

Trūburger

8115 Oak St, New Orleans, LA 70118
Truburger has found the most direct way to get king cake flavor into a milkshake - soak a king cake in milk then blend it all up with vanilla ice cream. Boom.
8115 Oak St, New Orleans, LA 70118
(504) 218-5416
(504) 218-5416
Facebook

Commander's Palace

1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130
This is perhaps the most unique twist on a king cake dish, and on this list, that's saying something. Commander's Mardi Gras Float takes king cake beignets, fills them with a whipped meyer lemon cream cheese, and that's dunked in an Abita root beer syrup and covered in a foie gras-vanilla bean foam.
1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 899-8221
(504) 899-8221
Commander's Palace

Copeland's of New Orleans

4338 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70115
Cheesecake and king cake, together at last with this Copeland's perennial favorite. Layer of cinnamon king cake, layer of cheesecake, then a layer of cinnamon streusel, and then covered in purple-green-yellow sugar and whipped cream..Yassss.
4338 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 897-2325
(504) 897-2325
Facebook

DISTRICT: Hand Pie & Coffee Bar

5637 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115
District's king cake hand pie has returned!
5637 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115
Brasted

DISTRICT. Donuts. Sliders. Brew.

2209 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130
At District's LGD hotspot, the king cake doughnut features cinnamon-cardamom cream cheese filling and royal icing with orange zest. Yes, indeed.
2209 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 570-6945
(504) 570-6945
Brasted

Related Maps

ASAP at French Market

1008 N Peters St, New Orleans, LA 70116
ASAP (A Soft & Awesome Pretzel) is turning out a sweet king cake version of their soft pretzel in the French Market. The Bywater location is also expected to officially open in the next week too.
1008 N Peters St, New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 522-2621
(504) 522-2621
Facebook

Related Maps