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District Handpie's Carnival creations.
District Handpie's Carnival creations.
Brasted

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.

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District Handpie's Carnival creations.
| Brasted

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.
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.
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.
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.

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.
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.

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

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.
Christopher Brian, Meauxbar

Emeril's Delmonico

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Check out Delmonico's annual King Cake Doughnuts served with strawberry compote and toasted pecans for $7.

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.

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.

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.
Commander's Palace

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.

DISTRICT: Hand Pie & Coffee Bar

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District's king cake hand pie has returned!

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.

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.

Rivista

Not only does Rivista offer four different types of king cake, but you can wash them all down with a king cake latte.
Lauren Gaudin

PJ's Coffee

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.
Bond Public Relations

Café B

Cinnamon king cake pancakes are on the Sunday brunch menu at this Metairie restaurant with creole cream cheese icing and carnival sugar.

NOLA

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.

Charcoal's Gourmet Burger Bar

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.
Charcoal's Gourmet Burger Bar

Emeril's

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.

Bourbon House

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

Meauxbar

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.
Christopher Brian, Meauxbar

Emeril's Delmonico

Check out Delmonico's annual King Cake Doughnuts served with strawberry compote and toasted pecans for $7.

Smoothie King, various locations

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.

Trūburger

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.

Commander's Palace

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.
Commander's Palace

Copeland's of New Orleans

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.

DISTRICT: Hand Pie & Coffee Bar

District's king cake hand pie has returned!

DISTRICT. Donuts. Sliders. Brew.

At District's LGD hotspot, the king cake doughnut features cinnamon-cardamom cream cheese filling and royal icing with orange zest. Yes, indeed.

Related Maps

ASAP at French Market

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.

Related Maps