Ultimate King Cake Guide | New Orleans (2024)

While everyone else is beginning to track their New Year’s resolutions and saying goodbye to sweets, New Orleans is preparing to welcome back one of its sweetest and most beloved delicacies: King Cake. Since we adopted the tradition in 1870, the classic king cake has started a revolution in the culinary scene, inspiring everything from twists on the traditional dessert itself to king cake flavored pastries and even drinks – think a very New Orleans-specific version of pumpkin spice. If this is your first time in New Orleans during Mardi Gras and you’re ready to indulge like a native, check out a few of these places listed below to fulfill your king cake curiosities, or check out these bakeries that ship king cakes both nationally and internationally to get a taste of New Orleans wherever you are.

Classic King Cakes

Household staples among the locals – both old and new

Manny Randazzo's King Cakes — Boasted by locals far and wide as the best king cake in the state, Randazzo’s is a Metairie-based bakery dedicated to king cakes and only king cakes. Once the shop opens in mid-December, patrons can expect lines wrapped around the building and down the block for one of their famous king cake creations. You can choose from flavors such as strawberry cream cheese, pecan praline, lemon, apple, and more, but most will tell you that the traditional king cake from Randazzo’s does the trick. Won’t be in the city for Mardi Gras? No worries. Order one of Randazzo’s specialty king cakes online with their overnight delivery.

Loretta’s Authentic Pralines — It should come as no surprise that the queen of pralines makes her mark on another legendary New Orleans dessert. Though she passed away in February 2022, Ms. Loretta's legacy lives on. Alongside her specialty pralines, beignets, cookies, and pies, there's alsopraline cream cheese-filled king cakes that locals and visitors alike can’t pass up.

La Boulangerieand Cochon — These two outposts offera variety of traditional andcreative king cakes. Enjoy traditional cinnamon, strawberry, and chocolate almond in mini form from Cochon. Cochon is also bringing back the "Elvis," which is a soft briochefilled with peanut butterandroasted banana, topped with house-cured bacon,toastedmarshmallow, and Mardi Gras sprinkles.In addition to the typical New Orleans king cake, La Boulangerie will be selling a traditional French Galette des Rois:two rounds of puff pastry filled withdelicatealmond cream.

Angelo Brocato — For over 110 years, Angelo Brocato’s has made its mark as a local Italian sweet shop offering gelato, cannoli, biscotti, and other pastries and treats. With the aid of the Harahan-based Caluda’s King Cakes, Angelo Brocato’s offers up some of the tastiest king cake in the city. Traditional, praline filled, raspberry cream cheese, and more are brought from Harahan to Mid-City each and every Mardi Gras season!

Brennan's King Cakes — They say three’s a crowd, but we think “the more, the merrier” better describes the trifecta of king cakes from Brennan’s. The parade of the Brennan’s three king cakes includes a Traditional King Cake, the Pink Parade King Cake — filled with luscious strawberry jam and whipped cream cheese — andBananas Foster, made with classic king cake dough complimented by banana liqueur and vanilla extract and filled with a creamy banana-flavored filling. Outside, this twist on Brennan’s world-famous dessert is coated in a boozy icing made with brown sugar, condensed milk, andbutterrum. Order online or pick these cakes up at Brennan’s or Ralph’s on the Park. We won’t judge you for snatching up all three.

Bywater Bakery — Located in the heart of the Bywater, stop by Bywater Bakery for a selection of unique and freshly baked king cakes this Mardi Gras season. Like many others, Bywater Bakery begins its king cake storm Jan. 6. Their array of cakes includes Chantilly-filled, Azul Dulce blueberry-filled, a vegan option, and even a savory crawfish king cake, plus a boudin option!Shake up your king cake selection this year at Bywater Bakery.

Willa Jean King Cake — This decadent king cakeflies off the shelves every Carnival season. Known as the Caramel Crunch King Cake, the name says it all!

Gracious Bakery King Cake — Gracious Bakery releases new takes on king cake each year, and after last season’s Bananas Foster cake, we can’t wait to see what they’ll come up with next.Best of all, they have multiple locations for you to find them. They are also known for their “queen cakes,” which have frangipane filling. You can also order the Gracious King Cake Kit and try your hand at king cake baking from the comfort of your own kitchen.

Adrian’s Bakery — Known for treats that offer “a taste of New Orleans,” Adrian’s Bakery offers a selection of their special king cakes year-round. For the indulgent and the indecisive alike,their double-filled or supreme king cakes ensure you’ll never have to choose between flavors again! Make sure to call three days in advance for orders outside of the Mardi Gras season, so you can enjoy king cake on any given day of the year.

Saba  — New Orleans culture meets this traditional Jewish dessert with Saba's babka king cake. Dripping in pomegranate caramel, snatch up this king cake starting in January.

Ayu Bakehouse — It’s a trio of king cakes this Mardi Gras season at Ayu Bakehouse. Croissant City Classic is a cinnamon-y, cream cheese-y dreamboat made with local raw cane sugar; Chocolate Babka is exactly what it sounds like—a gooey, chocolate-y, buttery babka in full king cake form; and King Muffuletta, studded with olives, cheese, and Italian charcuterie, is a riff on Ayu’s beloved muffuletta breadstick.

Devil Moon BBQ —Savory is the way of king cakes at Devil Moon BBQ. The Boudin King Cake is topped with cracklin’ “sprinkles” and pork belly burnt ends, while the Root Beer-Glazed Ham King Cake is savory-sweet with whipped cream cheese and strawberry pepper jelly topping.

Mae’s Bakeshop —Enjoy this quaint bakery’s King Cake Monkey Bread throughout Carnival season.

Sippable King Cakes

Have your king cake and sip it, too

King Cake Latte at CC’s — Come Carnival season, you’ll find Mardi Gras-inspired drinks taking over CC’s Coffee House.Try the King Cake Latte for a hot sip or the King Cake Mochasippi®for a frozen treat.Other seasonal offerings include King Cake Cold Foam Cold Brew, King Cake Espresso No. 22®, and bakery items.

Mardi Gras King Cake Coffee — This blend from Community Coffee is a balance of cinnamon and vanilla with a full-bodied, light-roast taste. Find it at local grocery stores or order onlinehere.

King Cake Velvet Ice at PJ’s Coffee —PJ’s signature Velvet Ice gets the king cake treatment. Other offerings include the King Cake Latte and King Cake Cold Brew Shaken Espresso.

King Cake Brews from Abita — Pure, Louisiana cane sugar (lots of it) and artesian spring water are the basis of Abita’s King Cake Soda. The taste is reminiscent of frosting and cinnamon dough. Pick up a six-pack at any local grocery store. Or, if you prefer something a little stronger, wait until you get a taste of their Mardi Gras Bock. Find this malty, full-bodied German lager in grocery stores or online here.

Bacchus Blonde Ale from Port Orleans Brewing Co. — Inspired by the Superkrewe Bacchus, this beer is for the all-day parade-goer – the one who likes to party nonstop. Bacchus Blonde is a light-bodied ale that gives off a mild malt character. Seasonally, it can be purchased online or at local grocery stores.

504King Cake Spiced Rumfrom Happy Raptor— Every Happy Raptor Distilling product is handcrafted, bottled, and labeled at theirNew Orleans distillery. Get into the Mardi Gras spirit with this bold and spicycitrus-infused rum, perfect for crafting co*cktails.A portion of every 504King Cake bottle supports Sprout NOLA farm. Purchase here and pick up in store.

"Other" King Cakes

Ice cream, chocolate, and more

Copeland's of New Orleans— You can count on Copeland’s for king cake-inspired takes oncheesecake this Mardi Gras season.

Meril — The King Cake Tres Leches isa traditional tres leches with whipped cream, purple, green, and gold sprinkles, and topped with a king cake baby. Yum!

District Donuts.Sliders.Brew— The only thing better than a king cake might be a king cake donut like the ones they serve up around this time of year at District. It even comes topped with a baby!

New Orleans Ice Cream's King Cake Ice Cream— Need some ice cream to go with your king cake? Well, how about a pint of king cake ice cream from this local creamery. It'srich cinnamon ice cream with a creole cream cheeseflavored swirl, packed full of king cake pieces— drool-worthy if you ask us.

Piety & Desire's King Cake Bon Bons— Almost too pretty to eat, these bon bons from local chocolatier Piety & Desire arejust one of several Carnival-themed confections. It's milk chocolate king cake ganache with notes of cinnamon and lemon in a dark chocolate shell - yum!

The Big Book of King Cake— Now, this is something you can enjoy even once king cake season ends. The Big Book of King Cake features all your favorite king cakes in all their glory. It'll surely give you ideas for what to try next.Also available this year is the Little Book of King Cake, a children’s book about a young girl who brings a king cake to her class at school.

Get Your King Cakes Here

One stop shops for multiple king cakes

King Cake Hub— Returning for another year, King Cake Hub features over a dozenbakery partners with king cakes in a variety of flavors, plus king cake ice cream, Mardi Gras apparel, and king cake books. The hub is located atZony Mash Beer Project and opens onJanuary 6.

King Cake Connection— Visit King Cake Connection at two locations this year: the Southern Food & Beverage Museum, and The Historic New Orleans Collection. Get everything from whole king cakes to king cake by the slice, king cake bites, candles, and jewelry.