12 Decadent Desserts to Help You Party Like It's Mardi Gras

It's Fat Tuesday! What should you eat for dessert? You need a special New Orleans recipe like bread pudding with whiskey sauce, bananas Foster, or some sugar-coated beignets.
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Bananas Foster Split

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It's Fat Tuesday! What should you eat for dessert? You need a special New Orleans recipe like bread pudding with whiskey sauce, bananas Foster, or some sugar-coated beignets.

Bananas Foster Split

This is our take on the sweet boozy dessert first served at famed New Orleans restaurant Brennan’s in the 1950s. The bananas are cooked in a buttery brown-sugar sauce, doused in dark rum, and flamed just before serving -- with a scoop of ice cream, of course!

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Beignets

Mike Krautter
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A New Orleans classic, these cousins to the doughnut consist of fried pieces of yeast dough dusted with plenty of confectioner's sugar. A fresh batch is the perfect way to start or end the day.

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Grasshopper

Martyna Szczesna
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Did you know this classic after-dinner drink originated in New Orleans? The minty, creamy dessert cocktail is just the thing for a boozy holiday like Mardi Gras.

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Mini Bourbon Bread Puddings

Yossy Arefi
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When it comes to Big Easy sweets, nothing beats bread pudding. Our individual-sized version is studded with golden raisins and finished with an irresistible bourbon glaze.

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Southern Sour-Cream Pralines

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We can't get enough of this traditional Louisiana confection that transforms toasted pecans into a sugary, fudge-like candy. Our version also calls for sour cream, which gives the treats an exceptionally smooth texture.

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Bananas Foster Milkshake

Bryan Gardner
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We've remixed the classic dessert into a knockout sweet-and-salty milkshake. You're going to need a straw, bowl, and spoon to enjoy this properly.

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Chocolate-Chicory Logs

Emily Kate Roemer
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In New Orleans, ground chicory is blended with coffee beans, a tradition that dates back to the Civil War when supplies were limited. Here, the bitter flavor of chicory pairs perfectly with the sweet chocolate in these biscotti-like cookies.

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Pecan Sea-Salt Drops

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For a different take on pralines, try these drops. There's no cream or butter -- the nuts are simply suspended in a delicious soft caramel.

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Pain Perdu

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Vanilla bean and hazelnut liqueur set our version of this French toast-bread pudding hybrid apart. Serve it for breakfast or dessert -- it's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser at any time of day.

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Cajun Popcorn

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Craving something salty? This sweet-spicy popcorn can be whipped up in a jiffy.

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Praline Cookies

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Whip up a batch of the creamy pecan candy to take simple drop cookies to the next level. They'll be the first to go at your Mardi Gras party.

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King Cake

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After all, what's a Fat Tuesday celebration without king cake? This sweet yeast bread has a colorful glaze in the colors of Mardi Gras  -- and as tradition demands, a tiny plastic baby hidden inside.

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