Skip to content

Top Navigation

Martha Stewart Martha Stewart
  • FOOD
  • HOLIDAYS
  • ENTERTAINING
  • HOME
  • GARDENING
  • CLEANING & ORGANIZING
  • WEDDINGS
  • SHOP
  • DIY
  • BEAUTY & WELLNESS
  • LIFE
  • NEWS
  • MARTHA'S BLOG
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Martha's Blog
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Your Content
  • Logout

More

  • Enter to Win $10,000 to Makeover Your Home!
  • Martha's Blog
  • Weddings
Login
Pin FB

Explore Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart Martha Stewart
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Tips on Organizing Your Home

      Tips on Organizing Your Home

      From the kitchen and bathroom to the bedroom and laundry room, here are 40 ways to simplify, streamline, and banish clutter throughout the house. Read More
    • These Are the Paint Colors You'll See Everywhere in 2022

      These Are the Paint Colors You'll See Everywhere in 2022

      Upgrade your spaces with new—and old—classics. Read More
    • 39 Make-Ahead Holiday Dishes That Are Perfect for Festive Family Gatherings

      39 Make-Ahead Holiday Dishes That Are Perfect for Festive Family Gatherings

      These classic recipes will help you get a head start on the festivities. Read More
  • FOOD

    FOOD

    See All FOOD
    • Breakfast & Brunch Recipes
    • Lunch Recipes
    • Dinner Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Drink Recipes
    • Salad Recipes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Recipes
    • Vegetarian Recipes
    • Cooking How-Tos
    • Baking
    • Menu Planning
    • Food News & Trends
    • Wine
    • Mastering the Holiday Meal
    • What's for Dinner
    • All Recipes
  • HOLIDAYS

    HOLIDAYS

    See All HOLIDAYS
    All of Our Best Valentine's Day Crafts to Make from the Heart

    All of Our Best Valentine's Day Crafts to Make from the Heart

    Express your love with handmade Valentine's crafts like paper cards, gift ideas, and decorations.
    • Valentine's Day
    • St. Patricks Day
    • Passover
    • Easter
    • Mother's Day
    • Father's Day
    • Fourth of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Hanukkah
    • Christmas
    • New Year's Eve
  • ENTERTAINING

    ENTERTAINING

    See All ENTERTAINING
    Will We Entertain Differently in 2022? These Are the New Trends Hostesses Should Bookmark

    Will We Entertain Differently in 2022? These Are the New Trends Hostesses Should Bookmark

    Secure your role as the host with the absolute most.
    • Seasonal Entertaining & Decorating
    • Baby Shower Ideas
    • Dinner Party Ideas
    • You're Invited
  • HOME

    HOME

    See All HOME
    How to Hang and Arrange Pictures

    How to Hang and Arrange Pictures

    Amp up your home décor with perfectly placed frames.
    • Home Design & Decor
    • Paint Colors & Palettes
    • DIY Home Projects
    • The Well-Kept Home
  • GARDENING

    GARDENING

    See All GARDENING
    Six Houseplant Mistakes to Avoid This Winter

    Six Houseplant Mistakes to Avoid This Winter

    Don't let your varieties fall victim to the perils of poor cold-weather maintenance.
    • Container Gardening
    • Flower Gardens
    • Houseplants
    • Landscaping
    • Vegetable Gardens
  • CLEANING & ORGANIZING

    CLEANING & ORGANIZING

    How to Deep Clean Your Oven with Baking Soda

    How to Deep Clean Your Oven with Baking Soda

    Our easy tips will make this cleaning task a lot less daunting.
    • Cleaning
    • Storage & Organization
    • Laundry & Linens
  • WEDDINGS

    WEDDINGS

    See All WEDDINGS
    Your Ultimate Wedding-Planning Timeline

    Your Ultimate Wedding-Planning Timeline

    Ready, set, go! Our no-nonsense guide will help you learn how to plan your wedding like a pro.
    • Real Weddings
    • Wedding Party
    • Wedding Planning & Advice
    • Wedding Ceremony & Reception
    • Wedding Jewelry
    • Dresses & Style
    • Wedding Beauty & Wellness
    • Wedding Registry
    • Wedding Showers & Parties
    • Love & Marriage
    • Wedding Travel
  • SHOP
  • DIY

    DIY

    See All DIY
    How to Knit: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide

    How to Knit: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide

    Learn how to knit your own mittens, hats, scarves, and more. We'll take you through the step-by-step instructions and teach you how to cast on, knit, purl, and cast off.
    • Dyeing
    • Holiday Crafts
    • Kids' Crafts
    • Knitting
    • Paper Crafts
    • Sewing
    • Rescue & Revamp
  • BEAUTY & WELLNESS

    BEAUTY & WELLNESS

    Your Complete Guide to Restoring Moisture Back Into Your Skin

    Your Complete Guide to Restoring Moisture Back Into Your Skin

    Take a multi-pronged approach if you're experiencing excess dryness.
    • Beauty
    • Health & Wellness
    • Live Well
  • LIFE

    LIFE

    See All LIFE
    • Family
    • Pets
    • Travel
    • Net Worth
  • NEWS
  • MARTHA'S BLOG
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Martha's Blog
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Your Content
  • Logout

More

  • Enter to Win $10,000 to Makeover Your Home!
  • Martha's Blog
  • Weddings
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. marthastewart.com
  2. Food & Cooking
  3. Recipes
  4. Dessert & Treats Recipes
  5. These Decadent Desserts Will Help You Party Like It's Mardi Gras

These Decadent Desserts Will Help You Party Like It's Mardi Gras

By Peggy Kieran Updated December 07, 2020
Skip gallery slides
Pin
featured-recipe-bourbon-bread-pudding-105-d113085.jpg
Credit: Yossy Arefi

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

Start Slideshow

1 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
cakes_00111_t.jpg

Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday marks the end of Carnival season in New Orleans. It's the last celebration, the finale of all the music, parades, floats, and fun. Then comes Ash Wednesday and the penitential season of Lent that lasts for 40 days. Mardi Gras is the big holiday before the fasting and celebrated as such in the Crescent City. Revelers wear costumes or at least dress in purple, green, and gold, and adorn themselves with long bead necklaces they catch from the floats as they go by. If you're not in New Orleans but want to capture some of the spirit of the day, there's no better way than to end an indulgent meal than with a Mardi Gras dessert. To that end, we've gathered some classics and some classics with a twist, all are rich and flavorful, just like the Big Easy!

It doesn't come more Fat Tuesday than bread pudding. This sweet eggy creation is often served with a whisky sauce. Martha's recipe does it a little different—there's a bourbon glaze, and gets a little fancy, serving it in individual dishes. Another iconic New Orleans dessert is Banana's Foster; ripe bananas, vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, and a rum flambé is certainly a way to celebrate the end of Carnival! The layer cake pictured here takes the flavors and turns them into a banana-buttermilk cake with whipped cream filling and a flambéed banana topping. Or try something different and decadent, our Banana's Foster Milkshake reinterprets the dessert as a milkshake, one so epic you'll need a straw, a spoon, and a dish to consume it!

No matter which of our Mardi Gras dessert recipes you chose, spoonful by spoonful it will transport you to New Orleans.

1 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Bananas Foster Split

mla102583_0207_bananas02.jpg
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

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!

2 of 15

3 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Grasshopper

grasshopper-cocktail-102935762.jpg
Credit: Martyna Szczesna
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

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.

3 of 15

Advertisement

4 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Mini Bourbon Bread Puddings

featured-recipe-bourbon-bread-pudding-105-d113085.jpg
Credit: Yossy Arefi
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

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.

4 of 15

5 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Bananas Foster Milkshake

crop-bananas-foster-milkashake-029-d113025.jpg
Credit: Bryan Gardner
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

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.

5 of 15

6 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Beignets

beignets-182-d112925.jpg
Credit: Mike Krautter
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

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.

6 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Southern Sour-Cream Pralines

southern sour cream praline pecan candies
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

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.

7 of 15

8 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Brown-Butter Bourbon Pecan Pie

Brown-Butter Bourbon Pecan Pie
Credit: Pieter Estersohn
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

If the residents of the Crescent City had to pick their favorite pie, chances are it would be pecan. This decadent take enhances the classic with brown butter and bourbon.

8 of 15

9 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Chocolate-Chicory Logs

chocolate-chicory-logs-mld107826.jpg
Credit: Emily Kate Roemer
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

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

9 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Pecan Sea-Salt Drops

md106464_1210_01_britle_p_ecandrop.jpg
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

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.

10 of 15

11 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Pain Perdu

Pain Perdu
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

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.

11 of 15

12 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Cajun Popcorn

med106759_0311_par_cajun_pocorn.jpg
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

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

12 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Praline Cookies

praline-cookies-A98991_04
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

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

13 of 15

14 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Crepes Suzette

crepes suzette
Credit: Gentl and Hyers
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

A boozy French classic that's much loved in New Orleans, these dessert crepes are made with dark beer in the batter and Grand Marnier in the filling and the sauce. 

14 of 15

15 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

King Cake

1110_recipe_kingcake.jpg
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

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.

15 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Peggy Kieran

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 15
    2 of 15 Bananas Foster Split
    3 of 15 Grasshopper
    4 of 15 Mini Bourbon Bread Puddings
    5 of 15 Bananas Foster Milkshake
    6 of 15 Beignets
    7 of 15 Southern Sour-Cream Pralines
    8 of 15 Brown-Butter Bourbon Pecan Pie
    9 of 15 Chocolate-Chicory Logs
    10 of 15 Pecan Sea-Salt Drops
    11 of 15 Pain Perdu
    12 of 15 Cajun Popcorn
    13 of 15 Praline Cookies
    14 of 15 Crepes Suzette
    15 of 15 King Cake

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Martha Stewart

    Learn More

    • Contact Us
    • Customer Service
    • Media Kit
    • Martha's Blog
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing
    • FAQ
    • Corporate
    • International
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithMartha Stewart is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Martha Stewart. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.marthastewart.com

    Sign in

    View image

    These Decadent Desserts Will Help You Party Like It's Mardi Gras
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.