Mardi Gras King Cake Bagels (Printable)

Enjoy vibrant bagels with cinnamon swirls and a vanilla glaze inspired by Mardi Gras flavors.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 4 cups bread flour
02 - 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
03 - 1 ½ cups warm water (110°F)
04 - 3 tbsp granulated sugar
05 - 1 ½ tsp salt
06 - 2 tsp ground cinnamon
07 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

→ Food Coloring

08 - Purple gel food coloring
09 - Green gel food coloring
10 - Yellow gel food coloring

→ Boiling Mixture

11 - 2 tbsp honey or sugar

→ Vanilla Glaze

12 - 1 cup powdered sugar
13 - 2–3 tbsp milk
14 - ½ tsp vanilla extract

→ Decoration

15 - Purple sanding sugar
16 - Green sanding sugar
17 - Gold sanding sugar

# How to Make It:

01 - Combine warm water and sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the surface and let stand for 5 minutes until foamy and activated.
02 - Whisk flour, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture and melted butter. Mix until combined, then knead by hand or with a stand mixer for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
03 - Divide dough evenly into three portions. Add purple gel coloring to one portion, green to another, and yellow to the third. Knead each portion separately until the color is uniform throughout. Wear food-safe gloves to prevent staining.
04 - Place each colored dough portion in a separate bowl, covering with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Let rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
05 - Roll each colored dough into ropes approximately 12 inches long. Braid one rope of each color together by twisting gently. Form into a bagel shape, pressing the ends firmly to seal. Repeat with remaining dough to make 8 bagels total.
06 - Arrange bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between each. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes until slightly puffed.
07 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Arrange oven rack to center position.
08 - Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Stir in honey or sugar. Working in batches of 2, carefully drop bagels into boiling water. Cook for 1 minute per side (2 minutes total). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack.
09 - Return boiled bagels to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 18–22 minutes until deeply golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before glazing.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until smooth. Adjust consistency with additional milk if needed—glaze should be thick but pourable.
11 - Drizzle vanilla glaze generously over each cooled bagel. Immediately sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sanding sugars while glaze is wet to ensure adhesion.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Theyre basically breakfast and celebration wrapped into one handheld package
  • The cinnamon swirl gives you that cozy King Cake flavor without waiting for carnival season
  • Watching people break them open to see the colors never gets old
02 -
  • Wear food safe gloves when kneading the colored dough or youll have rainbow hands for days
  • Pinch your twisted rope ends together really well or they might come apart during boiling
  • The boiling step is non negotiable, its what creates that authentic bagel chewiness
03 -
  • Add lemon zest to your glaze for a bright contrast to the cinnamon
  • Chopped pecans on top add the most incredible crunch and nutty flavor

Return