King Cake Cocktail to Celebrate Mardi Gras at Home!
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This King Cake Cocktail is the perfect drink to make Mardi Gras! It’s made with flavored vodkas and cinnamon schnapps and it’s like the famous dessert in a glass – laissez les bon temps rouler!
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King Cake Cocktail
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions and to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required as well as understand the steps and timings involved.
Ingredients Used In This Cocktail
For your convenience, I’ve linked any specialized ingredients needed for this recipe to Amazon below.
- Vanilla Vodka
- Pinnacle Cake Flavored Vodka – a vanilla cake-flavored vodka. If you can’t find this liqueur, you could try a whipped cream flavored vodka instead.
- Cinnamon Schnapps
- Red Grape Juice
- Sprite – or other lemon-lime soda.
- Maraschino Cherries – with stems, for garnish.
This cocktail is shaken, but don’t worry if you don’t have a cocktail shaker, you could just use a container with a tight-fitting lid – like a mason jar or even the cup on a blender or smoothie maker.
More Cocktails To Make
Want to make vodka cocktails? I think you’re going to love these ones:
- Deep Red Voodoo Cocktail for Halloween with Vodka & Vanilla Liqueur
- Skittles Vodka Cocktail + How To Infuse Vodka with Skittles Candy
- Cinnamon & Cumin-Infused Cranberry Vodka Spritzer Cocktail
King Cake Variations
I like to try and give variations on the cocktails shared on The Purple Pumpkin Blog, and especially turning the cocktail into a mocktail so that non-drinkers (and kids if suitable) can enjoy the drink too!
Virgin King Cake Mocktail (non-alcoholic)
So that non-drinkers can enjoy a glass of this Mardi Gras cocktail, we can turn it into a mocktail by removing the alcohol and replacing some of the ingredients with other things.
I love the Monin brand of syrups as there are lots of flavors and they are a very versatile ingredient that can be used in cocktails, mocktails, coffee, cocoa, shakes, smoothies, and more.
I suggest replacing the following liquors with syrups:
- Vanilla Vodka replace with Vanilla Syrup
- Cake Vodka replace with Cupcake Syrup.
- Cinnamon Schnapps replace with Cinnamon Syrup
To make a King Cake Mocktail, follow the recipe card, but replace the alcoholic elements with the syrups suggested above.
I haven’t made the mocktail version, so I recommend adding the syrups to taste as they may add a sweetness that you may not necessarily get from alcoholic liqueurs.
Frozen King Cake Cocktail
Want to turn this cocktail into a frozen slushie? Easy! Put all the ingredients in a blender with a generous amount of crushed ice – then blend till smooth.
Serve with a straw, and watch out for brain freeze! You could do the same with the mocktail version too.
King Cake Party Punch
Want to make this Mardi Gras adult beverage for a crowd? It’s so easy! Here’s how to do it!
As long as you use the same measuring container (glass, cup, jug, etc.,) for the “1 part”, the ratios will be correct and you can make as much as you need to.
Serve the large batch cocktail in drinks dispensers, pitchers, or go really retro and serve it from a punch bowl! Whichever container best suits your event (and the drink!).
Make sure you add plenty of ice to your serving receptacle of choice to keep the cocktail chilled. Add some maraschino cherries in there too if you like.
You could also skewer the fruit onto cocktail picks for guests to garnish their glasses of drink.
Speaking of which, place cocktail glasses in the bar/serving area along with a filled ice bucket, stirrers, and cocktail decorations if suitable!
To make a big batch of King Cake Party Punch, mix together:
- 2 parts Vanilla Vodka
- 2 parts Cake-flavored Vodka
- 1 part Cinnamon Schnapps
- 6 parts Red Grape Juice
- 2 parts Sprite
This cocktail recipe is intended for adults of the legal drinking age in your country of residence.
Please drink responsibly. Do not drink and drive.
How Do I Make a King Cake Cocktail?
Just check out the recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. You can print the card out too (don’t worry, any pics don’t print to save your ink!).
King Cake Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 oz Vanilla Vodka
- 2 oz Cake Flavored Vodka
- 1 oz Cinnamon Schnapps
- 6 oz Red Grape Juice
- 2 oz Sprite
- Crushed Ice
- Maraschino Cherries for garnish, optional
SUGGESTED PRODUCTS
Instructions
- Place the vanilla vodka, cake vodka, cinnamon schnapps, and red grape juice into a cocktail shaker with a small amount of crushed iced.
- Shake well to combine.
- Pour into crushed ice-filled glasses and top up with Sprite.
- Add maraschino cherries for garnish if using.
- Enjoy and Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Meal!
The beverage is covered, but what about other dishes to make this recipe into a full meal? Here are my suggestions!
- Appetizer: Garlic Parmesan Shrimp with Roasted Garlic Dip
- Main Dish: Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps
- Side Dish: Super Easy Crisp & Crunchy Broccoli Slaw Recipe
- Dessert: Chocolate & Rum Mardi Gras Cakesicles!
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy! Please feel free to check them out too.