Mardi Gras King Cake Wreath (Printable Version)

A festive cinnamon wreath inspired by King Cake with spiced filling and colorful sugar decoration.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 2 cans (8 oz each) refrigerated cinnamon roll dough with icing

→ Filling

02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
03 - 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

→ Glaze and Decoration

05 - Reserved icing from cinnamon roll cans
06 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugar or sprinkles
07 - Optional: small food-safe plastic baby figurine

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Open the cinnamon roll cans and separate the rolls. Unroll each cinnamon roll into a long strip.
03 - Brush each strip lightly with melted butter, then sprinkle with brown sugar and ground cinnamon.
04 - Twist each strip gently and arrange in a large circle on the prepared baking sheet, overlapping the ends and pinching them together to form a continuous wreath shape.
05 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
06 - Allow the wreath to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.
07 - Drizzle the reserved icing evenly over the warm wreath.
08 - Immediately sprinkle the icing with purple, green, and gold sanding sugar in alternating sections to create a festive appearance.
09 - Optional: Gently tuck a food-safe plastic baby figurine under one of the rolls after baking and before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks showstopping enough to impress guests, but the ingredient list is basically just two cans and some pantry staples you probably already have.
  • The combination of cinnamon roll gooeyness with King Cake tradition means you get that festive celebration feeling without spending your whole day in the kitchen.
02 -
  • Do not overbake—the moment it turns golden brown, pull it out, because these cinnamon rolls can go from perfectly gooey to slightly dry in about 90 seconds.
  • The icing needs to go on while the wreath is still warm, so the moment it comes out and has cooled for those 10 minutes, don't wait around; get that icing on there while it can still flow and meld slightly into the rolls.
03 -
  • Have your sugars and sprinkles measured out and ready in small bowls before the wreath comes out of the oven, because you'll have maybe two minutes of prime icing-stickiness time.
  • If you're making this ahead, cool it completely, wrap it gently in plastic wrap, and store it at room temperature—reheating gently in a low oven brings back that fresh-baked quality right before serving.
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