It’s carnival season which means it is also king cake season! If you aren’t from Louisiana or if you haven’t visited during carnival season, you might not even know what a king cake is, but I am here to tell you it is one of my favorite seasonal desserts and if you are lucky enough to eat one, you are lucky enough! However, making a king cake from scratch can seem daunting, which is why I created this easy cinnamon roll version that anyone can make right in their own kitchen. This recipe for easy cinnamon roll king cakes is one that you are going to want to make all the way through Mardi Gras season.

King cakes are purple for “justice”, green for “growth”, and gold for “prosperity or wealth” and were chosen to resemble a bejeweled brown honoring the three wise men and their gifts brought to Jesus. To make this simple version at home, all you need is a can of store bought cinnamon rolls, festive sprinkles, powdered sugar, and milk. You honestly could go without the powdered sugar and milk, but I prefer to bulk up the icing quantity and make it a little thicker in consistency.

To make these mini personal sized king cakes, just simply unroll the cinnamon roll, slice in half and then twitch each half and form a circle. Bake them off, drizzle with icing, and then finish off with purple, yellow, and green sprinkles and voila…little king cakes in no time with minimal effort.

How cute are they? So great for a festive weekend breakfast or to serve as dessert for any get together. I can’t wait for you to give these a try at home for yourself whether you celebrate Mardi Gras or not!

Ingredients:

1 Package Store Bought Cinnamon Rolls
1 Package Store Bought Cinnamon Roll Icing
3 Tbsp. Powdered Sugar
1 Tbsp. Milk
Red, Purple, and Yellow Sprinkles

Directions:

Unroll each cinnamon roll and cut into half. Take those two halves and twist together and then form into a circle.
Place onto a baking sheet and bake according to package directions until cinnamon rolls are cooked through. (I prefer to leave them slightly undercooked)
While the cinnamon rolls bake, add the icing that came with the cinnamon rolls, powdered sugar, and milk to a bowl and whisk until smooth.
Remove the cinnamon roll king cakes from the oven and let cool for five minutes.
Add the icing on each king cake covering the top.
Add sprinkles in thirds on each cinnamon roll alternating purple, green, and yellow.
Serve immediately or serve at room temperature.

Make sure to pin this recipe to make every year during carnival season!

Easy Cinnamon Roll King Cakes