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These small batch King Cake Scones are a fun and festive way to celebrate Mardi Gras. The dough is shaped into a circle, baked, and topped with a sweet glaze and colorful sugar sprinkles in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green, and gold. Once decorated, the cake is sliced into scone-shaped pieces, making it easy to serve and enjoy.
Explore more single serving and small batch New Orleans-inspired recipes. Try our flavorful Mini Muffuletta, hearty Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice, rich Seafood Gumbo, spicy Jambalaya, and crispy Crawfish Beignets.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: Quick to prepare with simple steps and ingredients.
- Perfect Size: Makes just the right amount for a small gathering or a special treat.
- Unique Texture: Combines the festive look of a King Cake with the buttery, tender texture of scones.
- Versatile: Pairs beautifully with coffee or tea, making it great for breakfast, brunch, or a snack.
- Festive Flair: Brings the vibrant colors and fun of Mardi Gras straight to your kitchen.
This small batch King Cake Scones recipe is a fun twist on a Mardi Gras classic. The scone dough is shaped into a circle, baked, and then topped with a sweet glaze and festive purple, green, and gold sugar sprinkles.
After decorating, the scones are sliced into 5-6 pieces, making them perfect for sharing or enjoying on your own. It’s an easy way to bring the spirit of Mardi Gras to your table in a smaller, simpler format.
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Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this Mardi Gras scones recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour for this recipe. Other types of flour have not been tested.
- Granulated Sugar: Just 3 tablespoons are needed to sweeten the scones.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Essential for helping the scones rise.
- Cinnamon & Salt: Enhance the flavor.
- Butter: Cold salted butter is best for achieving tender scones.
- Egg Yolk: You’ll only need one yolk. Save the egg white for another egg white recipe like Meringues, a small White Cake, or Two Chocolate Cupcakes.
- Milk: Any kind of cow’s milk or plant-based milk, like almond or soy, adds moisture to the dough.
- Orange Juice & Orange Zest: These add a bright citrus flavor. Use leftover orange juice in Morning Glory Muffins or a mini Orange Oatmeal Cake.
- Confectioners’ Sugar & Milk/Cream: Combine to make the sweet glaze.
- Granulated Sugar & Food Coloring: Mix granulated sugar with food coloring to create a festive Mardi Gras topping. I use Watkins food coloring because it’s free of artificial dyes and made from vegetable juices and spices, offering a natural and cleaner option.
RELATED: Traditional Mini King Cake Recipe
Recipe Variations
- Nutty King Cake Scones: Add chopped pecans or walnuts for a satisfying crunch.
- Lemon Twist: Swap the orange zest for lemon zest to create a bright lemon flavor.
- Chocolate Chip Scones: Mix in chocolate chips for a sweet and chocolaty treat.
- Vegan Option: Use plant-based milk, butter, and an egg substitute to make these scones vegan-friendly.
RELATED: 20 Single Serving Meatless Meals
How To Make King Cake Scones
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a small batch of King Cake scones. See the recipe below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
This recipe combines the flavors of a traditional King Cake with the texture of scones. The dough is shaped into a circle, baked, and sliced into scone-style pieces for serving.
Step 1: Prepare the Dough
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, sugar, and cinnamon.
- Incorporate Butter: Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolk, milk, orange juice, and orange zest.
- Combine Mixtures: Gently add the liquid mix to the flour blend, stirring until just combined.
Step 2: Shape and Bake the Scones
- Prepare Dough: Begin by kneading the dough lightly on a floured surface.
- Shape Dough: Shape the dough into a circle, adding more flour if it’s sticky.
- Roll and Shape: Roll the dough into a long strip and then form it into a circle, pressing the ends together.
- Bake: Place on a baking sheet and bake at a preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes until golden.
Step 3: Make the Icing and Colored Sugar
- Make Icing: Whisk together confectioner’s sugar and milk in a bowl. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
- Prepare Colored Sugar: Divide granulated sugar into three bowls. Add drops of purple, green, and yellow food coloring to each. Sprinkle the colored sugars over the icing for a festive Mardi Gras look.
- Serve: Slice and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Keep Ingredients Cold: Use cold butter and milk for the best texture.
- Handle Dough Gently: Avoid overworking the dough to keep it tender.
- Adjust Dough Consistency: The dough should feel moist but not sticky. If needed, add a little more flour or liquid to get it just right.
- Customize the Glaze: For a thicker glaze, add more confectioners’ sugar. For a thinner glaze, mix in more milk or cream.
- Decorate for Any Occasion: Change the sugar colors to match the season—red and pink for Valentine’s Day, green for St. Patrick’s Day, or red and green for Christmas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
You can skip the food coloring or use store-bought colored sugar if available.
Yes, simply double the ingredients to make a bigger batch.
Mardi Gras season begins on January 6th, marking the Feast of the Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night. This date signifies the start of the festive Mardi Gras celebrations.
The colors of Mardi Gras each hold a special meaning: purple represents justice, green stands for faith, and gold signifies power. These colors are a vibrant part of Mardi Gras decorations and attire, reflecting the spirit and traditions of the celebration.
RELATED: 15 Single Serving Breakfast Recipes Worth Waking Up To
More New Orleans-Inspired Recipes
- Red Beans and Rice: A classic New Orleans dish with bold flavors.
- Shrimp Creole: A rich and flavorful Creole favorite.
- Jambalaya: A hearty and spicy Louisiana staple.
- Crawfish Beignets: Crispy, crawfish-filled treats perfect for any occasion.
- Crawfish Pasta: A creamy and flavorful dish packed with New Orleans flair.
- Seafood Gumbo: A deeply flavorful gumbo with seafood and spices.
- Crawfish Étouffée: A rich and savory Louisiana classic.
- Pralines: Sweet and buttery treats that capture the essence of New Orleans.
- Shrimp Étouffée: A bold and savory Creole dish full of flavor.
- Chicken Gumbo: A hearty gumbo with chicken, sausage, and vegetables.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried these King Cake Scones or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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Small Batch King Cake Scones
Equipment
Ingredients
For the king cake
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup salted butter -cold (4 tablespoons)
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
For the glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoons milk or cream
For the colored sugar
- 3 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1-2 drops purple, green, and yellow food coloring
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C)
Prepare the dough
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper and set aside.
- In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.
- Using a pastry blender or your hands, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, milk, orange juice, and orange zest. Pour into the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
Shaping and baking
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead very lightly and form a circle. Add a little more flour to the dough if the dough becomes too sticky to handle.
- Roll the dough out so that it forms one long piece of dough.
- Shape the dough into a circle and gently press the edges of the circle together.
- Place the dough on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden.
Make the icing and colored sugar
- Whisk together confectioners' sugar and milk in a bowl. Drizzle over the cooled king cake.
- Place 1 tablespoon of the sugar into three small bowls. Add in 1 to 2 drops of the food coloring in each bowl. Make a separate bowl for the purple, the green, and the gold sugars.Spoon a little of each of the the colored sugars over the icing.
Notes
- Keep Ingredients Cold: Use cold butter and milk for the best texture.
- Handle Dough Gently: Avoid overworking the dough to keep it tender.
- Adjust Dough Consistency: The dough should feel moist but not sticky. If needed, add a little more flour or liquid to get it just right.
- Customize the Glaze: For a thicker glaze, add more confectioners’ sugar. For a thinner glaze, mix in more milk or cream.
- Decorate for Any Occasion: Change the sugar colors to match the season—red and pink for Valentine’s Day, green for St. Patrick’s Day, or red and green for Christmas.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I am dying to try this recipe but cannot abide with anything orange flavored
(particularly zest)
Is there anything I can sub for the juice/zest?
Thanks so much
(LOVE your blog)
Thank you! Although I haven’t tried using anything other than orange juice/zest in this recipe, I would think lemon juice, grapefruit juice, or even apple juice would be great substitutions.
If I want to make a cream cheese filling, how would I go about doing that?
I don’t recommend a filling for this particular king cake recipe. The king cake is more like a scone, rather than a soft dough cake. I have a larger king cake recipe that I make every year for crowds that I can recommend. This king cake is not a single serving but it is definitely delicious and has a cream cheese filling: https://zagleft.com/traditional-mardi-gras-king-cake-recipe/
Hi Joanie,
In response to her question, is the finished texture of this cake “dunk-able”, perhaps? I’m thinking, maybe leave off the icing and dunking individual slices into a cream cheese fruit dip… if it’s just the taste preference she’s after.
Thoughts?
Interested to see your response.
Yes, the texture of the cake is similar to a scone and definitely dunkable.
I made four of these to give to other people. I did have to add more flour to be able to knead the dough, it was very wet. I also had to thicken up the glaze quite a bit for it to be like the picture on your blog which is much prettier than the first one I did with the thinner glaze. I rechecked my measurements and actually made two separate batches because I wasn’t sure if I was going to make two or four. It was the same both times. But with the extra flour and powdered sugar for the glaze I am glad I made them. Thanks!
Awesome! Easy; came out perfect; ideal size for family of 4-5!!
I agree if you haven’t DONE Mardi Gras in New Orleans, you need to move it to the top of your bucket list.
We were planning to visit during Mardi Gras and the lady who was
the owner of a lovely bed and breakfast in the French Quarter
warned us to stay away until after Mardi Gras
“It is no place for 2 young
ladies”
Later another owner of a bed and breakfast in the Garden
District repeated same
We visited a week later.
(((((Loved))))) our visit and another later to New Orleans and don’t
regret I missed what I saw later in YouTubes in the
French Quarter during the festivities.
Another winner! It was the perfect finish to your Jambalaya recipe. I would for go the colored sugar next time….making them was a bit fussy for me but a sprinkle of raw sugar would work well. It has wonderful flavor and was really good with our morning coffee. Thank you again!
MK
I’m so happy you enjoyed the King Cake and the Jambalaya recipes! Thank you so much for letting me know.
This turned out to be a fun baking project for my kids and I! It also tasted delicious!
Love this for Mardi Gras! So bright and will definitely satisfy my craving for King Cake!