Mardi Gras King Cake Bagels (Printable)
Festive bagels filled with creamy cheese and vibrant Mardi Gras colored sugar decorations.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 4 cups bread flour
02 - 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast
03 - 2 tbsp granulated sugar
04 - 1 ½ tsp salt
05 - 1 ¼ cups warm water (110°F)
06 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
07 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon
→ Cream Cheese Filling
08 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
09 - 3 tbsp powdered sugar
10 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ Boiling Liquid
11 - 2 quarts water
12 - 2 tbsp honey or sugar
→ Glaze and Decoration
13 - 1 cup powdered sugar
14 - 2-3 tbsp milk
15 - ½ tsp vanilla extract
16 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugar
# Directions:
01 - Combine bread flour, instant yeast, granulated sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add warm water and melted butter. Mix until dough forms.
02 - Knead by hand or with a stand mixer for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
03 - Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
04 - Beat cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside.
05 - Punch down dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Flatten each into a disk. Place 1 tablespoon cream cheese filling in center, gather edges and pinch to seal. Poke hole through center with finger and gently stretch into bagel shape.
06 - Place filled bagels on parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
07 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
08 - Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a wide pot. Add honey or sugar. Carefully boil bagels, 2-3 at a time, for 1 minute on each side. Remove with slotted spoon and return to baking sheet.
09 - Bake bagels for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool on rack.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over cooled bagels and immediately sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sanding sugars in sections.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- These transform the classic King Cake into something you can actually eat with your morning coffee without committing to a full cake
- The boiling step gives them that authentic bagel chew while keeping the inside tender
02 -
- The water temperature for the dough should feel like warm bath water or the yeast will not activate properly
- Sealing the cream cheese filling completely prevents leaking during the boiling step
03 -
- Use kitchen shears to cut the parchment paper around each bagel after boiling for easier transfer to the baking sheet
- A small cookie scoop makes portioning the cream cheese filling much less messy