Mardi Gras King Cake Bagels

Last February my kitchen looked like a craft project explosion. I'd never attempted colored dough before, and there I was with purple-stained fingertips wondering if kneading food coloring into bread was actually going to work. The first time I pulled these twisted, technicolor bagels from the oven, my roommate walked in, stopped dead, and asked if I'd started a bakery for Mardi Gras. That moment when the vanilla glaze hits the warm swirls of cinnamon-scented bread changed everything about how I think about holiday baking.

My sister called me midway through my first batch, demanding to know why I'd texted her a picture of what looked like Play-Doh experiments. When she came over that weekend and bit into a still-warm bagel with that sweet glaze melting down her chin, she stopped teasing. We spent the rest of the afternoon experimenting with different color combinations and eating our mistakes warm from the oven.

Ingredients

• Bread flour: Provides the structure and chewiness that makes bagels taste like bagels, not just round bread
• Active dry yeast: The magic that transforms simple ingredients into puffy, risen dough
• Warm water: Must be around 110°F, think bathwater temperature, not hot enough to kill the yeast
• Granulated sugar: Feeds the yeast and adds subtle sweetness to the dough
• Salt: Essential for flavor and helps control yeast growth
• Ground cinnamon: Gives that familiar King Cake warmth everyone loves
• Unsalted butter: Adds richness and helps create a tender crumb
• Gel food coloring: Gel coloring works better than liquid for dough, giving deeper colors without making it sticky
• Honey or sugar for boiling: Helps achieve that shiny bagel exterior we all want
• Powdered sugar: Creates the smooth, sweet glaze that makes these feel like a celebration
• Milk: Thins the glaze to perfect drizzling consistency
• Vanilla extract: Rounds out the sweetness and makes everything taste homemade
• Sanding sugars: The finishing touch that catches the light and says Mardi Gras

Instructions

Wake up the yeast:

Combine warm water and sugar in a small bowl, sprinkle yeast on top, and wait five minutes until it looks foamy and alive

Make the dough:

Mix flour, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl, add the yeast mixture and melted butter, then knead for about 8 minutes until the dough feels smooth and elastic

Add the colors:

Divide dough evenly into three portions and work each color into its own ball until the color is completely uniform

Let them rise:

Cover all three portions and let them rest for about an hour until they've doubled in size

Shape the swirls:

Roll each colored dough into 12-inch ropes, twist one of each color together, then form into bagel shapes and pinch the ends tightly to seal

Second rise:

Place bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover them, and let them rest for 20 minutes to puff up slightly

Preheat and prep:

Heat your oven to 425°F and bring a large pot of water to a boil with the honey or sugar stirred in

Boil the bagels:

Carefully boil the bagels two at a time for one minute per side, then drain them on a wire rack

Bake until golden:

Place the boiled bagels back on the baking sheet and bake for 18 to 22 minutes until they are golden brown

Glaze and decorate:

Mix powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth, drizzle over cooled bagels, and immediately sprinkle with colored sugars before the glaze hardens

Save

The year I made these for Fat Tuesday, I brought a dozen to work and they disappeared before noon. Three different coworkers asked for the recipe, and my boss actually circled back to my desk at 4 PM hoping there might be leftovers. Something about those swirling colors and sweet glaze makes people genuinely happy, like they're eating celebration itself.

Getting The Colors Right

Gel food coloring is absolutely worth the extra trip to the craft store. Liquid coloring will make your dough sticky and require more flour, which throws off the whole texture. Start with a tiny amount and work your way up, remembering that the colors will deepen slightly as the dough rises.

Making The Twist

When you're rolling the colored ropes, try to keep them the same length so none of the colors get shortchanged. The twisting motion takes a little practice, but even if your braids are imperfect, the colors will still look beautiful after baking. Just pinch those ends together really firmly so they don't come apart in the boiling water.

Timing Is Everything

The glaze needs to be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but thin enough to drizzle. If it is too thick, add milk one drop at a time. Work quickly once you start glazing because the sanding sugar only sticks to wet icing.

• Have all your colored sugars open and ready before you start the glaze
• Sprinkle over a baking sheet to catch the excess sugar for reuse
• Let the glazed bagels sit for at least 15 minutes before stacking them

Save

There's something profoundly joyful about biting into a bagel that looks like a celebration and tastes like cinnamon and vanilla. These have become my go-to for whenever life needs a little extra color.

Recipe FAQs

→ How do I achieve the vibrant Mardi Gras colors in the dough?

Divide the dough into three portions and knead each with gel food coloring in purple, green, and yellow until the colors are uniform and bright.

→ Why do I need to boil the bagels before baking?

Boiling helps set the bagel's shape and creates a chewy crust by gelatinizing the starch on the surface, resulting in a classic texture.

→ Can I substitute the cinnamon with another spice?

Yes, warm spices like nutmeg or allspice can be used to complement the sweetness while maintaining a festive flavor.

→ What tips help ensure the glaze sets nicely on the bagels?

Make sure the bagels are completely cooled before drizzling the vanilla glaze, allowing it to set evenly and avoid melting.

→ How long should the dough rest for best results?

Let the dough rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size to develop flavor and achieve a light texture.

→ Are there ways to add texture to the topping?

Sprinkling chopped pecans over the glaze before adding sanding sugars adds a pleasant crunch and nutty flavor.