King Cake Martini

Celebrate Mardi Gras with a King Cake Martini! This twist on a classic dessert martini uses cinnamon vodka that you infuse yourself! (You can also purchase some from the store if that’s more your speed.) Mix it with hazelnut liqueur, white crème de cocoa, coffee liqueur and club soda to create the ultimate Carnival cocktail that looks and tastes like a traditional king cake. Makes up to 8 drinks.

Love Louisiana food? Don’t miss Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, Cajun Shrimp and Grits and No Churn Mardi Gras King Cake Ice Cream!

Laissez les bon temps rouler! 

It’s Mardi Gras season, and with Fat Tuesday NEXT WEEK, what better time is there for us to mix up a dessert martini?

This King Cake Martini (aka Mardi Gras Martini) is sweet, utterly delicious and goes down soooooooooo easy that you’ll want a second or a third in no time. (Please heed my warning when I say to sip slowly, friends. Your head will thank you later.)

Why I love this recipe:

I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to mixing my own cocktails, and I chose to infuse my own cinnamon vodka for it. However, if you don’t have the time for that because it takes 5-7 days, you can find cinnamon vodka at the store.

The cinnamon vodka the key to making this dessert martini taste like a king cake… because king cakes have a lot of cinnamon in them, and I wanted the flavor to shine without being overwhelming.

I love a unique cocktail, and this one tastes like a classic cinnamon king cake. 

Combined with hazelnut liqueur, white crème de cocoa, coffee liqueur and club soda, the cinnamony vodka finds balance. And with a rim of green, purple and yellow colored sugar, this cocktail looks the the classic Carnival dessert, as well as has that beloved king cake flavor.

Other recipes for Mardi Gras you might enjoy: Praline Cinnamon Roll King Cake | Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice | Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya | Instant Pot Gumbo | 18 Mardi Gras Recipes to Make This Carnival Season

Need some more Mardi Gras inspiration? Head on over to my Mardi Gras recipe index for more ideas!

What you need to make this recipe:

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• 8 oz. mason jar
• Fine mesh strainer
• Cocktail shaker
• Jigger
• Cosmopolitan Cocktail/Martini Glasses.

In addition to these tools, you’ll need a few ingredients, as well:

• Vodka — use a drinkable kind for your cinnamon-infused vodka, mmkay? None of this bottom shelf stuff because we want it to taste good.
• Cinnamon sticks — these are also necessary to make the cinnamon-infused vodka. I do not recommend using ground cinnamon because it’s messy.
• Hazelnut liqueur — Frangelico is the brand we have in our house, but whatever kind you have works.
• White crème de cocoa — this sweet liqueur has notes of both chocolate and vanilla.
• Cinnamon vodka — homemade or store-bought. You could replace this with king cake vodka, if you can get your paws on some of that.
• Coffee liqueur — Kahlúa is the brand we have in our house, but any kind that you like will work!
• Club soda — this adds bubbles to the martini. I do not recommend using a substitute.
• Decorating sugars — I used a combination of green, gold and purple sugars to decorate the rim of this king cake cocktail.

How to make Cinnamon-Infused Vodka

Measure the vodka into your mason jar, and add the cinnamon sticks. If they’re too large for the jar, break them in half.

Cover the mason jar, and let sit at room temperature (preferably in a cool, dark place) for 5-7 days to infuse.

Once infused, remove the cinnamon sticks, and strain with a fine mesh strainer. Transfer into a clean mason jar, and store until time to mix your martini(s).

How to make a King Cake Martini

First, rim the cocktail glass with sugar. Dip the edge of the glass into a shallow dish holding water (or plain simple syrup). Sprinkle the three colored sugars onto a plate, careful to keep them separate. Dip the edges into the sugar, and remove.

In a cocktail shaker, combine the hazelnut liqueur, white crème de cocoa, cinnamon-infused vodka and coffee liqueur. Add ice and shake vigorously until combined.

Pour the drink into the prepared martini glass(es). Top with club soda, and enjoy immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick tips and tricks for the best King Cake Martinis

• Give the vodka time to infuse! Don’t rush it because we want that cinnamon flavor to be beautiful.
• Alternately, purchase cinnamon vodka at the store if waiting 5-7 days to mix this drink is too long for you. 😉
• Make a batch if hosting friends or family for a Mardi Gras party. The vodka will make enough for 8 drinks, and you can always infuse double the vodka if you want to mix more!
• Serve this cocktail recipe with your favorite dessert, whether that’s a classic king cake or even king cake ice cream.

And if you’re interested in one of these? Scroll on down to learn how to make one.

Happy Mardi Gras!

King Cake Martini

Erin Parker, The Speckled Palate

Cheers to Mardi Gras and this King Cake Martini! The base of this drink is homemade cinnamon-infused vodka, which is made when cinnamon sticks are placed in a jar with vodka for 5-7 days. When the vodka is cinnamon-y, mix with hazelnut liqueur, white crème de cocoa, coffee liqueur and club soda. This Carnival cocktail looks and tastes like a traditional king cake. What better way to celebrate Mardi Gras than by sipping on a King Cake Martini?

5 from 6 votes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Servings 1 cocktail

Calories 680 kcal

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Infusion Time 5 days d

Total Time 5 days d 5 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

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Cinnamon-Infused Vodka (Makes 8 servings)

• 4 oz. vodka
• 2 cinnamon sticks

King Cake Martini (Makes 1)

• 1 ½ oz. hazelnut liqueur
• 1 oz. white crème de cocoa
• ½ oz. cinnamon vodka
• ¼ oz. coffee liqueur
• 2 ½ oz. club soda
• Green purple and yellow decorative sugars, for the rim of the glasses

Equipment

• Mason jar (pint)
• Cocktail shaker
• Wilton Colored Sugars, Emerald
• Wilton Colored Sugars, Yellow
• Wilton Colored Sugars, Purple

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Instructions

 

Make the Cinnamon-Infused Vodka

• In a mason jar, measure out the vodka.
• Add the cinnamon sticks, breaking in half if too large for the mason jar.
• Infuse for 5-7 days, then remove the cinnamon sticks and strain using a fine mesh strainer.
• Transfer to a clean mason jar, and store until time to make the drinks.

Make the King Cake Martini

• Add the colored sugar rim to the martini glasses: Dip the martini glasses in a shallow dish holding water. Sprinkle the three colored sugars onto a plate, careful to keep them separate. Dip the glasses’ rims into the sugar, and remove. Set aside.
• In a cocktail shaker, combine the hazelnut liqueur, white crème de cocoa, cinnamon-infused vodka and coffee liqueur and add ice.
• Shake vigorously until combined.
• Pour the drink into the prepared martini glass.
• Top with club soda, and enjoy immediately.

Notes

Please note that the Cinnamon-Infused Vodka makes enough for EIGHT cocktails, but the cocktail recipe is just for one. You can easily double/triple/quadruple the recipe for cocktails, depending on how many need to be made.

Please note that the total time does NOT include the 5-7 days for the vodka to infuse.

If you want to make this without infusing your own cinnamon vodka, consider purchasing one from the liquor store! Several brands make them now.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 680kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 13gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 23gSodium: 4mgFiber: 17gSugar: 16g

Keyword cinnamon martini, cocktail, dessert, dessert cocktail, dessert drink, drinks, Mardi Gras drink, Mardi Gras recipe, martini

Course Drinks & Cocktails

Cuisine American

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