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A slice of lightly iced king cake with a cinnamon swirl sits on a small plate with a purple plastic baby next to it and a full king cake in the background. — King cake from Coffee Science.

Where to Find the Best King Cakes in New Orleans This Carnival Season

A running guide to the best bakery and restaurant king cakes for Mardi Gras 2025

by Beth D'Addono and Clair Lorell Updated Jan 3, 2025, 2:40pm CST

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King cake from Coffee Science.

| Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

by Beth D'Addono and Clair Lorell Updated Jan 3, 2025, 2:40pm CST

Mardi Gras is New Orleans’s favorite time of year and king cakes are a totem everyone can celebrate, and that’s just what this city does — bakeries, restaurants, and pop-ups flood the market with creative, unexpected, and gorgeous cakes to enjoy at home, gift a neighbor, or bring to work.

Beginning January 6, options abound, from the traditional, brioche-based king cake — ring-shaped and laced with cinnamon, covered in icing and purple, green, and gold sugar, plastic baby hidden inside — to the many twists on the original, plus growing options for the elegant French puff pastry and almond cream version. This map reflects the area’s best king cakes that are available regularly to pick up in person throughout the 2025 Carnival season. Stay tuned for a guide to the best king cakes available via pop-up or special order this season.

Did we miss an outstanding king cake available in New Orleans this year? Let Eater know.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Dong Phuong Bakery

Simply put, Dong Phuong’s famed king cakes reign supreme in New Orleans. The New Orleans East Vietnamese bakery sells its standard six flavors — cream cheese, pecan, cinnamon, strawberry, coconut, and almond creme — every day except Tuesdays for walk-in purchase from January 6 to March 3, 2025. This year, there’s even a new flavor addition — durian — which was first introduced for Lunar New Year in 2024. A few additional notes: There’s a limit of three walk-in cakes per customer, and they are generally sold out by noon. They are also available daily for walk-in pickups at a slew of local restaurants, bakeries, and cafes, listed here.

14207 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70129

Also featured in:

Joe's Cafe Coffee and Donuts (Multiple Locations)

Joe’s knows King Cakes — this family-owned business with five area locations consistently offers high-quality cakes in a range of flavors. Besides flavors like cream cheese triple berry and fillings like Bavarian cream, Joe’s offers the only fried king cake we’ve seen, a fitting twist for the much-loved doughnut shop. Visit a Joe’s location, order online for pickup or delivery, or ship overnight nationwide.

3616 N Causeway Blvd, Metairie, LA 70002

Joe’s traditional king cake.

Manny Randazzo King Cakes

Manny Randazzo’s king cakes generate a cult following each year, with the Carnival season-only bakery (in operation since 1965) legend for its sweet, braided brioche topped with icing and colored sugar. There’s no preorder for pickup — they’re dolled out on a first-come, first-served basis, but you can have this definitive king cake shipped anywhere, with beads and doubloons as part of the package.

3515 N Hullen St, Metairie, LA 70002

Maurice French Pastries

So many king cakes to love at Maurice French Pastries. Beyond the traditional, chef Jean-Luc’s specialty cakes are swoon-worthy, with flavors that have included the Pontchatoula, filled with Bavarian cream, fresh strawberries, Chantilly cream, and toasted almonds; and the Bourbon Street, oozing bourbon and toasted pecan flavored chocolate cream. Best of all, the bakery sells sizes from small to extra large, helping with the common conundrum of appropriately sized king cakes for one or two people.

3501 Hessmer Ave, Metairie, LA 70002

Maurice French Pastries king cakes.

Also featured in:

These Are New Orleans’s Best Bakeries

Gambino's Bakery

Gambino’s is an old-school New Orleans bakery famous for its Doberge cake year-round. But come Carnival season the king cakes ship around the globe, with fillings aplenty (almond wedding cake, Bavarian cream, blueberry, chocolate cream cheese, pecan praline, and more). This year, the bakery is selling deals on two and three-packs of cake flavors, your choice of variety, for $50 and $72, respectively.

4821 Veterans Memorial Blvd, Metairie, LA 70006

Also featured in:

Tastee Donut

A New Orleans childhood favorite from back in the day, Tastee has four greater New Orleans area locations and is well known for buttermilk drops, doughnuts, apple fritters, and maybe most of all, the old-school, McKenzie’s recipe king cakes in season.

901 Harrison Ave, New Orleans, LA 70124

The Sweet Life Bakery

The delightful Sweet Life bakery, now in its Metairie location, has delicate king cakes in possibly the widest range of flavors — think Ooey Gooey, bananas Foster, peaches and cream, cake batter, and many more. The cake itself enjoys a split identity between a classic French almond king cake and the brioche-based New Orleans king cake.

516 Veterans Memorial Blvd, Metairie, LA 70005

Also featured in:

New Orleans’s Best Cake Shops

Nolita Bakery

Martha Gilreath founded her Nolita king cakes pop-up a few Mardi Gras ago with delivery king cakes and opened her first bakery in Bayou St. John just in time for the start of the 2024 season. After one full king cake season at her standalone shop in the books, Gilreath's king cakes are solidified as one of the most popular in town. The cakes are dreamy; simple and delicious, based on the old-school style of McKenzie’s. There is just the one style, topped with a perfectly runny glaze and thick sugar crystals in deep, vibrant colors. Online preorders are now open, and walk-ins are welcome — just get there early.

3201 Orleans Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70119

Nolita king cakes.

Also featured in:

New Orleans’s Best Cake Shops

Norma's Sweets Bakery

Norma’s is loved for so many things — the affordable Bayou St. John market and bakery sells beautiful cakes and other sweets, as well as Honduran and Nicaraguan specialties, imported goods, and of course, its beloved guava and cream cheese king cake. The sweet guava filling is wonderfully balanced by the tang of cream cheese wrapped in crumbly dough, topped with light frosting and sprinkles.

2925 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Guava and cream cheese king cake from Norma’s Sweets Bakery

Also featured in:

Ayu Bakehouse

Ayu is one of the best new bakeries to open in New Orleans in recent years, wowing with its savory pastries, beautiful tartlets, baguettes and loaves, and holiday-themed baked goods. Mardi Gras is no exception, with Ayu’s version of king cake making a splash since its debut. The traditional is croissant-like: flaky, sweet, and buttery, and laced with a swirl of light cinnamon cream cheese filling. It’s a particularly great option for those who aren’t a fan of the white globules of icing on top — Ayu’s is simply coated with purple, green, and yellow raw sugar. King cake shipping preorders are now open.

801 Frenchmen St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Also featured in:

Bywater Bakery

One of the city’s favorites for king cake is Bywater Bakery, where chef/owner Chaya Conrad hits it out of the park with her Chantilly-filled king cake — light, toothsome, and shot through with either blueberries or strawberries. Preorder king cakes with fillings like praline, frangipane, vegan bourbon cinnamon, and, new in 2025, passionfruit pineapple. You can also stop by the bakery’s walk-up window to pick up; Conrad’s team keeps plenty of cakes in stock daily.

3624 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70117

Also featured in:

Coffee Science

Coffee Science is a sleeper hit for king cakes — but the Broad Street cafe makes some of the best in town. This year, it’s Venetian creme, Bavarian creme, and strawberry matcha, all of which are topped with a thin, glaze-like icing, rather than globs of the white stuff. Preorder these pristine cakes and pick them up during the week or drop by for first come first served on weekends.

410 S Broad St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Coffee Science’s chocolate espresso king cake

Also featured in:

Haydel's Bakery

Haydel’s serves an outstanding version of the classic New Orleans king cake, and has a location on Magazine Street for those city-dwellers who can’t make the trek to Jefferson. Sweet and topped with lots of icing and colored sugar, it’s the brioche king cake that many New Orleanians grew up eating.

4037 Jefferson Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70121

Also featured in:

B Sweet Bistro & Bakery

One of the city’s newer favorites is B Sweet, a fun N. Rampart storefront located directly across from Congo Square on the outskirts of the Quarter. Talented chef and baker Brittney Walker churns out rich, fluffy cakes in the traditional style, available for preorder online and generally available for walk-in pick up during Carnival season, especially if you’re just looking for a slice.

704 N Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Also featured in:

Where to Find the Best Restaurant Fish Fry Specials in New Orleans This Year

King Cake Hub

What did New Orleans do before King Cake Hub? It sets up shop at Zony Mash Beer Project on Broad Street again this year beginning January 6, selling some 70 varieties from the likes Bywater Bakery, Sugar Love, Zuppardo’s, Brennan’s Restaurant (also for sale at Brennan’s), and much more. Note: There is no preorders available, so your best bet is to show up early for walk-in purchase if you have a particular cake in mind. And while the hub won’t be delivering right away in January, shops says its working to find the right partner to re-institute delivery in the future.

3940 Thalia St, New Orleans, LA 70125

Also featured in:

Laurel Street Bakery

The king cakes at this Carnival season stalwart (which is located on Broad, not Laurel) are made from a light, slightly sweet dough, braided and topped with a not-too-sweet icing, with similarly balanced fillings — praline, almond, apple, strawberry cream cheese, and Nutella, a customer favorite. Preorder online by Saturday, January 4 for pick up on Monday, Jan 6 (and throughout the season).

2701 S Broad St, New Orleans, LA 70125

Also featured in:

Breads On Oak

You won’t miss anything with the king cakes from the all-vegan Breads on Oak — these cakes are exceptional, even without eggs and milk. In addition to the traditional flavor laced with cinnamon and topped with a maple syrup glaze, the bakery nails Bavarian cream, cream cheese, and more, all delicious. Order to pick up at the original location or downtown or to ship.

8640 Oak St suite a, New Orleans, LA 70118

The cream cheese king cake from Breads on Oak.

Also featured in:

Willa Jean

Willa Jean in the CBD dazzles with her uber-moist caramel crunch king cake, swirled through with cinnamon and drizzled with a cream cheese glaze. The cakes are artfully finished with thick icing and sugar pearls, one of the prettiest in town. The $40 cakes must be ordered three days in advance for daily pick up at Willa Jean between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. beginning on January 6 through Mardi Gras.

611 Okeefe Ave (Girod St), New Orleans, LA 70113

Willa Jean’s king cake.

Also featured in:

Dough Nguyener’s Bakery

This awesome Gretna bakery that’s on the newer side knocks it out of the park with its king cake, and it will be available at numerous locations this year — spots like Adams Street Grocery, Rolls n Bowls, and Thanh Thanh. Or, order online for pickup — just be sure to give this new kid on the block a try.

433 Lafayette St., New Orleans, LA 70130

Also featured in:

These Are New Orleans’s Best Bakeries

Bittersweet Confections

Bittersweet Confections has chocoholics in bliss with its much-lauded chocolate cream cheese-stuffed king cake. The brioche dough gets laced with cinnamon sugar, stuffed with chocolate cream cheese, and drizzled with more chocolate. There’s a mini version, a welcome rarity, and also a pumped-up version that adds a layer of chocolate mousse, is covered in chocolate ganache icing, and then topped with dark chocolate truffles. Preorder now for pickup on Magazine Street.

725 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Also featured in:

Tartine

Tartine flies under the radar for many, hidden near the river in the Black Pearl neighborhood, but it’s king cake has emerged as a citywide favorite in recent years. It’s a brioche base rolled with brown sugar and cream cheese, baked, and topped with the traditional icing and colorful sugar. Pickup, local delivery, and overnight or two-day shipping — with a hefty price tag — are offered; see all options here.

7217 Perrier St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Tartine’s king cake.

District Donuts Sliders Brew

New Orleanians are big fans of District Donuts’ almond-inflected king cake, which is made with Danish-style croissant dough for a super flaky and moist base. It’s flavored with almonds and lightly glazed, not frosted, which is an important distinction for some. Finally, it’s finished with colored sugar, not sprinkles, marking another textural preference in the world of king cake toppings. Preorders are open.

2209 Magazine St (Jackson), New Orleans, LA 70130

District Donuts’ king cake.

Also featured in:

Gracious Bakery (Multiple Locations)

Gracious hits it out of the park with king cakes every year, and in 2025 the bakery is keeping it simple: there’s a galette de rois, an almond (Queen), and the always-popular nectar cream. It also happens one of the best-priced, starting at $26. Want to make your own? The bakery’s kit makes it easy.

4930 Prytania St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Also featured in:

O'Delice French Bakery

Another bakery that flies under the radar, O’Delice is nestled next to a Jefferson Feed on Magazine Street. The spotless French bakery is known for perfectly executed buttercream cakes and chicken salad sandwiches. Its superior king cakes are traditionally nostalgic, with a croissant base and laced with cinnamon, and topped with fine, crunchy granules of sugar.

6033 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Also featured in:

Antoine's Famous Cakes (Multiple Locations)

With locations in Gretna and Metairie, Antoine’s Famous Cakes is a locals favorite for king cakes, equally for the “queen cake,” which is stuffed and topped with all sorts of flavors and goodies. Choose from a host of versions and fillings for in-store pickup at either location, order online, or call to have them shipped.

1300 Stumpf Blvd, Gretna, LA 70053

Also featured in:

New Orleans’s Best Cake Shops

Hi-Do Bakery

Plain, doughy, and not too sweet, the Hi-Do king cake is for the traditionalist. It’s reminiscent of the McKenzie king cakes in its simplicity — no icing, just sugar on top. The bakery also offers various filled versions. Hi-Do cakes are usually sold at King Cake Hub for those who can’t make it out to Terrytown.

439 Terry Pkwy, Terrytown, LA 70056

Also featured in:

These Are New Orleans’s Best Bakeries

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Dong Phuong Bakery

14207 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70129

Simply put, Dong Phuong’s famed king cakes reign supreme in New Orleans. The New Orleans East Vietnamese bakery sells its standard six flavors — cream cheese, pecan, cinnamon, strawberry, coconut, and almond creme — every day except Tuesdays for walk-in purchase from January 6 to March 3, 2025. This year, there’s even a new flavor addition — durian — which was first introduced for Lunar New Year in 2024. A few additional notes: There’s a limit of three walk-in cakes per customer, and they are generally sold out by noon. They are also available daily for walk-in pickups at a slew of local restaurants, bakeries, and cafes, listed here.

14207 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70129

Visit Website

Joe's Cafe Coffee and Donuts (Multiple Locations)

3616 N Causeway Blvd, Metairie, LA 70002

Joe’s knows King Cakes — this family-owned business with five area locations consistently offers high-quality cakes in a range of flavors. Besides flavors like cream cheese triple berry and fillings like Bavarian cream, Joe’s offers the only fried king cake we’ve seen, a fitting twist for the much-loved doughnut shop. Visit a Joe’s location, order online for pickup or delivery, or ship overnight nationwide.

3616 N Causeway Blvd, Metairie, LA 70002

Visit Website

Joe’s traditional king cake.

Manny Randazzo King Cakes

3515 N Hullen St, Metairie, LA 70002

Manny Randazzo’s king cakes generate a cult following each year, with the Carnival season-only bakery (in operation since 1965) legend for its sweet, braided brioche topped with icing and colored sugar. There’s no preorder for pickup — they’re dolled out on a first-come, first-served basis, but you can have this definitive king cake shipped anywhere, with beads and doubloons as part of the package.

3515 N Hullen St, Metairie, LA 70002

Visit Website

Maurice French Pastries

3501 Hessmer Ave, Metairie, LA 70002

So many king cakes to love at Maurice French Pastries. Beyond the traditional, chef Jean-Luc’s specialty cakes are swoon-worthy, with flavors that have included the Pontchatoula, filled with Bavarian cream, fresh strawberries, Chantilly cream, and toasted almonds; and the Bourbon Street, oozing bourbon and toasted pecan flavored chocolate cream. Best of all, the bakery sells sizes from small to extra large, helping with the common conundrum of appropriately sized king cakes for one or two people.

3501 Hessmer Ave, Metairie, LA 70002

Visit Website

Maurice French Pastries king cakes.

Gambino's Bakery

4821 Veterans Memorial Blvd, Metairie, LA 70006

Gambino’s is an old-school New Orleans bakery famous for its Doberge cake year-round. But come Carnival season the king cakes ship around the globe, with fillings aplenty (almond wedding cake, Bavarian cream, blueberry, chocolate cream cheese, pecan praline, and more). This year, the bakery is selling deals on two and three-packs of cake flavors, your choice of variety, for $50 and $72, respectively.

4821 Veterans Memorial Blvd, Metairie, LA 70006

Visit Website

Tastee Donut

901 Harrison Ave, New Orleans, LA 70124

A New Orleans childhood favorite from back in the day, Tastee has four greater New Orleans area locations and is well known for buttermilk drops, doughnuts, apple fritters, and maybe most of all, the old-school, McKenzie’s recipe king cakes in season.

Open in Google Maps

901 Harrison Ave, New Orleans, LA 70124

The Sweet Life Bakery

516 Veterans Memorial Blvd, Metairie, LA 70005

The delightful Sweet Life bakery, now in its Metairie location, has delicate king cakes in possibly the widest range of flavors — think Ooey Gooey, bananas Foster, peaches and cream, cake batter, and many more. The cake itself enjoys a split identity between a classic French almond king cake and the brioche-based New Orleans king cake.

516 Veterans Memorial Blvd, Metairie, LA 70005

Visit Website

Nolita Bakery

3201 Orleans Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70119

Martha Gilreath founded her Nolita king cakes pop-up a few Mardi Gras ago with delivery king cakes and opened her first bakery in Bayou St. John just in time for the start of the 2024 season. After one full king cake season at her standalone shop in the books, Gilreath's king cakes are solidified as one of the most popular in town. The cakes are dreamy; simple and delicious, based on the old-school style of McKenzie’s. There is just the one style, topped with a perfectly runny glaze and thick sugar crystals in deep, vibrant colors. Online preorders are now open, and walk-ins are welcome — just get there early.

Open in Google Maps

3201 Orleans Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70119

Visit Website

Nolita king cakes.

Norma's Sweets Bakery

2925 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Norma’s is loved for so many things — the affordable Bayou St. John market and bakery sells beautiful cakes and other sweets, as well as Honduran and Nicaraguan specialties, imported goods, and of course, its beloved guava and cream cheese king cake. The sweet guava filling is wonderfully balanced by the tang of cream cheese wrapped in crumbly dough, topped with light frosting and sprinkles.

2925 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Guava and cream cheese king cake from Norma’s Sweets Bakery

Ayu Bakehouse

801 Frenchmen St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Ayu is one of the best new bakeries to open in New Orleans in recent years, wowing with its savory pastries, beautiful tartlets, baguettes and loaves, and holiday-themed baked goods. Mardi Gras is no exception, with Ayu’s version of king cake making a splash since its debut. The traditional is croissant-like: flaky, sweet, and buttery, and laced with a swirl of light cinnamon cream cheese filling. It’s a particularly great option for those who aren’t a fan of the white globules of icing on top — Ayu’s is simply coated with purple, green, and yellow raw sugar. King cake shipping preorders are now open.

801 Frenchmen St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Visit Website

Bywater Bakery

3624 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70117

One of the city’s favorites for king cake is Bywater Bakery, where chef/owner Chaya Conrad hits it out of the park with her Chantilly-filled king cake — light, toothsome, and shot through with either blueberries or strawberries. Preorder king cakes with fillings like praline, frangipane, vegan bourbon cinnamon, and, new in 2025, passionfruit pineapple. You can also stop by the bakery’s walk-up window to pick up; Conrad’s team keeps plenty of cakes in stock daily.

3624 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70117

Visit Website

Coffee Science

410 S Broad St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Coffee Science is a sleeper hit for king cakes — but the Broad Street cafe makes some of the best in town. This year, it’s Venetian creme, Bavarian creme, and strawberry matcha, all of which are topped with a thin, glaze-like icing, rather than globs of the white stuff. Preorder these pristine cakes and pick them up during the week or drop by for first come first served on weekends.

410 S Broad St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Visit Website

Coffee Science’s chocolate espresso king cake

Haydel's Bakery

4037 Jefferson Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70121

Haydel’s serves an outstanding version of the classic New Orleans king cake, and has a location on Magazine Street for those city-dwellers who can’t make the trek to Jefferson. Sweet and topped with lots of icing and colored sugar, it’s the brioche king cake that many New Orleanians grew up eating.

4037 Jefferson Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70121

Visit Website

B Sweet Bistro & Bakery

704 N Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70116

One of the city’s newer favorites is B Sweet, a fun N. Rampart storefront located directly across from Congo Square on the outskirts of the Quarter. Talented chef and baker Brittney Walker churns out rich, fluffy cakes in the traditional style, available for preorder online and generally available for walk-in pick up during Carnival season, especially if you’re just looking for a slice.

Open in Google Maps

704 N Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Visit Website

King Cake Hub

3940 Thalia St, New Orleans, LA 70125

What did New Orleans do before King Cake Hub? It sets up shop at Zony Mash Beer Project on Broad Street again this year beginning January 6, selling some 70 varieties from the likes Bywater Bakery, Sugar Love, Zuppardo’s, Brennan’s Restaurant (also for sale at Brennan’s), and much more. Note: There is no preorders available, so your best bet is to show up early for walk-in purchase if you have a particular cake in mind. And while the hub won’t be delivering right away in January, shops says its working to find the right partner to re-institute delivery in the future.

3940 Thalia St, New Orleans, LA 70125

Visit Website

Related Maps

Laurel Street Bakery

2701 S Broad St, New Orleans, LA 70125

The king cakes at this Carnival season stalwart (which is located on Broad, not Laurel) are made from a light, slightly sweet dough, braided and topped with a not-too-sweet icing, with similarly balanced fillings — praline, almond, apple, strawberry cream cheese, and Nutella, a customer favorite. Preorder online by Saturday, January 4 for pick up on Monday, Jan 6 (and throughout the season).

2701 S Broad St, New Orleans, LA 70125

Visit Website

Breads On Oak

8640 Oak St suite a, New Orleans, LA 70118

You won’t miss anything with the king cakes from the all-vegan Breads on Oak — these cakes are exceptional, even without eggs and milk. In addition to the traditional flavor laced with cinnamon and topped with a maple syrup glaze, the bakery nails Bavarian cream, cream cheese, and more, all delicious. Order to pick up at the original location or downtown or to ship.

8640 Oak St suite a, New Orleans, LA 70118

Visit Website

The cream cheese king cake from Breads on Oak.

Willa Jean

611 Okeefe Ave (Girod St), New Orleans, LA 70113

Willa Jean in the CBD dazzles with her uber-moist caramel crunch king cake, swirled through with cinnamon and drizzled with a cream cheese glaze. The cakes are artfully finished with thick icing and sugar pearls, one of the prettiest in town. The $40 cakes must be ordered three days in advance for daily pick up at Willa Jean between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. beginning on January 6 through Mardi Gras.

611 Okeefe Ave (Girod St), New Orleans, LA 70113

Visit Website

Willa Jean’s king cake.

Dough Nguyener’s Bakery

433 Lafayette St., New Orleans, LA 70130

This awesome Gretna bakery that’s on the newer side knocks it out of the park with its king cake, and it will be available at numerous locations this year — spots like Adams Street Grocery, Rolls n Bowls, and Thanh Thanh. Or, order online for pickup — just be sure to give this new kid on the block a try.

Open in Google Maps

433 Lafayette St., New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Bittersweet Confections

725 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Bittersweet Confections has chocoholics in bliss with its much-lauded chocolate cream cheese-stuffed king cake. The brioche dough gets laced with cinnamon sugar, stuffed with chocolate cream cheese, and drizzled with more chocolate. There’s a mini version, a welcome rarity, and also a pumped-up version that adds a layer of chocolate mousse, is covered in chocolate ganache icing, and then topped with dark chocolate truffles. Preorder now for pickup on Magazine Street.

725 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Tartine

7217 Perrier St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Tartine flies under the radar for many, hidden near the river in the Black Pearl neighborhood, but it’s king cake has emerged as a citywide favorite in recent years. It’s a brioche base rolled with brown sugar and cream cheese, baked, and topped with the traditional icing and colorful sugar. Pickup, local delivery, and overnight or two-day shipping — with a hefty price tag — are offered; see all options here.

7217 Perrier St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Visit Website

Tartine’s king cake.

District Donuts Sliders Brew

2209 Magazine St (Jackson), New Orleans, LA 70130

New Orleanians are big fans of District Donuts’ almond-inflected king cake, which is made with Danish-style croissant dough for a super flaky and moist base. It’s flavored with almonds and lightly glazed, not frosted, which is an important distinction for some. Finally, it’s finished with colored sugar, not sprinkles, marking another textural preference in the world of king cake toppings. Preorders are open.

2209 Magazine St (Jackson), New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

District Donuts’ king cake.

Gracious Bakery (Multiple Locations)

4930 Prytania St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Gracious hits it out of the park with king cakes every year, and in 2025 the bakery is keeping it simple: there’s a galette de rois, an almond (Queen), and the always-popular nectar cream. It also happens one of the best-priced, starting at $26. Want to make your own? The bakery’s kit makes it easy.

4930 Prytania St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Visit Website

O'Delice French Bakery

6033 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Another bakery that flies under the radar, O’Delice is nestled next to a Jefferson Feed on Magazine Street. The spotless French bakery is known for perfectly executed buttercream cakes and chicken salad sandwiches. Its superior king cakes are traditionally nostalgic, with a croissant base and laced with cinnamon, and topped with fine, crunchy granules of sugar.

6033 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Visit Website

Antoine's Famous Cakes (Multiple Locations)

1300 Stumpf Blvd, Gretna, LA 70053

With locations in Gretna and Metairie, Antoine’s Famous Cakes is a locals favorite for king cakes, equally for the “queen cake,” which is stuffed and topped with all sorts of flavors and goodies. Choose from a host of versions and fillings for in-store pickup at either location, order online, or call to have them shipped.

1300 Stumpf Blvd, Gretna, LA 70053

Visit Website

Hi-Do Bakery

439 Terry Pkwy, Terrytown, LA 70056

Plain, doughy, and not too sweet, the Hi-Do king cake is for the traditionalist. It’s reminiscent of the McKenzie king cakes in its simplicity — no icing, just sugar on top. The bakery also offers various filled versions. Hi-Do cakes are usually sold at King Cake Hub for those who can’t make it out to Terrytown.

Open in Google Maps

439 Terry Pkwy, Terrytown, LA 70056

Visit Website

Related Maps