If you’re here to find an easy recipe for a gluten-free king cake that satisfies even the toughest critics, you’re at the right place.
My family and I live in New Orleans, so we’ve enjoyed my share of king cakes from every bakery in town. When it came to creating this recipe, it took many tries and different mixes to create a gluten-free king cake recipe that tastes great and has a texture similar to the classic.
The best part is that you don’t need to be an experienced gluten-free baker to make this king cake. Since I first published this recipe in 2014, many have used it to celebrate a little bit of New Orleans gluten-free.
If you’re local to New Orleans and have seen the outrageous prices on gluten-free king cakes in town, this will save you a ton of money!
King Cake Tradition
In New Orleans, the King Cake tradition goes back to when the French brought their celebration of the Epiphany, or the 12th night, on January 6th, which historically marks the arrival of the three wise men/kings in Bethlehem delivering gifts to baby Jesus.
Growing up in Spain, we only enjoyed King Cake on January 6th; but here in New Orleans, king cake is enjoyed beginning January 6th through Mardi Gras day.
To carry on the tradition, you’ll often find a small, plastic baby hidden inside a king cake (I’ve linked some options below for you).
What Does King Cake Taste Like?
Traditional king cake tastes a lot like brioche (sweet bread) and a cinnamon roll.
Locally, different bakeries have a “signature flavor” to their traditional king cake dough. Some have more vanilla; others add almond, more cinnamon, less cinnamon, but ultimately it’s a cinnamon-flavored dough.
The distinction is that a king cake is also covered in icing colored in green, purple, and gold. However, many king cakes are covered in white icing and covered in green, purple, and gold sprinkles or colored sugar.
Best Gluten-Free King Cake
The best gluten-free king cake is one that has a yeast-like dough feel with enough cinnamon to set it apart from plain sweet bread. The texture is also light and airy, not dense.
To achieve a good gluten-free texture, I tried many gluten-free flour mixes to create this recipe. Over the years, every time a new mix comes out, I try it and keep going back to the two gluten-free four mixes I recommend you purchase to make this recipe.
The most difficult part was figuring out whether I should use a mix or mix my gluten-free flours, how to shape the cake into its traditional shape, and well, whether or not the whole thing would taste and feel like the real thing.
I’ve learned about gluten-free baking that it’s nothing like the traditional King Cake Recipe. Baking gluten-free is another animal and, as I update this post in 2021, I’ve had seven years of trying every mix sold.
There is a reason I suggest one main gluten-free flour mix to get the best results: the protein, leavening, and stretching agents have to come from somewhere, and every combination is different, and each yields different results.
Gluten-Free King Cake Ingredients
There are three sets of ingredients to make this gluten-free king cake: the dough, the filling, and the frosting.
For the Cake:
- Pamela’s Gluten-Free Bread Mix
- Instant yeast
- Sugar
- Butter
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Milk
- Water
For the cinnamon filling:
- Brown sugar
- Ground cinnamon
For the frosting:
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Milk
- Green, purple, and gold sprinkles or colored sugar
Best Gluten-Free King Cake Mix
After trying many gluten-free bread mixes, I continue to use Pamela’s Gluten-Free Bread Mix for this recipe. You will need one 19-ounce bag, or 4 cups, for the dough and an additional for flouring the surface.
I’ve also had success with King Arthur Flour Bread Mix following this recipe and method.
You can find both of these on Amazon (which I’ve linked for you), at many traditional grocery stores, and Whole Foods.
Which Gluten-Free Flours Can You Use for King Cake?
To make a great gluten-free king cake you’ll need to mix a protein-rich gluten-free flour with starch and lower protein flours for volume.
Pamela’s mix uses a combination of Sorghum Flour, Tapioca Flour, White Rice Flour, Sweet Rice Flour, Brown Rice Flour; all of which have a purpose when mixed.
I don’t recommend mixing your own flours to make a gluten-free king cake.
GF King Cake Frosting
The frosting for a gluten-free king cake is made by combining powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla for flavoring. The consistency is runny and easy to spread over the top of the king cake.
On top of the frosting, you’ll want to sprinkle colored sugar or sprinkles.
Here are a few options:
- Mardigras Decorating Set (sugars and baby)
- Sanding Sugars (multiple colors) or,
- Edible confetti
- Hidden baby (a good one to use year after year)
How to Make a Gluten-Free King Cake
You can make the batter for the gluten-free king cake recipe the night before and do an overnight rise or, the same day with a 1-hour and 30-minute rise on the counter, at room temperature. The printable recipe card below includes both methods.
- Prep
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. - Combine ingredients
In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the gluten-free flour mix, instant yeast, sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, ½ cup warm milk, and warm water. - Make the sugar mix
Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. - Mix the dough
Using the hook attachment or one attachment of a hand mixer, combine the ingredients and mix, for about 3 minutes, until a wet sticky dough forms. Stop a few times to scrape the sides of the bowl, and continue. - Transfer to a zip bag
Transfer the batter inside a gallon-sized zip bag or large piping bag. Push the batter down to make a cylinder and twist. - Shape
Slice a 1″ hole in the corner of your zip bag and carefully squeeze the batter giving it a round shape on top of the parchment paper, making a round circle. - Make it sweet
Generously sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the circle batter until it’s all covered. - Cover
Once again, carefully distribute the batter over the cinnamon-topped base by squeezing the batter out of the bag, spreading it in a zig zag motion. With wet fingertips, manually spread the batter to cover all the cinnamon-covered spaces. - Rise
Whether you choose to allow the batter to rise in a warm place in the kitchen for 1.5 hours or overnight in the refrigerator, this king cake must rise. - Prep the oven
Preheat oven to 350F. - Brush the top
Brush a few tablespoons of milk over the top of the cake before baking. - Bake
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the bread’s internal temperature is 200F. - Cool
Allow the king cake to cool down to room temperature. Meanwhile, prepare your frosting. - Decorate
Once cooled, distribute the frosting over the top of the cake in a thick and even layer. Once the glaze is semi-set, sprinkle with colored sugar or sprinkles.
How to Make a Dairy-Free King Cake
You can make this king cake recipe dairy-free by doing the following substitutes:
| Traditional Ingredient | Dairy-Free Substitute |
|---|---|
| butter | coconut oil or vegetable oil |
| milk (in dough) | coconut milk (canned), original almond milk |
| milk (in icing) | any dairy-free milk |
How to Make Egg-Free King Cake
This recipe calls for 3 eggs and the maximum I recommend replacing in any baked recipe is 2. This recipe was not developed to use an egg replacer. You can read more about egg substitutes in baking in this post.
Gluten-Free King Cake
If you’re looking for an easy gluten-free king cake recipe to make at home, this recipe is perfect for beginners to make. You can rise it overnight or on the counter, both methods below.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 16
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: New Orleans
Ingredients
King cake dough:
- 4 cups Pamela’s Gluten-Free Bread Mix*
- 3 teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet)
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk, warmed (no hotter than 115F)
- ¾ cup water, warmed (no hotter than 115F)
Cinnamon filling:
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Frosting:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
- Green, purple, and gold sprinkles or decorative sugar
Instructions
-
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
-
Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.
-
In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the gluten-free flour mix, instant yeast, and sugar.
-
Add the melted butter, eggs, vanilla, ½ cup warm milk, and warm water.
-
Using the hook attachment or one attachment of a hand mixer, combine the ingredients and mix, for about 3 minutes, until a wet sticky dough forms, stopping a few times to scrape the sides of the bowl.
-
With a large spoon or spatula, transfer the batter inside a gallon-sized zip bag or large piping bag. Push the batter down to make a cylinder and twist.
-
Slice a 1″ hole in the corner of your zip bag and carefully squeeze the batter giving it a round shape on top of the parchment paper, making a round circle.
- Generously sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the circle batter until it’s all covered.
- Continue to distribute the batter over the cinnamon-topped base by squeezing the batter out of the bag, spreading it in a zig-zag motion. With wet fingertips, manually spread the batter to cover ll the cinnamon-covered spaces
- Rise: allow the shaped cake to rise in a warm place in the kitchen for 1.5 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Do not skip this step, pick one.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Brush the top of the king cake with a few tablespoons of milk over the top of the cake for moisture.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the bread’s internal temperature is 200F.
- Remove from the oven and allow the king cake to cool down to room temperature.
- Once cooled, combine the powder sugar, vanilla, and milk in a medium bowl.
- Spread the frosting over the top of the cake in a thick and even layer. Once the glaze is semi-set, sprinkle with colored sugar or sprinkles.
Notes
Both Pamela’s Gluten-Free Bread Mix and King Arthur Flour Bread Mix have consistently yielded the best results.
Make the dough dairy-free by using melted coconut oil or dairy-free baking sticks instead of butter, canned coconut milk, or unsweetened dairy-free milk (not the light kind, you want a thick texture to the milk), or coffee creamer instead of the milk in the dough. For the frosting, you can use any dairy-free milk alternative.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 234
- Sugar: 15.1 g
- Sodium: 19.1 mg
- Fat: 3.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45.8 g
- Fiber: 1.4 g
- Protein: 3.8 g
- Cholesterol: 42.7 mg
Christy
Could you stuff this with a cream cheese filling?
Laura Fuentes
I have not tried stuffing it but you could after the first oval-base is done and before you zig-zag your tops.
Nikki
Are you able to shape the dough in more traditional ways (e.g. without the piping bag) or is the dough unruly?
Laura Fuentes
The dough is more like a really thick batter which is why you need a zip or piping bag as shown.
Roby
How much extra should I add if I live in high elevations over 8000 feet (Rocky Mountains of Colorado)? Thanks!
Laura Fuentes
Hi Roby, since we are baking this cake according to the internal temperature, I would keep the cake in the oven for the recommended time. Use a regular kitchen thermometer to check the internal temperature of the cake for 200F.
Jamie
I just wanted to say thank you for this recipe. I’ve made it numerous times now and no one knows or cares that it’s gluten free. I also most recently turned it into cupcakes with a cream cheese filling/topping and they are so cute and perfect!
★★★★★
Laura Fuentes
So happy to hear this recipe has been a success for you!
Diana
Wow!! This recipe is terrific! I’ve always wanted to make a King’s Cake. I made it today for Mardi Gras for my GF family. Everyone absolutely loved it! Especially my 12 year old son.
I used the overnight method. It worked perfectly! Thank you!!!
★★★★★
Maria
School cancelled tomorrow and I am thinking of making this with the girls. It is/will continue to be in the negatives. On hand I have Namaste blend gluten free flour. Will this still work out? THANK YOU!!
Laura Fuentes
This recipe only works with a gluten-free flour blend for bread making. It will not work well with traditional all-purpose flour blends.
Alison Chase
Questions: has anyone tried the recipe without eggs? We have egg allergy in the family. I tried with egg replacer and a smidge extra butter and it tasted great but came out very dense. I also don’t have a stand mixer so don’t know if that was the issue. I had to use a hand mixer which didn’t work well and it may not have fully mixed. Love any ideas/ feedback! Thank you for the detailed recipe!!
Laura Fuentes
Using an egg “substitute” is not recommended when more than 2 eggs are needed because the recipe will come out denser. There’s just nothing you can do about it. That said, I have tried this gluten-free king cake with my flax replacer and a commercial replacer; and although not as soft and fluffy, you can still make this recipe egg-free with one of the egg replacements in this post.
Melanie
Thank you, thank you for this recipe! I made this today for my daughter-in-law’s birthday. She cannot have gluten OR dairy, so I subbed Silk Creamy Cashew milk. My grocery store does not carry Pamela’s flour, so I used Glutino sandwich bread flour mix. The Glutino box only contains 3 1/2 cups, so back to the store for more – but they were out! After a thorough search of the shelves (involving 4 store employees), I bought Simple Truth gluten free flour mix and added a half cup of that. This is my first foray into gluten free baking, and I’m quite pleased with the result. I’ll think ahead next time so I can try Pamela’s bread mix. Thank you SO much for this recipe!!
★★★★★
Michele
Could I use the dough setting on my bread machine to mix this? I don’t have a stand mixer.
Laura Fuentes
Yes. You can use the dough setting in your bread machine to knead it for you. Remove it and follow the recipe as directed. Enjoy!
Sally Lou
Amazing recipe. I managed to get my dough into a spiral, so I got a great tasting and pretty looking King Cake. Thank you for putting this recipe together!
Alicia Pettus
Thank you so much for this recipe. Have you tried using Pamela’s All Purpose flour instead of the Bread Flour? Thanks again!
★★★★★
Laura Fuentes
I have. I feel that the “bread” flour gives this recipe a softer texture. Definitely worth buying for this gluten-free King Cake recipe
Dillon
Do you think that refrigerating the dough is better than letting it rise for an hour? I’m not a huge baker, so perhaps this is a dumb question, but is it normal for the cake to come out of the fridge looking the same? I assume it will rise when it is put into the oven?
★★★★★
Laura Fuentes
Refrigerating the dough is the option if you want to make the cake ahead of time and want to have it ready to bake fresh in the morning. Refrigeration is not “better than” or “in addition to” it’s a slow fermentation of the yeast. Enjoy!
Grace
This looks great! I am planning to use this recipe to make a Rosca for King’s day. I have a question about the Pamela’s mix. Are you using the instant yeast instead of the yeast that comes in the mix? Or in addition to the yeast packet that comes in the mix? THank you for your help.
Laura Fuentes
When I created this recipe, my Pamela’s Bread mix did not include yeast. I used a separate instant yeast, measured it, and used it as written. I suggest you measure the packet included in your mix to the amount shown in the recipe. Enjoy!
Susan
Your cake is so pretty. What sprinkles are you using?
Laura Fuentes
I bought some Mardi Gras colored sprinkles on Amazon.
Cathy
We made 3 cakes for an epiphany party with our church youth group in Jan and I am making 4 for our Mardi Gras party at the end of this month. They were devoured and looked amazing. I will attach photos after we decorate ours at the end of the month. It such an easy recipe and tastes wonderful. My daughter did the decorating. Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
Judy Baird
Thank you so much for the recipe. Now we don’t have to keep going buy the cakes at the store and wishing that they made a gluten free version!
Laura Fuentes
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Linda
The recipe is great – this was my test bake before next weekend and my kitchen was no where near warm enough so dough did not rise enough and cake came out dense like a bagel… however it’s like the best GF bagel ever lol
Next time I will make sure to 1) have a warm enough environment for proper rise & 2) the bottom layer needed to be smaller, maybe only cut 1/2” up the bag corner to get a smaller “tube”.
Dough is very sticky so it needs to go into place the first time.
Amazingly good flavor and my boyfriend who is not GF loves the flavor.
We used a cream cheese icing more like for cinnamon rolls simply to help with the non-cake texture.
Will be making again next week and will update. Thank you for the recipe!!
★★★★★
Mary Sardegna
Hi there, Can I use coconut milk instead of regular milk? Not the canned kind but Silk coconut milk?
Laura Fuentes
Yes, you can use coconut milk. Enjoy.
Judy
I’m preparing to make this recipe for a postponed Mardi Gras party (yes, in June. The snow and ice knocked out power and knocked down several tree limbs, so here we are!). I’ve not made a king’s cake before. What are the dimensions of the first ring I’m supposed to pipe out? Thanks for your help.
Laura Fuentes
Hi Judy, the ring should be about 12 inches round -give or take.
Kristy
I love this recipe! I’ve adapted it to make Finnish Pulla and the piping technique allows me to get a braid look without the frustration of sticky dough and the resulting dense loaf from too much flour and handling.
★★★★★
Laura Fuentes
Brilliant adaptation!
Jody
Excellent recipe. I waited until the night before to start making and could only get Bob’s Red Mill bread flour at my grocery store. It made for a very thick batter that was difficult to pipe. My next attempt I will definitely make sure to get Pamela’s ahead of time. I didn’t expect my grocery store to stop carrying Pamela’s bread flour when they have every other flour in her line. I was so bummed. But while dense, my celiac daughter loved it. She’ll love it even more when I do it right next year! Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★