Just because you're not in New Orleans doesn't mean you can't celebrate Fat Tuesday! Our Mardi Gras party ideas will help you throw a bash that's fun for all ages.
The Best Mardi Gras Party Ideas for a Family-Friendly Bash
Updated on Jun. 03, 2024
Mardi Gras is a fun holiday with vibrant traditions and delicious Louisiana-inspired cuisine, so why not get your friends and family together for a Mardi Gras-themed party? Even if you’re hundreds of miles away from NOLA, you can still host a Mardi Gras bash that will bring the celebration to you.
How to Throw a Mardi Gras Party
You’ll need festive decorations, party games and a spread of delicious food.
How to Decorate for Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras is known for its bright, tricolor decorations. The traditional Mardi Gras colors are purple to symbolize justice, green to symbolize faith and gold to symbolize power. Any themed party will decorate using this color scheme.
Here are a couple fun decorating ideas:
- Place purple, green and gold balloons around the party area.
- Use a metallic backdrop as a makeshift photo station.
- Set any color-changing smart lightbulbs to purple and green.
- Look for a Mardi Gras piñata at your local party store.
- Use one of these Mardi Gras DIY centerpieces to decorate your table.
Don’t forget the staple of any good Mardi Gras event: bead necklaces. The metallic necklaces are a staple at Mardi Gras parades, and your family will love layering them on.
What to Serve at Your Mardi Gras Party
Once you have your Mardi Gras decorations squared away, it’s time to plan the menu. Good food is an essential for Mardi Gras—after all, it literally means Fat Tuesday!
Your menu will vary depending on whether you’re hosting a brunch, mid-afternoon party or nighttime soiree, but you’ll probably want to serve up some New Orleans-inspired recipes to pay homage to the event’s cultural roots. This could mean heaping platters of beans and rice, bowls of jambalaya or gumbo or a delicious seafood dish! Here’s a list of our best recipes for Mardi Gras to give you inspiration.
What about a Mardi Gras dessert? In addition to foods like beignets or cupcakes, you simply have to serve a traditional New Orleans king cake—it’s a Mardi Gras staple. King cakes typically have a swirl of cinnamon inside and a sweet glaze over top, and it’s tradition to bake a tiny baby figurine into the treat. Whoever ends up with the baby in their slice is supposed to have a year of good luck and prosperity—and in many circles, they’re also responsible for hosting the party next year.
Of course, Hurricanes are the unofficial drink of Mardi Gras, but if you’re hosting a party with kids, you can opt for a big pitcher of virgin Hurricanes for everyone to enjoy. If you aren’t in the mood for a Hurricane, the adults can enjoy these other classic Mardi Gras drinks.
Fun Mardi Gras Party Activities for the Whole Family
You can keep the party going all day—or night—with these fun Mardi Gras games and activities:
Mardi Gras Mask Decorating
Masquerade masks are another staple of the holiday, so why not create a mask-decorating station? You’ll need plain masks and decorating supplies like paint, glue, glitter (if you dare) and Mardi Gras-colored feathers. Kids and adults will have a blast creating fun masks to wear during the party.
Scavenger Hunt
Another way to get everyone involved in the festivities is with a selfie scavenger hunt! You can purchase scavenger hunt instructions or create your own list of mandatory selfies—in the photo booth, with the King Cake baby, wearing at least 10 necklaces, etc. At the end of the party, the person who completed the most selfies gets a prize to take home.
Pin the Mask on the Jester
You can put a festive twist on the traditional party game of “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” by purchasing or printing a cutout of a Mardi Gras jester. Your guests can take turns getting blindfolded and spun around, and then they have to try to get the jester’s mask onto his face.
With these Mardi Gras party ideas, you’ll be able to put together an unforgettable bash for your family and friends. Just don’t be surprised if it becomes an annual tradition!
Desserts Perfect for a Mardi Gras Party
King Cake RecipeHere is the story behind this lucky dessert—and a guide on how to make king cake from scratch.
Bourbon Pecan PralinesLike authentic pecan pralines found in New Orleans, these treats are sweet, crunchy and rich! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
One of our favorite Mardi Gras desserts is pralines, a sugary sweet candy that melts in your mouth. You'll find this treat all over New Orleans, and making it is relatively simple. Heating the ingredients to the soft-ball stage (236°F) may sound intimidating, but it's easy to do with a candy thermometer.
Your event isn't complete without some of our best recipes for Mardi Gras.
Bananas Foster SundaesI have wonderful memories of eating bananas Foster in New Orleans, and as a dietitian, wanted to find a healthier version. I combined the best of two recipes and added my own tweaks to create this southern treat. —Lisa Varner, Charleston, South Carolina
It's said that this dessert was created at Brennan's Vieux Carré Restaurant on Bourbon Street as a way to use up excess bananas. The dish is often made tableside with a technique called flambé where rum is lit on fire in an impressive performance. We skip the theatrics with this dessert and make it on the stovetop—no fire extinguisher needed to enjoy this tasty treat.
Mardi Gras CupcakesTake these simple Mardi Gras cupcakes to a get-together and watch them disappear. Kids will love to help decorate them with the colorful sprinkles. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
These festive cupcakes capture the spirit of the classic Mardi Gras king cake—decorated purple, green and gold to represent justice, faith and power—but their miniature form makes them easier to serve. Separating the batter to mix with flavored gelatin adds to the fun, and layering the cupcakes creates a gorgeous color contrast.
Turtle Praline TartThis rich dessert is my own creation, and I'm very proud of it. It's easy enough to make for everyday meals but special enough to serve guests or take to a potluck. —Kathy Specht, Clinton, Montana
This five-ingredient dessert looks like it took hours to make, but it actually couldn't be easier. The pie crust needs to be prebaked, but the remaining ingredients set up in the refrigerator to create a no-bake tart. Get ready to hand out the recipe, because this is one of those Mardi Gras desserts that gets gobbled up fast!
Butter Pecan CakeThis irresistible butter pecan cake features multiple layers, plenty of toasted buttery pecan crunch and a thick layer of buttercream frosting. In a word, it's delicious. Serve with a scoop of vanilla or maple ice cream to complement this decadent southern dessert.
Bananas Foster on the GrillBananas Foster is my husband's favorite dessert, and this is one of the easiest recipes I've ever found. Not only is it delicious, it's a great way to use those bananas that are a little too ripe to just peel and eat. —Rebecca Clark, Warrior, Alabama
Taking this classic New Orleans dessert to the barbecue gives the bananas grill marks that look gorgeous when you bring this dish to the table. Just be sure to keep your bananas inside the peel when you slice them in half. The fruit will soften and turn mushy (in a good way) as it cooks, and it would be a real pain to turn the bananas without the peel providing a little structure.
Chewy Pecan Pie BarsThis treat is one of my husband's favorites. I've been making these bars for many years, and we still can't get enough. I never mind making this recipe—it's about as easy as baking can be! —Judy Taylor, Shreveport, Louisiana
Not all Mardi Gras parties involve sitting around a table. You might be up dancing or playing games instead. These pecan pie bars are perfect if you want a dessert that can move with your guests. They taste exactly like pecan pie, but they're handheld and easy to eat. Of course, you could serve them on a plate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, too.
Springtime Beignets & BerriesI've always loved beignets, but never thought I could make them myself. Turns out they're easy! Sometimes I'll even make a quick berry whipped cream and pipe it inside for a fun surprise. —Kathi Hemmer, Grand Junction, Colorado
These deep-fried doughy delights get a burst of freshness when they're served with fresh berries. To customize the recipe for your Mardi Gras party, add purple, green and gold sprinkles to the whipped cream before serving. Or color the powdered sugar with decorating dust and dust the platter in three different waves.
Classic Creme BruleeWith a caramelized topping and custardy filling, a creme brulee recipe will always bring an air of elegance to any dessert menu.
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Monkey BreadTime to give rum cake a little competition! If this boozy take on monkey bread is too strong for your taste, cut back on the bourbon or use milk as a non-alcoholic substitute. —James Schend, Plesant Prairie, Wisconsin
We love monkey bread, but it's even more delicious when the dough balls are stuffed with chocolate and baked with bourbon-infused chocolate and caramel sauces. The homemade dough is light and fluffy, but it can be a little time-consuming. As a shortcut, use a couple cans of refrigerated biscuit dough instead.
King Cake with Cream Cheese FillingRound out your Mardi Gras celebration with a King Cake—a colorful ring-shaped pastry drizzled with green, gold and purple icing. This stunning cake has become the gala holiday’s signature dessert.—Alice LeJeune, Ville Platte, Louisiana
This shortcut king cake recipe comes together in about 45 minutes, making it ideal as a last-minute Mardi Gras dessert option. The sugary cream cheese filling is packed with warm cinnamon, and the refrigerated crescent roll dough crisps up beautifully in the oven. Top it off with a few drizzles of colorful icing, and this one is a winner!
Favorite Chocolate-Bourbon Pecan TartI grew up in Louisiana where, as in most of the South, pecan pie is a staple. This tart variation is extra good because it includes chocolate. I decided to up the decadence even more by adding bourbon and drizzling some caramel on top. —Amber Needham, San Antonio, Texas
Pecan pie has a special place in our hearts, but we'll never say no to a tart version that's loaded with chocolate and bourbon. This tart can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator; just bring the dish to room temperature before serving. It can also be frozen for three months and thawed overnight in the fridge.
Candied PecansThese candied pecans combine toasty nuts with butter, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla for a salty-sweet snack that you can eat by the handful or as an accompaniment to salad, cheese, desserts and so much more.
Pecans are a quintessential part of southern cooking, and candying them in butter and sugar creates a light but flavorful dessert. Make sure you spread the pecans out in an even layer on the baking sheet before popping them in the oven, or they won't toast evenly. As a bonus, any leftovers can be used on a salad for lunch tomorrow.
Banana Bread PuddingWarm and indulgent, this banana bread pudding makes a wonderful main dish for a weekend brunch or a family breakfast.
Is bread pudding a breakfast or a dessert? Both! This recipe uses pieces of bananas to amp up the bananas Foster vibe, so it's a wonderful dessert for a Mardi Gras dinner party. We wouldn't be upset if it was served during a Mardi Gras brunch, either.
Berry-Filled DoughnutsFour ingredients are all you'll need for this sure-bet breakfast treat. Friends and family will never guess that refrigerated buttermilk biscuits are the base for these golden, jelly-filled doughnuts. —Ginny Watson, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
A filled doughnut called packzi is one of the most famous Fat Tuesday snacks, so berry-filled doughnuts absolutely fit the bill for your next Mardi Gras dessert platter. There's no need to make the dough from scratch, either; you'll be amazed at how well refrigerated biscuit dough works here! By the time you dust them with confectioners' sugar, no one will be the wiser.
Margarita CakeThis margarita cake is made with cake mix, margarita mix, pudding mix and lime juice, topped with a zesty glaze, for a moist and showstopping Bundt cake dessert.
Extravagant drinks are a big part of Mardi Gras, and this cake captures all the flavor of a margarita without any of the booze. If you can't find the frozen margarita mix called for in the recipe, substitute a can of frozen limeade or liquid margarita mix instead. Don’t forget to check out our collection of the best Mardi Gras drinks.
Butter Pecan CookiesThese buttery soft, flaky butter pecan cookies are rich in flavor and versatile enough to complement other desserts and sweet treats too.
Bread Pudding with Bourbon SauceThis bread pudding with bourbon sauce recipe is deliciously decadent and perfect for a chilly day... or any day! A slow cooker does most of the work, so just sit back and relax for a while until it's time to dig in. Enjoy!
This slow cooker dessert recipe is a lifesaver if you're struggling to get everything together for a Mardi Gras party. The bread pudding is completely hands-off, cooking in about three hours on low in the slow cooker, freeing you up to work on the event's other components. When it comes time to serve, bring the sauce ingredients to a boil, scoop the bread pudding into cups or bowls and drizzle on the sauce.
Banana Cream EclairsTo surprise my banana-loving family, I made this dessert for a reunion, where it stood out among the usual fare. These special treats are something to look at and mouthwateringly delicious. —Ruby Williams, Bogalusa, Louisiana
If doughnuts are served at most Fat Tuesday celebrations, we think éclairs also belong on the Mardi Gras desserts menu—especially when they bring a strong bananas Foster energy! If you end up with extra banana whipped cream after filling the puffs, serve it on the side with fresh berries or use it to top coffee or hot chocolate.
Banana-Hazelnut Pain Perdu DuetThe ultimate breakfast at our house is French toast with warm bananas and Nutella. Pass it around with confectioners' sugar, maple syrup and fresh mint. —Charlene Chambers, Ormond Beach, Florida
Pain perdu is basically a fancy name for French toast, and this recipe combines some of our favorite Mardi Gras desserts into one dish. It has a cream cheese filling like king cake and brown-sugared bananas like bananas Foster. It could easily be served for brunch, but we love it for dessert, too.
