If you love king cake but you’re also keeping an eye on nutrition, we’ve got the best and worst king cake finds. Molly’s “Love it” top picks have little or no added sugar, and are rich in protein or heart-smart fats – and they’re tasty, too!
LOVE IT!
The Green Fork King Cake – GF, Paleo, Low Sugar
- Per slice (16 slices per cake): 120 calories, 11 grams carbs, 3 grams fiber, 6 grams sugar
- Eat Fit NOLA-approved: no white carbs & less than teaspoon of added sugar per serving
- Ingredients include bananas, eggs, coconut milk, coconut oil, coconut flour, stevia, small bit maple syrup
PJ’s Eat Fit Skinny King Cake Protein Velvet Ice
- High-protein frozen blended coffee drink with less than a teaspoon of added sugar
- Eat Fit NOLA-approved
- Per Medium Protein Velvet Ice (16 ounces): 123 milligrams caffeine, 230 calories, 6 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat (3.75 grams plant-based saturated fat), 210 mg sodium, 22 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 8 grams sugar (3 grams added sugar), 21 grams protein.
DIY King Cake in a Mug (Recipe below)
LIKE IT!
Per macaron: 65 calories, 13 grams carbs, 0 fiber, 5.5 grams sugar, <1 gram protein
HATE IT!
Pretty much all regular King Cake | nearly all are made with primarily white flour + sugar
KING CAKE SIZE REMINDER: You’ll rarely find a nutrition facts label on a king cake box, so here’s our annual king cake calorie cheat sheet to figure out how many calories are really in that slice! Note: Nutrition stats based on lightly glazed king cake. Heavier frosting will mean more sugary calories.
1” slice (diameter of quarter): 100 calories, 3 grams fat, 5 grams carbs, 8-10 grams sugar, 1-2 grams protein
3” slice (width of iPhone): 300 calories, 9 grams fat, 45 grams carbs, 34-30 grams sugar, 3-5 grams protein
6” slice (length of dollar bill): 600 calories, 18 grams fat, 90 grams carbs, 48-60 grams sugar, 6-10 grams protein
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DIY RECIPE: King Cake in a Mug
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
- 2 tablespoon coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tablespoon almond milk
- 1 medium whole egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Swerve sweetener
- 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
For the icing:
- 1/4 cup two percent plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon Swerve sweetener
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions:
Mix the cake ingredients together, adding baking powder last. Microwave for 1 ½ minutes. Combine icing ingredients stir until evenly blended. Serve cake with cream cheese icing on top. Enjoy!
Per serving: 230 calories, 9 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 310 mg sodium, 28 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams fiber, 5 grams sugar (0 added sugar), 14 grams protein.
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