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Kentucky Derby Party Food Recipes: appetizers, drinks & desserts

August 21, 2020 by Wine a Little Cook A Lot Leave a Comment

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A round up of the best Kentucky Derby party food recipes from appetizers to drinks and desserts.  Try an easy mint julep cocktail or decadent mint julep cupcakes!

A collage of pictures for Kentucky Derby recipes

Hosting a Kentucky Derby party?  Here’s a list of delicious appetizers, drinks and desserts your guests will love.

These kentucky derby party food recipes have all the essentials like mint juleps, bourbon meatballs and bourbon cheesecake jars! (some can be made-ahead for even easier hosting).

Even if you’re not having a derby party, these recipes are still great for those whiskey lovers out there ;).

Oh yeah, and don’t forget your over-the-top hat to wear while serving your food.  It’s not a Kentucky Derby party without those funny hats!

August 20, 2020 by Alyssa Lang

Kentucky Derby Party Food Recipes

Delicious appetizer, drink and dessert recipes for your Kentucky Derby party!

Puff Pastry Baked Brie with Fig Jam

An easy, yet impressive appetizer! Made with a hint of bourbon, bacon and caramelized onion. Serve with crackers, apples or pear slices.

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Maple Bourbon Candied Pecans

Sweet maple syrup, smoky bourbon, rich cinnamon, and a little spicy heat makes these roasted pecans outrageously addictive! A delicious sweet-salty mix.

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Mint Julep Quinoa Salad

Not your usual mint julep recipe! This quinoa salad has the flavors of a classic mint julep for a healthy derby appetizer or side dish recipe.

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Spicy Bourbon Honey Wings

Sweet with the heat and all that Kentucky bourbon flavor brings the South to your mouth!  With no frying required, these chicken wings are an easy crowd pleaser.

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Slow Cooker Whiskey Meatballs

These slow cooker whiskey meatballs take just 5 minutes to prep for the perfect make-ahead derby appetizer.

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Bourbon Brown Sugar Marinade

This bourbon brown sugar marinade is simple, quick and easy.  Great for steak, chicken or to make skewers with. 

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Brown-Sugar Peach Mint Julep

For a delicious twist on a classic Kentucky Derby cocktail, you’ll love this brown sugar-peach mint julep. Made with a homemade dark brown sugar simple syrup and freshly muddled peaches.

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Classic Mint Julep

Perfect for Derby Day or any other warm day, this cool and refreshing mint julep recipe is made with crushed ice, an easy simple syrup, Kentucky bourbon and fresh mint.

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Blackberry-Lemon Mint Julep

This ice cold Blackberry-Lemon Mint Julep recipe is a fragrant and refreshing twist on a classic. Perfect for sipping on a warm day or for watching the horse races!

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No Bake Cheesecake Jars

If you love cheesecake, bacon, bourbon, and of course horses, then you'll love these no bake cheesecake jars with an amazing, salty, sweet, bourbon candy bacon on top.

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Mint Julep Bread Pudding

Mint Julep Bread Pudding has the ingredients we love in the classic cocktail. Bourbon in the custard base of the pudding & a minty bourbon glaze that goes over it.

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Mint Julep Cupcakes

Mint julep cupcakes are the perfect dessert for the Kentucky Derby that taste just like the cocktail! Make the recipe using Kentucky Bourbon and crème de menthe liquor for a kick of flavor.

GET THE RECIPE
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Kentucky Derby Appetizers:

Puff Pastry Baked Brie with Fig Jam:

A wooden cutting board with a baked brie wrapped in puff pastry on top. The baked brie is cut into a wedge and there's melted cheese falling out of the side with pecans. It's topped with a sprig of rosemary and there's a bottle of whisky and jar of fig jam in the background
PHOTO: Wine a Little Cook a Lot

An easy, yet impressive appetizer!  Made with a hint of bourbon, bacon and caramelized onion, it’s the perfect party appetizer.  Serve with crackers, apples or pear slices.  

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Maple Bourbon Candied Pecans:

Candied pecans with bourbon and maple on brown parchment paper.  There's a wooden spoon in the background.
PHOTO: The Fresh Cooky

Candied pecans are amazing and these no refined sugar Maple Bourbon Pecans are even better! Sweet maple syrup, smoky bourbon, rich cinnamon, and a little spicy heat makes these roasted pecans outrageously addictive! A delicious sweet-salty mix.

GET THE RECIPE →

Mint Julep Quinoa Salad

A brown bowl with a mint julep quinoa salad. There's slices of fresh peaches, mint leaves and pecans. There's a bunch of mint to the left of the bowl and a mint julep cocktail on the right.
PHOTO: The Rogue Brussel Sprout

Not your usual mint julep recipe! This quinoa salad has the flavors of a classic mint julep for a healthy derby appetizer or side dish recipe.

GET THE RECIPE →

Spicy Honey Bourbon Wings

A serving platter piled with spicy honey bourbon wings. There's a side of honey in the background. The wings are on white parchment paper and they're crispy with a sweet and spicy glaze
PHOTO: Her Plate is Full

Sweet with the heat and all with that Kentucky bourbon flavor that brings the South to your mouth!  With no frying required, these chicken wings are definitely on the list for an easy crowd pleaser.

GET THE RECIPE →

Slow Cooker Whiskey Meatballs:

A white slowcooker filled with mini meatballs that are glazed with whiskey-BBQ sauce and chopped green onion
PHOTO: Midwest Foodie

These slow cooker whiskey meatballs take just 5 minutes to prep for the perfect make-ahead derby appetizer. Everyone will be asking for seconds (and the recipe), so you’ll definitely want to make a double batch!

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Bourbon Brown Sugar Marinade:

A white platter of steak skewers that have been marinated with bourbon brown sugar marinade.  There's a cob of corn in the background
PHOTO: Season & Thyme

This bourbon brown sugar marinade is simple, quick and easy.  Great for steak, chicken or to make skewers with.  Serve them as your main dish or appetizer!

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Kentucky Derby Drink Recipes:

Brown-Sugar Peach Mint Julep:

Two copper cups with peach mint julep.  The cups are ice cold and sweating.  There's a fresh peach slices and mint sprig for garnish.  There's fresh sliced peaches and extra mint in the background.
PHOTO: Burrata and Bubbles

For a delicious twist on a classic bourbon cocktail, you’ll love this brown sugar-peach mint julep. Made with a homemade dark brown sugar simple syrup and freshly muddled peaches, this summery mint julep is a perfect Kentucky Derby cocktail!

GET THE RECIPE →

Classic Mint Julep:

Two cocktail glasses filled with classic mint juleps.  They're garnished with fresh mint and there's a gray napkin in between the two glasses
PHOTO: The Chunky Chef

Perfect for Derby Day or any other warm day, this cool and refreshing mint julep recipe is made with crushed ice, an easy simple syrup, Kentucky bourbon and fresh mint.

GET THE RECIPE →

Blackberry-Lemon Mint Julep

A silver metal cup with blackberry-lemon mint julep.  It's garnished with a lemon peel and fresh mint leaves
PHOTO: Striped Spatula

This ice cold Blackberry-Lemon Mint Julep recipe is a fragrant and refreshing twist on a classic. Perfect for sipping on a warm day or for watching the horse races!

GET THE RECIPE →

Kentucky Derby Dessert Recipes:

No Bake Cheesecake Jars with Bourbon Candy Bacon

A small glass jar filled with no bake cheesecake that's topped with bourbon candied bacon.
PHOTO: Grab the Mangos

If you love cheesecake, bacon, bourbon, and of course horses, then you’ll love these no bake cheesecake jars with an amazing, salty, sweet, bourbon candy bacon on top.

GET THE RECIPE →

Mint Julep Bread Pudding

A small white dish with a piece of mint julep bread pudding.  It's got a vanilla glaze drizzled on it with a fresh mint leaf.  There's a casserole dish of more bread pudding in the background
PHOTO: Another Tablespoon

Mint Julep Bread Pudding has the ingredients we love in the classic cocktail. There is bourbon in the custard base of the pudding. Mint simple syrup and bourbon add lots of flavor to the glaze that goes over it.

GET THE RECIPE →

Kentucky Derby Mint Julep Cupcakes

A mint julep cupcake with a gold cupcake liner and topped with fresh mint leaves.  There's a green and white striped straw, another cupcake and fresh mint leaves in the background
PHOTO: If You Give a Blonde a Kitchen

Mint julep cupcakes are the perfect dessert for the Kentucky Derby. Make the recipe using Kentucky Bourbon and crème de menthe liquor for a kick of flavor. The cupcakes taste just like the cocktail! 

GET THE RECIPE →

There you have it! A nice little spread of Kentucky Derby part food recipes.

Appetizers, drinks and desserts for your party menu!

Even if you’re not having a derby party and love whiskey, these recipes are sure to intrigue you ;).

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Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Desserts, Drink Recipes, Seasonal Recipes Tagged With: kentuckyderby, kentuckyderbyrecipes, partyappetizers, partydesserts, partydrinks

Previous Post: « Puff Pastry Baked Brie with Fig Jam
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