Food and Recipes Kitchen Assistant Spirited Bourbon Desserts For Any Occasion By Cameron Beall Cameron Beall Cameron Beall is a writer, marketer, photographer, and creative with over a year of experience with Southern Living in the realm of homes and home building. She was infatuated by home design from a young age, credit to her mother and grandmother. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on August 30, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Hector Sanchez While you might find a handful of Southern recipes that call for hint of booze, we are firm believers that it's in the dessert dishes that it really shines— especially bourbon. Whether it's used in rich chocolate desserts, a decadent pie, or creamy ice cream, bourbon packs a punch in the kitchen. While you don't even need a reason to make one of these spirited bourbon dessert recipes, this list is especially suited for the holiday season. Naturally, Thanksgiving isn't complete without a pecan pie, but you'd be remiss not to try one of our spiked versions. And of course, we can't talk about bourbon desserts without mentioning bourbon balls. One bite of our Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls and you'll never make them differently. Plus, they make the yummiest treat for neighbors and hostesses. But these boozy desserts aren't just for the holidays, they're perfect for any celebration, so try one of these recipes next time you're looking for a treat. 01 of 28 The Lane Cake Hector Sanchez Recipe: The Lane Cake In March 1966, Southern Living featured a recipe for Lane Cake in its second issue. Our latest twist? Dried peaches (finely diced and ridiculously delicious) stand in for raisins, and the traditional meringue frosting gets a boozy makeover with a triple shot of peach schnapps. 02 of 28 Chocolate-Bourbon Pecan Pie Hector Sanchez Recipe: Chocolate-Bourbon Pecan Pie The new appreciation for whiskey goes beyond drinking as it finds its way into sauces, braises, and especially desserts. Now bourbon and pecan pie fit together like peanut butter and jelly or Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. 03 of 28 Caramel Apple Blondie Pie Photo: Hector Sanchez Recipe: Caramel Apple Blondie Pie Buttery rich layers of tender cake and caramelized apples add up to one sweet combo. The secret to the crisp, flaky crust? Baking in a cast-iron skillet on a lower oven rack. 04 of 28 Blackberry-Peach Cobbler Bars Hector Sanchez Recipe: Blackberry-Peach Cobbler Bars Looking for a party-perfect treat that's a cut above the classic fruit-filled cobbler? Consider it found. 05 of 28 Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: Kellie Gerber Kelley Recipe: Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls We took a favorite Southern dessert and turned it into bite-size truffles. These make-ahead gems are easy enough for casual get-togethers and fancy enough for special occasions. 06 of 28 Apple-Bourbon Pie Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Apple-Bourbon Pie This recipe first ran in our November 1995 issue, and it's been a go-to classic ever since. You might only think of whipping this up for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but it's an anytime-worthy dessert. 07 of 28 Mini Bourbon-and-Cola Bundt Cakes Photo: Iain Bagwell Recipe: Mini Bourbon-and-Cola Bundt Cakes Use a classic cocktail combo to flavor a chocolate cake by adding bourbon and cola to the cake batter and topping the mini Bundt cakes with a sweet bourbon and cola glaze. Warning: they're dangerously delicious. 08 of 28 Bourbon-Orange Biscotti Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones Recipe: Bourbon-Orange Biscotti This old-fashioned inspired cookie brings a sophisticated crunch to your cookie tin. Toast to the holidays with a tray of these and a fresh pot of coffee or tea. 09 of 28 Creole Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce Jennifer Davick Recipe: Creole Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce This bread pudding is from New Orleans chef Leah Chase, the queen of Creole cuisine. And yes, it does call for five tablespoons of vanilla extract! 10 of 28 Bourbon-Praline Cheesecake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop styling: Lydia Pursell Recipe: Bourbon-Praline Cheesecake Cheesecake is already irresistible, but this decadent version topped with pralines cooked in butter, brown sugar, and bourbon is unbeatable. 11 of 28 Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake ANTONIS ACHILLEOS; PROP STYLING: LINDSEY LOWER; FOOD STYLING: EMILY NABORS HALL Recipe: Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake The crowning jewel of your dessert table, this bundt cake is all about subtle elegance. With bourbon-soaked fruits and bold flavors, this splurge-worthy dessert calls for your favorite bourbon. 12 of 28 Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie Jennifer Davick Recipe: Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie Once you've made a pecan pie in a cast-iron skillet (plus the addition of bourbon), you may never go back to a pie plate. Simply press a refrigerated pie crust into the skillet, sprinkle with sugar, top with the pecan mixture, and bake. Serving it in the skillet is also easy and makes the dish even more Southern. 13 of 28 Bourbon Balls Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Recipe: Bourbon Balls Bourbon balls offer up a powerful punch while packaged in a small bite. These sweet, no-bake treats are a favored gift and a perfect nibble for parties. 14 of 28 Bourbon-Chocolate Cake With Praline Frosting Southern Living Recipe: Bourbon-Chocolate Cake With Praline Frosting Chocolate ganache smoothed between layers of rich chocolate cake, topped with praline frosting, and finished with a warm bourbon glaze make this recipe fit for special occasions. 15 of 28 Kentucky Bourbon Pie Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Kentucky Bourbon Pie Pecan pie just got a serious upgrade. With unexpected flavors of dark chocolate and rich bourbon, not to mention topped with whipped cream, this is a delicacy that can't be beat. 16 of 28 Bourbon Ball Tart Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop styling: Lydia Pursell Recipe: Bourbon Ball Tart Nobody can resist a dessert as luscious as this―especially when it's two desserts in one. The bourbon balls rolled in various coatings give the tart a playful yet elegant feel. 17 of 28 Bourbon Ice Cream With Bourbon-Caramel Swirl Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist:Christine Keely Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Bourbon Ice Cream With Bourbon-Caramel Swirl Don't be intimidated by this booze-infused ice cream. Rich and creamy, it's perfect on its own or topped on any of your favorite desserts. 18 of 28 Bourbon-Chocolate Cake with Browned Buttercream Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop styling: Lydia Pursell Recipe: Bourbon-Chocolate Cake with Browned Buttercream Frosting You can always add another layer to a layer cake, but in this cake we're layering in a secret ingredient. A healthy dose of bourbon takes this chocolate cake to the next level. 19 of 28 Butterscotch-Bourbon Lava Cakes Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell Recipe: Butterscotch-Bourbon Lava Cakes Though seemingly an odd couple, bourbon and butterscotch may just be your new favorite dessert pairing. 20 of 28 Vanilla Custard with Bourbon-Caramel Sauce Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop styling: Lydia Pursell Recipe: Vanilla Custard with Bourbon-Caramel Sauce With only about 20 minutes of hands on time followed by 4 hours of chilling in the fridge—this custard is the perfect make-ahead dessert that will wow your crowd. Just drizzle on bourbon-caramel sauce before serving. 21 of 28 Eggnog Spice Cake with Bourbon Custard Filling and Eggnog Buttercream Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Eggnog Spice Cake with Bourbon Custard Filling and Eggnog Buttercream Eggnog and bourbon in the same sentence? We must be dreaming. This cake will be sure to make a mark on your holiday table. 22 of 28 Bourbon Ice Cream Float Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Karen Rankin; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Bourbon Ice Cream Float Need we say more? With only three ingredients, this treat will bring every adult back to their childhood. 23 of 28 Ultimate Dark Chocolate Brownies Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Ultimate Dark Chocolate Brownies Rich brownie batter is kicked up a notch with bourbon and espresso—great for chocolate, bourbon, and coffee lovers alike. Be warned, they might be your new cookie jar staple. 24 of 28 White Cake with Bourbon Buttercream and Seven-Minute Frosting Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Recipe: White Cake with Bourbon Buttercream and Seven-Minute Frosting Change up the toppings on this impressive cake to fit any occasion. 25 of 28 Mississippi Sweet Potato Pie Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Torie Cox Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Recipe: Mississippi Sweet Potato Pie Let's not act surprised that bourbon found its way into a dessert that is practically made for the holidays. 26 of 28 Peach Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Iain Bagwell Recipe: Peach Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel You can elevate any recipe with bourbon caramel sauce, but it pairs especially well with this fruity bread pudding for a cozy winter dessert. 27 of 28 Georgia Peanut Pie with Peanut Butter Crust and Brown Sugar-Bourbon Whipped Cream Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Georgia Peanut Pie with Peanut Buttercream and Brown Sugar-Bourbon Whipped Cream It's hard to find a pairing better suited than peanuts and bourbon. With a cookie crust and gooey filling, this pie is the perfect mix of salty and sweet. 28 of 28 Triple-Layer Chocolate-Caramel Cake Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Triple-Layer Chocolate-Caramel Cake Just when you thought a decadent chocolate cake couldn't get any richer, we added bourbon. And we'll let you in on a secret—this frosting is best when made the day before. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit