Father's Day

37 Father's Day Recipes for Cooking With Bourbon

Classic and sweet—two words that describe both bourbon and your dad. These recipes showcase the sweetest and meatiest ways to bring bourbon's smoky flavor into a Father's Day meal. (Hot tip: as long as you're cooking with bourbon, you might as well make dad a drink.)
Two gray plates filled with golden bourboninfused sugar topped with dark chocolate truffles that have been coated in...
Photo by Ben Dearnley
  • Photo by Peden & Munk
    3/37

    Cheese Fondue With Beer and Bourbon

    When just Bourbon isn't enough, add beer. Babybel cheese keeps the molten mixture from separating, and its unassuming flavor lets the Gruyère shine.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    4/37

    Pumpkin Cheesecake With Bourbon–Sour Cream Topping

    The caramelized flavor of bourbon and the tang of sour cream add balance to the rich, spiced filling of this cheesecake. Chopped pecans add a nutty dimension to the graham cracker crust.

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  • Photo by Amber Wilson
    5/37

    Bacon-Latticed Apple Pie

    This pie is both sweet and salty, which is my favorite dessert combination. The smoky bacon, mingling with the spiced apples and bourbon crust, is heavenly.

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  • Photo by David Loftus
    6/37

    Insanity Burger

    A bourbon-flecked "special sauce" is the cap in this monstrously good burger.

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  • Photo by Christopher Testani
    7/37

    D.I.Y. Apple Mille-Feuille

    Sandwiching the puff pastry between two baking sheets ensures that the pastry rises perfectly even.

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  • Photo by Ben Dearnley
    8/37

    Bourbon Sugar and Pretzel Truffles

    We can think of lots of uses for the bourbon sugar that coats these pretzel-studded bites: use it to top crème brûlée, stir it into your afternoon tea, or sprinkle it over berries and serve with whipped cream for an easy dessert.

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  • Gentl & Hyers
    9/37

    Beef Bourguignonne Pot Pie

    Treat this as a weekend project (quick it's not) and Father's Day dinner will be off the charts.

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  • Photo by Peter Frank Edwards
    10/37

    Apple Jack Stack Cake

    Instead of the spongy cakes we're used to today, these layers are more like cookies—firmer, so they slowly soften beneath liberal applications of apple butter and cooked apples.

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  • Photo by Peter Frank Edwards
    11/37

    Sorghum-Bourbon Pecan Pie

    A pecan sandie crust, sweetness from sorghum, and a smoky warmth from bourbon. Yes, this bourbon pie doesn't mess around.

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  • Julian Broad
    12/37

    Braised Brisket with Bourbon-Peach Glaze

    This juicy brisket features bourbon in two ways: in both the peach glaze and in the meat's braising liquid. Every bite is smoky, fatty, and getting you ready for the next bite.

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  • Photo by Tara Donne, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Cyd McDowell
    17/37

    Deep-Dish Maple-Bourbon Cream Pie

    Whoever dreamt up pouring bourbon into a pie filling was thinking right. This custardy pie combines maple syrup, caramelized sugar, and plenty of bourbon's rich smoke flavor in one rich pie.

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  • Ture Lilegraven
    18/37

    Apple Fritters with Bourbon Ice Cream

    Another delicious thing about this addictive dessert? The fritters can be fried up to two hours ahead, then rewarmed just before serving.

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  • Chris Gentile, Gourmet Live
    21/37

    Triple Chocolate Tart with Boozy Whipped Cream

    This triple threat dessert offers three distinct textures and flavors: A nutty, crumbly crust is filled with a dark chocolate pudding enriched with bittersweet chocolate, cocoa, and chocolate stout, then topped with a billowy bourbon whipped cream.

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  • Gentl & Hyers
    22/37

    Cherry-Bourbon Ice Cream

    Use a pre-made custard as your base and paddle in a sweet-and-boozy cherry and bourbon topping.

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  • Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling: Susan Spungen
    25/37

    Chocolate Fudge With Bourbon Sugar

    The exceptional texture and glossy sheen of this fudge result from the way you mix it. Make sure the chocolate and condensed milk are barely hot.

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  • Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott
    26/37

    Bourbon-Butterscotch Pudding

    This recipe claims you can use Scotch in the custard instead of bourbon. But we all know the truth: bourbon makes it better.

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  • Ditte Isager
    27/37

    Cherry-Bourbon Pie

    Your dad will love this crumble-topped pie that stars the flavors of an Old Fashioned cocktail.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Christopher Barsch
    28/37

    Bourbon–Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce

    There's no better way to amp up a Father's Day cookout than with a homemade sauce. This one has a little bit of everything (from ketchup to Worcestershire), but where it really wins is in the addition of smoky bourbon.

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  • Ben Fink
    29/37

    Bourbon Bread Pudding

    For dads who like dessert. Squishy and rich brioche gets soaked in a bourbon-infused custard and baked until golden brown, sweet, and smoky.

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  • Photo by Peter Frank Edwards
    30/37

    Bourbon Balls

    The brilliant thing about the after-dinner treat: it's dessert and nightcap all in one.

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  • Photo by Annabel Mehran
    31/37

    "Burnt" Carrots and Parsnips

    Got some burned bits? Great job! The natural sugars in the root vegetables, along with the brown sugar and a generous dose of bourbon, will caramelize, giving you a little bitterness to counter all that sweetness.

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  • Marcus Nilsson
    32/37

    Bourbon-Sea Salt Caramels

    Take a rich and deep caramel even deeper with the flavor of bourbon. Serve these as dessert or bag up a few to send to dad on his special day.

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  • Romulo Yanes
    35/37

    Pecan Fig Bourbon Cake

    Bundt cakes are always crowd-pleasers, and this dark, moist one won't disappoint. The combination of sweet dried figs, crunchy pecans, and aromatic bourbon will make your Father's Day the best ever.

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  • Photo by Marcus Nilsson
    36/37

    Pecan, Bourbon, and Butterscotch Bread Pudding

    Begin soaking the bread in custard a full day ahead—that'll give plenty of time for the smoky bourbon flavor to sink in.

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