This is an easy Mint Julep Cupcake Recipe. Instead of making a cocktail this summer, make drink-inspired cupcakes for your next party as a dessert.
These alcohol-infused cupcakes taste divine when paired with my raw honey cosmo drink.
Mint Julep – A Supreme Cocktail
Happy Mint Julep Day! The mint julep is a mixed cocktail made with bourbon, water, crushed or shaved ice, and fresh mint. I remember Betty Draper ordering it on Mad Men a few times and I started trying to make the perfect Mint Julep ever since I saw it on the show. It is a pretty tasty way to drink bourbon.
Mint Julep History
Are you ready for some history? The original Mint Julep was said to have been created in the South during the 18th century. It is something that people love to drink during the Kentucky Derby so it is no surprise that it has southern origins.
Mint Julep Cupcakes with Fresh Mint from the Garden
I love making Mint Julep drinks and mint julep cupcakes because I grow mint in my herb garden. It is a way to use the amazing fresh herbs that I already have on hand. I also love the glasses that they are served in. They are specifically called Mint Julep cups.
I kinda want to drink all my cocktails out if mint julep cups! How great is it that Mint Juleps have their own personal cups?! I am taking my mint juleps to the next level with a cool ice crusher.
I made these mint julep cupcakes to bring this awesome flavor to a dessert for my guests to celebrate the Kentucky Derby and Mint Julep Day!
How To Make Mint Julep Cupcakes
This recipe will make a dozen cupcakes.
Cupcake Ingredients
- European sweet cream butter
- white sugar
- Madagascar vanilla extract
- Mint extract
- Eggs
- All-pourpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Whole milk
- Jim Beam bourbon
- Unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
- Powder sugar
- Vanilla
- Mint
- Heavy whipping cream
Directions
You’ll find the complete detailed instructions for my mint julep cupcakes in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post. Here is an overview of how to make them.
- Preheat the oven and line cupcake tins with liners.
- In a small bowl, combine salt, baking powder, and some of the flour.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, eggs, and extracts in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until just combined.
- Add the milk and bourbon to the batter, and then the remaining flour.
- Bake the cupcakes.
- Once cool, pick the cupcakes with a fork and then using a BBQ brush, brush the tops with the Bourbon.
- Add all ingredients into a standing mixer and mix until stiff peaks form.
- If to powdery, add in another tablespoon of heavy whipping cream.
- Once stiff, fill a piping bag with frosting and pipe onto cupcakes.
- Top with mint leaves.
with 
.Kentucky Derby Party Ideas
These cupcakes are perfect for a Kentucky Derby party, especially since this drink was created for the Derby!
Here are some more party ideas if you are going to watch the races with your friends:
- Have a hat contest – see who can wear the most outlandish hat
- Serve Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie – The most southern of recipes is both pecan pie and anything with bourbon. Put them together!
- Lucky Horse Game – Randomly hand out names of horses in the race and see whose wins!
- Set up a selfie photo booth – If everyone dresses up, you’ll want to capture this moment! Add a custom hashtag so everyone can see it.
- Decorate with horse-theme decor – Add horseshoes and race bunting and lots and lots of flowers.
- Play horseshoes – This is a fun game for everyone of all ages.
- Send guests home with Derby-themed goodie bags – Everyone loves a goody bag. Put one together for the kids without any boozy treats.
More Alcohol Infused Cupcakes
These Mint Julep cupcakes have bourbon and fresh mint for a sophisticated and perfectly southern dessert. I love making creative cupcakes! Here are some more of my favorite boozy cupcake ideas:
- Moscato Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting
- White Russian Cupcakes
- Lemon Drop Cupcakes
- Kahlua Cupcakes
Mint Julep Cupcakes Recipe
Here’s my boozy cupcake recipe. These are literally brushed with bourbon. You won’t believe how amazing they taste!
Mint Julep Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter unsalted
- 2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp mint extract
- 4 eggs
- 2¾ cup flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup Bourbon
- 2 cup unsalted sweet cream butter softened
- 4 cup powder sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp mint
- 2 tbsp bourbon
- 2-4 tbsp heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line cupcake tins with liners.
- In a small bowl, combine salt, baking powder, and 1¾ cups of the flour.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, eggs, and extracts in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until just combined.
- Add the milk and bourbon to the batter, and then the remaining flour.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Once cool, pick the cupcakes with a fork and then using a BBQ brush, brush the tops with the Bourbon.
Frosting
- Add all ingredients into a standing mixer and mix until stiff peaks form.
- If to powdery, add in another tbs of heavy whipping cream.
- Once stiff, fill piping bag with frosting and pipe onto cupcakes.
- Top with mint leafs.
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Wow, these mint julep cupcakes look delicious.
Thanks for sharing at Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop. Hope you come back next week so I can stop by again.
Bev
Those cupcakes look so good!
Mmmmm…those look so yummy! Thanks for sharing with us at Funtastic Friday!
THese mint julep cupcakes look so tasty.
I have a question. Does the alcohol in the cupcake burn off during baking? If not could a bourbon extract be used in its place to make them kid friendly or for someone who doesn’t drink alcohol.
They look amazing thanks for the help.
I am able to look at the pictures and see for myself that the cup cakes look delicious, good, yummy and tasty. It is beyond my understanding why anyone feels the need to post how food looks. That is not helpful or necessary. I read the comments hoping to hear from someone who had actually made the recipe.
One part of the recipe says it’ll yield 24 cupcakes…another part says it’ll yield 12 cupcakes…which is it? 24 or 12? Thank you!
I am up to 36 cupcakes with this recipe.
I got 24 and a loaf! They are baking. I hope they turn out. I lost confidence when it said 12 and my bowl was still full…
I made these using standard cupcake liners and got 30 cupcakes.
These cupcakes were magnificent! Big hit at my Derby Party. I did make the frosting with 3 sticks of butter as opposed to the 4 the recipe called for and I had more than enough frosting. I didn’t think I would like the bourbon flavoring as much as I did. Really the best non chocolate cupcake on the planet!
How much bourbon did you brush on the tops?
Made these for the Annual Kentucky Derby party we attend. They were beyond fabulous and stunningly beautiful, yet so easy to make. I don’t think I can wait till the next derby party rolls around to recreate them.
These were absolutely delicious! I wanted an additional sweet for my Kentucky Derby Party and these were gobbled up ! A definite addition to my Derby day menu ! We saved a few to have for brunch the next day!! Actually hid a few in the back of the fridge!! Make more than you think you will need. Everyone will eat them and want more!
What a fun and delicious cupcake. Thanks so much for the mention. I’ve pinned this post to three of my cupcake boards. Such a great summer dessert.
I love boozy cupcakes and this is such a great version! Perfect for summer! Thanks so much for including my White Russian Cupcakes! 🙂
Is there mint extract in the frosting or chopped fresh mint? It just says 2 tsp mint.
I’m wondering the same thing
So these looked delicious however I was told they tasted like tooth paste. I had fresh mint extract too.
ugh was excited to make these too…glad I saw this comment first
Just made the Mint Julep Cupcakes for my Derby Party! Wow! Thank you! They were so SO delicious! And I don’t even like to drink regular mint juleps! But, these cupcakes have just a nice light minty taste! And the frosting is to-die-for! I kept the cupcakes in the frig until right before the party. And I highly recommend adding a little mint leaf to the icing of each cupcake. It seems like such a little thing, but it really makes the cupcakes look special.