Raise a toast to all the great dads this Father’s Day! And if you’re close enough to be able to (safely!) clink glasses filled with his favorite libation, I’d like to suggest you also consider one of these 12 boozy desserts for Father’s Day. They’re all decadent, delicious, and best of all, shareable.
From cool and creamy Margarita Pie to salty-sweet Maple Bacon Bourbon Cupcakes (say what?!), you are bound to find at least one that will make him go “mmmmmmmm.” And the flavors in these boozy desserts will taste great all summer long, so feel free to try a new one each week.
Hey, think of it as your new quarantine cooking project now that it’s too hot to bake bread.
And because I know many of us have small kids who will be eager to dig in — or maybe dads who love dessert but aren’t drinkers — I’ve made a note to show you how to make each recipe alcohol-free, so everyone can dig in together.
Top recipes: Half Baked Harvest and Craft Beering
Related: Don’t miss any of our fabulous Father’s Day recipes and food gift ideas!
No-Bake Frozen Margarita Pie Recipe
Having a fiesta for Father’s Day? This easy, no-bake, Frozen Margarita Pie recipe from Five Heart Home gets a little kick from both tequila and triple sec. And, oh, that salty, crushed-pretzel crust is a nice crunchy contrast to the cool sweetness of the filling.
This is an easy one to make alcohol-free too, if you follow the tips in the recipe. Though there isn’t a lot of added alcohol to begin with, the boozy flavor will intensify with time which might be a turnoff for young kids so feel free to skip it.
Boozy Strawberry Bourbon Shortcake Recipe
With strawberries in season, Father’s Day is the perfect holiday to make these Strawberry Bourbon Shortcakes from Half Baked Harvest. Her buttery homemade biscuits look scrumptious, though I won’t tell anyone if you grab pre-made biscuits from the supermarket to save time. Though I definitely recommend the tiny bit of extra effort to make whipped mascarpone instead of using Cool Whip.
Want to keep a few servings alcohol-free? That’s super easy to do just by leaving the bourbon out of the strawberry sauce.
Related: 7 delicious fruit dessert recipes for lazy summer evenings. Or, you know, whenever.
Boozy Grilled Pineapple Recipe
Perhaps you are planning a feast for Father’s Day and would like to keep dessert on the lighter side. Or, dad just really, really loves pineapple. Either way, he’s going to dig this easy Boozy Grilled Pineapple recipe from Everyday Eileen with its sweet marinade made with both coconut rum and dark rum. Yum!
I love the tips she offers for selecting the ripest pineapple and how to best prepare it for the grill. And don’t miss her excellent ideas for making this one a booze-free dessert for anyone who’s not imbibing.
Summer Shandy Cupcake Recipe
I love cracking open a lemony summer shandy when the temps start to go up, and after seeing these Summer Shandy Cupcakes from Erica’s Sweet Tooth (she happens to be a dentist!), I will have to save a bottle to try these out. They’ll make such a delicious boozy Father’s Day dessert, though keep in mind that the recipe does yield 24 cupcakes, so you’ll have enough to drop some off to every dad on your block, from a safe distance.
If you have young kids, please note that the yummy lemon cream cheese frosting does not contain beer, so you could frost a few non-boozy cupcakes for them to enjoy. Or, just put a scoop in small cups with a spoon and call it dessert. Just remember to brush teeth afterward!
No-Bake Cheesecake Parfaits with Boozy Cherries
From bashing graham crackers into crumbs, to carefully assembling the layers, this No-Bake Cheesecake Parfaits with Boozy Cherries recipe from Blue Bowl is an excellent one for kids to help make and assemble. Don’t love cherries? Read her tips for substituting them with Dad’s favorite seasonal berry.
A splash of bourbon is only in the cooked cherries, making this another recipe that can easily be modified for non-drinkers or kids. For the rest of us, I’d whip up a double batch of the berries and set them aside to toss on top of vanilla ice cream later in the week.
Boozy Fresh Peach Crostada
Juicy peaches tossed with a bit of spiced rum and other spices fill a no-fuss pie crust that takes only minutes to assemble in this Fresh Peach Crostada recipe from Fifteen Spatulas. For this boozy dessert, I recommend you try out our favorite homemade pie crust recipe which really is pretty easy, though store-bought will work as well. No judgments on store-bought crust, ever.
To make this recipe alcohol free, just leave out the rum. Alternately, make the kids their own mini pies setting aside some of the topping without rum in it.
Double Stout Ice Cream
It’ll be worth us dusting off our ice cream maker to whip up a batch of Double Stout Ice Cream for a fabulous boozy dessert on Father’s Day. This recipe by Craft Beering has loads of tips about the right beer to choose, which is helpful for someone like me who sticks to Corona most days. (I know, beer aficionados, I’m lame.) Also, don’t skip all the helpful tips on the recipe for getting the perfect consistency!
Please note that this recipe requires both beer and an ice cream maker to complete. If you’re short on machinery, but you like the idea of serving homemade ice cream on Father’s Day, check out our favorite ways to make ice cream without a machine. You’ll get tons of ideas there — even if you save the stout for drinking .
Related: Make better-for-you sundaes with these 20 healthier ice cream topping ideas.
2 Boozy Fruit Sorbets
As with the grilled pineapple, another lighter dessert option is this fresh, citrusy Vodka Lemon Sorbet recipe from The Spruce Eats. It’s super adaptable too. No ice cream maker? No problem. Change the flavor slightly with a flavored citrus vodka, or drizzle limoncello on top for an even more adult treat. And don’t miss our tip for how you can reuse those lemon rinds when it comes time to serve!
I’d be remiss if I didn’t also share this exquisite Raspberry Zinfandel Sorbet from Butterlust, which we featured a few years ago in our Mother’s Day dinner recipes post. Hey, wine-loving dads appreciate a good Zinfandel too, right?
In both of the above recipes, just down there isn’t an easy, no-alcohol option tweak. However if you’re feeling the sorbet but not the booze, check this Meyer Lemon Sorbet Recipe from Simply Recipes, which looks great, as does this creamy, five-minute, two-ingredient Raspberry Sorbet Recipe from Bigger Bolder Baking. Sorbet for all!
Plum and Port Cobbler Recipe
If your Father’s Day VIP loves to finish a meal with a glass of port, but you don’t often think to pull it out in warmer weather, serve it alongside this easy-to-make Plum & Port Cobbler from Rachel Ray Magazine. It happens to make good use of seasonal plums too. A scoop of ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream makes this dessert even more delicious.
Please note that the port will boil for 15 minutes on the stove top, and then bake in the oven for another 40, so most of the impact of the alcohol will be minimized by the time it gets to the table. But if you want to make yours entirely alcohol-free, just leave out the port from the plum sauce.
Chocolate Bourbon Maple Bacon Cupcakes
Chocolate, bacon, and bourbon sound like a pretty perfect combo for Father’s Day separately, so why not together? These stunning Chocolate Bourbon Maple Bacon Cupcakes from A Wicked Whisk combine three Father’s Day favorites in the most amazing way.
If you’d like everyone in the family to be able to partake in this bacon-y goodness (well, at least if they’re bacon-eaters), check out Heather’s tip for how to split the batter and frosting, so you can keep half the cupcakes bourbon-free. Either way, lucky Dad!
