Kentucky Derby Party Recipes

These Kentucky Derby Party Food Recipes will make your gathering perfect. These menu and derby party ideas include appetizers, main dishes, sweets, and cocktails to make your race day celebration complete!

Kentucky Derby Party Foods

The first Saturday of May is always an exciting day in our house.

Watching all the amazing horses race around the track while wearing our fanciest hat is more fun with some delicious Kentucky Derby Party Recipes.

From southern tomato pie to fried green tomatoes, you will find something you love. Put on your fancy hat and cheer for your favorite horse during the Run for the Roses.

Celebrate the Kentucky Derby with family, friends, and these delicious foods that are perfect for your Kentucky Derby Party Menu!

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1. Derby Pie Brownies

The best way to celebrate the Kentucky Derby is with Derby Pie Brownies. Chocolate Brownies covered in bourbon, toasted pecans, and chocolate chips!

Just like the traditional Kentucky Derby Pie but in a gooey and fudgy brownie! Are you drooling yet?

2. Bourbon Balls

These boozy Bourbon Balls are made with 4 ingredients and are great for your Derby party or your holiday cookie exchange too!

3. Derby Pie Bites

Pop a few of these Kentucky Derby Pie Bites on Derby Day or any other day. Chocolate, Bourbon, and Pecans baked like Derby Pie and then dipped in a coating of dark chocolate.

One of my favorite sweet treats for the horse race!

4. Derby Pie Dip

The world-famous Kentucky Derby Pie made with pecans, chocolate, and bourbon is now Derby Pie Dip. Serve with shortbread cookies and it will be just like pie only easier to eat!

5. Derby Pie Cheese Ball

A Derby Pie Cheese Balls is all the delicious gooey parts of a classic Derby Pie with chocolate, caramel, pecans, and bourbon.

Then they are stuffed inside this sweet chocolate cheese ball made with cream cheese and rolled in toasted pecans.

Perfect for watching the Kentucky Derby!

6. Kentucky Hot Brown Skillet Dip

The classic Louisville Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich gets a makeover from the classic Brown Hotel.

All the best parts of the open-faced sandwich with turkey  and a cheesy Mornay sauce transformed into a bubbly, cheesy, Hot Brown skillet dip.

Perfect for watching the most exciting 2 minutes in sports on Derby Day! Make this easy dip instead of individual Hot Browns. Or you can serve it alongside slider buns.

7. Benedictine Spread Cheese Ball

This Benedictine Cheese Ball is a riff on the traditional southern classic benedictine recipe that is eaten all over Kentucky, especially at the Derby!

A cucumber dill spread that is perfect on crackers, crostini, bread slices, or all by itself.

8. Pimento Cheese Straws

These Pimento Cheese Straws are crispy, spicy, flaky, and cheesy. The perfect combination for these delicious snacks you won’t be able to stop eating!

9. Pimento Cheese Spread

Creamy, cheesy Pimento Cheese Spread is a great party spread! You can make it ahead of time, it keeps for a few days – if it lasts that long.

Serve it in a bowl or roll it into a cheese ball and sprinkle with toasted pecans! Try it crackers or on a burger for a new twist!

10. Pimiento Cheese Bread

This sweet and spicy pimento cheese bread has it all! Creamy pimento cheese, sweet and spicy pepper jelly, and topped with crunchy kettle chips.

Of all these Kentucky Derby food ideas, this one is my surprise favorite!

11. Candied Pecans

These quick and easy candied pecans are the perfect sweet snack for munching, adding to a salad, or topping your favorite dessert. 4 ingredients are all you need!

12. How to Toast Pecans in Oven

This recipe will help you make perfect, buttery, toasted pecans, or any other type of nuts, to use in a variety of recipes and dishes. Think of all the great pecan pies!

13. Million Dollar Deviled Eggs

With perfect hard-boiled eggs, crispy bacon, and sweet gherkin pickle juice, Million Dollar Deviled Eggs are a delicious version of a classic appetizer. Perfect for the Derby!

14. Hush Puppies

The perfect bite for any Southern gathering. Crispy on the outside and fluffy and tender on the inside!

15. Cheese Grits

A Southern staple, these creamy cheese grits are the perfect dish for any gathering!

16. Bourbon Pineapple Cocktail

Bright and tropical pineapple meets its tart cousin the lemon and works together to tame the richness of bourbon in my Pineapple Bourbon Lemonade! It’s one of my favorite bourbon cocktails.

17. Sparkling Mixed Berry Lemonade

My Sparkling Mixed Berry Lemonade is full of frozen berries and made with fresh squeezed lemons and sweetened with honey for a healthy and fun drink!

18. Blackberry Coconut Splash

Let’s celebrate with a crisp light cocktail made with fresh blackberry syrup and sparkling water. This Blackberry Coconut Splash is light and refreshing!

19. Mint Julep

This classic mint julep recipe is just the cocktail for watching the most famous horse race! Made with Woodford Reserve Bourbon it’s the official drink of the Kentucky Derby.

A delicious combination of simple syrup, muddled fresh mint leaves, Kentucky bourbon, and crushed ice. Serve in julep cups for the finishing touch.

20. Belmont Jewel Cocktail

The Belmont Stakes is a popular race too so it’s not a bad idea to make a variety of cocktails for your derby day party. Made with bourbon, lemonade, and pomegranate juice.

21. Black Eyed Susan

Try the official cocktail of the Preakness Stakes! Made with vodka, elderflower liqueur, pineapple juice, orange juice, and lime juice. A great way to celebrate if you are not a fan of bourbon.

One of my husband’s favorite recipes! I like the Kentucky Oaks Lily better. It’s the signature cocktail from the Friday race!

Made with vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry juice, lemon juice, and a few blackberries for garnish. Most refreshing!

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I hope you like all of these easy Kentucky derby recipes and make one or all of them while watching your favorite horse run around the Churchill Downs Racetrack. It’s not called the fastest two minutes in sports for nothing!

{Originally Published 05/01/17 – photos and notes updated 04/18/23 to improve reader experience}

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