Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey Cupcakes (Boozy & Easy!)
Want to impress at your next party? These Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey Cupcakes are the answer! This easy recipe uses a cake mix as the base and gets soaked with Tennessee Honey Whiskey for that signature boozy flavor everyone loves. These whiskey cupcakes are perfect for birthdays, game day celebrations, or any time you want a dessert with a grown-up twist.
Nothing says Happy Birthday like the flavor of this sweet honey liqueur! You can show off your creative culinary genius while getting to take a small shot of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, too.
If you love this recipe, then you’d like this Apple Shine Sangria and these 20 Best Moonshine Recipes to Make at Home as well.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love these Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey Cupcakes
- You get a little bit of that jack honey flavor in each bite
- They’re fun for birthdays, holidays, or any time of the year
- This original recipe for boozy cupcakes is the perfect grab-and-go dessert
Ingredients Needed
- French vanilla cake mix – Perfect for having all the dry ingredients ready to use.
- Eggs – The main binding agent to hold everything together.
- Unsalted sweet cream butter – Make sure that you use unsalted butter.
- Whole milk – The whole milk adds extra fat content which adds moisture.
- Wild Turkey American Honey Whiskey – You can use any type of honey whiskey you’d like.
- Powdered sugar – This is used to create the Jack Daniels Honey Buttercream Frosting.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract works best.
- Heavy whipping cream – Adds the thickness to the frosting.
- Red, white, and blue variety of sprinkles – This is optional for great for 4th of July decorating.
- Silver star cupcake topper – Optional.
- American Flag cupcake topper – Optional.
How To Make Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey Cupcakes
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the cupcake liners into the muffin/cupcake pan
- Using a standing mixer or hand beater, beat until combined the cake mix, eggs, milk, and butter until combined and smooth
- Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners, filling about ¾ way full
- Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the cupcakes are a light golden brown shade
- Remove and allow to cool on the counter for 15 minutes
- Using a fork, gently pierce the top of the cupcakes a few times
- Pour the Wild Turkey American Honey Whiskey into a small bowl
- Carefully submerge the top of the cupcakes into the whiskey for a few seconds
- Gently lift the cupcake out of the whiskey and lightly shake any drips off the cupcake
- Place onto a cookie sheet and allow the remaining whiskey to soak into the cupcakes
- Using a standing mixer, beat the butter until soft and smooth
- Gradually mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy whipping cream until combined, smooth, and holds a peak
- Scoop the frosting into a piping bag
- Once the cupcakes have soaked in the whisky, you can start frosting (Photo 1)
- Combine the red, white, and blue sprinkles into a bowl
- Using the piping bag, pipe a thick ring of frosting around the top of the cupcakes (Photo 2)
- Carefully dip the frosting into the sprinkles and use your hands to completely coat the frosting (Photo 3)
- Use the piping bag again and pipe a dollop of frosting into the center (Photo 4)
- Place an American flag and star pick into the frosting (Photo 5)
- Place the mini pipette into the frosting as well
Substitutions or Variations
Add a bourbon drizzle – If you don’t want to add a shot of whiskey to the cupcakes, simplify it and add a drizzle of bourbon or whiskey on top instead!
Change up the flavor of cake mix – You can easily change up the flavor and look of these alcoholic cupcakes by changing up the type of boxed cake mix that you use.
Can I Make This Recipe as a Full Cake?
Absolutely! These whiskey cupcakes can easily be transformed into a stunning two-layer cake. Use the same ingredients but bake in two greased 9-inch round cake pans at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Once cooled, you can soak each layer with the honey whiskey just like the cupcakes, then frost and stack them for a show-stopping Jack Daniels cake perfect for birthdays or celebrations.
If you’re making a full cake, you’ll want to double the frosting recipe to ensure you have enough for between the layers and to cover the outside. The Jack Daniels honey flavor shines through even better in cake form since there’s more surface area to absorb that delicious whiskey!
Serving Suggestions
These Jack Daniels whiskey cupcakes are the perfect adult dessert for celebrations. Pair them with a hot beverage like coffee or mulled apple cider for a warming combination that highlights the honey whiskey flavors.
For a complete party spread, serve these boozy cupcakes alongside other adult treats like blue raspberry jello shots, cotton candy jello shots, or strawberry jello shots to create a fun dessert bar. If you’re hosting a patriotic celebration, these cupcakes pair beautifully with 4th of July jello shots and other red, white, and blue desserts.
These whiskey cupcakes also complement savory party appetizers perfectly. Try serving them after homemade hot pockets or sheet pan quesadillas for a crowd-pleasing menu. For birthday parties, display them alongside other cupcake varieties like patriotic cupcakes, beach cupcakes, or chocolate raspberry cupcakes to give guests options. The mini pipettes filled with extra whiskey make these cupcakes interactive and memorable for adult celebrations!
Storing Jack Daniels Cupcakes
- Storage: These boozy cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container to maintain freshness and prevent them from drying out.
- Refrigerator: Store your Jack Daniels whiskey cupcakes in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. The alcohol content and buttercream frosting make refrigeration necessary. Bring them to room temperature about 20 minutes before serving for the best flavor and texture.
- Freezing: You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container. For best results, freeze the cupcakes without the whiskey soak or frosting, then add those finishing touches after thawing. Frost frozen cupcakes after they’ve completely thawed at room temperature.
- Reheating: These cupcakes are best enjoyed at room temperature or slightly chilled. If you prefer them warmed, microwave an unfrosted cupcake for 10-15 seconds, but be aware this may cause the whiskey to evaporate slightly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can omit the whiskey altogether and still have delicious cupcakes to enjoy!
The easiest way to check and see if cupcakes are done baking is to put a clean toothpick into the center of the baked cupcake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes are done baking.
Yes, you can add cooked cupcakes to the freezer. Just store them in an airtight container, and store them without adding the frosting. You can easily frost them and decorate them when you unthaw them.
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Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1 box French Vanilla cake mix
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup unsalted sweet cream butter softened
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups Jack Daniels honey whiskey
To make the frosting
- 2 cups unsalted sweet cream butter softened
- 4½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 4 cups Patriotic Sprinkles red, white, and blue
- Silver star cupcake topper
- American Flag cupcake topper
Instructions
- Preheat oven
350 °F (177 °C) degrees and place the cupcake liners into the muffin/cupcake pan - Using a standing mixer or hand beater, beat until combined the cake mix, eggs, milk and butter until combined and smooth1 box French Vanilla cake mix,3 eggs,½ cup unsalted sweet cream butter,1 cup whole milk
- Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners, filling about ¾ way full
- Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the cupcakes are a light golden brown shade
- Remove and allow to cool on the counter for 15 minutes
- Using a fork, gently pierce the top of the cupcakes a few times
- Pour the Wild Turkey American Honey Whiskey into a small bowl2 cups Jack Daniels honey whiskey
- Carefully submerge the top of the cupcakes into the whiskey for a few seconds
- Gently lift the cupcake out of the whiskey and lightly shake any drips off the cupcake
- Place onto a cookie sheet and allow the remaining whiskey to soak into the cupcakes
- Using a standing mixer, beat the butter until soft and smooth2 cups unsalted sweet cream butter
- Gradually mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy whipping cream until combined, smooth and holds a peak4½ cups powdered sugar,1 tbsp vanilla extract,4 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- Scoop the frosting into a piping bag
- Once the cupcakes have soaked in the whisky, you can start frosting
- Combine the red, white, and blue sprinkles into a bowl4 cups Patriotic Sprinkles
- Using the piping bag, pipe a thick ring of frosting around the top of the cupcakes
- Carefully dip the frosting into the sprinkles and use your hands to completely coat the frosting
- Use the piping bag again and pipe a dollop of frosting into the center
- Place an American flag and star pick into the frostingSilver star cupcake topper ,American Flag cupcake topper
- Place the mini pipette into the frosting as well
Nutrition Information
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This is a very creative recipe! Using the box cake mix is a nice shortcut. Thanks for sharing!
We loved these whiskey cupcakes- maybe a little too much! This took an ordinary cupcake and kicked it up a few notches and made an adult version that was a tasty treat. They were simple and pretty.
These are so cute and festive!
Such a cute idea for whiskey lovers! My sister-in-law will LOVE these!
I made these cupcakes for a party over the weekend and they were a huge hit! Everyone was asking me for the recipe!