Mint Julep Fruit Salad

An easy Mint Julep Fruit Salad with lots of mint and bourbon flavor is perfect for a Derby Party. Fresh melon is soaked in a mint-infused simple syrup with bourbon. It’s a refreshing side for Mother’s Day, a bridal shower or any Spring festivities.

Just keep it away from the kids. This is strictly an adult-only treat.

The simple syrup adds some extra sweetness and lots of mint flavor. You can decrease or increase the bourbon depending on whether you want to have a little or a lot of fun.  😉

This fruit salad is full of fresh watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe and it is so refreshing.

Tips for making Mint Julep Fruit Salad:

Any fruit can be used. I like to use melon because they soak up the simple syrup so well. You could also use strawberries, kiwi, raspberries, grapes, and blackberries. Whatever you like.

Leave out the bourbon to make this fruit salad kid-friendly.

Use a good quality, smooth-tasting bourbon. My go to for cooking and cocktails is Maker’s Mark.

It is best to refrigerate this salad for at least 1 hour before serving. It can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time.

What to serve it with:

For a full Kentucky-themed menu, serve this Mnt Julep Fruit Salad with Kentucky Hot Browns, these ultra-chocolaty Mint Julep Brownies, Bourbon Balls, and this super moist and delicous Kentucky Butter Cake.

Mint Julep Fruit Salad

5 from 1 vote

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Total: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 10

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An easy Mint Julep Fruit Salad with lots of mint and bourbon flavor is perfect for a Derby Party. Fresh melon is soaked in a mint-infused simple syrup with bourbon. It's a refreshing side for Mother's Day, a bridal shower or any Spring festivities.

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1/3 cup sugar
• ▢ 1/3 cup water
• ▢ 6 to 8 mint leaves,, torn
• ▢ 3 tablespoons bourbon
• ▢ 3 cups fresh cantaloupe balls
• ▢ 3 cups fresh honey dew balls
• ▢ 3 cups fresh watermelon balls

Instructions 

• Add sugar, water and mint to a small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Strain and discard mint leaves.
• Stir in bourbon.
• Place fruit in a large bowl. Pour sugar mixture over fruit. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving, stirring every now and then to evenly soak the melon.

Notes

Use less or more bourbon, depending on how strong you want the bourbon flavor to be.

For a kid-friendly fruit salad, leave the bourbon out altogether.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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