Bourbon Balls

Sweet, rich, creamy, and loaded with bourbon flavor, these Bourbon Balls make the perfect addition to your holiday cookie tray.

Bourbon Balls:

My love of bourbon has taken on a new form: Bourbon Balls!

I probably sound like a broken record these days as I continually profess my love of bourbon but I just can’t help myself. I once hated it; now I want it in every cocktail and baked good.

As I mentioned above, I’m sharing my classic Bourbon Balls with you. Apparently, these are a southern favorite, but they are relatively new to me.

Bourbon Balls are a no-bake candy made up of crushed vanilla wafers, pecans, bourbon, butter, and sugar. That alone tells you they are going to be delicious. And by delicious I mean ridiculously addicting and I want to eat all of them.

When I first learned that these Bourbon Balls were made with vanilla wafers, I was really confused because I would have never guessed it. The interior texture is really smooth and creamy, kind of like a chocolate truffle, but with bourbon. I used a food processor to get my vanilla wafers to a really fine crumb.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, I’m trying to be a bit more conscious of my diet, so I’ve been avoiding sugar and my beloved bourbon. The moment I finished photographing these Bourbon Balls, I wrapped them up and put them in the freezer where they will remain until Christmas! I assume they should freeze just fine; I’ll report back.

And speaking of holiday cookie baking, I have a collection of 22+ amazing Christmas cookie recipes including my all-time favorite: cream wafer cookies. You can find all of those delicious Christmas cookie recipes HERE.

Want more festive holiday treats? Try these:

• Salted Caramel Crumb Bars
• Orange-Almond Mushroom Sugar Cookies
• Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
• Whipped Shortbread Cookies
• Chai Spiced White Russians

I highly recommend giving these Bourbon Balls a try especially if you are a fan of bourbon. Now if you’re looking for a delicious bourbon (and this isn’t sponsored in any way), I would suggest Four Roses Single Barrel. It’s my favorite and it works well in this recipe.

Kitchen Tools I Recommend for This Recipe:

Whether you’re wondering what equipment you’ll need for this recipe, curious about my favorite utensils, or if you’re just looking to stock your own kitchen, these are the kitchen tools I recommend for this recipe:

• food processor
• wooden spoon
• mixing bowls
• plastic wrap
• 1 tablespoon cookie scoop
• measuring spoons
• measuring cups

Want more? You can find the list of My Ultimate Kitchen Essentials HERE.

How to Make Bourbon Balls:

In a large bowl, stir together crushed vanilla wafers, butter, bourbon, corn syrup, vanilla extract, confectioners’ sugar, chopped pecans, and salt. I’ve provided a full list of the ingredients and detailed recipe instructions in a printable recipe card below.

Cover and chill until firm: about 30 minutes.

Place all of the toppings into three separate bowls.

Remove the bourbon ball mixture from the refrigerator and shape it into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in the prepared toppings. (You should get about 11 balls of each topping.)

Pack and store the bourbon balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

And that’s it. As you can see, they are so simple to make. I always like to include a few no-bake treats on my holiday cookie tray and these are a must-have for me.

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I hope you’ll give these Bourbon Balls a try, but remember my warning: It’s hard to stop at having just one!
Nevertheless, ENJOY!

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Bourbon Balls Recipe:

Bourbon Balls

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review!

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bourbon, bourbon balls, christmas, cookies, holiday

Servings: 33 balls

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 1 hr

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Sweet, rich, creamy, and loaded with bourbon flavor, these Bourbon Balls make the perfect addition to your holiday cookie tray.

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Pin It!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter - softened
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Toppings:

• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

Equipment

• food processor
• wooden spoon
• mixing bowls
• plastic wrap
• 1 tablespoon cookie scoop
• measuring spoons
• measuring cups

Instructions

• In a large bowl, stir together the crushed vanilla wafers, butter, bourbon, corn syrup, vanilla extract, 2 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, and salt.
• Cover and chill until firm: about 30 minutes.
• Place each of the toppings into a separate bowl.
• Remove the bourbon ball mixture from the refrigerator and shape it into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in the prepared toppings. (You should get about 11 balls of each topping.)
• Pack and store the bourbon balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

I used a food processor to get my vanilla wafers and pecans to a really fine crumb.

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Nutrition Facts

Calories: 104kcal • Carbohydrates: 13g • Protein: 1g • Fat: 6g • Saturated Fat: 2g • Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g • Monounsaturated Fat: 2g • Trans Fat: 1g • Cholesterol: 7mg • Sodium: 39mg • Potassium: 25mg • Fiber: 1g • Sugar: 10g • Vitamin A: 87IU • Vitamin C: 1mg • Calcium: 4mg • Iron: 1mg

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