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:
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

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
- 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
Equipment
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.
Just finished making these and they are to die for! So simple to make too!!
Can the nuts be simply omitted for folks with nut allergies or should something be subbed for them?
Thanks!
Looks delicious! What are the prepared toppings? Looks like cocoa, powdered sugar… and what is the other? Thank you!
Hi there! All of the toppings are listed in the printable recipe card at the end of the post. The third is chopped pecans.
xo Michael
You had me at bourbon! 🤎
Pinned it! My niece makes fabulous bourbon balls but I will try this recipe, which I’m sure is fabulous.
any ideas how to make these nut free????