These no-bake treats are a Southern tradition around the holidays. One small bite with a blast of bourbon flavor. They're not for the faint of heart - or anyone under 21.
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Old-fashioned bourbon balls are delicious no-bake cookies made with just six simple ingredients!
- Share these boozy treats on your holiday cookie tray or ship them to loved ones for a comforting taste of home this holiday season.
- Store bourbon balls with a piece of wax paper or parchment paper in between each layer so they don’t stick together.
Rich chocolate, a heavy pour of bourbon, and crunchy pecans create the mouthwatering masterpiece of Kentucky bourbon balls!
These classic Southern sweet treats are bursting with cozy bourbon flavor and will warm you up on chilly days!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- Classic bourbon balls are made with vanilla wafers, but you can also use chocolate wafers, gingersnaps, graham cracker crumbs, or cookie crumbs—whatever you have on hand!
- Don’t like pecans? Swap ‘em with chopped walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts.
- For a real chocolatey punch, roll your bourbon balls in cocoa powder instead of powdered sugar. However, they'll taste less sweet this way.
- Use honey or maple syrup instead of light corn syrup. Honey lightens the sweetness a bit, and the maple flavor pairs really well with bourbon!
- Turn bourbon balls into rum balls by using dark spiced rum instead of Kentucky bourbon.
- Dip your boozy bourbon balls in melted chocolate and top with a single pecan if you’re feeling fancy! Use dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate—any melted chocolate will do!
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Finely chop the pecans with a sharp knife. Or, place pecans in the food processor with the vanilla wafers.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Whisk together the bourbon and light corn syrup in a small bowl.
- Mix the bourbon mixture into the dry ingredients until a sticky dough forms. Roll dough balls in powdered sugar.
🥫 How to store leftovers
You can keep these bourbon balls at room temperature for a couple of days. Store them in an airtight container with parchment between the layers.
Refrigerate
Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or more—if they last in your house that long! Some people like the texture better chilled, others at room temp.
Put a piece of wax paper or parchment paper in between each layer so they don’t stick together.
Freeze
You can freeze bourbon balls, too! Just don’t roll ‘em in powdered sugar before you freeze them.
Flash-freeze bourbon balls in a single layer on a baking sheet covered in plastic wrap. Then, transfer the frozen bourbon balls to an airtight container or sealed freezer bag. Freeze for up to three months.
Thaw frozen bourbon balls in the fridge overnight or until they’re soft enough to eat. Roll them in powdered sugar before serving.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Use a food processor to grind your vanilla wafers into fine crumbs—no need to beat them with a rolling pin in a plastic bag! You can chop the pecans in the food processor, too.
- To toast pecans, lay them on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 7-10 minutes. Toss them occasionally so they don’t burn.
- Bourbon balls get a little sticky in the fridge, so you may want to freshen ‘em up with another coating of confectioners’ sugar before serving.
- Allow bourbon balls to firm up in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to achieve the best texture. (I know it’s hard to wait, but I believe in you!)
- Use a small cookie scoop when shaping the bourbon balls so they all turn out the same size. Aim for small, 1-inch balls.
👩🍳 FAQs
Choose a high-quality, smooth Kentucky bourbon that you enjoy sipping. Woodford Reserve and Maker’s Mark bourbons are great options. Save your really good stuff for special occasions!
For more milk chocolate flavor, use natural unsweetened cocoa powder. If you prefer dark chocolate (like me), stick with Hershey’s special dark cocoa—Dutch process cocoa is the best!
The best part of Kentucky bourbon balls is that they can be stored for over a week in the fridge! The bourbon is a natural preservative that helps them last so long.
This no-bake dessert is a great recipe for make-ahead Christmas treats! Store them even longer in the freezer so you’re prepared with bite-sized treats for a last-minute family gathering or holiday party.
You can store bourbon balls at room temperature for a day or two. They tend to get softer and can lose their shape. However, they won't necessarily go bad at room temp, they just won't be as firm.
Sorry to y’all with nut allergies out there, but bourbon balls just aren’t the same without nuts! However, if you're only allergic to a specific type of nut, you can swap in another kind.
No, this recipe isn't. Normal vanilla wafers contain gluten. However, you can buy gluten-free vanilla wafers that are just as delicious and they will be gluten-free.
📚 Related recipes
- Buttery, rich, and ever-so-boozy, Bourbon Cake is an authentic, Southern-style recipe where bourbon and pecans take center stage.
- Peppermint Bark Cheesecake is a creamy white chocolate creation with crushed peppermint candy and is perfect during the holiday season!
- Chocolate Butter Cookies combine melt-in-your-mouth texture with the fudginess of brownies for a quick, easy dessert that freezes well, too!
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A small cookie scoop is perfect for shaping the bourbon balls.
📞 The last word
These are delicious but be warned - if you don't like bourbon you will hate them.
My daughter grabbed one and popped it in her mouth before I could warn her. "Ewwwww, MOM!"
They are very, very bourbon forward so use the best bourbon you can afford.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars!
📖 Recipe
Old-Fashioned Bourbon Balls
Print Pin Recipe SaveIngredients
- 11 ounces Nilla Wafers, finely crushed
- 1 cup pecans, finely chopped and toasted
- ¾ cup powdered sugar, plus more for rolling
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, I use Hershey's Extra Dark
- ½ cup bourbon
- 2 ½ tablespoons light corn syrup
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Instructions
- Add first 4 ingredients to a large bowl.
- Stir until completely blended.
- Set aside.
- In another bowl whisk corn syrup and bourbon together.
- Stir bourbon mixture into the cookie mixture.
- Stir until it forms a soft, sticky dough and there are no streaks of dry mixture.
- Shape into 1-inch balls.
- Roll in powdered sugar.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour so the flavors can develop.
- Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. You'll want to roll them in powdered sugar again before serving.
Notes
- Use the food processor for making crumbs and chopping pecans.
- To toast pecans, lay them on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 7-10 minutes. Toss them occasionally so they don’t burn.
- Use a small cookie scoop when shaping the bourbon balls so they all turn out the same size. Aim for small, 1-inch balls.
- Bourbon balls get a little sticky in the fridge, so you may want to freshen ‘em up with another coating of confectioners’ sugar before serving.
- Allow bourbon balls to firm up in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to achieve the best texture. (I know it’s hard to wait, but I believe in you!)
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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