Old Fashioned Bourbon Balls Recipe
Make your holiday season extra special with this Old Fashioned Bourbon Ball Recipe! These no-bake, bite-sized treats are so easy and festive!
Equipment
- Large rimmed baking sheet
- parchment paper
- Food processor optional
- Food chopper optional
- 1 Tablespoon Cookie Scoop
Ingredients
- 5 cups vanilla wafers finely crushed (about 1 box)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1 cup powdered sugar plus more for rolling
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- ½ cup bourbon whiskey Maker’s Mark or your favorite
Optional Coatings
- Powdered sugar
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Crushed vanilla wafers
- Chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the vanilla wafer crumbs, salt, and chopped nuts. Stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed.
- Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder into the nut mixture and stir until combined. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the light corn syrup and bourbon until smooth.
- Add the bourbon mixture to the large bowl of dry ingredients and mix with a spatula or your hands until the mixture becomes a cookie dough-like consistency.
- Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, roll balls into 1-inch balls and immediately roll them in your chosen coating. Place them on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 5 days.
Refrigerator: Place in an airtight container to extend freshness, but be aware that coatings may absorb moisture and may get gooey.
Freezing: Wrap each bourbon ball in wax paper, then store them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator before serving.
Natalie's Pro Tip
To Finely chop the vanilla wafers and pecans (or walnuts) into small pieces, I use a food processor. You can crush the vanilla wafers into fine crumbs using a rolling pin, but I find the food processor gives the most consistent crumbs. It just takes a little longer. I have also used a vegetable chopper to chop up the nuts.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
