If you’re looking for a boozy treat to get the party started, these bourbon balls are calling your name. Made with finely chopped pecans, crushed vanilla wafer cookies, and of course, bourbon, these no-bake cookie truffles highlight the flavor of the bourbon while taming its typical burn. Warning: You won’t be able to stop at one! Read on for tips on these boozy bites.
Looking for more alcoholic desserts? Check out these Baileys truffles—they’re one of our favorites!
Who invented bourbon balls?
Bourbon balls were originally invented in 1938 in Frankfort, Kentucky, by Ruth Hanley Booe. As the story goes, Booe—who owned a candy company called Rebecca Ruth Chocolates—was struggling to keep her business alive in the wake of the Great Depression, when a chance customer comment inspired her to create the bourbon balls. Revived by the instant popularity of these bourbon balls, Rebecca Ruth Chocolates is still making them today, and while the company has never divulged the exact recipe for the beloved candy, many people have developed copycat recipes similar to this one.
Can I soak the pecans?
Some recipes soak the pecans in bourbon overnight, but we chose to omit this step to make this recipe more straightforward—not to mention the bourbon flavor was plenty strong without it. That said, feel free to soak your pecans if you’d like. Just be sure to toast the nuts before soaking them, then drain them thoroughly before chopping and adding them to the bourbon ball mix.
Does the alcohol get cooked out?
These truffles aren’t baked, so the alcohol will not cook off. They’re definitely not safe for consumption if you don’t drink alcohol (and don't feed them to children), but after a lot of careful research (wink wink!), we can attest that they will not give you a buzz, no matter how many you eat.
Can I make these without the bourbon?
Arguably, the whole point of these balls is the bourbon, but if you don’t like the flavor, you can definitely substitute regular whiskey or rum. You can also use apple juice if you’d like to make them non-alcoholic.
Can I make these without a food processor?
Absolutely. We love how easily everything comes together in the food processor, but if you don’t want to use one, you can crush the wafers and toasted nuts inside a sealed plastic bag with a rolling pin. It might take a little longer, but it’ll work just as well.
What else can I coat these bourbon balls with?
We love the crunchy texture and iridescent shine of the coarse sparkling sugar, but if you want to try something different, you could roll these balls in powdered sugar, cocoa powder, or finely chopped pecans, or even dip them in melted chocolate.
Do bourbon balls need to be refrigerated?
Once the bourbon balls have been formed and have had a chance to set up, they don’t technically need to be refrigerated. You can store them in an airtight container at room temperature, where they should stay good for up to 2 weeks; however, they will stay fresher for longer if they’re kept in the refrigerator, and also we really love the taste of them cold!
Made these? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
