This recipe for bourbon balls is an old-fashioned classic! This Southern favorite is one anyone will love. Being from Kentucky, we know all about bourbon balls!
If you love this candy, you will also love these No Bake Orange Balls. They are an old-fashioned classic only a few ingredients and are absolutely wonderful for the holiday season!
❤️WHY WE LOVE THIS RECIPE
These bourbon balls are a classic candy that has been around for many many years. They make a wonderful gift during the holiday season. They are only a few ingredients, not hard to make and always a hit. Put them in a pretty tin and give them as a gift!
🍴KEY INGREDIENTS
- unsalted butter
- powdered sugar
- crisco
- pecans, finely ground
- 100 proof Kentucky bourbon (can use more or less and could use another kind of bourbon) *see swaps
- vanilla extract
- semi-sweet chocolate chips
- pecan halves for garnish
SWAPS
If you are not a bourbon fan or don’t have bourbon, you can use apple or orange juice in it’s place. We have made them with apple juice, and they were so good! Everyone loved them. You don’t have to use crisco but we find it adds a smoothness to the chocolate that is helpful and makes it cover the balls well.
🍽️HOW TO MAKE KENTUCKY BOURBON BALLS
These are easy to make but they do have a few steps of putting them in the refrigerator to chill. So that part adds time to the process.
DIRECTIONS
Step 1
Cream butter and sugar. Add pecans, bourbon and vanilla extract mixing well with mixer. Chill this mixture in the freezer for 30 minutes or refrigerator for an hour.
Step 2
Remove from freezer and make into balls using about a teaspoon of mixture for each one. Place on wax or foil paper on cookie sheet and put back in the freezer for 30 more minutes or refrigerator for an hour.
Step 3
When 30 minutes are up, melt the chocolate chips and crisco about 2 minutes in the microwave. (The smaller the container or bowl you use to melt the chips the easier it is to dip the bourbon balls in the chocolate). Some people use a toothpick to hold the bourbon balls. It is easier for me to just drop them in the chocolate and use a wooden spoon or fork to cover.
Step 4
Remove each bourbon ball and place on a clean piece of wax paper or foil on cookie sheet. Add a pecan half on top. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes until chocolate hardens. Store in refrigerator. Makes about 15-20 bourbon balls, depending on the size you make them.
⭐TIP
These authentic Kentucky bourbon balls are always a hit and this recipe is one many people love. Just check the comments. If the chocolate begins to get too hard for dipping, just heat it up again and stir it well. If the balls start to warm before you dip them in the chocolate, you can always set them back in the fridge to harden up some. Take your time, and we put them in and out of the fridge a few times so we can get the coated the way we like.
When melting the chocolate in the microwave, only do about 20-30 seconds at a time and then stir.
RECIPE VARIATIONS
If you read the swaps above you can switch out the bourbon, and you could also switch out the vanilla with other flavors too. However, for authentic Kentucky Bourbon Balls this is the way to make them.
❓FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
That is correct, measure out a 1/2 cup and then chop them up for the recipe.
Yes, you can taste it since these are no bake, the bourbon isn’t “baked” out.
No, you do not need to keep them in the fridge but we think they are great cold, so we do.
STORING
These will keep for a few weeks stored in an airtight container. You can easily make these in advance for the Christmas holidays and they are a wonderful gift.
💕MORE POPULAR RECIPES TO ENJOY
SERVING SIZE
This recipe makes 15-20 bourbon balls and can easily be doubled.
Kentucky Bourbon Balls
These Kentucky Bourbon Balls are an old fashioned southern classic! The perfect Christmas treat or gift!
- 1/2 cup or 1 stick unsalted butter not margarine, softened(I use organic)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup pecans finely ground
- 4 tablespoons 100 proof Kentucky bourbon can use more or less and could use another kind of bourbon
- 1 teaspoon crisco
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips melted
- pecan halves for garnish
-
Cream butter and sugar. Add pecans, bourbon and vanilla extract mixing well with mixer. Chill this mixture in the freezer for 30 minutes or the refrigerator for an hou. Remove from freezer and make into balls using about a teaspoon of mixture for each one. Place on wax paper on cookie sheet and put back in freezer for 30 more minutes or the fridge until hard.
-
When 30 minutes are up, melt the chocolate chips and crisco about 2 minutes in the microwave. When melting the chocolate in the microwave, only do about 20-30 seconds at a time and then stir. (The smaller the container or bowl you use to melt the chips the easier it is to dip the bourbon balls in the chocolate). Some people use a toothpick to hold the bourbon balls. It is easier for me to just drop them in the chocolate with a fork and use a wooden spoon or another fork to cover. Remove each bourbon ball and place on a clean piece of wax paper on cookie sheet. Add a pecan half on top. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes until chocolate hardens. Store in refrigerator. Makes about 30 bourbon balls depending on the size you make them.
-
If the chocolate begins to get too hard for dipping, just heat it up again and stir it well. If the balls start to warm before you dip them in the chocolate, you can always set them back in the fridge to harden up some. Take your time, and we put them in and out of the fridge a few times so we can get the coated the way we like.
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