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Home » Recipes » Meal Types » Desserts » Kentucky Bourbon Balls Recipe

November 9, 2019 · Updated June 19, 2020 · 2 Comments

Kentucky Bourbon Balls Recipe

Desserts· Holiday Recipes· Party Recipes· Recipes

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These delicious Kentucky Bourbon Balls are a classic treat! Sweet, boozy, and easy to make!

These delicious Kentucky Bourbon Balls are a classic treat, perfect for any get together!

Kentucky Bourbon Balls

Bourbon balls are a must at any holiday gathering in the South — and if you’ve ever tried them you’ll know why! They are my Mother-in-Law’s favorite Christmas treat!

As the name implies, bourbon balls are a boozy cookie. There’s no baking, so the liquor doesn’t cook off like it might in some other desserts. This one is definitely for grown-ups only!

Just like other classic recipes, like Texas Sheet Cake cookies, it seems every family has their own recipe for Kentucky Bourbon Balls. (Or just Bourbon Balls if you use a different type of bourbon).

Sometimes bourbon balls are coated in chocolate, sometimes they are rolled in powdered sugar (like ours). Most recipes do have the following ingredients:

  • Crushed vanilla wafers
  • Chopped pecans
  • Cocoa powder
  • Bourbon, of course!

Keep reading to learn our favorite way to make bourbon balls!

Related: Click here to see ALL of our favorite Christmas cookies! There’s over 75 recipes!

These delicious Kentucky Bourbon Balls are a classic treat, perfect for any get together!

Kentucky Bourbon Balls Ingredients

I’ve provided this quick list of shop-able ingredients for your convenience; disclosure policy here.

  • 1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
  • 1 cup pecans (chopped)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (for the dough)
  • 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup bourbon (we used Jim Beam)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
  • 1/3 cup confectioners sugar (for rolling)

Makes: 48 balls

Kitchen Supplies Used:

  • Non-stick silicone baking mat — we use these reusable baking mats in almost all of our recipes! They are washable so you can use them again and again and you don’t need cooking spray.
  • Cookie scooper — this handy gadget helps create more uniform cookie sizes for more even baking.
  • Non-slip mixing bowls — definitely helpful when you’re cooking with kids!
  • Cookie Sheets

How to Make Kentucky Bourbon Balls

Besides the fact that they taste delicious, one of the reasons bourbon balls might be one of the most popular holiday treats is that they are so easy to make!

These delicious Kentucky Bourbon Balls are a classic treat, perfect for any get together!

  1. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another bowl.
  2. Slowly add dry ingredients to bowl of wet ingredients, stirring until well combined.
  3. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place in a small bowl of powdered sugar.
  4. Roll the ball in the powdered sugar until surface is coated.

Finish your bourbon balls by placing them on a baking sheet in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. Store them in an airtight container for up to a week.

These delicious Kentucky Bourbon Balls are a classic treat, perfect for any get together!

More Christmas Recipes

  • Christmas Puppy Chow
  • Christmas Wreath Cupcakes
  • Christmas Tree Oreos
  • Mini Santa Belly Cakes
  • Kid-Made Mini Gingerbread House Cakes
  • Oreo Gingerbread Truffles
  • Rudolph Cupcakes
  • Copycat Starbuck Cranberry Bliss Bread
  • Grinch Jello Shots

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These delicious Kentucky Bourbon Balls are a classic treat, perfect for any get together!
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Kentucky Bourbon Balls Recipe

These delicious Kentucky Bourbon Balls are a classic treat! Sweet, boozy, and easy to make!
Prep Time20 mins
Chill Time30 mins
Total Time50 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Bourbon, Bourbon Balls, Christmas, cookies, Kentucky Bourbon Balls
Servings: 48 Balls
Calories: 42kcal
Author: Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
Cost: $10

Equipment

  • Medium bowl
  • Small bowl
  • Spoon
  • Mini cookie scoop
  • Baking pan

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Vanilla Wafer crumbs
  • 1 Cup Pecans chopped
  • 1 Cup Powdered sugar for the dough
  • 2 teaspoon Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 Cup Bourbon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon Light corn syrup
  • 1/3 Cup Powdered sugar for rolling

Instructions

  • Combine wafer crumbs, pecans, cocoa, and 1 cup of powdered sugar together in a medium bowl.
  • Pour the corn syrup and bourbon together in a small bowl and mix with a spoon.
  • Slowly add the crumb mixture to bowl of wet ingredients and mix well.
  • Form dough into 1" balls and place in a bowl of powdered sugar.
  • Roll balls in powdered sugar until coated.
  • Put the dough balls on the baking pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Notes

Note: Nutrition information is a rough estimate only; actual values will vary based on the exact ingredients used and amount of recipe prepared.

Nutrition

Calories: 42kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 10mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg

Pin this Kentucky Bourbon Balls recipe on Pinterest:

These delicious Kentucky Bourbon Balls are a classic treat, perfect for any get together!

More of our favorite Christmas cookies:

Hot Cocoa Cookies

A classic sugar cookie with a holiday twist — White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies taste as delicious as they look!

White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

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Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
Stacey is the creator of The Soccer Mom Blog, a Houston Texas mom blog that focuses on positive living for women and families. She loves to share real food recipes, money-saving tips, parenting encouragement, kids activities, DIY tutorials, home hacks, fitness, and so much more! To get to know Stacey even better, click here.
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
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Comments

  1. Jana Gill says

    October 10, 2021 at 6:37 am

    FAKE, these aren’t Kentucky Bourbon Balls! KY Bourbon balls are made with bourbon, Butter, confection Sugar & pecans dipped in chocolate. Call them Houston Balls or what ever. In Kentucky corn syrup belongs in Pecan Pie and vanilla wafers in banana pudding.

    Reply
    • Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says

      October 15, 2021 at 1:08 pm

      Hi Jana — It seems that there are two camps when it comes to making bourbon balls, the recipe you described and the one on my site. Doesn’t make either fake or wrong. PS- I was born and raised in WV, so I’m pretty familiar with food from the region 😉

      Reply

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