I’ve tried a few different whiskey ball recipes, but the mixture is never dry enough to roll into balls. These were something that my grandmother used to make, and I’ve finally come up with a recipe that’s as close to hers as I could make it.
| Prep Time: | 20 mins |
| Additional Time: | 1 hr |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 20 mins |
| Servings: | 45 |
| Yield: | 45 balls |
Ingredients
- 1 (12 ounce) package vanilla wafer cookies
- 8 ounces pecans
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- ½ cup bourbon whiskey
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- ½ cup flaked coconut, or to taste (Optional)
- ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar, or to taste, for rolling
Instructions
- Grind cookies in a food processor into fine crumbs; transfer to a large bowl.
- Grind pecans in the food processor; add to cookie crumbs in the bowl. Stir in 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, bourbon whiskey, cocoa powder, and corn syrup until mixture holds together; roll into 3/4-inch balls.
- Spread coconut onto a plate and 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar onto a separate plate. Roll balls in coconut and sugar to coat. Arrange balls onto a platter, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until hardened, at least 1 hour.
- Store whiskey balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Reviews
Best bourbon balls I’ve ever tasted! Did leave out the coconut when i made it due to personal preference.
These taste great! I didn’t have as many nuts as they called for. But they turned out great anyway. When first mixed, give it a min to soak up the liquor and it gets thicker.
Awesome recipe! I skipped the coconut but the balls certainly weren’t lacking in flavor.
LOVE LOVE LOVE! These were absolutely delicious. I hope this recipe garners more five star reviews because it deserves it! I have made bourbon balls from another recipe on this website where you had to melt chocolate chips and it was so messy and difficult to work with. Also, the flavor was not as on point as this recipe. This recipe was so easy to make and to work with and the flavor was absolutely delicious. The bourbon in this recipe was not overpowering and I let them refrigerate for 24 hours before serving. However, after 48 hours the bourbon flavor definitely intensified so FYI. I used Woodford Reserve, 90.4% proof. I’ll never make another bourbon ball recipe but this one!!
Followed the recipe, everyone loved them! Will make again!!!!!
These are fantastic! Followed recipe (except for the coconut). Huge hit!!
Awesome recipe! Turned out perfect! Very easy to make.
My mixture came out a little dry and was hard to roll into balls. Other than that, they are great.
I made these tonight. I followed the recipe exactly except I used spiced rum and they are fabulous!!!
Just like I remembered. I used Whiskey instead of Bourbon, which Google says is basically the same. I only used 1/3 c, instead of 1/2 c. Probably could have used a little water. But they were great. I also used very thin rubber gloves to mix and roll the cookies.
This is the recipe in the Southern Living cookbooks I was given when I got married. They’re not too wet and they are very easy to make. One of my husband’s favorites.
Super easy to make and you can less or more bourbon (obv, we did the latter!) I omitted the corn syrup for maple and added more when it seemed to get too dry to roll in to balls. Putting in stockings for the grown ups to enjoy on Christmas morning.
Love it! I had no choice that I differed the recipe. The vanilla wafers only came in an 11 oz bag. But the nuts were 10 0z instead of the 8 oz I needed. So I ate what I thought was 1 oz of nuts and hoped that the dry ingredients would equal out. It did! Great ratio of wet to dry. Used my grandma’s shallow metal tablespoon to the the perfect sized ball. Skipped the coconut, rolled them in powdered sugar. Delicious!
Delicious and so easy to make! I used my mini-processor and did in batches. Because the vanilla wafers are now 11 oz, I cut back a tad on the other ingredients, but I don’t think it’s necessary. I rolled in powdered sugar (looks like the photo), but I like the options of adding coconut or rolling in cocoa powder. I will place these way back in the fridge (so that I can’t get at them!). Plan to place in cellophane bags with ribbon as part of gifts. Thanks for the recipe….will surely make again!
Delicious! Recipe as written works up perfectly. I made them with bourbon, but plan to try rum and brandy too — if only I could remember to buy vanilla wafers!
My family loved it, only problem was the coconut would not stick to them.
Our 20 year long neighbors are moving to Kentucky from Boston and we are headed to a Farewell Party this afternoon. I am always in charge of making something that has alcohol in it (like Jello Shots/Marinated Maraschino Cherries dipped in white chocolate etc) so I was looking for something with Bourbon in it to represent KENTUCKY! Made exactly like the recipe with only one exception, I toasted the pecans first. Only because I think that gives the BEST flavor of Pecans. I made half with Coconut and half without in case someone doesn’t like Coconut at the Party that I am bringing these to shortly.. They took me a LONG time to make.Start to finish about 2.5 hours but I am NO Baker so that probably lengthened the time. I used my Food Processor for probably the first time in 10 years LOL. I used a Melon Ball to start the “Ball” and I wound up with just over 50 Bourbon Balls at the last count. I had to taste one to make sure they were delicious and THEY ARE ! I took the tip from someone to NOT put in extra Bourbon. They are the Perfect amount of Bourbon with what the recipe calls for. Can’t wait to see them go…and I know they will. So Hat’s off to MeeMaw. This is a keeper.
I have a friend who will be 103 on her b’day. What does a lady of that age really need… or want??? Bourbon Balls! ?? She loves them…& Fruit Cake! I didn’t start early enuff to get the Fruit Cake done on time….but, I was able to make these yummy Bourbon Balls. I used Jack Daniels whiskey (bourbon? not sure, but close enuff sounding to me!) I messed up & instead of putting the coconut on a plate to ROLL the balls in….I accidentally added it TO the mixture. And, I ran out of powdered sugar after using a cup in the mix..so, I didn’t roll the balls in that either….Oh well… my dear friend LOVED them! I was concerned they’d be too strong in alcohol flavor, but…. she said they were perfect..& proceeded to eat 2 of them! I’ll hafta ask her how the flavor melds over time, as I’m not a Bourbon Ball lover, so I wouldn’t know.
Made these for a small Christmas party for a bourbon taster’s club. They turned out great! Not too strong, just right! I made a couple of modifications by adding a tsp more of corn syrup and a couple of tsps of melted salted butter. The salt was a good addition because it added flavor to the balls. The corn syrup and butter made the batter less crumbly and easier to work with. They helped the confectioner’s sugar and coconut adhere to the balls better and enhanced the flavor.
The bourbon balls were great! My mother always made them during the holidays but this year was my turn. She liked them so much that she says she has to start making them again. I added an additional cap full of bourbon and hence, they were not for non-adult consumption. They had a nice kick in the end.
So yummy, and so easy to make! Reminded me my Nana’s! Only rolled in powdered sugar cause the coconut wouldn’t ‘stick’, but everyone loved them.