This is an authentic Kentucky Bourbon Balls recipe. They are rich, smooth, decadent, and delicious! It’s a Southern delicacy of a sweet boozy confection of sugar, pecans, and bourbon.
A bourbon ball is a Southern delicacy, invented by Ruth Hanly Booe of Rebecca Ruth Candy in 1938. Bourbon balls are bite-sized confections incorporating bourbon and dark chocolate as an ingredient.
Bourbon Balls
We recently took a trip to Kentucky and did the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. I wasn’t a fan of bourbon until this trip. After learning the process and testing all the different bourbon formulas, I quickly became a fan. Although I prefer Woodford Reserve and Maker’s Mark over the others, every tour offered a unique and interesting experience.
Can eating bourbon balls make you drunk?
While bourbon balls certainly contain enough alcohol to taste that it’s there, the likelihood of getting drunk off of them is very minimal. Only 3 tablespoons of bourbon is used, which is then dispersed among other ingredients and then divided into 36 different candies.
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You may also like Peppermint Bark, Oreo Cookie Balls, and Buckeye Balls.
Bourbon Balls
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- 3 Tablespoons Woodford Reserve Kentucky bourbon
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar sift and measure carefully
- 16 oz semi-sweet chocolate
- Optional toppings - pecan halves chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds, cocoa powder, confectioners' sugar, sea salt
Instructions
- Mix pecans and bourbon in a bowl and allow to soak for an hour.
- Cream (or mix) butter and sugar together in an electric mixer until smooth
- Chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
- Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet covered with waxed paper. Refrigerate 2 hours.
- Melt chocolate in the microwave in 30-second intervals until melted, stirring after each interval. Using a fork to hold the bourbon ball, dip each ball in chocolate covering completely. Hold ball over chocolate a few seconds to allow excess to drip off. Place back on waxed paper to cool completely. *If you choose to top with a pecan half, nuts, or salt immediately press on top of the ball before chocolate cools and hardens.
Notes
Nutrition
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Every tour allowed you to taste test their product at the end of the tour and most offered their version of Bourbon Balls. I really became a fan of these sugary treats!!
Try my Woodford Reserve Bourbon Cake with Caramel Glaze
You may also like my Martha Washington Candy
Jane says
Is the powdered sugar measured before or after sifting?
Paula says
after sifting
Sandi S Johns says
i made some bourbon candied pecans and added those instead of soaking pecans in bourbon yummmmm!!
EMILY says
Are these thick enough to leave plain? I am thinking i want to make some bourban bars ( I hate dipping things in CHoc) But the recipe i have used in the past was too wet to do that I had to freeze them then choc coat them
Paula says
Yes, they’re are dense and I think they’ll do fine to leave plain
Sam says
Hi,
If I freeze these, do I do so before or after they are coated in chocolate?
Paula says
I would freeze before dipping in chocolate.
Jeanie says
I’ve made these twice and both times ended up using 1/2 cup of butter. I also like more bourbon flavor so on the 2nd try I added a little extra bourbon after everything was mixed and then “kneaded” it in with a little extra powder sugar. They came out great!!!!
Monica says
3 1/2cups of powdered sugar and 1/4 C (4 T) butter do not “cream”. At best, in those proportions they creat a powdery mix. Suggestions? Only two days to Derby!
Paula says
Add more butter or bourbon if needed to stick together, however be careful of adding too much or they won’t be firm
Dianna says
How much butter did you end up using? Having same problem, just a powdery mix.
Marvina says
You say your recipe is correct. Yet , the cream that you talk about is not on your recipe. So what type of cream????
Paula says
It is correct. “Cream butter and sugar together in an electric mixer until smooth” as in “Mix butter and sugar together….”
Michele says
In the recipe yiu have 3T of boubon to mix with pecans. In comments 3T cream to be mixed with chocolate. I’m confused if the bourbon amount is correct.
Paula says
3 T bourbon with pecan. no cream in chocolate
Tracy says
Can these be frozen then thawed prior to use?
Paula says
yes, I typically make a lot early then freeze for Christmas gifts
Deb says
Do you temper the chocolate? The recipe just calls for 16 oz. semi sweet chocolate, so I got cakes of semi sweet Baker’s chocolate…is that appropriate or is there a specific type I should use?
Paula says
No the Baker’s chocolate is typically ready to melt and use. Check the package though, but the Wilton candy melts that I use doesn’t need to be tempered
Linda says
I don’t have bourbon – would rum work as well? Thanks!
Paula says
Yes, slightly different flavor, but it’ll be great!
Jeannette says
This is 2016. I hope you get this! These look great, but I and people I make them for don’t drink. Any suggestions? Thanks very much.
Paula says
My parents never did either so I understand. There actually is a bourbon flavoring/extract but it’s hard to find. You can use any flavoring… vanilla, almond, black walnut, and increase the heavy cream 1 or 2 tablespoons. You’ll get the flavor of whatever extract you use, but the texture will be the same.
Sallie Lyons says
I stuck a toothpick in the balls before refrigerating them and then dipped them in the chocolate and then removed toothpicks. Was easier for me then the fork. My son and his friends loved them. Thank you for all of your help with different stuff.
Amy @ItsAMindfulLife says
Hello! Stopping in from Whimsy Wednesdays! LOVE this recipe! Bourbon + Anything = Awesomeness! Thanks for sharing!
Paula says
Thanks so much!!
Patricia Clark says
In the Bourbon Balls, where does the 3 T of cream go? (In the powdered sugar mixture or the melted chocolate!)
Paula says
oh my goodness, sorry about that! The cream melts in with the chocolate to make it coat the balls better. Add cream and chocolate together and melt in microwave. Going to correct that in the recipe right now. Thanks for pointing out my error! ~ Paula
Betty says
What weight or measurement is –a stick of butter?
Paula says
Ok, now that I’m on the computer and can see the recipe there is not a stick of butter listed in this recipe. There is 1/4 cup. Could please clarify where you see this?
Alyssa says
Hello- can you please forward the full recipe. Does it need a full stick or 1/4 cup of butter?
Paula says
The full recipe is listed, not sure what you’re seeing. The recipe is correct as written at 1/4 cup butter.
Shirley says
I used 1/4 c butter (=1/2 stick) softened, but it didn’t seem enough to “cream” with the powdered sugar. I mixed and mixed, but it never got creamy. It was still loose and powdery. Did I use the right amount of butter?
Paula says
Yes, that’s what I’ve used. It was stiff but did form together into the balls. You can add more butter if needed though. I would add 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture will stick together .
Paula says
1/4 is correct butter. Perhaps you mis-measured and had too much sugar
Lindsey says
A few comments mention heavy cream. I do not see that in the recipe? Is it needed with the chocolate, and if so, how much?
Thanks! Can’t wait to try these!
Paula says
Cream is not in the recipe. When I say ‘Cream butter and sugar’ it means ‘mix butter and sugar’