Food and Recipes Desserts Chocolate Kentucky Bourbon Balls Be the first to rate & review! In the Bluegrass State, bourbon balls get a chocolaty upgrade. By Laura Kanya Laura Kanya Laura Kanya served as a recipe tester and developer in the Vermont test kitchen of Dotdash Meredith. She has been active in the food industry for more than two decades, including as a pastry chef, chef instructor, executive chef, and director of operations in restaurants, resorts, and food production companies. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on April 21, 2023 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Active Time: 40 mins Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Servings: 12 Yield: 2 dozen Kentucky bourbon balls are a classic Southern confection—sweet with a punch of bourbon flavor at the end. Toasted pecans in this recipe lend an irresistible crunch and a flavor intensity, while bittersweet chocolate balances the flavor so it’s not too sweet. These no-bake candies are easy to make and impressive to serve. And they keep well in the fridge or freezer—that is, unless you devour every last one first. Kentucky Bourbon Balls Ingredients To make Kentucky bourbon balls, you’ll need just seven readily available ingredients: pecans, bourbon, unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and bittersweet chocolate chips. Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely What is the best bourbon for this recipe? Our test kitchen prepared this recipe using Maker’s Mark. Other Kentucky bourbons to try include Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey, and Four Roses. How To Make Bourbon Balls The full recipe for Kentucky bourbon balls is below, but here's a quick recap: Make the dough: Put the pecans in a bowl with the bourbon to absorb. Next, beat butter and powdered sugar until combined; add the soaked pecans, vanilla, and salt, and beat until a dough forms.Form balls: Scoop the mixture onto parchment-lined baking sheets, and freeze uncovered until firm.Dip in chocolate: Melt the chocolate, and dip each bourbon ball into the melted chocolate, transferring to another parchment-lined baking sheet and topping with a pecan. 25 Bourbon Cocktail Recipes That Are Basically Made for Southern Porch-Sipping Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Do Bourbon Balls Have Alcohol in Them? Yes, bourbon balls have alcohol in them—just as the name suggests. This recipe calls for half a cup of bourbon, but you could adjust the recipe if you prefer less bourbon flavor. If you prefer to make the balls completely non-alcoholic, you could substitute the bourbon for juice (such as orange or apple), but that will certainly change the flavor and the spirit of the confection. What's The Difference Between Bourbon And Whiskey? How To Store Kentucky Bourbon Balls Immediately after preparing the bourbon balls, chill them uncovered for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours. Then, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where they will keep for up to two weeks. Can You Freeze Bourbon Balls? You can also store Kentucky bourbon balls in the freezer, where they will last for up to three months. To store in the freezer, first freeze the balls on a baking tray until frozen. Then, transfer them to an air-tight container or zipper bag for longer-term storage. More Bourbon Dessert Recipes Mississippi Mudslides Blackberry-Peach Cobbler Bars Recipe Caramel Apple Blondie Pie The Lane Cake Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls The South's Best Bourbons for Gifting and Drinking Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin. Ingredients 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans 1/2 cup Kentucky bourbon 1/2 cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter, softened 1 (1-lb.) pkg. powdered sugar (about 4 cups) 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/8 tsp. table salt 3 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (from 2 [12-oz.] pkg.) 40 toasted pecans Directions Soak pecans in bourbon: Place chopped pecans and bourbon in a small bowl. Let stand, covered, at room temperature until pecans have absorbed some of the bourbon, at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours. Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Prepare pans: Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside. Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Make bourbon balls mixture: Beat butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixer on low speed until combined (mixture should resemble coarse sand), 3 to 6 minutes. Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Add soaked pecans and any remaining bourbon in bowl, vanilla, and salt; beat on low speed until combined and forms a dough-like consistency, about 2 minutes. Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Scoop out balls: Using a 2 teaspoon (10 mL) sized cookie scoop, scoop mixture into 1/2-inch balls, and place onto 1 of the prepared baking sheets. Freeze, uncovered, until firm, about 15 minutes. (Alternatively, cover, and refrigerate up to 12 hours.) Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Melt chocolate: Meanwhile, add water to a large saucepan to a depth of 1 inch; bring to barely a simmer over low. Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Place chocolate in a dry medium-sized heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan, making sure bottom of bowl does not touch water. Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Melt chocolate, stirring often, until smooth, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Dip bourbon balls in chocolate: Remove bourbon balls from freezer (or refrigerator.) Using a fork, dip bourbon ball in melted chocolate. Gently tap bottom of fork onto surface of melted chocolate, and wipe on edge of bowl to remove excess chocolate. Transfer dipped bourbon ball to second prepared baking sheet by flipping over to remove from fork. Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Top with a pecan. Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Repeat process with remaining bourbon balls and melted chocolate. Chill, uncovered, at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours. Store in airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Frequently Asked Questions What are bourbon balls made of? Bourbon balls primarily comprise bourbon, nuts, and chocolate for their distinct flavor and texture. This recipe also calls for unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Could you get a buzz from bourbon balls? It is unlikely that anyone could catch a serious buzz from bourbon balls. Yes, this recipe does call for a half cup of bourbon. But it also makes 24 balls (with a serving size of two balls), so the alcohol is distributed across many servings and diluted with other ingredients. Rate it Print Additional reporting by Alesandra Dubin