Best No-Bake Old Fashioned Bourbon Balls Recipe

Inside: These old-fashioned bourbon balls are full of boozy, nutty, and vanilla goodness, and make the perfect decadent adult sweet treat. And they’re also so quick to put together for the holidays or Kentucky Derby party! They’re no-bake, fast, and make-ahead friendly—aka the holy trinity of holiday treats.

Bourbon is experiencing a boom in popularity like never before. Maybe it’s the deep, aged flavor. Maybe it’s that it’s one of the only American-born spirits. Or maybe we just feel hip sipping on a “Mad Men” type cocktail like an Old-Fashioned or Manhattan.

With the bourbon resurgence, the little old classic bourbon ball recipe from Grandma’s cookbook has been dusted off and is showing up on holiday cookie trays again!

And with good reason:

• Bourbon balls are a breeze to make—just mix everything up in a bowl, roll the dough into bite-sized balls, and you’re done! No baking and no special equipment needed. No matter how hectic the holidays get, we can handle this one.
• They save longer than the average cookie. When you’re drowning in sweets and leftovers during the holidays, having a treat that won’t go stale right away is a win. These goodies will hang around for a couple of weeks in the fridge (not that they’ll make it that long).
• The kids shouldn’t have all the fun. These goodies are just for us. And the bourbon flavor is the perfect departure from the sea of sugary treats at the Christmas cookie exchange.

Ingredients for No Bake Bourbon Balls.

These breezy, boozy treats only take a few simple ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped (walnuts are good too)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1 tbsp. light corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
• 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Topping ideas to coat the bourbon balls in:

• Confectioner’s sugar
• Chopped pecans
• Cocoa powder
• Melted chocolate with a pecan half
• Colored coarse sanding sugar
• Sprinkles

SH&H Tip: For an extra flavor layer, toast the pecans in the oven at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes before chopping or processing.

How to Make These Easy Bourbon Balls.

1. Crush the pecans and vanilla wafers.
Use a food processor, blender, or a Ziploc bag + rolling pin. Finer crumbs help the mixture hold together better.

2. Combine everything in a large mixing bowl.
Add crushed cookies, pecans, softened butter, corn syrup, bourbon, vanilla, powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt.

3. Chill the mixture for at least 30 minutes.
This helps the butter firm up and makes rolling easier.

SH&H Tip: You may be tempted to go heavier on the bourbon, but remember—none of it cooks off, and the flavor strengthens as they sit!

4. Roll into 1-inch balls.
They don’t have to be exact because with no baking, no precision is required.

5. Coat in toppings of your choice.
I used:

• Powdered sugar (the classic)
• Crushed pecans
• Cocoa powder
• Melted chocolate with a pecan on top

I put about a quarter cup of each of my dry toppings in a small bowl and gave each ball a good roll. I like to use a baking sheet for my working area before final plating to catch a little of the topping fallout.

SH&H Tip: Powdered sugar and cocoa can fade as they absorb moisture. To slow this down, either:
(1) roll the balls twice, (2) freeze them briefly, or (3) use non-melting powdered sugar or snow sugar.

FAQ’s for Bourbon Balls.

Can You Substitute Whiskey for Bourbon?

Absolutely—bourbon is just one type of whiskey. You can also use rum to make rum balls with the same recipe.

Does It Matter What Kind of Bourbon You Use?

Use whatever you have. Save the expensive stuff for sipping—you won’t taste the difference here. To be “real” Kentucky Bourbon Balls, use Kentucky bourbon, but taste is more important than technicalities.

For another good holiday cookie exchange or gifting treat, see the post “Peppermint Bark Brownies: Because Two Holiday Classics Are Better Than One“.

Can Bourbon Balls Make You Drunk?

It’s highly unlikely these boozy balls will make you tipsy, unless you eat a couple of trays of them (and then that might be the least of your problems). Four tablespoons of alcohol spread across 30 balls means each ball contains only a trace amount.

Can You Make Bourbon Balls Without Nuts?

If you need to go nut-free, substitute an equal amount of crushed cookies for the nuts. If the dough is too soft, add a little bit more as needed.

Can You Use Different Cookies in Bourbon Balls?

Yes, just make sure they aren’t too soft, don’t have frosting or toppings, and use the same amount (1 1/2 cups) as the Nilla Wafers after they’re crushed. Some good options are Oreos, gingersnaps, and graham cracker crumbs.

Can You Make Bourbon Balls Without Alcohol?

Yes—use nonalcoholic bourbon or apple juice/orange juice for a kid-friendly version.
(They won’t taste the same, but they’ll still be delicious.)

For another boozy dessert good for parties, check out the post “30 Best Boozy Pudding Shot Dessert Recipe Ideas“.

Bourbon Balls Printable Recipe.

Old Fashioned Bourbon Balls

These old-fashioned bourbon balls are full of boozy flavor paired with pecans and vanilla goodness, and make the perfect decadent adult sweet treat. And they’re also so quick to put together for the holidays or Kentucky Derby party!

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 30 balls

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
• 1/2 cup pecans chopped (walnuts are good too)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1 tbsp. light corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Optional: Powdered sugar, cocoa powder, crushed pecans, or other desired coatings

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Crush the pecans and vanilla wafers using a food processor to grind the pecan bits and Nilla wafers into fine crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, you could also use a blender, or crush the cookies in a Ziploc bag and chop the pecans finely with a knife.
• Combine the crushed cookies and pecans, softened butter, corn syrup, bourbon, vanilla, powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
• Cover the bourbon ball mix with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Shape the mixture into approximately 1-inch balls. (Since these aren’t baked you don’t have to be consistent or exact—make them as large or small as you like.)
• Roll the balls in the coatings of your choice.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Storage.

• Room temperature: 2–3 days
• Refrigerated: Up to 2 weeks
• Frozen: Up to 3 months (layer with parchment to prevent sticking)

Happy holiday (no) baking!

Before you go:

As always, I appreciate your visit, comments, and shares here on the blog! I’d love it if you also follow along with me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube so you won’t miss any of my inspiration and ideas.

Don’t forget to sign up for updates to keep in touch.

If you’re not already a member of the SH&H family, I’d love to have you join me! You’ll not only get email updates, but you’ll have exclusive access to all the bonus materials in my free subscriber-only library, like this:

Pin it to remember it!

If you’ve enjoyed this post, please pin and share this on Pinterest: