Chocolate Bourbon Balls (Print version)

Rich no-bake chocolate bourbon balls with pecans and a touch of bourbon, chilled until firm.

# What goes in:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1½ cups vanilla wafer crumbs
02 - 1 cup finely chopped pecans
03 - 1 cup powdered sugar
04 - 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - ¼ cup bourbon
06 - 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ For Rolling

08 - ½ cup powdered sugar for coating

# Cooking steps:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the vanilla wafer crumbs, chopped pecans, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder. Stir until evenly distributed.
02 - In a separate small bowl, whisk together the bourbon, light corn syrup, and vanilla extract until well blended.
03 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly until a sticky, uniform dough forms and no dry spots remain.
04 - Using your hands, roll the dough into 1-inch balls, working quickly to maintain consistent size and shape.
05 - Roll each ball in powdered sugar, turning to coat generously on all sides. Gently shake off any excess.
06 - Arrange the coated bourbon balls on a parchment-lined baking tray and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld and the texture to firm up before serving.

# Tips from flavorandfeast:

01 -
  • No oven required, which means your kitchen stays cool and you get dessert without breaking a sweat.
  • The flavors deepen over a few days, so making them ahead actually rewards your patience with something even more delicious.
02 -
  • If your dough feels too dry and crumbly, add another half teaspoon of corn syrup rather than more bourbon, which would throw off the balance.
  • These taste noticeably better on day two or three, so resist the urge to eat them all immediately if you can manage it.
03 -
  • Wear food safe gloves while rolling if your hands run warm, because too much heat makes the dough greasy and hard to shape.
  • Pulse the vanilla wafers in a food processor instead of crushing by hand for perfectly even crumbs every single time.

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