Everyone, not just kids, should get a treat this year. This updated version of the iconic Southern no-bake sweet, Pioneer Woman Bourbon Balls, features finely ground nuts, crushed cookies, chocolate, and a generous pour of bourbon to hold everything together.
Try More Recipes From us:
Why You’ll Love This Pioneer Woman Bourbon Balls
- This recipe steers clear of the issues that I’ve discovered with other handmade bourbon ball recipes—that is, aside from how difficult it is to refrain from eating them. You’ve been warned.
- Bourbon Balls deliver a mighty punch despite their diminutive size and are perfect for sharing. These delicious confections require no baking and are excellent party snacks due to their easy preparation.
What Are Bourbon Balls?
A Southern specialty, the bourbon ball was created by Rebecca Ruth Candy’s Ruth Hanly Booe in 1938. Candy balls flavored with whiskey and coated in dark chocolate can be found in a wide variety of forms and tastes. Bourbon and other secret ingredients are blended into a creamy candy dough that serves as the base for Rebecca Ruth’s bourbon ball recipe.
Pioneer Woman Bourbon Balls Ingredients
- Pecans. When toasted, pecans take on a nutty, crunchy flavor that pairs perfectly with bourbon.
- Gingersnap Cookies. Substitute crushed gingersnaps for the traditional vanilla wafers. The combination of the chocolate and bourbon with the mildly spicy ginger flavor is exquisite.
- Bourbon. The addition of the warm, comforting booziness completely transforms these balls. This recipe really highlights the flavor of the bourbon you use, so choose one you like.
- Confectioners’ Sugar. Serves to sweeten things up and soak up excess liquid, making for the ideal bourbon ball.
- Cocoa Powder. Due of the decadent chocolate flavor added.
- Sweetener. Leave the low-calorie corn syrup alone! Natural sweeteners like molasses, maple syrup, or honey are delicious additions that bring out the best in any dish. The intensity of the molasses is my favorite part, and it goes wonderfully with the gingersnaps.
How To Make Pioneer Woman Bourbon Balls
- Put a rack in the middle of the oven, and then turn the temperature up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The pecans should be spread out in a single layer. After approximately 8 to 10 minutes in the oven, during which time they should be stirred once and allowed to toast, pecans should be crisp. Immediately move to a cutting board to cool after the transfer.
- Pecans, after being toasted, spread out on a baking sheet
- If you are starting with whole cookies, prepare the crumbs immediately, then double check to make sure you have 2 and a half cups. The cookie crumbs can be combined in the bowl of a food processor that has a steel blade attached to it by pulsing them together.
- Utilizing a food processor, pulverize the gingersnap cookies.
- After the nuts have cooled, add the salt. Continue to pulse the machine until the nuts are ground into a powder but are not entirely pulverized (you want them in small bits but for them to still have a little bit of texture).
- Whisk the bourbon, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and molasses together in a small bowl until they are completely combined and smooth.
- A bowl of chocolate being stirred with a whisk.
- Place in the bowl of the food processor and pulse until almost completely mixed.
- To make the batter, use a food processor.
- If you feel like the ingredients are not mixed together correctly, put the mixture in a bowl and give it a couple good stirs. Make a clump of it by pressing it. Allow to sit at room temperature for one hour to give the crumbs a chance to soak up some of the liquid.
- In a shallow dish, arrange anything you would like to use to roll the balls in (a low bowl works too).
Recipe Tips
- The next day, your bourbon balls will taste even better (and more boozy! ), and they will keep for weeks, whether stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature. They are convenient for sending in the mail, giving as presents, and storing in one’s home in case of “emergencies.”
- Try substituting apple or orange juice for the whiskey if you need to turn these into non-alcoholic bourbon balls. Another option that is both entertaining and delicious is apple cider (though it will make the balls more sweet).
- To make rum balls, replace the bourbon with an equal amount of spiced rum in the recipe.
- Alternate recipe with less alcohol: cut the amount of liquor in half, to 1/4 or 1/3 cup. In order to compensate for the lack of moisture in the mixture, you can add a splash of apple juice or orange juice if it is too dry.
- You may make bourbon balls without alcohol by substituting apple juice or orange juice for the bourbon. In addition to that, trying some apple cider could be enjoyable.
What To Serve With Pioneer Woman Bourbon Balls?
You can serve the Pioneer Woman Bourbon Balls with your preferred drink, such as coffee, juice, or other snacks and drinks. Alternately, you may serve it as a dessert with a cup of tea, a breakfast snack, or an appetizer for a party.
How To Store Pioneer Woman Bourbon Balls?
In The Fridge:
There is no requirement to store bourbon balls in the refrigerator. The shelf life of bourbon balls is around two weeks, depending on whether they are stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature. If you store them with the lid on, they will remain moist, but if you store them without the lid, they will develop a more distinct “crust.”
In The Freezer:
How Much Alcohol Is In A Bourbon Ball?
Traditional bourbon balls, as their name implies, typically contain alcohol. How much you use can change from recipe to recipe. In all honesty, we adore that they are more expensive than average. If you’re really insistent, you can use less bourbon, but I don’t think you’ll want to. It’s possible to make bourbon balls without the booze if you’re planning on serving them to children or giving them to people who don’t drink.
Can Bourbon Balls Get You Drunk?
Extremely improbable. The balls are around the size of a mouthful, or maybe even two bites, so you would have to consume a large quantity of them. Because you are more likely to get high from the sugar than you are from the alcohol, we consider it to be a harmless indulgence.
- Red Velvet Cake Balls Recipe Pioneer Woman
- Pioneer Woman Goat Cheese Balls
- Pioneer Woman Protein Balls
Pioneer Woman Bourbon Balls Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
- Calories 50
- Total Fat 2.2g
- Saturated Fat 0.5g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 1.2g
- Monounsaturated Fat 0.4g
- Cholesterol 0.1mg
- Sodium 28mg
- Potassium 13mg
- Total Carbohydrate 6.6g
- Dietary Fiber 0.2g
- Sugars 3.5g
- Protein 0.6g
Nutrition Facts Source: Source
Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 50
- Calories from Fat 20
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 2.2g4%
- Saturated Fat 0.5g3%
- Cholesterol 0.1mg1%
- Sodium 28mg2%
- Potassium 13mg1%
- Total Carbohydrate 6.6g3%
- Dietary Fiber 0.2g1%
- Sugars 3.5g
- Protein 0.6g2%
- Calcium 0.1 mg
- Iron 0.6 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
