Thank goodness for Instagram, or I wouldn’t have even thought to make these delightfully indulgent holiday goodies last week! Calgary Glutenfree, another top-notch gluten free blogger, mentioned that their favorite way to use bourbon in baking was bourbon balls, and that sparked a full-fledged recipe hunt for how to make our own! I’d heard of these southern delicacies before but had regrettably never tried them, and after perusing various recipes, determined that I had everything I needed to make them right then and there. So I did. And I’m not disappointed with the result – quite the opposite! Now, apparently, the original bourbon ball was created by Ruth Hanly Booe of Rebecca Ruth Candy, a candy shop down in Frankfort, Kentucky, that has been family-run and creating gorgeous treats since 1919!! Here’s to women-owned, family-run businesses – and let’s here it for the two substitute teachers, Ruth Hanly Booe and Rebecca Gooch, who started it all!
To the star of the show: the Bourbon Ball. In 1938, Ruth had the brilliance to combine bourbon, a cream center (various versions call for crushed cookies, chopped pecans, corn syrup, butter, powdered sugar, etc), silky dark chocolate, and one extra southern pecan on top. These are not kid friendly if eaten right away, since the bourbon is still quite present in the final bonbon, which makes them the perfect adult holiday treat. Some even age their bourbon balls for up to a week before serving them to *socially distant* dinner party guests! We decided to toast our pecans to give a bit more nuttiness to the finished product, but aside from that, these no-bake treats are a breeze to make (as long as you can be patient!). The only down side is waiting hours to let the chopped pecans soak in their bourbon bath before tossing together a fondant-like filling and rolling them into balls.
We’ve decided these gluten free bourbon balls are our new favorite holiday gift, so will be making many more of these as the holiday season progresses, but don’t take our word for it! Give them a try – you may even have all of the ingredients ready to go! If you’re looking for other holiday treats, try our crème fraîche chocolate truffles (truly divine), or these brown butter pecan shortbread cookies, or these hazelnut chocolate snow cookies, or our graham cracker toffee bars (super easy!)! These are all fabulous options for gifts to make yourself and then ship to family and friends if you’re choosing the safe route and doing virtual/distant holidays!
Gluten Free Bourbon Balls
Equipment
- Electric mixer
- Heat proof bowl
- Baking Sheet
- Toothpick
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 Cup chopped toasted pecans instructions below
- 5 Tbsp bourbon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- 1/2 Cup salted room temp butter
- 4 Cups sifted powdered sugar
- 18 oz good quality dark chocolate
- 36 toasted pecans
Instructions
- First, toast your pecans. Preheat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread raw pecans on the parchment paper and toast in the oven for 7-12 minutes or until fragrant and slightly darker (not burnt). Let pecans cool before chopping, then add all finely chopped pecans to a container, add the bourbon, and seal and let sit for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Once the pecans and bourbon sit for long enough, make the bourbon balls! In a large bowl beat the butter with 1 cup of the powdered sugar until smooth and combined. Add another cup of powdered sugar and beat until combined (it may not be completely smooth). Add the vanilla, salt, and all of the steeped pecans + bourbon and stir until fully combined, then continue to add the remaining powdered sugar, stirring in between each cup until all the powdered sugar has been added. Then scoop out enough mixture to roll 1-inch balls and place on a parchment-lined baking tray until all balls are formed. Refrigerate for at least one hour to firm up bonbons.
- While bonbons are chilling, prep the chocolate. Chop the chocolate and add to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat chocolate by 45 second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate is fully melted. Let melted chocolate cool to room temperature before the next step.
- Once chocolate is cooled but still liquid, remove bonbons from fridge and insert a toothpick into the top of a bonbon, lifting it up and into the chocolate to coat, then carefully drop back onto the parchment lined tray and use a toasted pecan to cover the toothpick hole. Continue until all bonbons are coated and topped with a pecan. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until serving!
Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your bourbon balls!
Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber
4 Comments
Julia Lewis
Would reducing the sugar to only 2 or 3 cups ruin the consistency? Thanks!
Alene
That’s wonderful, but I will never be able to find it. I live on the west coast of Florida where there isn’t much of anything. I googled it. I used to live in the Washington DC area, and I could get anything there! I will keep my eyes open though. Thank you!
Alene
I can’t seem to drink any bourbon without getting sick from the gluten in it. I used to be able to drink Maker’s Mark but not anymore. Have you found a brand that doesn’t affect you badly? It’s a huge loss!
Amelia Farber
Ah that’s such a bummer!! We’ve found one whiskey made from 100% sorghum – a friend actually called the company and confirmed, called Queen Jennie Whiskey!