Grandma's Bourbon Balls

Square image of bourbon balls on an antique serving platter.

4.95 from 18 votes

My grandmother's no-bake Bourbon Balls are made with crushed Nilla Wafers, walnuts, sweetened condensed milk, and a good sipping bourbon. They take just 15 minutes of hands-on time and keep beautifully in the fridge, so they're perfect for making ahead for holiday trays and gifts!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Southern

Keyword Bourbon Balls, Bourbon Balls with Vanilla Wafers, Kentucky Bourbon Balls

Prep Time 15

Chilling Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings 1-inch balls

Calories 61kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

1 (11 ounce) box Nilla Wafers, very finely crushed (about 3 cups crumbs)
1 cup walnuts, very finely chopped (measured after chopping)
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
⅓ cup bourbon
1 cup powdered sugar, for rolling

Instructions

Mix the dough: In a large bowl, combine the wafer crumbs and walnuts. Add the sweetened condensed milk and bourbon, and stir until completely combined with no dry crumbs left. The dough will be soft and sticky.
Chill: Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until the dough is firm enough to scoop and roll.
Scoop and roll: Pour the powdered sugar into a shallow dish. Use a small cookie scoop to portion the dough, then roll it into 1-inch balls. Dust your palms with powdered sugar so the dough doesn't stick to your hands.
Coat in sugar: Roll each ball in the powdered sugar until it's evenly coated.
Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve. Roll in more powdered sugar just before serving, if you'd like.

Notes

Bourbon: Use a Kentucky bourbon you'd happily sip, like Woodford Reserve or Maker's Mark, since the flavor comes through. Dark rum works too. Because nothing is cooked, the alcohol stays in.
Walnuts: Measure 1 cup after chopping, not before. Too few nuts leaves the dough too soft to hold its shape.
Wafers: Use crisp vanilla cookies like Nilla Wafers, not cream-filled sugar wafers.
Dough too soft: Chill it another 30 minutes to 1 hour. If it's still sticky, work in more crushed wafers a few tablespoons at a time.
Make ahead and storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container, layered between sheets of wax paper, for up to 1 week. The flavor is best after 2 to 3 days. To freeze, coat the balls in powdered sugar, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for at least 1 month.

Nutrition