Kentucky Bourbon Balls, gluten-free and vegan

These no-bake Kentucky Bourbon Balls would be the perfect Kentucky derby party dessert. They are dairy-free, vegan and gluten-free which makes them friendly for pretty much any guest. The taste is so amazing you can’t tell that these are a much healthier version made with pecans, vanilla protein powder, milled flax seeds, plant butter and sweetened with pure maple syrup.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20

Total Time 35

Course dessert, snack, party food

Cuisine American

Calories 109 kcal

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups pecan halves or pieces plus extra for garnish
3 tbsp ALOHA organic vanilla protein powder
3 tbsp Carrington Farms Organic Milled Flax Seeds
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup plant butter melted
1 tsp Nature’s Flavors Organic Bourbon Flavor Powder or you can substitute for 2-3 tbsp real bourbon
10 oz semi-sweet allergy friendly chocolate
Optional garnish: Pecan pieces 26 and flake salt (the flake salt really adds to the flavor experience, so I highly recommend it)

Disclaimer:

Nutritional Information is provided as a courtesy only and should be viewed as an estimate. Ingredients can vary with brands and size and Inspiration Apron makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Instructions

Except for chocolate and garnish, add all other ingredients to a food processor or blender. Pulse a few times, then process/puree until mixture is like fine crumbs, about one minute.
Place waxed paper onto a baking sheet, then scoop 1/2 tbsp size of mixture out and roll into a ball. Place balls onto waxed paper, then freeze for 15 minutes.
While mixture is freezing, start preparing workstation for covering in chocolate and garnishing. place waxed paper onto counter or a large baking sheet.
Place at least 26 pecan pieces into a small bowl, then add about 1 tsp flaked salt to a small dish. In a medium bowl, melt chocolate according to package directions. HINT: I always add a very small dab of coconut oil to chocolate for a smooth melt (about 1/4 tsp for 10 oz.)
Remove balls from freezer and immediately start dunking them one-by-one into the chocolate mixture, retrieving with a fork and letting chocolate drip off as much as possible before placing onto waxed paper.
Because they are very cold, the chocolate will set quickly, so I recommend dunking 2 or 3, then placing a pecan piece on top and sprinkling with flaked salt before starting the process over with more. Repeat until all are covered.
As soon as chocolate sets, you can enjoy immediately or place on a platter for serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 109kcalCarbohydrates: 8.19gProtein: 1.41gFat: 2.5gSodium: 20mgFiber: 1.3gSugar: 6.5g

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