Booze Balls

What happens when Amaretto meets no-bake dessert bites? Booze balls are born. Made with Nilla wafers, Nutella, cocoa powder, and nuts, this 10-minute dessert makes for a seriously decadent treat.

When you make and serve these boozeballs at a party, they are going to be the star of the show. I like to think my witty conversation is what people remember when they look back on my parties. But alas, these booze balls upstage me whenever they’re served.

What’s so great about them?

They are almost like truffles; they’re soft, rich and scrumptious. They’re flavored with just enough Amaretto, slightly sweet, and such a treat. But remember to keep them away from the kiddos as they’re strong.

I usually serve these around the holidays. They also make the perfect Christmas gift.

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Ingredients and substitutions

• Nilla wafers – or a non-brand vanilla wafer.
• Walnuts
• Almonds
• Confectioner’s sugar
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Nutella – or another hazelnut spread
• Amaretto – or another almond flavored liqueur.
• Flaked coconut – to roll the booze balls in.

Helpful tips

• Using a food processor to pulverize the Vanilla wafers is easiest and gives you a uniform texture.
• If you don’t have a food processor, put the Nilla wafers in a gallon Ziploc bag and use your rolling pin to crush them into a “meal”. You may have to do this in batches.
• I’ve made this recipe the same way for years and sometimes the booze balls come out on the dry side, other times they are moist. Either way, they will taste the same.
• While rolling the booze balls, I wash my hands when my fingers get goopy, then resume rolling.
• I usually package the balls in a gallon bag to store them. They freeze well and can be eaten within a few minutes of taking them out of the freezer.

How to make amaretto booze balls

Get out a food processor and large bowl.

Step one

Gather the ingredients – Nilla wafers, Amaretto (or some other almond-flavored liqueur), Nutella, and unsweetened cocoa powder.

Step two

Open the package of Nilla wafers and transfer them into the bowl of a food processor. (B)

Step three

Gather the rest of the ingredients – chopped walnuts, almonds, cocoa powder, Amaretto, and a heaping cup of confectioners’ sugar. (C)

Step four

Pulse until the wafers are finely textured. Place the Nilla cookie crumbs in the mixing bowl. (D)

Step five

Add the ingredients to the mixing bowl to join with the Nilla meal. (E)

Step six

Use a spatula to stir the ingredients until they are combined. (F)

As you can see in the above photo, the booze balls batter is moist. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before rolling them into balls.

Step seven

Take a small amount of the mixture in your hand and roll it into a ball. Don’t worry if the balls are different sizes.

Step eight

For garnish, put flaked or finely shredded coconut in a little bowl and roll the booze balls to coat them with the coconut. Place the balls on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet and refrigerate for at least one hour.

That’s it. It’s so easy and a big hit with the grownups.

Let’s see them piled on a plate.

Yum.

I hope you enjoyed this Amaretto booze balls recipe.

Other popular boozy food recipes

• Dark chocolate truffles
• Guinness truffles
• Bourbon meatballs

And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

If you’ve tried this recipe, I’d love the know what you thought about it in the comments below.  I love hearing from you!  You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!