Best 6 Pecan Butter Balls Recipes

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Pecan butter balls are a classic holiday treat that is easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser. This decadent confection is made with a combination of pecans, butter, sugar, and vanilla extract, then rolled in powdered sugar. The result is a sweet and nutty ball that melts in your mouth.

This article provides three different recipes for pecan butter balls, each with a unique twist. The first recipe is the classic pecan butter ball, made with simple ingredients and a traditional method. The second recipe adds a touch of maple syrup for a richer flavor. The third recipe uses a combination of pecans and walnuts for a more complex flavor profile.

All three recipes are easy to follow and require minimal ingredients. The classic pecan butter balls can be made in just 30 minutes, while the maple pecan butter balls and the pecan walnut butter balls take a little longer, but are still very simple to make.

No matter which recipe you choose, you are sure to enjoy these delicious and festive treats. Whether you are making them for a holiday party or just want a sweet treat to enjoy at home, pecan butter balls are sure to be a hit.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

PECAN BUTTER BALLS



Pecan Butter Balls image

These are melt in your mouth goodies.

Provided by Kathy Farmer

Categories     Desserts     Nut Dessert Recipes     Pecan Dessert Recipes

Yield 24

Number Of Ingredients 6

2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup white sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup margarine
2 cups chopped pecans
⅓ cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

Steps:

  • Sift together into a medium sized bowl the flour, sugar and vanilla. Work in the margarine with a spoon or hands until well blended. Add chopped pecans and mix well.
  • Shape dough into 1 inch balls and put on ungreased pans. Bake in a preheated 325 degree F (165 degrees C) oven for about 25 minutes or until pale brown. When slightly cool roll or shake in confectioners' sugar. Store in an air tight container.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 182.3 calories, Carbohydrate 13 g, Fat 14.1 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 2 g, SaturatedFat 1.9 g, Sodium 87.8 mg, Sugar 4.2 g

MOCHA-PECAN BUTTER BALLS



Mocha-Pecan Butter Balls image

When I was a little girl, one of my mother's co-workers would bring tins of assorted Christmas cookies for my sister and me. These were the ones I reached for first.

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Desserts

Time 30m

Yield 4 dozen.

Number Of Ingredients 10

2/3 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup instant chocolate drink mix
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup finely chopped pecans
Additional confectioners' sugar

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Combine the flour, drink mix, coffee granules and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in pecans. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. , Roll into 1-in. balls. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until firm. Cool on pan for 1-2 minutes. Roll warm cookies in confectioners' sugar; cool on wire racks.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 172 calories, Fat 10g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 18mg cholesterol, Sodium 111mg sodium, Carbohydrate 20g carbohydrate (11g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 2g protein.

SUGAR'S BROWNED-BUTTER PECAN BALLS



Sugar's Browned-Butter Pecan Balls image

Browning butter with chopped pecans gives these tasty cookies an even deeper and nuttier flavor.

Provided by Arlene Cummings

Categories     Dessert

Time 1h45m

Yield 48

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 cup butter
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1 cup powdered sugar

Steps:

  • In 1-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add pecans; cook about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until butter begins to turn brown. (Butter will get foamy as it cooks so gently stir to prevent nuts from burning.) Remove from heat; pour into bowl. Refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes or until mixture is cooled.
  • Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat cooled butter-pecan mixture and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well mixed. Add cinnamon and vanilla; beat well. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour until dough forms.
  • Roll dough into 1-inch size balls; place on ungreased cookie sheets.
  • Bake about 12 minutes or until cookies are light golden brown (do not overbake). Immediately remove cookies from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Place powdered sugar in medium bowl. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar to coat; return to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes. Reroll cookies in powdered sugar.

Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 Serving

PECAN BUTTER BALLS



Pecan Butter Balls image

This is my Tanté Enna's recipe. She made them every year when we would visit. So worth the trip. I was glad to be able to get this recipe and a couple others that I had enjoyed so much as a child.

Provided by CabinKat

Categories     Dessert

Time 35m

Yield 4 Dozen, 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 6

2 cups sifted flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups pecans, finely chopped, divided

Steps:

  • If you prefer, you can substitute the pecans with walnuts, almonds, or filberts. I prefer the pecans to give this cookie a bit of sweetness.
  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit; high elevation use convection if you can; or bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Sift flour (very important to do this for lighter cookies), sugar, and salt in medium to large bowl.
  • Cut up butter into workable pieces, add to flour, and add vanilla.
  • Mix as if you were making a pie crust; should look like beads or pea size. Use hand or sturdy spoon to mix well enough to form dough ball.
  • Add and work in 2 cups of the nuts.
  • Shape into 1-inch balls. You can refrigerate dough for about an hour if you think it will be easier to work with; I have not needed to.
  • Roll balls in the remaining 1 cup nuts.
  • Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for about 25 minutes; may take 5 extra minutes, depending on the elevation.
  • You can remove them right away to a wire rack to cool.
  • You can use this same recipe for Wedding Cookies, just omit the 1 cup nuts for rolling and roll in powdered sugar instead. Bake the same amount of time.

PECAN BUTTER BALLS



Pecan Butter Balls image

This recipe came to me from Louise via Ethel, two Pensacola friends. I don't know how many times I have lost this recipe and then found it, sometimes too late for the holidays, when I bake Pecan Butter Balls. My losing and finding the recipe reminds me of a little saying that is my motto: "Those who are so proud of a neat desk...

Provided by Sandy Young

Categories     Cookies

Time 20m

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 c butter, softened
3 Tbsp sifter confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp almond extract
2 c sifted all-purpose flour
1 c chopped pecans
extra sifted confectioners' sugar to roll balls in

Steps:

  • 1. Cream butter. Then add 3 tablespoons sifted confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat together.
  • 2. Add sifted flour and chopped pecans.
  • 3. Roll into tiny balls. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until done. Roll in powdered sugar while hot. Your hands will probably feel the heat! Makes about 6 dozen cookies.
  • 4. This is one of my favorite cookie recipes, and I make these small, sweet cookies every Christmas. I always hope others will eat a lot of them because I could eat every one of them myself!

PECAN BUTTER BALLS



PECAN BUTTER BALLS image

Categories     Cookies     Nut     Dessert

Yield 4-5 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 7

2 C chopped pecan or pecan meal
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 C melted butter, cooled
1/2 C sugar
2 C flour
1 C confectioners sugar

Steps:

  • Line cookie sheets with parchment paper & spray with oil. Heat oven to 325. Batter: Add vanilla and salt to butter; stir. Add remaining ingredients except confectioners sugar and stir. Gather dough into ball. Shape: With floured hands, shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on cookie sheets. Bake 20-22 minutes. Move cookies to rack then coat with powdered sugar while still warm. Cool on rack.

Tips:

  • Use fresh ingredients. This will help ensure that your pecan butter balls are as flavorful as possible.
  • Don't overmix the dough. Overmixing will make the dough tough.
  • Chill the dough before rolling it out. This will make it easier to work with.
  • Use a sharp knife to cut the dough. This will help prevent the dough from tearing.
  • Bake the pecan butter balls until they are just set. Overbaking will make them dry.
  • Let the pecan butter balls cool completely before frosting them. This will help prevent the frosting from melting.

Conclusion:

Pecan butter balls are a delicious and festive holiday treat. They are easy to make and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. With a little planning, you can make these delicious cookies for your next holiday party.

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