There’s just something about the holiday season that makes some desserts feel extra special. For my family, one of those desserts is not an ivory pie or a sugar cookie in the shape of a reindeer. It’s a tiny no-bake dessert that always gets devoured faster than anything else at the dessert buffet: Fireball Whiskey Balls. They’re simple, cinnamon-flavored, and provide just the right amount of grown-up flair for the party.
If you’ve never made no-bake whiskey balls before, you’re in for a surprise. These come together quickly, use easy-to-find ingredients, and don’t require turning on the oven. Perfect for when the kitchen is already packed with casseroles and pies. And while there are plenty of versions out there, this one stands out for its texture, flavor, and just how much everyone loves them once they try one or three.
1. Why No-Bake Is Such A Winner
Peanut Butter-Chocolate No-Bake Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Medium Saucepan
- 1 Sturdy spoon or spatula Heat-resistant for mixing
- 1 Large Baking Sheet
- 1 Wax Paper or Parchment Paper For lining the baking sheet
- 1 Teaspoon or Small Cookie Scoop For portioning cookies
Ingredients
Main
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 stick 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Large pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment.
- Bring the sugar, milk, butter and cocoa to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, then let boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Add the oats, peanut butter, vanilla and salt, and stir to combine.
- Drop teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, and let sit at room temperature until cooled and hardened, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
Holiday baking is a marathon. With pies, cakes, and cookies, the oven is always working. That’s why it’s so wonderful to have recipes like this. No-bake means no waiting on the oven to preheat, no wondering if it’s done, no cracked tops and burnt bottoms. It’s all holiday baking fun without doing the actual baking.
These whiskey balls aren’t easy they’re genius. Instead of grinding up cookies like most old-time bourbon balls, this recipe uses dry cake mix as the basis. It sounds weird at first, but it’s ideal. No eggs and butter to fret about, and it quickens and makes the whole process foolproof. The end result is a chewy and soft center, with a hard candy coating on the outside. Pop one into your mouth, and it’s sweet, hot, and slightly tipsy.
2. The Five Ingredients You’ll Need
Fireball Crepe
Equipment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl For preparing the crepe batter.
- 1 Whisk or Electric Mixer To ensure a smooth, lump-free crepe batter.
- 1 Crepe pan or nonstick skillet Essential for evenly cooking thin crepes.
- 1 Nonstick saucepan For preparing the cherry-whiskey sauce.
- 1 Spatula or crepe spreader For flipping crepes and spreading batter.
Ingredients
Main
- 2 cups whole milk
- 8 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup 1 stick melted butter, plus more for cooking
- 1/4 pound 1 stick butter
- 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 10 ounces pitted sweet cherries
- 4 ounces Fireball whiskey
- 3 ounces cinnamon-spiked goat cheese
- Powdered sugar and whipped cream for garnish
- 1 ounce candied almond crumbs
Instructions
- For the crepe batter: Combine milk, 2 cups water and eggs in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Add flour and salt and mix until smooth. Slowly add melted butter and mix. Let batter rest, refrigerated, 24 hours!
- Add some butter in a hot crepe pan on medium heat, then add just enough batter to spread out with the back of a spoon. Cook until the edges start to curl and are slightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes, then flip and cook the other side, 3 to 4 minutes more. Cook 2 more crepes in the same manner.
- For the fireball crepe: Combine butter and brown sugar in a nonstick saucepan on medium heat until melted, then add cherries. Flambe with whiskey by tipping the pan into the flame and letting cook off.
- Add cinnamon goat cheese to each crepe. Roll crepes and spoon cherry mixture and sauce over the tops. Top with powdered sugar and candied almond crumbs and dollop on the side with whipped cream.
Notes
One of the best things about this recipe is that it’s so light on the ingredients list. You just need five big pieces to construct a batch, and it’s likely you already have a couple of those just lying about.
First, cream cheese. One standard block (about 8 ounces) will do, and you’ll want it softened to room temperature to make mixing easy. Use full-fat cream cheese for the best texture—low-fat versions just don’t blend as well.
Next, ground cinnamon. Just half a teaspoon is enough to give the mixture a warm, holiday flavor that complements the whiskey perfectly.
Then there’s the cake mix. The 15.25-ounce vanilla cake mix is the standard, but you can use cinnamon, white, or yellow cake mixes if you’re feeling adventurous. Fireball Whiskey is also a necessary ingredient—anywhere from one to three ounces, your choice of how strong you want the flavor. Finally, vanilla almond bark gives the balls their silky outer coating. Once melted, it becomes a crunchy topping that seals all the ingredients in and adds a nice texture component.
3. One Crucial Step: Heat-Treating the Cake Mix
Because you are not baking using dry cake mix, you have only one small but important step to do before you can mix: heat-treating the mix. It makes the mix safe to eat raw.
It’s absurdly simple. Pour the cake mix into a microwaveable bowl and heat it in short bursts 30 seconds at a time, stirring between times, until it reaches 165°F. Usually, two or three rounds is enough. After that, let it cool to room temperature completely. Don’t rush it warm mix will melt the cream cheese and ruin the consistency.
4. Bringing It All Together
Once the cake mix has cooled, then it’s time to make the dough. Start by whipping the cream cheese and cinnamon until fluffy and smooth. That’s just a minute or two with a hand mixer and gets the perfect creamy base going.
Now mix in the cooled cake mixture and a dash of Fireball. Start with an ounce and whip it in until fully incorporated. If you want more heat or flavor, add another ounce or two just do it step by step and mix well after each addition. After you have done all the mixing and blending, cover the bowl and refrigerate it for two hours. That allows the dough to firm up, which is easier to work with later on.
5. Rolling and Shaping the Balls
When the dough has chilled, it’s time to roll. A one-inch cookie scoop makes it even, but if you don’t have one, you can eyeball it as well. Roll the dough between your hands into a smooth ball. It’s sloppy but oddly pleasing.
Place each ball on a parchment-lined baking sheet as you go. They’re fragile at this stage, so they’ll need to cool again before the next step. A brief 15-minute trip to the refrigerator will do.
6. The Candy-Coating Step
Now the work begins that takes these from “fun treat” to “holiday showstopper.” Melt your vanilla almond bark in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds until it is smooth. Once it is melted, roll each chilled ball through the coating and gently roll it around with a fork to coat it evenly.
Pick it up, gently tap the fork against the edge of the bowl to remove excess coating, and put the ball back on the baking sheet. To clean up any spots or bumpy areas, drizzle a little more melted bark with a spoon to wipe them up. Add a pinch of ground cinnamon on top just before the coating sets for a nice finish and a hint of extra flavor.
After your whiskey balls are coated and dusted, put the tray in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to set everything.
7. Tips for Success
A few minor tweaks can take this recipe from good to outstanding. For an added boost of flavor, try adding a couple of handfuls of tiny cinnamon chips to the cream cheese mixture before refrigerating. They melt enough to be incorporated into the mixture with bursts of flavor without overpowering the mixture.
Also, let the room temperature dough balls sit for 5–10 minutes before coating. This prevents the almond bark from cracking when it sets. Too big of a temp difference between cold dough and warm coating will be an issue.
Lastly, use full-fat cream cheese and do not skip the chilling steps. They’re what give that silky, truffle-like consistency that makes these so addictive.
8. Storing and Serving
These no-bake candies are so easy to store. Once they have been covered and set, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a maximum of five days. They stay fresh, tasty, and ready to serve whenever that sweet tooth urge hits you.
You can also make them ahead and freeze them simply freeze the unbark-coated balls and dip them in almond bark when thawed. They will store for about two months in the freezer, so they’re ideal for ahead preparation.
If you’re serving them at a party, they can sit out at a cool room temp for a couple of hours. Any longer and it’s best to keep them chilled to avoid softening.
9. Fireball Fun Doesn’t Stop Here
Once you have acquired a sweet craving for Fireball in dessert form, you will be experimenting with it in other recipes, too. Try Fireball cupcakes with cinnamon-spiced frosting, Fireball fudge, or even jello shots for more adult party food. Even there are some savory forms like Fireball-glazed chicken wings or barbecue sauces.
But in all seriousness, these whiskey balls are good enough on their own to start a holiday tradition. They’re festive, they’re flavorful, and just the right mix of old and new. Whether you take them to a party, offer them up in small containers, or keep them in the fridge for yourself, they’ll add a splash of delight to every bite.
