Pecan Balls

This post is brought to you by Karo ® Syrup ~ The holidays are all about indulgent sweets in all shapes and sizes. These buttery bite-size Pecan Balls are guaranteed to be a welcome addition to your holiday goodies plan. The filling is a heavenly amalgamation of a buttery brown sugar Karo ® Syrup mixture that’s combined with vanilla wafer crumbs and toasted pecans. After forming the mixture into the perfect bite size balls they’re dipped in both white chocolate and classic chocolate candy coating. The tops are then sprinkled with additional toasted pecans to give a hint to the flavors nestled inside.

Thanksgiving jump starts the holiday season with good food, friends, family and memories in the making.  Karo ® Syrup is as much a part of my family’s Thanksgiving baking tradition as turkey and gravy are to the meal. It forms the basis of so many Southern delights that we love and incorporate onto our holiday dessert menu. Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s mini confections are always included and we love the chewy texture Karo gives to cookies and handheld delicacies. Desserts like Toffee Crunch Pecan Pie and chewy Scotcheroos are among our very favorites.

When it comes to these kind of grab and go mini sweets it’s a terrific opportunity to get the whole family involved in the preparation. Set up an assembly line and have one person stirring, one rolling into balls and another dipping the pecan balls into the candy coating. It’s not only helpful but, I’m always mindful that when we work together we aren’t just making something special to eat but, lifelong memories, too. When making these pecan balls I thought it would be fun to dip them into two different flavors of candy coating. You can certainly go with one or the other according to your personal preference. Keep in mind, it’s important to stop often when dipping the pecan balls to sprinkle the tops with pecans. Candy coating is designed to set-up quickly and it’s important to do the garnishing while they’re still wet so the pecans will stick. For a timesaver,  you can make these up to one week in advance and store chilled in an airtight container. Take them out of the fridge before serving and allow time to come to room temperature so the filling can soften just a bit. The combination of the buttery chewy texture and rich flavor makes these the perfect indulgent bite size holiday sweet treat.

You may also like: Chocolate Dipped Scotcheroo Bon Bons, Bourbon Pecan Pie and Caramel Pecan Turtle Scotcheroos.

Disclosure ~ If  a purchase is made using one of the affiliate links on this website we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Large Baking Sheets
• Mini Baking Cups
• Silver Cake Pedestal
• Candy Dipping Set 

Disclaimer ~ This post is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Karo® Syrup. The opinions and text are all mine.  Thank you for being supportive and allowing me to share products with you that I enjoy. 

5 from 13 votes

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Pecan Balls

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword pecan-balls

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Melt Candy Coating 10 minutes

Total Time 42 minutes

Servings 48

Author Pecan Pie Balls

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups chopped pecans toasted and divided
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup Karo® Light Corn Syrup
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
• 1/2 cup toffee bits divided
• 1 lb white chocolate candy coating
• 1 lb chocolate candy coating

Instructions

1. Spread pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in a preheated 350°F oven for 6-8 minutes. Set aside to cool. 

2. In a large heavy bottomed saucepan melt together the butter, sugar, Karo® Light Corn Syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Mix well.

3. Next, add 2 cups pecans, vanilla wafers and toffee bits to the mixture. Mix until fully moistened. 

4. To coat: Line a large baking sheet with wax paper. 

5. Using a small cookie or ice cream scoop divide the mixture rolling into 1-inch bite size balls. Place on baking sheet. 

6. Melt candy coating per package instructions. Using a fork dip into candy coating allowing any excess to drip off. Place onto wax paper. 

7. Sprinkle the tops of each pecan ball with reserved 1/2 cup pecans while wet then allow to dry completely. 

8. Store chilled in an airtight container for up to one week. Bring to room temperature prior to serving.

Recipe Notes

1. May substitute dark Karo corn syrup in place of  light Karo corn syrup.
2. May substitute honey graham cracker crumbs in place of vanilla wafer crumbs.