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Derby Day Truffles with Candied Bourbon Pecans

May 5, 2018 by Quinn Caudill 62 Comments

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These Derby Day Truffles with Candied Bourbon Pecans are very decadent, elegant and exquisite to look at. You will be the hit of your Kentucky Derby Party, I guarantee it!

Derby Day Truffles are very decadent, elegant and exquisite to look at. You will be the hit of your Kentucky Derby Party, I guarantee it!

A sure sign of spring is the running of The Kentucky Derby in early May. The 1.25-mile horse race is held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY., on the first Saturday in May. It is the first race of the Triple Crown and is considered the crown jewel of the horse racing world. In Louisville, it is a two-week long festival including parties and parades.

The festivities kick off with Thunder over Louisville, fireworks, and airshow, two Saturday’s before the Derby. The show is considered one of the largest in the country.www.dadwhats4dinner.com

Derby Day is a glamorous affair, where the rich and famous wear their spring finest, with most women wearing very elaborate hats. It is the place to be and be seen.

www.dadwhats4dinner.com

Kentucky Derby History Alternatively referred to as “The Run for the Roses” or “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports,” the Kentucky Derby is a 1.25 mile race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses. The Kentucky Derby draws an average of 150,000 visitors each year, including residents, out-of-towners, celebrities, presidents, and even members of royal families.Kentucky Derby History:The first Kentucky Derby race occurred in 1875. Close to 10,000 people watched as 15 thoroughbred horses ran what was then a 1.5 mile course. In 1876, the length of the race was changed to 1.25 miles. By the early 1900s, owners of winning Kentucky Derby horses started sending their winners to run in the Preakness Stakes in Maryland and the Belmont Stakes in New York. In 1930, sportswriter Charles Hatton coined the term “Triple Crown” in reference to the same horses running the three races consecutively. Courtesy of Kentucky Derby Facts and History from about.com

Many foods are synonymous with The Kentucky Derby. The most famous is probably the Mint Julep (click here for the recipe from KentuckyDerby.com).  I guess this is technically not a food, but a drink, but after you have 2 or 3, you won’t care anyway.

Derby Day Truffles are very decadent, elegant and exquisite to look at. You will be the hit of your Kentucky Derby Party, I guarantee it!

They also serve Burgoo which is a thick meaty stew and Derby-Pie® which is basically a walnut chocolate pie. As their website says “The original and only Derby-Pie® is from Kern’s Kitchen in Louisville, Ky.

Derby Day Truffles are very decadent, elegant and exquisite to look at. You will be the hit of your Kentucky Derby Party, I guarantee it!

For my Derby Day Truffles, I used my Chocolate Pecan Pie recipe, adding semi-sweet chocolate chips and a little bourbon for good measure. If you are not inclined to bake your own pie, just buy a regular pecan pie from your baker.

This recipe is fairly easy, especially if you use a store-bought pie, but a little time-consuming because the truffles need to chill. Be sure to keep your hands clean as you roll the pie mixture into truffles. I cleaned my hands after every 3 balls. Also when coating the truffles in chocolate, you might want to work in batches, keeping half of the balls chilled, until ready to coat.

Derby Day Truffles are very decadent, elegant and exquisite to look at. You will be the hit of your Kentucky Derby Party, I guarantee it!

These Derby Day Truffles are very decadent, elegant and exquisite to look at. You will be the hit of your Kentucky Derby Party, I guarantee it! The Derby is known as “The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports” but it will take you less time to eat these truffles. Put on your big hat, bet on your favorite horse and enjoy these Derby Day Truffles with a Mint Julep.

Derby Day Truffles are very decadent, elegant and exquisite to look at. You will be the hit of your Kentucky Derby Party, I guarantee it!

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Pin ItDerby Day Truffles are very decadent, elegant and exquisite to look at. You will be the hit of your Kentucky Derby Party, I guarantee it!

Derby Day Truffles are very decadent, elegant and exquisite to look at. You will be the hit of your Kentucky Derby Party, I guarantee it!
Print
Derby Day Truffles
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
 
These Derby Day Truffles are very decadent, elegant and exquisite to look at. You will be the hit of your Kentucky Derby Party, I guarantee it!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 36
Author: Quinn Caudill
Ingredients
  • 1 (9 inch) homemade pecan or derby pie. (see recipe below) Substitute a store-bought pecan pie.
  • 1 cup graham crackers, broken fine but not crushed
  • 16 oz. good quality dark chocolate. semi sweet will work fine
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup Jim Beam Bourbon or bourbon of your choice
  • 2 oz. butter
  • 1/4 brown sugar, packed
Instructions
  1. Cook Chocolate Pecan Pie as directed and allow to cool completely or if using store bought pie bring to room temperature.
  2. Place whole pie in mixing bowl with graham crackers.
  3. Blend on low until crust is broken up and pie is mixed.
  4. Chill mixture in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
  5. Remove mixture from the fridge, roll into 1 inch balls and place on baking sheet, lined with wax paper. To keep pie mix from sticking keep your hands clean.

  6. Chill balls in the fridge for at least two hours.

  7. Could also be placed in the freezer to chill faster.

  8. While balls chill, place butter, sugar, and bourbon in microwave safe baking dish.
  9. Microwave for 1 minute until butter is melted.
  10. Stir and add chopped pecans.
  11. Microwave on high for 3 minutes stirring every 30 seconds.
  12. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Pecans will harden. When ready to use break pecans apart and reserve.

  13. When truffles are chilled, melt chocolate in microwave on 50% power until melted stirring every 30 seconds. Do not over-cook.

  14. Remove balls from the fridge.
  15. Using a toothpick or fork, dip balls in melted chocolate.

  16. Remove excess and place on baking sheet lined with wax paper.
  17. Place a few bourbon pecans on top.
  18. Work quickly as chocolate will harden fast.
Recipe Notes

First published by Quinn Caudill for dadwhats4dinner.com © April 2016 Updated © April 2018

You might also like my:

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Chocolate Pecan Pie | dadwhats4dinner.com

Slow Cooker Overnight Derby Pie Oatmeal Recipe

Derby Pie for Breakfast! Yes, sir with my Slow Cooker Overnight Derby Pie Oatmeal Recipe!

My blogger colleagues and I share some derby inspired foods with this #DerbyDayRecipes Round-Up. Is your hat ready? Check out all great recipes!

#DERBYDAYRECIPES ROUND UP www.dadwhats4dinner.com

Angel Biscuits from Jolene’s Recipe Journal

Bourbon Peach Tea from Family Around The Table

Grapefruit and Thyme Bourbon Smash from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Hot Brown Sandwich from Palatable Pastime

Pickled Shrimp from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Tortilla Chip Derby Hats from Amy’s Cooking Adventures

Filed Under: Dessert, Easy, Food Holidays, recipe Tagged With: bourbon, bourbon balls, DerbyPie, Dessert, Fiesta Friday, Jim beam, Kentucky Derby, Pecans, Pillsbury, Rodelle Vanilla Extract, truffles

About Quinn Caudill

"Quinn is the author, photographer and recipe designer over at DadWhats4Dinner. He enjoys cooking for family and friends and being creative in the kitchen. He makes ordinary everyday food extraordinary. He lives just north of Cincinnati with his wife of 24 years, three kids and three cats. His kids have well-developed palates and his youngest daughter is now working with him on the blog creating recipes for her own page "Cooking with Ella". Follow him on: Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram."

« Slow Cooker Overnight Derby Pie Oatmeal Recipe
Blueberry Mascarpone Muffins »

Comments

  1. Lori says

    April 29, 2015 at 10:53 am

    Wow. I think I just gained 3 pounds. I can taste it without even tasting it from these pics. Nice. I like to cook and consider myself decent at it, but I do not have your talent. I see you tried out for MasterChef! Have you tried out for any other cooking shows? The Taste is one of my favorite shows which might be a good one for you. How ’bout The Next Food Network Star? That would be so cool. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog.

    Reply
    • Quinn Caudill says

      April 29, 2015 at 11:00 am

      Your too kind. No I have not tried out for any other shows. My kids keep bugging me too. I don’t consider myself that talented just trying to feed the kids and make the wife and friends happy. Hopefully my blog will take off, working hard to gain followers. Thanks for your comments and kind words. Good luck to you and hope you are back soon.

      Reply
  2. indusinternationalkitchen says

    April 29, 2015 at 10:22 pm

    Hey Quinn these truffles look wicked good! And thanks for the info on the Kentucky Derby! Btw thanks for sharing my cookie pie recipe on reddit. 🙂

    Reply
    • Quinn Caudill says

      April 29, 2015 at 10:29 pm

      No problem.. Did you get some views?

      Reply
      • indusinternationalkitchen says

        April 29, 2015 at 10:31 pm

        Yes I am beginning to get quite a bit of views from there. thanks so much. Appreciate it. I wasn’t familiar with that site!

        Reply
        • Quinn Caudill says

          April 29, 2015 at 10:43 pm

          Ok be careful. Reddit is an interesting site. Create an account. Do not use your blog name as your user name. Follow rules closely. IE: post other peoples URL at a 10 to 1 ratio otherwise you will get banned. Trust me everything I just said I went through and did wrong. You can drive lots of traffic but you must share the love with other sites and follow their rules. You must choose a subreddit. Like a page,, r/food, r/baking, r/cheap_meals
          Let me know if you have any questions. Q

          Reply
          • indusinternationalkitchen says

            April 29, 2015 at 10:58 pm

            OK thanks. Now I do have a lot of qns – I will do some research and reading up on this before I create an account. thanks for the warning / advice!

          • Quinn Caudill says

            April 29, 2015 at 11:00 pm

            Its not that scary. Just create an anonymous account and follow their weird rules. It does have benefits for all of us bloggers if done right. :))))

  3. GFLife247 says

    May 1, 2015 at 8:31 am

    We used to have a Kentucky Derby party growing up as kids! These truffles look delicious too. Thanks for bringing them to Fiesta Friday! 🙂

    Reply
    • Quinn Caudill says

      May 1, 2015 at 9:01 am

      My parents never did. Not much into hoarse racing. When my son was younger we would incorporate his birthday (May 5th) with a Derby Day Party. The truffles are yummy and easy to make if you use a store bought pecan pie. These would also be good for Thanksgiving. Could it be made Gluten Free?? :))

      Reply
      • GFLife247 says

        May 1, 2015 at 9:11 am

        Yeah, you can definitely make gluten free pies and such. It may not be as flaky, but I think with how you use it in this recipe it would come out well. And, with bourbon, it depends on the person. Many consider distilled alcohols to be gluten free due to the distillation, while others still stick to those that use non-gluten grains. But there are bourbons that don’t use wheat or barley at all, so definitely doable. 🙂

        Reply
        • Quinn Caudill says

          May 1, 2015 at 9:14 am

          Yeah the crust would not be an issues in this dish. Vanilla could be substituted for the bourbon. But is vanilla GF?

          Reply
  4. Jhuls says

    May 1, 2015 at 8:54 am

    This is my firsy time hearing about Derby Day – thanks for the introduction. The truffles sounds awesome. Happy FF! 🙂

    Reply
    • Quinn Caudill says

      May 1, 2015 at 9:12 am

      Thanks for stopping by my little blog and leaving a comment. I guess Derby Day is a Midwestern thing. It is huge in Louisville and somewhat a big deal here in Cincinnati. Just another reason to create dishes and have a party. :))

      Reply
  5. The Chunky Chef (@The_Chunky_Chef) says

    May 1, 2015 at 9:13 am

    Ohhhhh man oh man… those look so fantastic!! Happy FF!

    Reply
    • Quinn Caudill says

      May 1, 2015 at 11:37 am

      They turned out very good and very rich. Happy FF too you also!!!

      Reply
  6. Arl's World says

    May 1, 2015 at 12:48 pm

    Wow! This looks amazing! This would be deadly in my house ….gobble, gobble, nom, nom, nom … 🙂 Love your write up on the Derby …I have been watching all three races for years.

    Reply
    • Quinn Caudill says

      May 1, 2015 at 9:39 pm

      Thanks. They are dangerous in our house too. My wife does not like me sometimes because I keep making stuff like these truffles. Happy Derby Day.

      Reply
  7. J Seaton says

    May 1, 2015 at 4:47 pm

    I just discovered chocolate pecan pie a few weeks ago (http://wp.me/p5ymLQ-6p), and I absolutely love it. I’m sure these tasted awesome.

    Reply
    • Quinn Caudill says

      May 1, 2015 at 9:15 pm

      Good stuff. Here is the link for the pie I used for the truffles. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. http://wp.me/p3jXRX-Gf

      Reply
  8. woodkitchen says

    May 1, 2015 at 8:34 pm

    That look like my kind of food. Love it!

    Reply
    • Quinn Caudill says

      May 1, 2015 at 9:10 pm

      Glad you like it. That are very tasty. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave me a comment. Quinn

      Reply
  9. Quinn Caudill says

    May 1, 2015 at 9:11 pm

    My wife doesn’t like me either :)))))

    Reply
  10. Quinn Caudill says

    May 1, 2015 at 9:42 pm

    Luckily I make everything so she keeps me, :)))

    Reply
  11. chefjulianna says

    May 2, 2015 at 11:12 am

    OK, I am literally falling off my chair right now! What an amazing blog post!!Not only did I learn about the Kentucky Derby, but wow, I got to gawk at your over-the-top gorgeous truffles! Drool, drool, drool…..:D

    Reply
    • Quinn Caudill says

      May 2, 2015 at 2:01 pm

      I hope you didnt hurt yourself when you feel. LOL ☺ thanks for the feed back. glad to hear some time likes my food and event tie in. Happy Derby Day. Enjoy!!!!

      Reply
  12. Life Diet Health says

    May 2, 2015 at 1:50 pm

    Quinn thanks for sharing these at FF 🙂 They look amazing and I’m going to attempt to not only make them gluten free, but vegan too! Yum Yum Yum! 🙂

    Reply
    • Quinn Caudill says

      May 2, 2015 at 1:56 pm

      Thanks. Let me know how it turns out ☺

      Reply
  13. Giramuk's Kitchen says

    May 3, 2015 at 10:25 am

    Thats genius!! I love that you used Pecan Pie to make truffles! My husband loves pecan Pie, so these truffles will be a hit for sure!!

    Reply
  14. Natalie Browne says

    May 4, 2015 at 1:50 pm

    What a great post. I love watching the races, but never really knew about the foods that are a part of the tradition. These truffles look amazing!

    Reply
    • Quinn Caudill says

      May 4, 2015 at 10:10 pm

      Thanks Natalie. I’m glad you liked the post. I wasn’t sure if readers would like my mix of history of events and the foods that are associated with them. Thanks for the positive feedback. The truffles were awesome. Quinn

      Reply
  15. chef mimi says

    May 8, 2015 at 1:23 pm

    Very inventive! Love the post as well!

    Reply
  16. Nadia says

    April 17, 2016 at 7:28 am

    These are the most decadent things I have seen in ages. Give me two or three for starters:)

    Reply
  17. Christine says

    April 19, 2016 at 1:42 pm

    my sister was REALLY trying to get me to make truffles over Easter. She’ll be so happy when I turn up with these!

    Reply
    • Quinn Caudill says

      April 27, 2016 at 5:34 pm

      Thanks Christine. Let me know how they turn out.

      Reply
  18. alwayzbakin3 says

    April 20, 2016 at 6:48 pm

    Quinn, these look fabulous! I’m sure I’ll be thinking about them for the rest of the night! Yum!

    Reply
  19. S Marie says

    April 21, 2016 at 9:36 pm

    These look fantastic! Derby Day or not, I would totally want to have these. Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday this week!

    Reply
  20. Jess says

    April 29, 2016 at 5:41 pm

    I LOVE this. It’s like a portable chocolate pecan pie. Yummy 🙂

    Reply
  21. Mistie @ Homespun Engineer says

    April 29, 2016 at 10:02 pm

    Oh Yum! I have never had participated in Derby Day activities, but I can see these inspiring a Derby party. Look wonderful. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Quinn Caudill says

      April 29, 2016 at 10:23 pm

      Thanks Mistie

      Reply
  22. Unwed Housewife says

    May 3, 2016 at 12:57 pm

    I love derby desserts: pie, truffles, etc. These sound delicious!

    Reply
  23. actibeauties says

    April 18, 2017 at 2:12 pm

    Oh my goodness these look delicious!!! I am going to have to make these very soon. Thanks for sharing.
    Julie * http://www.hdthreviews.com

    Reply
    • Quinn Caudill says

      April 19, 2017 at 12:08 pm

      They are very good and easy to make. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  24. Jolina says

    April 18, 2017 at 2:12 pm

    Those look so decadent! And how can you say no to an ingredient list like that? I know all about truffle rolling (I made a huge a mess of our kitchen when I made some), great tip about keeping half of them chilled until you’re ready for them!

    Reply
    • Quinn Caudill says

      April 19, 2017 at 12:03 pm

      Yes, they need to stay very cold to keep their shape and not sticking to your hands. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  25. Allison Mattina says

    April 18, 2017 at 2:57 pm

    These look unbelievable! I’m drooling!

    Reply
    • Quinn Caudill says

      April 19, 2017 at 12:02 pm

      Thanks for stopping by Allison! They are very rich and delicious.

      Reply
  26. Ellie Chan says

    April 19, 2017 at 9:35 am

    Wow now these are some tasty looking truffles! These look like a great way to use up a pecan pie too if it isn’t finished!

    Ellie | http://www.scotchandstilettos.com

    Reply
    • Quinn Caudill says

      April 19, 2017 at 11:59 am

      Thanks for stopping by; Ellie! Yes, that is why you make or buy two pies. :))

      Reply
  27. Kim says

    April 19, 2017 at 11:52 am

    These look so yummy! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Have a great week!
    Kim

    Reply
    • Quinn Caudill says

      April 19, 2017 at 11:55 am

      Thanks for stopping by, Kim! They are really good and easy.

      Reply
  28. Twochicksandamom/Donna says

    April 20, 2017 at 6:18 pm

    What a decadent and luscious treat, Quinn! Thanks for sharing at Funtastic Friday!

    Reply
  29. Quinn Caudill says

    April 27, 2016 at 5:35 pm

    Thats what I’m here for. They turned out great. Moist and juicy.

    Reply

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