Chocolate Rum Balls have been a confectionary Christmas tradition for years! They’re delightful truffle-like balls that are always a huge hit at any party, cookie swap or holiday get-together!
Easy Chocolate Rum Balls
If you’ve never had a rum ball before, think of them as the perfect combination between Christmas cookies and chocolate truffles, with just a little bit of kick! These delicious treats are one of the things I look forward to making the most every holiday season because everyone simply raves about them.
What’s the first step to any good rum ball recipe? You got it, good rum. Because these are no-bake cookie like treats, the alcohol in the rum doesn’t cook out. Even though the rum flavor is not overpowering, it does take center stage. So, using a brand you like is important. You can even use dark rum, if you prefer.
Another great chocolate recipe you might love is our Fireball fudge.
Ingredients
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients for this easy rum balls recipe:
- 12 ounces vanilla wafers
- 1 1/2 cups pecans
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup light rum
- 3 tablespoons corn syrup
How to Make the Best Rum Balls
- Place vanilla wafers and pecans in a food processor and pulse until they are small crumbs.
- Place the crushed cookies and pecan mixture in medium-sized mixing bowl and add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, corn syrup and rum and mix just until the dry ingredients are well incorporated.
- Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- In the palm of your hand, form small, 1-inch balls, in uniform size, from the dough and dip them in powdered sugar, cocoa powder, or chocolate sprinkles. For slightly larger rum ball cookies, you can use a very small cookie scoop to help form the balls.
Tips and Alternatives
- Make them in advance: Rum balls are always better the next day. That makes them a great make-ahead dessert. If you know you’re going to need them, you can make them up a couple days in advance and store in the fridge until you need them.
- Best way to store these Chocolate Rum Balls: For optimal freshness, you’ll want to store them in an airtight container in a cool place. Place them in a single layer, with a sheet of parchment paper between each layer. They don’t require refrigeration and are best served at room temperature. But, if you’re wanting to extend the shelf-life longer than about week, they are best stored in the fridge.
- Make them bourbon balls: Prefer bourbon over rum? No worries! Just substitute equal parts of your favorite bourbon to the rum used.
- Try different toppings: You can use so many different yummy toppings. Try rolling them in finely chopped nuts. For a really nice contrast in flavor, make them into coconut rum balls by rolling them in finely grated coconut. Coconut flavors pair very nicely with the chocolate. You can also roll the rum balls in mini-chocolate chips, or finely crushed chocolate cookie crumbs.
- Chocolate Coated Rum Balls: In addition to different toppings you can try, you can also make these into chocolate coated rum balls. You can use milk chocolate, dark chocolate or white chocolate. Melt the chocolate just until smooth, then gently dip the refrigerated rum ball into the melted chocolate, being sure to tap off any excess chocolate before placing it on wax paper to dry.
Can You Use Rum Flavoring Instead of Actual Rum?
Rum flavoring works really well as a substitute for actual rum when there is only a small amount listed in the recipe. Since this recipe calls for 1/2 cup, and you would never use 1/2 cup of rum extract, it isn’t a recommended substitution.
Can You Make Rum Balls Without a Food Processor?
Yes, you can. The best thing you can use to crush the cookies into fine crumbs is a good old fashion rolling pin. Place the cookies in a gallon sized zip lock bag and just beat them gently with the rolling pin until they are all crushed into even pieces.
Are Rum Balls Safe for Kids?
Because these are no bake cookie, the rum doesn’t cook out and therefore they are best to keep these out of reach of the little ones.
Want More Christmas Recipes?
Holiday season is always a great time to make all those delicious recipes that have been in your family for years. It’s a special way of making memories and traditions with family and friends. Here are some more recipes I hope you’ll want to add to your Christmas time favorites:
- Christmas Cupcakes
- Christmas Wreath Cookies
- Layered Jell-O for Christmas
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Christmas Bundt Cake
- Stacked Christmas Tree Cookies
- 3-Ingredient Christmas Fudge
Chocolate Rum Balls
Ingredients
- 12 ounces vanilla wafers
- 1 1/2 cups pecans
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1/2 cup light rum
- 3 tablespoons corn syrup
Instructions
- Place vanilla wafers and pecans in a food processor and pulse until they are small crumbs.
- Place crumbs in medium-sized mixing bowl and add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, corn syrup and rum and mix until combined.
- Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Form small, 1-inch balls from the dough and dip them in powdered sugar, cocoa powder, or chocolate sprinkles.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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