This easy rum ball recipe is perfect for the busy holiday season– they can be made ahead, are beautiful to display for holiday party spreads, and are a lovely option for gifting. My no-bake recipe takes just 20 minutes, so you can have 50 boozy rum balls in no time! Roll them in finely chopped nuts, cocoa powder, or confectioners’ sugar to finish. While testing this recipe, I found the rum balls tasted even better after a few days, so feel free to make them in advance.
A reader, LG, says: “Made these twice over the Christmas holiday. Delicious. Very easy to make…I also swapped out the corn syrup and replaced it with honey. Rolled them in ground vanilla wafers and crushed/finely chopped pecans. Loved by everyone who tried them!” ★★★★★
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
These are the main ingredients you need to make these easy rum balls. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
Vanilla wafer cookies — Nilla wafers form the base of the “dough.” You can use different cookies, but this is my preferred kind.
Pecans — crushed pecans add texture and nutty flavor to the rum balls. The flavor of pecans deepens when toasted, so I sometimes toast them for this recipe. If you haven’t done this before, see my instructions for how to toast pecans!
Sugar — powdered sugar sweetens the rum ball mixture and can be used to coat the balls at the end for decoration.
Cocoa powder — cocoa powder adds just the right amount of amazing chocolate flavor to these no-bake treats. You can use natural cocoa for a lighter chocolate flavor or Dutch-process cocoa powder for a dark chocolate flavor.
Salt — a little salt balances the sweetness and brings out the chocolate flavor of the cocoa powder.
Dark rum — you will be able to taste the rum, so be sure to use a rum you enjoy drinking for the best flavor. I like an aged rum for rum balls because it has a sweeter, more rounded flavor. White rum works fine, too, if you like it.
Corn syrup — corn syrup acts as a sweetener and also helps to bind the ingredients to form a cohesive mixture.
Can I Use A Different Type Of Liquor?
Swap out the rum in these boozy rum balls for other liquors like bourbon, brandy, or cognac. You can also use flavored liquor, like spiced rum, coconut rum, or Kahlua.
Rum Ball Variations
Make these your own! One of my favorite things about these festive rum balls is flavoring and decorating them because you can really do whatever you like.
- Use different cookies: While Nabisco Nilla Wafers are a favorite of mine for this recipe, you can also use Biscoff cookies, graham crackers, crisp shortbread cookies, or even ginger snaps (which will impart a stronger spiced flavor).
- Use other nuts: Pecans are the typical choice, but you can get creative by using walnuts, pistachios, blanched almonds, or macadamia nuts!
- Use other sweeteners: To make this rum balls recipe without corn syrup, swap it for an equal amount of other thick sweeteners like honey or agave syrup.
- Swap out the coatings: Roll them in cocoa powder, powdered sugar, crushed cookie crumbs, toasted coconut, chocolate sprinkles or multicolored sprinkles, or finely chopped nuts. You can also dip them in melted chocolate for even more decadent chocolate rum balls.
- Gluten-free rum balls: use a crispy gluten-free cookie as the base for the recipe. The rest of the ingredients are typically gluten-free, but be sure to check the labels.
Can I Use This Recipe To Make Bourbon Balls?
Yes, and it’s a very simple adaptation! Simply swap the rum 1-for-1 with the bourbon of your choice. Bourbon balls are often rolled in cocoa powder or powdered sugar and can then be rolled in sanding sugar for a little extra sparkle and crunch, if desired.
Pro Tips and Troubleshooting For The Best Rum Balls
Use a cookie scoop. To quickly form equal-sized balls, use a small cookie scoop to portion the dough. A #60 scoop (about 1 tablespoon volume) works well. Be sure to level off each scoop or the rum balls will be larger and the yield will be less.
Roll the balls in a coating immediately: The coating adds flavor and visual interest and prevents the balls from sticking together when stored. It’s also important to coat them immediately so the coating actually sticks to the balls.
What if the dough has dry pockets?
Add an additional splash of rum (1 to 2 teaspoons) and continue mixing until the dough holds together when squeezed. Add more rum if needed.
How To Make Rum Balls
Below, I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe in step-by-step process images along with instructions for making these homemade rumballs. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.
1. Add the Nilla wafer cookies to the bowl of a food processor. Process until fine crumbs form. Transfer the cookie crumbs to a large bowl.
2. Place the pecans in the food processor. Pulse until the pecans are finely chopped. Do not process for too long or they will turn into pecan butter. Add the ground pecans to the bowl containing the cookie crumbs.
3. Onto the cookie mixture, sift the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.
4. Whisk together the rum and corn syrup in a small bowl. Add the rum mixture to the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until the mixture is moistened throughout and holds together when squeezed.
5. Use a tablespoon to scoop out enough of the mixture to make 1-inch balls. Roll between your palms to make a smooth ball. Repeat until you’ve used up all the cookie crumb and rum mixture.
6. Roll the rum balls in more powdered sugar, cocoa powder, wafer crumbs, or finely chopped pecans to coat for decoration. Allow the Christmas rum balls to sit for a day or two for the flavors to meld.
Rum Balls Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Tablespoon scoop
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 3½ cups vanilla wafer cookies (250g)
- 1¼ cup pecans (135g)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (120g)
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup dark rum (80mL)
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, add the nilla wafer cookies. Process for about 10 to 15 seconds, breaking up any large pieces until fine crumbs form. Transfer them to a large bowl.
- Place the pecans in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse 8 to 10 times until the pecans are finely chopped. Transfer to the large bowl with the nilla wafer crumbs.
- To the cookie mixture, sift the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt over top.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the rum and corn syrup until combined. Add the rum mixture to the dry ingredients and mix together with a spatula until the mixture is moistened evenly and holds together when squeezed. If there’s any dry pocket, just pour a splash of rum in and mix.
- Use a tablespoon to scoop out enough of the mixture to make a ball that’s just over an inch in diameter. Roll in the palms of your clean hands to make a smooth ball. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
- Roll the rum balls in more powdered sugar, cocoa powder, wafer crumbs, or finely chopped pecans to coat. Rum balls can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months. They taste better after aging for a few days.
Notes
- If you don’t have a food processor: You can crush the wafers in a zip-top plastic bag using a rolling pin. The pecans can be finely chopped by hand.
- If the mixture is too dry, add another teaspoon or two of rum until the mixture is sticky enough to hold together.
- If the mixture is too wet, crush some more Nilla Wafers and add a tablespoon as needed until the mixture is dry enough to handle.
Nutrition
How To Store
Store rum balls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. They don’t need to be refrigerated, but you can definitely do so if you like. Refrigeration will extend their shelf life by another week or so.
Can I Freeze Rum Balls?
You can freeze them for up to 3 months. Place the rum balls on cookie trays and flash freeze until solid. Then, store them in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Thaw for a few hours in the refrigerator to soften them before enjoying. If they are rolled in cocoa powder or powdered sugar, I like to reroll them once defrosted.
Rumballs Are Perfect For Gifting
Because rum balls last for about 2 weeks if stored properly, they are a beautiful holiday gift option. For a lovely presentation, I like to place individual rum balls into mini cupcake liners and carefully pack them into cookie tins or gift boxes.
If you coat the balls in powdered sugar, note that the sugar will start to absorb after a couple of days, so you may want to reroll them in powdered sugar just before giving the recipient their thoughtful homemade treat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, though the texture will be quite different. Try adding an extra 2 cups of crushed cookies (142 grams) in place of the pecans. You may need a little bit more crushed cookies or liquid to get the mixture to the right consistency, so adjust accordingly.
Yes, to make an alcohol-free version, replace the rum with water, orange juice, cranberry juice, apple juice, or cold brewed coffee. You can add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or rum extract as well. The flavor of the balls will be different, but still delicious! And remember that you will need to store them in the refrigerator, as they will not have any alcohol to preserve them.
Yes! In fact, I recommend making the rum balls at least 2 days in advance. This gives the flavors time to meld and deepen. Up to 1 week ahead is ideal.
More Candy Recipes To Try
If you’d like to make more Christmas candies for sharing, try one of these recipes!
It doesn’t get much easier than Crockpot candy! Simple combine almond barks, chocolate, and peanuts in a slow cooker, let it melt, then scoop the mixture into individual peanut clusters.
These caramel and pecan turtles are really fast to make and fun to do with kids! Lay out pecan halves, top with melted caramel and finish with melted chocolate and flaky salt.
Try my no bake Oreo balls for a super delicious but easy treat. Once you mix the crushed oreos with cream cheese, you can coat them in your choice of chocolate and add any festive decorations.
You only need two ingredients to make these decadent brownie truffles! Use your favorite baked brownies for the center, and coat in your choice of chocolate.
My quick and easy peanut butter fudge only needs 4 ingredients and simple stirs together. Cut it into squares to serve as-is, or dip them in chocolate!
If you’ve tried this Rum Ball recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
LG says
Made these twice over the Christmas holiday. Delicious. Very easy to make. I like to vary the fineness of the chop of the nuts to add a little texture variation. I also swapped out the corn syrup and replaced it with honey. (measure for measure)
Rolled them in ground vanilla wafers and crushed/finely chopped pecans.
Loved by everyone who tried them!
Wendy Carmona says
Sssooooooo good and so easy!
Kari Powell says
These are the “bomb!” I’m not a fan of artificial ingredients so I bought organic Nilla wafers and added vanilla. They are completely yummy!
Karen Newman says
I have never made rum balls before and don’t particularly like rum, so substituted maple whisky instead. I used shortbread cookies, and replaced the corn syrup with maple syrup. Dipped them in milk chocolate and garnished with maple sugar …. oh lordy!! Easy peasy and absolutely delicious.
Terry says
We wanted an alcohol free version of this recipe, so I replaced the rum with an equal amount of coffee, and added 2 tsp imitation rum extract. Delicious, and you wouldn’t have known there wasn’t actually rum in them! Will definitely make these again.