This easy rum ball recipe is perfect for the busy holiday season– they can be made ahead, are beautiful to display, and are a lovely option for gifting! While this no-bake recipe is most popular during the festive season, it can be enjoyed at any time and takes just a few minutes to put together.
Boozy rum balls also make a gorgeous addition to your holiday parties, especially when rolled in finely chopped nuts, cocoa powder, or confectioners’ sugar. Plus, they taste even better after a few days, so feel free to make them in advance! For more holiday candy recipes, try my Crockpot candy, turtles, or Oreo balls.
Ingredients
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.
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.
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.
Corn syrup — corn syrup acts as a sweetener and also helps to bind the ingredients to form a cohesive mixture.
How To Make Rum Balls
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.
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.
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!
- Toast the pecans: 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.
- 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.
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.
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.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- 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 dough has dry pockets: Add an additional splash of rum and continue mixing until the dough holds together when squeezed.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this rum balls 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!
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 dough has dry pockets: Add an additional splash of rum and continue mixing until the dough holds together when squeezed.
- 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.
- 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.
