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Rum Balls are a classic holiday treat. Boozy, chocolatey and rich, store these beauties in the refrigerator for several days for an even better flavor!
Ohio is clearly a little confused in terms of the weather right now. It was sunny and almost 50 degrees today which is a little disappointing considering Christmas is in 4 days and last year we were expecting a huge winter storm around this time.
What can I say? I’m all for a white Christmas.
Despite the warm and sunny weather, we’re checking off items on our holiday baking list one by one.
I’ve got all the ingredients for peanut butter blossoms, snowball cookies, gingerbread cookies, saltine toffee, peanut brittle and of course, rum balls.
WHAT ARE RUM BALLS?
I was probably around 30 years old before I had a rum ball.
Can you believe it? These are such a holiday classic, yet somehow I just missed the boat for 30 years.
I’m glad that I finally figured out what all the fuss was about, though, because these babies are well worth making.
Rum balls are pretty similar to turtle cookie balls or peppermint oreo cookie balls — just…boozier.
Rum balls are bite-size homemade treats made with vanilla cookie crumbs, pecans, cocoa, confectioners’ sugar, and spiced rum.
These do taste like spiced rum, so keep that in mind. Although if rum isn’t your favorite, you could try making them with bourbon instead.
Don’t worry about getting drunk from rum balls. Because there is only 4 ounces of rum in the entire batch, you’d have to eat quite a few!
If booze isn’t your thing, you might try my no-bake cookies or my simple homemade truffles as easy no-bake holiday gifts.
HOW TO MAKE RUM BALLS
Rum balls are incredibly easy to make. They’re a great option if you need a treat to share but don’t want to turn on the oven!
Grab a very large bowl to mix everything in, as well as a silicone spatula or a sturdy wooden spoon.
You’re also going to need to crush up some vanilla wafers. You can use a food processor, or put the cookies into a ziptop bag, close it, and use a rolling pin to crush the cookies.
Pour the crushed vanilla wafers into the bowl and add the rest of the dry ingredients to have everything evenly dispersed.
Drizzle in the vanilla, corn syrup, and rum. Stir well to fully incorporate, making sure there are no dry bits.
To make sure they are wet enough, scoop up a bit of the mixture and squeeze it into a ball in your hands. If it stays in a ball shape, you’re ready to roll!
Add small amounts of crushed wafers or more rum as needed to get the perfect texture.
Use a cookie scoop to roll the mixture into 1-inch balls, then toss them in a shallow bowl filled with your favorite coating.
RUM BALL VARIATIONS
Wondering what you could roll your rum balls in?
You could use cocoa powder, powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar), crushed nuts, sprinkles, shredded coconut, or whatever else strikes your fancy — any of them are delicious.
Remember that you can do a little bit of everything, too! This recipe makes about 20 large rum balls, so I think it’s fun to do several of a few different toppings.
If you roll them in powdered sugar, keep in mind that you may want to re-roll them just before serving, as the powdered sugar tends to absorb a bit while they rest in the refrigerator.
You can also change up the flavor of your rum balls by trying different rum flavors. Instead of spiced rum, try:
- Dark rum
- Coconut rum
- White rum
- Vanilla rum
- Bourbon
Out of vanilla wafer cookies? No problem! Rum balls can be made with other kinds of crushed cookies too, like graham crackers or butter cookies.
STORAGE TIPS
Here’s the best thing about this recipe: They actually taste better when they’re made in advance AND they last forever in the refrigerator.
Ok, maybe not forever. But they will last for quite some time!
Much like fruitcake cookies, rum balls taste better when they’ve had a few days to sit and let the flavor develop.
Just pop them into an airtight container and stick them in the fridge for at least 2 days, and up to a couple of weeks.
You don’t need to store rum balls in the refrigerator as long as you keep them in a cool, dry place, but I find they have the best flavor and last the longest when kept cold.
I keep mine chilled, packed in a holiday tin lined with wax paper, so they’re ready to go in case unexpected company comes by.
Not sure when you might need your rum balls? Freeze them for longer storage! You can freeze rum balls for up to 2 months.
I recommend packing them with as little air as possible, so if you have a vacuum sealer that will work great.
You can also simply use a ziptop freezer bag and remove excess air before sealing. This will keep your rum balls fresh and delicious!
To thaw, simply remove them from the freezer and place in the refrigerator until they are soft enough to bite.
This is such a great make-ahead recipe for holiday parties, gift giving, or your own personal dessert stash.
Rum Balls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups crushed vanilla wafer cookies
- ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cups finely chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
- ½ cup spiced rum
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the crushed vanilla wafers, 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, and nuts. Drizzle in vanilla, corn syrup and rum.
- Scoop and shape into 1 inch balls or larger. I used about 4 teaspoons of the chocolate mixture per ball which equaled 2 level scoops from a small OXO cookie scoop.
- Roll Rum Balls in additional confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, sprinkles or whatever strikes your fancy. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days to develop the flavor.
Video
Notes
– I served my Rum Balls in mini cupcake liners that I picked up from Target.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Our favorite cookie recipe is sugar cookies with egg nog icing. Yum!
Caramel Chocolate Chips
1 sleeve saltine crackers
1 cup butter (not margarine!!)
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with the saltines in a single layer. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar. Bring to the boil, and cook for 3 minutes.
Pour over saltines immediately and spread across crackers to make sure they’re completely covered. Bake in the preheated oven for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle the chocolate chips. Let them sit for 5 minutes, then spread to make sure all the crackers and caramel are covered. At this point, you would add the chopped pecans, if using.
Cool completely (I put mine in the fridge for about 30 minutes) then break into pieces.
I’ve never had rum balls either, but these sound really good!! My husband loves rum, so I’ll have to give them a try.
these look fabulous!
My favorite holiday recipe is Pecan Puffs! Yummm
http://fourandtwentyblackberries.blogspot.com/2011/11/pecan-puffs.html
Hi! I don’t have a blog but I have a great holiday cookie recipe that is my moms recipe:
SHERRY’S CRANBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE COOKIES
Makes about 4 ½ dozen
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, very soft
1 cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp orange oil (4 to 5 drops)
1 large egg
½ tsp baking soda
2 ¾ cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 ½ cups white chocolate chunks (use 1-12oz bag white chocolate chips)
1 ½ cups dried cranberries (use 1-6 oz bag orange flavored cranberries)
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Place the very soft (soft unto melting) butter in a medium-large mixing bowl. Add the sugars, salt, vanilla, and orange oil, and stir well. Add the egg and stir until well blended. Add the baking soda and flour, mixing until blended. Stir in the chips, cranberries, and nuts. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough (a tbs cookie scoop) onto light colored baking sheets. Flatten into disks, using gentle pressure from your fingers. Bake cookies in a preheated 375 degrees oven for 12-14 minutes until sides a lightly brown. Tops should not be brown. Let them rest on the pan for 5 minutes.
Bake 12-14 minutes, until light golden at 375 degrees.
Can you freeze these?
You could. There is a low water content and no chocolate coating for water to condense on. Most cookies can be frozen in their dough ball or baked state.
Oooh, these look good. Rum Balls were always one of my favorites that my grandmother made.
how do you make them?
Patty-
I’m confused, is the recipe not showing up for you in the print function?
-Jamie
Although completely different, your excellent rum balls remind me of my favorite cocoa drink: old fashioned hot chocolate with cognac. Priceless.
Oooh, I could use some cognac-infused hot chocolate right now! Maybe in a flask for the whole month of December. :)
I second that thought. Yum.
I really need to try these!