This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy.
Rum Balls are a classic holiday treat. Full of rich chocolate and spiced rum, store these beauties in the refrigerator for several days before serving 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, similar to truffles, 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 alcohol 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 these classic 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!
Ingredients you’ll need
To make this recipe, you will need:
- 3 cups crushed vanilla wafer cookies
- ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoonslight corn syrup
- ½ cup spiced rum
Vanilla wafer cookies (aka Nilla Wafers) are my favorite cookie for making these rum balls with. but they aren’t the only option! You could use graham crackers, butter cookies, or even ginger snaps for a different flavor profile.
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.
I use unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe. If you aren’t sure the difference between unsweetened or natural cocoa and Dutch process cocoa, check out my cocoa powder 101 post.
Feel free to omit the nuts if you are allergic.
If you don’t like baking with corn syrup, feel free to substitute with honey. If you live outside of the US, golden syrup is a good alternative to corn syrup as well.
Making this recipe
Grab a very large bowl to mix everything in, as well as a silicone spatula or a sturdy wooden spoon.
Pour the crushed vanilla wafers into the bowl and add the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix well.
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 additional crushed cookies or more rum as needed to get the perfect texture if your mixture is too wet or too dry, respectively.
Use a cookie scoop to roll the mixture into 1-inch balls, then toss them in a shallow bowl filled with your favorite coating.
Recipe 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 an assortment of different toppings. It kind of makes them like a box of assorted truffles from your favorite chocolate shop that way!
Recipe Tip
If you roll these 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 alcohol flavors. Instead of spiced rum, try:
- Dark rum
- Coconut rum
- White rum
- Vanilla rum
- Bourbon
- Brandy
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.
If you don’t like pecans, you can swap them in for chopped walnuts or omit them from the candies.
Storage tips
Here’s the best thing about this recipe: Rum balls 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.
FAQs
Yes, feel free to leave the pecans out of the rum balls if you are allergic to them.
Many of my readers have successfully used honey in place of corn syrup in recipes like homemade marshmallows. Feel free to do the same here!
My UK and European readers have successfully used golden syrup in place of light corn syrup. As mentioned above, you could also swap in honey if you prefer.
If you don’t want to make this recipe with alcohol, you will need to swap the rum with another liquid in order to make the “dough” the right texture. I suggest trying apple juice – the flavor profile will be a little different, but they should still turn out delicious!
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.
I made these last year with the Vanilla Wafers with the cream stuff in them not knowing to use the cookies. Worked out well!! I think it may have helped them roll into balls. Everyone loved them.
One box of 11 ounce Nabisco Nilla Wafers equals 2.5 cups of crushed Wafers. I wasn’t sure if I needed to buy two or three boxes. For anyone else wondering the same, you only need two!
Perfect – used glucose syrup instead of corn syrup. The flavour mellows after a week. Gots lots of compliments, such as I usually don’t like rum balls but these are good. Rolled in coconut and stored in freezer. Definitely making these again.
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback.
-Jamie
This is the second year I have made these from your recipe. It is the BEST! I give them boxed up as neighbor gifts and save some for the family desserts. As a note, I use vanilla rum and roll them in flaked coconut at the end…just delicious!
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback.
-Jamie
Just made these! I am not a big fan of rum, but my son wanted me to make some! They were a bit too “harsh” for me at first, but have now sat in the fridge for a week and they taste very good. I am making some more tonight, but am going to use almonds and the Disaronno Velvet. Easy to follow recipe and came together fast. Thanks!
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback.
-Jamie
I want to make these rum balls, but I am unclear about the vanilla wafer cookies. I thought that ‘Nilla wafers were what was called for, but my niece pointed out that are Vanilla Wafer Cookie that are like a sandwich with cream in the middle. Can you please clarify this for me?
Thank you
Hi Patricia-
You are correct, Nilla Wafers is the name brand, that’s what you’re wanting for this recipe.
-Jamie
Is it ok to delete the nuts?? As much as I love them, they do not like me!
Sure! I think that would be just fine!
I’ve made your recipe many times. Everyone loves it. Tonight I was short on rum so I added just a slash of Baileys Irish Creame. Delicious
So glad to hear that! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your feedback. Happy baking!
Jamie
Wonderful recipe! I’ve never made these before, but they turned out great! I used my food processor for both the cookies and the nuts which made it a quick process. Thank you!
Just made these with Stroh 160 proof rum – awesome!! Came out delicious! Going to do another version w chocolate liquor.