The Best Rum Balls Recipe
Rum balls are one of my absolute favorite holiday traditions! These sweet, no-bake cookies combine crushed vanilla wafers, toasted pecans, rich cocoa powder, and a generous splash of dark rum into soft, chewy bites that are perfect for adults for holiday parties.
Servings: 20 (more or less depending on size)
Calories: 165kcal
Ingredients
- 11 oz vanilla wafers
- 1 cup crushed pecans (can also use walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup dark rum (can also use 151 rum or gold rum)
- 3 tbsp honey
Toppings:
- powdered sugar
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- crushed pecans
Instructions
- (Optional but highly recommended) To toast nuts: Preheat oven to 350°F and spread pecans (or other nuts) on a baking sheet in one layer. (Don’t overcrowd them.) Bake them for 6-8 minutes, until browned and fragrant. Cool them down before adding to the food processor.
- Pulse vanilla wafers in a food processor until all crumbled and transfer crumbs into a large mixing bowl.
- Pulse nuts in the food processor next, until all crushed and crumbled, and add them to the mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and whisk it all together until evenly combined.
- Whisk rum and honey together until smooth and add it to the cookie mixture.
- Use a spatula to mix the dough together. (If the dough it a little warm, pop it in the fridge for about 30 minutes before rolling out. It will make it easier to roll it into the balls.)
- Scoop cookie dough with a cookie scoop and roll it into balls. (I use either #40 or #50 cookie scoop but you can use even smaller one to make more.)
- Roll each ball in powdered sugar, cocoa powder, or crushed nuts. (You can choose to roll all cookies in one kind of coating or make some of each.)
Notes
- Gluten Free Notes: Instead of vanilla wafers, use gluten free graham crackers, gluten free shortbread cookies, or gluten free sugar cookies instead. Just make sure to use hard cookies without any filling, not soft cookies. (Double check the rum.)
- Nut Options: Choose between pecans, walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts for the rum balls.
- Rum Options: It’s best to use a more flavorful rum like spiced rum or dark rum. You can even use 151 rum for a higher alcohol content.
- Alcohol-Free Version: Replace rum with 1-2 teaspoons rum extract plus enough water or apple juice to equal ½ cup total liquid.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Make-Ahead: These taste even better after 2-3 days as flavors develop. Perfect for early holiday prep!
Nutrition
Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 63mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg