These traditional rum balls are a classic holiday treat made with crushed vanilla wafer cookies, toasted pecans, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and spiced rum. Chewy, slightly crunchy, and boozy, it's an easy no-bake recipe that makes a delicious and festive holiday gift!
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One of the best parts about these Christmas rum balls is that they taste better after a couple of days in the fridge, so you can make them up to 2 weeks ahead of time.
These traditional rum balls are guaranteed to become a regular holiday treat in your household. Add them to a festive cookie platter, along with snickerdoodles with brown butter, chewy chocolate chip cookies with pecans, and chocolate peanut butter balls.
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⭐️ Why These Rum Balls are the Best
- Festive, fun, chewy, slightly crunchy, and boozy no-bake treats perfect for the holidays
- Make a great homemade holiday gift
- You can make them several days in advance. In fact, they taste better the longer they rest in the fridge!
- Quick and easy dessert with 6 simple ingredients
- So many delicious coating options
🤔 What are Rum Balls?
Rum balls are truffle-like in appearance, but they consist of crushed up cookies, rum, nuts, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder.
Depending on the region, they can be made with variations like condensed milk, coconut, or raisins. Like chocolate truffles, they are no-bake treats that are popular around the holidays.
🍫 Rum Ball Ingredients
- Nilla wafers - These are the classic vanilla-flavored cookies that are used to make traditional banana pudding, NOT the wafer cookies with cream in them.
- Toasted pecans - Toasting nuts really enhances their flavor! To toast pecans, spread them out on a baking sheet, and place in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for 10 minutes. Cool before using.
- Powdered sugar - If you're out of powdered sugar, you can make homemade powdered sugar using granulated sugar and cornstarch.
- Cocoa powder - Gives your rum balls a hint of chocolatey flavor.
- Spiced rum - You can use any cheaper brand of spiced rum, it doesn't have to be Captain Morgan, but I love the deeper flavor of molasses and warm spices of spiced rum.
- Light corn syrup - Adds a bit more sweetness, and helps your rum ball cookies stick together.
📝 Variations & Substitutions
- Use your favorite liquor, like bourbon or brandy, for a different boozy flavor!
- Rum balls without rum: If you want to skip the rum altogether, you can add 1 teaspoon of rum extract. However, you will most likely need to add up to ¼ cup of water to bring the mixture together.
- Vegan rum balls: To make these vegan, you can substitute the Nilla wafers for another cookie, like graham crackers or speculoos cookies, that don't contain whey (from milk).
- Use your favorite nut. If you aren't a fan of pecans, try using walnuts, hazelnuts, or pistachios. Just make sure they're toasted (and cooled) before using.
🥣 How To Make Traditional Rum Balls
*For a printable version, see recipe card below
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor, mix together the Nilla wafers and pecans until they are finely ground. (You don't want them to turn into a paste, like a nut butter, but rather just into a fine meal-like texture.) *If you don't have a food processor, place them in a large freezer bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.
In a large bowl, sift together 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, and salt.
Add the rum and light corn syrup to the powdered sugar mixture, and stir with a rubber spatula or large spoon until well combined.
Add ground Nilla wafers and pecans, and stir well, until completely combined. If the mixture is a bit dry, add 1 tablespoon of rum or water until the mixture comes together. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup of powdered sugar and ¼ cup of cocoa powder. Set aside.
Using a 1-inch cookie scoop, or using a small spoon, scoop the mixture, roll into balls using the palms of your hands, and coat in the powdered sugar-cocoa powder mixture. Alternatively, use your favorite coatings, like sprinkles, nuts, or shredded coconut.
Place on prepared baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. **Because it takes time for the other ingredients to absorb the rum, these balls actually taste better the longer they sit in the fridge.
🥥 Options for Coating No Bake Rum Balls
Even though cocoa powder and powdered sugar are the most traditional coatings, you can also use:
- colorful sprinkles
- crushed up nuts
- shredded coconut
- melted chocolate to dip them
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips
- Storage: Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks (they taste better the longer they "marinate" in the rum!)
- How to freeze: Transfer to a large freezer bag, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, and re-roll in powdered sugar-cocoa powder mixture to freshen them up.
- Coat the balls right after they're rolled. If you wait too long, the coating won't stick.
- Re-roll before serving. If you roll your balls in powdered sugar and/or cocoa powder, much of it might get absorbed while in the refrigerator, so you can give them another quick roll in the coating before serving.
- Make ahead. These are the rare treats that actually taste better the longer they sit in the fridge, so I recommend making them a couple of days ahead of time.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
The short answer is no, they can't get you drunk, as there is only ½ cup of rum in this entire batch. That said, the rum is not cooked off like it is in many desserts, so they do taste boozy!
They can eat them, but they might be turned off by the boozy flavor.
If your rum balls are a bit dry, add more rum (or water), 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together and feels moist.
🍪 More Holiday Dessert Recipes
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Traditional Rum Balls Recipe
Equipment
- Food processor
- large baking sheet
- 1-inch cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 11 ounces (1 box) Nilla wafers
- 1 ¼ cups toasted pecans
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, divided
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder (+ ¼ cup for rolling)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup spiced rum
- 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor, mix together the Nilla wafers and pecans until they are finely ground. (You don't want them to turn into a paste, like a nut butter, but rather just into a fine meal-like texture.) *If you don't have a food processor, place them in a large freezer bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.
- In a large bowl, sift together 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, and salt.
- Add the rum and light corn syrup to the powdered sugar mixture, and stir with a rubber spatula or large spoon until well combined.
- Add ground Nilla wafers and pecans, and stir well, until completely combined. If the mixture is a bit dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of rum or water until the mixture comes together.
- Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup of powdered sugar and ¼ cup of cocoa powder. Set aside.
- Using a 1-inch cookie scoop, or using a small spoon, scoop the mixture, roll into balls using the palms of your hands, and coat in the powdered sugar-cocoa powder mixture. Alternatively, use your favorite coatings, like sprinkles, nuts, or shredded coconut.
- Place on prepared baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. **Because it takes time for the other ingredients to absorb the rum, these balls actually taste better the longer they sit in the fridge.
Video
Notes
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- Storage: Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks (they taste better the longer they "marinate" in the rum!)
-
- How to freeze: Transfer to a large freezer bag, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, and re-roll in powdered sugar-cocoa powder mixture to freshen them up.
-
- Coat the balls right after they're rolled. If you wait too long, the coating won't stick.
-
- Re-roll before serving. If you roll your balls in powdered sugar and/or cocoa powder, much of it might get absorbed while in the refrigerator, so you can give them another quick roll in the coating before serving.
- Adapted from Pook's Pantry
Molly says
These sound awesome! I want to give them as Christmas gifts this year coated in a variety of Christmas sprinkles. Should I coat them before freezing or wait until I've thawed them?
MaryAnne says
Hi Molly, I would coat them before freezing just to be safe. The sprinkles might not stick as well after freezing and thawing. Enjoy!