Rum Balls

Chocolate rum balls! These easy no-bake treats are perfect for your next holiday party.

By
Irvin Lin
Irvin Lin
Irvin Lin
Irvin is a critically acclaimed cookbook author and food blogger. His cookbook "Marbled, Swirled, and Layered" was chosen as one of the best baking cookbooks of 2016 in the New York Times.
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Updated March 10, 2022
Irvin Lin
Irvin Lin

Some of my friends make chocolate rum balls every year for their holiday parties, and these sweet little bites are always the first things to go. Maybe that says more about my friends who always reach for the boozy treats first, but I can’t blame them.

These rum balls are as easy to make as they are to eat. They're the original no-bake treat!

2016-11-12-rumballs-4
Irvin Lin

Rum balls are also really easy to adapt to your personal tastes or to what you have in your cupboard. My friend Joanne uses Nilla wafers in her recipe, and I've followed her lead with my own recipe. But I also know other folks who use gingersnaps, Oreos or even stale brownies.

I'm not sure who these people are who leave stale brownies around the house, but the point is that you can substitute pretty much any crumbled cookie or baked good in this recipe and expect good results.

Rum Balls
Irvin Lin

Something else to play around with: the choice of alcohol in your rum balls! Any rum will work, so use your favorite. (Malibu coconut rum is great if you also plan to coat your rum balls with shredded coconut.) You can even mix things up with tequila, bourbon, or whiskey!

I like to roll half of my rum balls in dark Dutch-processed cocoa and the other half in powdered sugar so they contrast with each other in the cookie tin. You can also roll them in crushed nuts, sprinkles, or shredded coconut if you like.

Any way you make them, rum balls are a hit. They really are so easy and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser at your holiday party!

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Rum Balls

Prep Time 15 mins
Chill 60 mins
Total Time 75 mins
Servings 36 servings

Store your rum balls in the refrigerator. They become even better and more deeply infused with alcohol flavor after a few days.

Feel free to customize your rum balls by switching up the alcohol (rum, tequila, bourbon, and whiskey are all great choices) and/or by rolling them in a coating of your choice (nuts, coconut, sprinkles, sugar, or cocoa).

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (170g or 6 ounces) dark chocolate chips

  • 1/2 cup (57g) plus 1/3 cup (40g) powdered sugar, divided

  • 2 tablespoons corn syrup

  • 1/2 cup dark rum

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 3 cups (310g or 11 ounces) crushed Nilla wafers

  • 1 cup (110g) crushed walnuts

  • 1/4 cup (30g) cocoa powder

Method

  1. Melt the chocolate:

    Place the chocolate in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate in 30-second intervals at full power, stirring between each cook time until all the chips have melted.

    Rum Balls
    Irvin Lin
    Rum Balls
    Irvin Lin
  2. Make the rum ball dough:

    Sift 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar over the melted chocolate (sifting helps prevent clumps). Add the corn syrup, rum and salt. Stir with a whisk until the sugar dissolves and the rum is incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

    Add the crushed wafers and the walnuts. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until incorporated. The mixture will look crumbly.

    Rum Balls
    Irvin Lin
    Rum Balls
    Irvin Lin
    Rum Balls
    Irvin Lin
  3. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
  4. Shape the rum balls:

    Place the cocoa powder and remaining 1/3 cup of powdered sugar in separate bowls and keep them nearby. Use a spoon or small ice cream server to scoop out enough chilled mixture to roll a 1-inch ball. The mixture will be crumbly and hard but once you roll and squeeze it in your hands, it will come together.

    Coat the rum ball with powdered sugar or cocoa powder and repeat with the rest of the mixture.

    Rum Balls
    Irvin Lin
    Rum Balls
    Irvin Lin
  5. Store rum balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 5 days:

    The rum balls improve in flavor over the next few days.

Rum Balls
Irvin Lin
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
109 Calories
5g Fat
14g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 36
Amount per serving
Calories 109
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 54mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 6mg 0%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 47mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.