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Home » Recipes » Holiday Recipes

Easy 6 ingredient Rum Balls

Published: Dec 30, 2020 · Modified: Mar 6, 2024 by Gitta Grether-Sweeney · This post may contain affiliate links

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·5 from 1 review

Rum Balls are boozy no-bake treats that pack a punch! Chocolate, pecans, and rum are decadent combinations. Great for holiday cookie trays and gifting. These are adult-only treats!

Rum balls on glass tray on red snowflake cloth with white pine cone and pine tree branch

Years ago, a friend brought Rum Balls to a cookie exchange, and I fell in love with them. She shared the recipe with me, and without fail, I make them every year for Christmas. They are the perfect addition to a cookie tray and make delicious gifts. Believe me, you and your friends will LOVE these boozy treats!

Why you should make Rum Balls

Jump to:
  • Why you should make Rum Balls
  • Rum Ball Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Pro Tips
  • Coating options
  • How long do they stay fresh?
  • Gifting Ideas
  • 📋 Recipe
  • Subscribe to the Newsletter
  • 💬 Comments
  • You only need 6 simple ingredients
  • No baking required
  • Easy to make
  • Made in 20 minutes or less
  • They are decadent!
  • Can be made ahead of time

Rum Ball Ingredients

Rum ball ingredients, whole pecans, vanilla wafers, confectioners sugar, cocoa, rum, corn syrup all in individual bowls
  • Vanilla wafers-The vanilla wafers provide the body for these treats. You can use low-fat or regular vanilla wafers.
  • Pecans-add bulk and flavor. Take them to the next level by toasting them in the oven. Most rum balls recipes are made with pecans. Experiment with your favorite nut. I think that Hazelnuts or walnuts would be delicious in this recipe.
  • Confectioners sugar-offsets the bitterness of the cocoa powder.
  • Dark rum-provides flavoring and acts as a binder. Myer's Dark Rum is my favorite rum to use in this recipe. However, use what you have on hand or your favorite brand. If you are not a fan of rum, substitute bourbon.
  • Cocoa-provides rich chocolate flavor and color.
  • Light corn syrup-helps bind the ingredients. Honey or maple syrup can be substituted for light corn syrup.

Instructions

Make wet ingredient mixture

Rum, powdered sugar, cocoa and corn syrup in a white bowl with a silver spoon
Cocoa mixture with whisk in a white bowl

Combine cocoa, confectioner sugar, rum, and light corn syrup in a bowl. Whisk until most of the confectioners' sugar dissolves.

Prepare pecans and vanilla wafers

Ground pecans in a bowl
Grind Pecans
Ground vanilla wafers in food processor bowl
Crush Vanilla Wafers
ground pecans on the vanilla wafers in a food processor bowl
Combine vanilla wafers and pecans
Ground pecans and vanilla wafers in a food processor bowl
Pulse together in a food processor
  1. Finely grind pecans by pulsing them in a food processor and set aside.
  2. Grind vanilla wafers in a food processor.
  3. Add ground pecans to the vanilla wafers.
  4. In the food processor, pulse several times until the pecans and vanilla wafers are combined.

Combine wet and dry ingredients

Wet cocoa ingredients on vanilla-pecan wafers in a food processor bowl
Rum ball dough in a food processor bowl

Pour wet ingredients into the vanilla wafer-pecan mixture. Pulse until the mixture is combined.

Finish Rum Balls

Scooping rum balls with a #40 scoop
Scoop rum balls
Rolling rum ball in powdered sugar in a red bowl
Roll in powdered sugar
Rum ball on a white square plate
Finished Rum Ball
  1. Make balls using a #40 scoop, about 1-½ tablespoons. It is 1-½ inches in diameter, slightly smaller than a ping pong ball. If you prefer smaller rum balls, pinch off as much dough as you like and roll it into a ball.
  2. Roll the balls in the confectioners' sugar.
  3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Rum balls on glass plate on a red cloth with a white pine cone and pine tree branch

Pro Tips

  • The rum balls get better with age. It is best to let them rest for at least 2 days before you eat them.
  • Store them in the refrigerator, or they will get stale and lose flavor.
  • Be sure that your pecans are fresh and not rancid.
  • Use good quality cocoa.
  • If the dough becomes too soft to roll into balls, place it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

Coating options

While I like to coat my rum balls in confectioner sugar, other options include cocoa or chopped pecans. For a festive look, roll them in holiday sprinkles.

How long do they stay fresh?

Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator to keep them fresh. They hold up to a month in the refrigerator. However, they can also be frozen for up to 2 months. After refrigeration or freezing them, you may need to re-roll the rum balls in the confectioners' sugar.

Gifting Ideas

These easy rum balls make the perfect gift. The following are great packaging options when you give them to family and friends.

  1. Candy gift bags are a great, inexpensive option.
  2. Alternatively, put them in candy cups and place the cups in holiday candy boxes.
  3. Pick up cute holiday metal cookie tins at the dollar store. They are a perfect way to gift rum balls.
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I hope you try this recipe! Please rate it and comment below. I love hearing from you! ❤️

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📋 Recipe

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Rum balls on glass plate with white pine cone, pine tree branch

Easy 6 ingredient Rum Balls

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Gitta
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 35 1x
Print Recipe
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Description

Rum Balls are a boozy and delicious treat.  Perfect for cookie trays and holiday gifting.  They are an easy no-bake dessert.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar (note you will need additional confectioners sugar to roll the rum balls in)
  • ½ cup dark rum
  • ⅓ cup cocoa
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1-11 ounce box vanilla wafers
  • 1 cup pecans


Instructions

  1. In a medium-size bowl, combine confectioners sugar, rum, cocoa, and light corn syrup.  Whisk until well combined.
  2. In a food processor, finely chop pecans.  Put the ground pecans in a bowl and set it aside. 
  3. In a food processor, finely chop/crush vanilla wafers.
  4. Add the pecans to the vanilla wafers in the food processor bowl and pulse a few times to combine.
  5. Pour liquid ingredients into the pecans and vanilla wafer mixture.  Pulse the mixture in the food processor until a thick dough forms.
  6. Scoop dough with a #40 scoop (1-½ tablespoons) and roll the dough into balls.
  7. Roll each ball in confectioners sugar.
  8. Place rum balls in an airtight container.  
  9. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month or freeze for 2 months.   
  10. Before serving, you may need to re-roll the rum balls in confectioners sugar. 

Equipment

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Candy Cups

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Candy Gift Bag

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Medium Cookie Scoop

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Notes

  1.   The rum balls get better with age. It is best to let them rest at least 2 days before you eat them.
  2.   Store them in the refrigerator, or they will get stale and lose flavor.
  3.   Be sure that your pecans are fresh and not rancid.
  4.   Use good quality cocoa.
  5.   If the dough becomes too soft to roll into balls, place it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.  

*Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 each
  • Calories: 49
  • Sugar: 6.1 g
  • Sodium: 0.8 mg
  • Fat: 2.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 7.1 g
  • Protein: 0.5 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

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  1. Elenor

    November 30, 2022 at 12:07 pm

    These Rum Balls are the best! I could not stop eating them!

    Reply

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Rum balls on glass plate with white pine cone and pine branch