These rum balls are a blend of liquor, chocolate, pecans and cookie crumbs, all rolled together and coated with sprinkles. The perfect dessert or gift option for the holidays that’s sure to be a hit with family and friends.
There’s nothing better than homemade treats, especially around the holidays. I like to offer peanut brittle, chocolate covered Oreos, elegant eggnog cake, or these delightful little rum balls to my guests.
When the holidays roll around, I spend plenty of time in the kitchen making festive treats. These no-bake rum balls take just minutes to put together, and they’re the perfect blend of nuts and chocolate.
These rum balls are one of my favorite Christmas desserts along with peppermint bark, Christmas crack, peanut butter blossoms, cake truffles and reindeer chow.
Table of Contents
Rum Balls Ingredients
This rum balls recipe is made with vanilla wafer cookies (such as Nilla brand), pecans, chocolate chips, rum, powdered sugar, light corn syrup, vanilla extract, salt and sprinkles.
How Do You Make Rum Balls?
Making rum balls is all about mixing the flavorful ingredients into a pool of melted chocolate. First melt some chocolate in the microwave in a large bowl. Stir sifted powered sugar (confectioners’ sugar) into the chocolate. Mix in dark rum, vanilla and corn syrup. In a separate bowl, take some crushed vanilla wafers, pecans and salt, and stir them together. The wafers and pecans go into the chocolate mixture and your “dough” is complete. After the dough chills a bit in the fridge, roll up the dough into balls. Dip those balls into sprinkles, then serve and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Candy
- Keep the dough chilled to make it easier to roll it into balls. If the dough warms up too much to roll, put it back in the refrigerator for a few minutes. You can coat your hands with a little cooking spray if you find the dough sticking to your hands.
- I use a food processor to easily crush my cookies and nuts into fine pieces.
- Chill your rum balls on a baking sheet or sheet pan.
- Use a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon measuring spoon to gather the dough for the 1 inch balls.
- Feel free to make these a couple of days ahead of when you want to serve them. The extra time helps the crushed cookies in the balls absorb the rum flavor. Store the balls in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve them.
Quick Tip
The measurements in the recipe are for the whole cookies and pecans. Measure them out first, then crush them second.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, these balls do contain alcohol. Since the rum is never cooked, the alcohol remains in the balls. Rum balls have a bit of a kick and are not for anyone under the age of 21
If you store these treats in an airtight container in a cool area, they do not need to be refrigerated. However, these balls hold together better, last longer and taste better if refrigerated. I highly recommend refrigerating these treats in an airtight container.
These treats stay fresh in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Serve them chilled out of the refrigerator or let them thaw on the counter. Don’t store these candies in a warm area. The balls will soften and become harder to eat if they become warm. Storing the balls at a warm temperature will decrease the time that they stay fresh.
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Flavor Variations
While these treats are delicious as-is, you can switch up the ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.
- Coatings: While I like the festive look of the sprinkles, you can also coat your balls in more chopped nuts, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, finely shredded coconut, or simply leave them plain. Another great option would be to dip them in dark or white chocolate.
- Nuts: You can easily swap out the pecans for almonds or walnuts.
- Cookies: Instead of vanilla wafers, try graham crackers or Oreo cookies for a different flavor.
- Alcohol: No rum on hand? You can also use brandy or cognac. You could also use bourbon to make bourbon balls.
- Non-Alcoholic: If you want a booze free version, you can substitute the rum with apple juice or orange juice, or a mixture of the two. The flavor will change depending on what juice you use.
These rum balls are a festive and fun holiday treat. They are full of complex flavors and have just the right amount of kick to liven up any party or gathering. You can even make a cookie tray with these rum balls and some of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes like Christmas wreath cookies, thumbprint cookies and snowball cookies!
More Festive Treats You’ll Enjoy
Rum Balls Video
Love This Recipe?
Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Rum Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips do not use Nestle brand as they do not melt well
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup dark rum
- 3 cups vanilla wafers crushed (such as Nilla wafers)
- 1 cup pecans crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sprinkles
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Start by microwaving the chocolate for 35 seconds. Stir the chocolate and microwave it for an additional 20 seconds. Repeat until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
- Pour the powdered sugar into the melted chocolate through a sifter or a strainer. Stir the powdered sugar into the melted chocolate.
- Pour the dark rum, corn syrup and vanilla into the chocolate mixture. Mix everything
together until it is smooth. - In a separate bowl, mix together crushed vanilla wafers, crushed pecans and salt.
- Stir the vanilla wafer mixture into the chocolate mixture until everything is evenly
distributed. - Cover the mixture and chill it for 20-30 minutes.
- Remove the mixture from the refrigerator and roll 1 inch balls.
- Dip each of the balls in sprinkles, chill them in the refrigerator until firm and serve.
Notes
- Feel free to make these a couple of days ahead of when you want to serve them. The extra time helps the crushed cookies in the balls absorb the rum flavor. Store the balls in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve them.
- I use a food processor to easily crush my cookies and nuts into fine pieces.
- The measurements in the recipe are for the whole cookies and pecans. Measure them out first, then crush them second.
Nilla wafers are no longer available….i have purchased all of the ingredients but no one has vanilla wafers…any suggestions other than Graham wafers or the suggestions above….i like the texture and flavour of the vanilla wafers. On line there are Milla wafers available but the prices are extortionate ($50). I live in Ontario, Canada so perhaps certain brands aren’t available to us although Christie’s Vanilla Wafers always have been and also Nilla…just hard to find this past couple of years.
That’s so strange, Nilla wafers are definitely available here in California! You could also try using store bought butter cookies or shortbread.
I have used crushed ginger cookies with great success, and there are several brands around the holidays. Happy holidays!
If I use crushed graham cracker crumbs, is the measurement still 3 cups crushed. I noticed you said to measure the whole Nilla wafers first. Having trouble finding Nilla wafers for some reason.
Yes the measurement should be the same for graham crackers!
Can you substitute the corn syrup for anything else?
The corn syrup makes the mixture soft enough to roll, I’m not sure if there’s a good substitute.
I made them using honey in place of the corn syrup. They turned out excellent!
Loving these rum balls, have lots of flavor and were easy to make!
These Rum Balls look like so much fun! What a perfect holiday dessert.
These turned out so well! Use them in a recent cookie exchange and they had rave reviews.
So many fun and delicious flavors all rolled into one! These look so perfect for the holiday season. I love the bright pop of color in a few of the rum balls too.
Oh my goodness, these sound amazing! I’ve never had rum balls with pecans in them or that have been rolled in sprinkles. I am very excited to try these this holiday season.
I had no rum, I used kahlua. Can’t wait to try! Thanks for sharing.
Has tried using coconut instead of pecans? Have nut allergies in my house ?
I haven’t tried it this way, you could try the really finely grated unsweetened dried coconut, or just use more cookies instead.
I substituted sunflower seeds for the pecans due to nut allergies here. They came out perfect!
Can you freeze these?
Yes you can!
When you say vanilla wafers, do you mean Nilla Wafers or vanilla wafers (the long cookies with cream in between the layers)?
Nilla wafers the plain round cookies
When you say 3 cups vanilla wafer, crushed, is that three cups prior to crushing them, or after crushing them? Same question for the pecans.
Thank you!
You measure the cookies and pecans, then crush them.
sounds amazing butterscotch!! yum
Hello,
Cannot wait to make these. Can I use white rum instead of dark rum?
I think that would work fine but I haven’t tested it this way!
I would recommend mixing all the wet ingredients together first before adding the dry ingredients. I broke my spatula trying to mix the powdered sugar into just the chocolate. :O Otherwise great recipe. Also works well substituting butterscotch chips and butterscotch schnapps. Going to try vanilla vodka and white chocolate chips next.
If you choose not to add crushed nuts, do you increase the amount of crushed cookies?
Yes that should work fine!
These were awesome! They definitely packed a punch. I live in Ontario and couldn’t find Nilla wafers so I substituted crushed plain butter shortbread cookies and the end result was great. Thanks for the recipe!
Can i make the recipe, put the bowl in the fridge and then roll them into balls the next day?
Yes that’s fine but you may need to let it rest at room temperature for a few minutes so that the dough is soft enough to roll!
What wafers to make this Gluten Free?
You’d need to look for some type of gluten free vanilla cookie, I haven’t tested this as a gluten free recipe so unfortunately I can’t say for sure.
To Jaclynn and the request about vanilla wafers….I make them GF for my son as well. If you have a Bulk Barn near you, they sell GF vanilla wafers. If not, go into any Walmart and they have a GF section and you can use any biscuit base. I’ve even used GF, ginger snaps as well as GR graham wafer crumbs also from Bulk barn. They all work well!☺️ Just a heads up, you might want to just let them refrigerate for the instructed 20-30 minutes because they solidify into a concrete block in the fridge over night!😬 I had to leave them out over night just to make into balls but they ARE very good. Better if you let them age/mature a few days!
Sally