Chocolate Rum Balls

These no-bake Chocolate Rum Balls are extremely easy to make and perfect for a fancy Holiday dinner party. Made with dark rum, pecans and cacao powder and then rolled in your choice of 7 coatings. A delicious adult Christmas boozy cookie.

A pile of Chocolate Rum Balls rolled in sparkling sugar.

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No Bake Rum Balls sitting on a white plate.

So what do you do when you want to have a special Christmas Cookie for the adults in your life but you don’t want to be in the kitchen for hours?

You make these Chocolate Rum Balls with your favorite coating (see coating options below). 

I can’t even begin to tell you how incredibly easy these cookies are and couldn’t we use just a little more simplicity this time of year?

Honestly, I love impressing friends and family with my super delicious Chocolate Marzipan Cookies and Cocoa Cup Cookies. However, there is a significant time investment with those two cookies. When you need quick, easy and tasty, Rum Balls are the perfect fit. 

Also, if you need a few more easy cookie recipes to complete your Christmas dessert table, then you have got to try my Mom’s Walnut Balls and Orange Cranberry Walnut Balls. They are simple to make and taste so good. 

 

Traditional Rum Balls rolled in cacao powder.

A plate of Old Fashioned Rum Balls served on a plate.

How To Make Chocolate Rum Balls

Photo collage of Steps for Making Rum Balls.

  1. Combine cookie crumbs, powdered sugar, chopped pecans and cacao powder in a medium sized mixing bowl. 
  2. Mix well.
  3. Add rum and honey. 
  4. Stir until well combined. If dough is too wet…
  5.  add an additional 2- 6 tbsp of cookie crumbs. 
  6. Mix well.
  7. Roll in 1 inch balls.
  8. Roll rum balls in coating of choice (picture shows sparkling sugar).

    Best Ingredients For No-Bake Rum Balls

The best ingredients for these Chocolate Rum Balls are the highest quality you can afford. However, there are two ingredients that do take these cookies to over the top delicious. The first is Zaya Rum which is a dark rum that has flavor hints of caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and apple. This rum can be purchased in most liquor stores or larger grocery stores with robust liquor departments.

The second ingredient is Cacao Powder which is similar to cocoa powder but has no added sugar or additives. Also, it has a bold chocolate flavor. Essentially, it is the purest form of cocoa powder and has some amazing health benefits

Honey vs Corn Syrup 

For this recipe honey or corn syrup may be used with similar results from both. Just make sure that your honey is real or purchase organic corn syrup. Additionally, maple syrup is a wonderful third option. 

7 Different Coating Options 

Choose 1/4 cup- 1/2 cup of the following options to roll the rum ball cookies in:

How To Freeze

Once the rum balls are coated, place in an air tight container with a tight fitting lid. I recommend trying to use the Rum Balls within 4-6 weeks for best tasting cookies. However, they will last for up to 2 months if properly stored. 

Can Rum Balls Get You Drunk?

Yes, however…you would have to eat a ton of them to become drunk. It is always best whenever consuming alcohol to practice safe alcohol consumption

More Easy Christmas Desserts

My friend, if you are in a season where life is a little bit more chaotic than you like and you still want to celebrate Christmas in a festive way, then simplicity is what is needed. Dessert recipes like Broonie (aka the BEST darn Irish Gingerbread Cake EVER), Cream Cheese Pie and Peanut Butter Pie are absolutely perfect fits. Believe it or not, the super sophisticated Pots de Creme is actually very easy to make as long as you follow the tips. Also, never underestimate how Orange Cranberry Scones (although more of an intermediate level of baking) can make December mornings extremely bright. 

If you enjoyed these Chocolate Rum Balls please let me know by leaving a comment and review below. Doing so helps to encourage others to make the recipe also. Thank you!

A pile of Chocolate Rum Balls rolled in sparkling sugar.

Chocolate Rum Balls

An elegant cookie that is extremely easy to make. With a mixture of dark rum, cookie crumbs and chopped pecans, these are a perfect boozy Christmas cookie.
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chocolate Rum Balls, No Bake Rum Balls, Rum Balls
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 24 Cookies
Calories: 90kcal
Author: Heather

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 1 cup crushed vanilla wafers (see Note 1)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 2 tbsp cacao powder *or cocoa powder
  • 2 tbsp honey *or corn syrup
  • 1/4 cup dark rum

Rum Ball Coating

  • 1/4- 1/2 cup sparkling sugar, granulated sugar, chocolate sprinkles, coconut, cacoa powder, powdered sugar, chopped pecans *Choose one of the 6 options (see Note 3)

Instructions

  • Using a food processor or rolling pin method (see Note 2) crush wafer cookies.
  • In a medium sized mixing bowl combine cookie crumbs, powdered sugar, pecans and cacao powder. Mix well.
  • To the bowl add rum and honey. Stir until well combined. If dough is too wet, add an addittional 2-6 tbsps more of cookies crumbs. (See photo collage above.)
  • Using hands, shape into 1 inch balls.
  • Roll in one of the coating options above.
  • Store in an airtight container.

Notes

*Please use as many organic ingredients as possible. 
Recipe Notes
  1. One 11 oz box of vanilla wafers is enough to make a double batch of Rum Balls with extra crumbs if dough is too moist. Chocolate wafer cookies may also be used for an extra deep chocolate flavor. 
  2. To crush the wafer cookies either use a food processor or place cookies in a sealed plastic bag and roll a rolling pin over the top of the cookies until they reach a fine cookie crumb consistency. 
  3. Depending on the coating option chosen,  1/4 to 1/2 cup will be needed for a single batch. 

Nutrition

Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 19mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @thefedupfoodie or tag #thefedupfoodie!

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