Easy, Festive (and Boozy!) Rum Balls Recipe | Alexandra’s Kitchen (2024)

Rum balls are one of the easiest and most festive cookies to make and gift during the holiday season — they take no time to whip together, require no baking, and are incredibly delicious. Everyone loves them. What’s more? They can be made ahead and frozen, too.

Easy, Festive (and Boozy!) Rum Balls Recipe | Alexandra’s Kitchen (1)

Easy, festive, boozy rum balls — what’s not to love?

The virtues of rum balls include:

  • short prep time: the batter takes all of about 5 minutes to whip up
  • no-bake, which means short total time: start to finish these will take about 30 minutes to complete
  • high-yield: this recipe will make at least 40
  • taste: they are delicious, boozy bites of goodness
  • easy: can’t have too many easy recipes around the holidays
  • festive: perfect for holiday entertaining
  • pretty: a perfect gift
  • they can be made ahead of time (and even frozen!) — score!

I can’t think of a more perfect treat to have on hand for the holiday season. And if you’re looking for another low-effort, high-yield cookie recipe to gift all season long, try these melt-in-your-mouth Lemon-Almond Snowball Cookies.

PS: Soft and Chewy Molasses Crinkles

PPS: Simple Classic Shortbread

Easy, Festive (and Boozy!) Rum Balls Recipe | Alexandra’s Kitchen (2)

How to Make Rum Balls, Step by Step

Gather your ingredients: Vanilla wafers, rum, cocoa powder, corn syrup, and confectioners’ sugar.

Easy, Festive (and Boozy!) Rum Balls Recipe | Alexandra’s Kitchen (3)
Easy, Festive (and Boozy!) Rum Balls Recipe | Alexandra’s Kitchen (4)

First: pulse the vanilla wafers in a food processor until they are finely ground:

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Easy, Festive (and Boozy!) Rum Balls Recipe | Alexandra’s Kitchen (6)

Next: add the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, and corn syrup:

Easy, Festive (and Boozy!) Rum Balls Recipe | Alexandra’s Kitchen (7)

Pulse until finely ground:

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Finely: Add the rum, and pulse until the ingredients form a cohesive mass:

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Transfer the “dough” to a separate vessel. Pour some confectioners sugar into a small, rimmed sheet pan:

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Portion the dough into balls using a #100 scoop or a teaspoon or by simply pinching off small pieces and rolling them in your hands. Roll the balls in confectioners’ sugar.

Easy, Festive (and Boozy!) Rum Balls Recipe | Alexandra’s Kitchen (11)

Transfer the confectioners’ sugar-coated balls to a clean tray or storage vessel:

Easy, Festive (and Boozy!) Rum Balls Recipe | Alexandra’s Kitchen (12)
Easy, Festive (and Boozy!) Rum Balls Recipe | Alexandra’s Kitchen (13)

Can You Freeze Rum Balls?

Yes! Simply transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. I find these delicious straight from the freezer in fact, but if I am going to serve them, I let them thaw at room temperature overnight. Before serving, re-roll them in powdered sugar to freshen them up 🙂

Easy, Festive (and Boozy!) Rum Balls Recipe | Alexandra’s Kitchen (14)
Easy, Festive (and Boozy!) Rum Balls Recipe | Alexandra’s Kitchen (15)

How to Gift Rum Balls

To gift rum balls, simply find a festive gift box, load with small, paper liners, and load with your delicious, boozy, rum balls. I like these:

  • Mini Foil Wrappers — perfect rum balls or truffles or anything similarly sized.
  • Punch Studio book boxes — I can’t find a source for these. My mother found them at Marshall’s a million years ago and passed them along to me. Marshall’s or craft stores such as Michael’s and Hobby Lobby and JoAnn Fabrics are all good spots to find decorative gift boxes.
Easy, Festive (and Boozy!) Rum Balls Recipe | Alexandra’s Kitchen (16)

Stationery boxes work well, too. I ordered a set of 50 many years ago, and I’m still using them around the holidays to gift rum balls, truffles, and chocolate-dipped peanut butter balls.

Easy, Festive (and Boozy!) Rum Balls Recipe | Alexandra’s Kitchen (17)
Easy, Festive (and Boozy!) Rum Balls Recipe | Alexandra’s Kitchen (18)
Easy, Festive (and Boozy!) Rum Balls Recipe | Alexandra’s Kitchen (19)

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Easy, Festive (and Boozy!) Rum Balls Recipe | Alexandra’s Kitchen (20)

Easy, Festive (and Boozy!) Rum Balls Recipe

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  • Author: Alexandra Stafford
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 40 rum balls
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Description

These rum balls are the easiest, best, and most festive cookie to make and gift during the holiday season — they take no time to whip together, require no baking, and are incredibly delicious. What’s more? They can be made ahead and frozen, too.

If you’d like to gift rum balls, you may want to pick up a set of Mini Foil Wrappers, which are perfect for rum balls or truffles or chocolate-dipped peanut butter balls or anything else similarly sized.

A #100 scoop is also particularly helpful for shaping, though you absolutely can use a teaspoon or simply your hands to pinch of portions of the dough and roll into balls.

Ingredients

  • 3+ cups (311 g) vanilla wafers (a whole box of Nilla wafers)
  • 1 cup (120 g) confectioners’ sugar (plus more for rolling)
  • 2 tablespoons (10 g) cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons (44 g) white corn syrup
  • 1/3 cup (74 g) rum, plus more as needed

Instructions

  1. Place vanilla wafers in a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. There might be a few large pieces that don’t catch the blade at this step, but they’ll eventually end up getting pulverized, so don’t worry. (Alternatively, place vanilla wafers into a Ziploc bag and bash them with a rolling pin until they are fine pieces).
  2. Add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa and corn syrup and pulse till combined. Add the 1/3 cup rum and pulse to combine. If necessary, slowly add more rum to the food processor until the mixture comes together and forms a mass around the blade or holds together when you pinch it.
  3. Using a teaspoon or a #100 scoop, scoop out balls from the processor, roll them gently with your hands to form balls, then drop them onto a plate (or shallow tupperware) filled with a thin layer of powdered sugar. Shake the vessel to coat the balls, then transfer the balls to an airtight storage container until you are ready to serve them. Store at room temperature for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature briefly before serving.
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Cookie
  • Method: No-Bake
  • Cuisine: American
Easy, Festive (and Boozy!) Rum Balls Recipe | Alexandra’s Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What can I substitute for vanilla wafers in rum balls? ›

While vanilla wafers are my favorite for their subtle sweetness and vanilla notes, graham crackers, butter cookies, digestive biscuits, or shortbread cookies are all excellent substitutes. For a gluten-free version, opt for gluten-free cookies.

Will rum balls get you drunk? ›

Can rum balls make you drunk? This is a no bake recipe, which means any alcohol we use in the process won't be cooked away or made less effective. However, we're not using that much of it, so getting drunk isn't something to worry about! After all, there's only ¼ cup of rum divided among 24 individual bites.

Are rum balls safe for kids? ›

small, soft, delicious bite-size chocolate rum balls

feel free to use coconut oil or butter in this recipe. you can easily substitute the rum with water or milk and make them appropriate for kids, pregnant ladies, or those who don't drink alcohol in general.

How long can you keep rum balls for? ›

Store rum balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Alternatively, freeze them in an airtight container for up to 2 months and allow to come to room temperature before eating.

Are Nilla Wafers the same as vanilla wafers? ›

By the 1940s, Vanilla Wafers had become a major ingredient in the Southern cuisine staple banana pudding, and Nabisco began printing a banana pudding recipe on the Vanilla Wafers box. The name of the product was not changed to "Nilla Wafers" until 1967.

What is a substitute for crushed vanilla wafers? ›

Graham crackers should work well for you. I have used graham crackers and vanilla wafers interchangeably for several recipes.

Why does rum hit harder than vodka? ›

Rum does not get you more drunk than vodka. It's the amount of alcohol you consume in a given period of time, not the spirit per se that determines how drunk you get. For example a shot of vodka or rum (1.5 oz) will obviously enter the bloodstream faster than a co*cktail sipped slowly.

What if my rum balls are too dry? ›

If the mixture seems too dry, add an additional small amount of melted butter or more rum. Form small balls about the size of a walnut.

Why do my rum balls go flat? ›

Mixture should be very thick. At this stage it may be a little too soft or sticky because of our summer heat; so just pop in the fridge for a bit to prevent totally flat bottomed balls. Then take spoonfuls of the mixture and make your balls by rolling between your palms then roll in coconut.

Can I drink 10 year old rum? ›

If kept out of direct sunlight and in a cool setting, unopened rum can be stored almost indefinitely. It is considered a stable liquor with a high ABV to preserve its integrity while in storage. Once opened, a bottle of rum should be used within 6 months to 2 years, depending on the additional flavors in the liquor.

Can pregnant people eat rum balls? ›

If you are not sure if there is alcohol in what's being served to you, ask. Rum ball may be delicious, but they are not a good idea during pregnancy.

Can dogs eat rum balls? ›

Alcohol. Alcoholic beverages and food products containing alcohol (like rum balls) can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, decreased coordination, central nervous system depression, difficulty breathing, tremors, abnormal blood acidity, coma and even death. Under no circ*mstances should your pet be given any alcohol.

Can you refreeze rum balls? ›

Alternatively, if you want to save them for a later date, place them in an airtight container and freeze. Do not refreeze after defrosting.

Where do rum balls originated from? ›

Rum balls were originally created as a way for Danish bakers to make use of cakes and pastries leftover at the end of the day. They would mix them up with cocoa and rum, and roll the dough into balls, coating with coconut or chocolate sprinkles to sell for a low price the next day.

Does alcohol evaporate out of rum balls? ›

Yes, alcohol does evaporate out of rum balls over time. While the initial alcohol content is retained, some of it can dissipate gradually during storage, leaving behind the flavor.

Can rum replace vanilla? ›

You will be surprised to know that your good, old vanilla extract also contains alcohol. So, why not use rum instead of vanilla to give your bake a little bit of twist? Alcohol such as brandy, and bourbon also work great as a replacement for vanilla.

Can I substitute vanilla for rum in baking? ›

In conclusion, there are several options to choose from when looking for a nonalcoholic substitute for rum in your favorite recipe. Apple cider, pineapple juice, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract are all good options that can add a similar flavor to your dish.

Can I substitute rum for vanilla in recipe? ›

Spirits such as bourbon, brandy, rum, and vanilla liqueur can mimic the rich, caramelly taste of vanilla extract. Use 2 tsp of alcohol to replace 1 tsp of vanilla extract.

Are vanilla wafers being discontinued? ›

The bags on shelves right now are the last of the vanilla wafers. I spoke with a representative for Ferrero Roche, which owns Murray Foods, on Friday and another today to confirm the discontinuation.

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