A small batch of rich and boozy rum balls are perfect for gift-giving. An easy no-bake recipe perfect for any time of the year!
What Are Rum Balls?
Rum balls are unbelievably easy to make and are so incredibly delicious too! Similar to truffles, these heavenly delights are made with cookie crumbs, crushed nuts, and a splash of rum.
Homemade treats are fun to make during the holiday season but with this small batch rum balls recipe, I'd encourage you to make them year-round.
Not a fan of nuts? Check out our recipe for rum balls made without nuts below.
Want to leave out the rum? See below for alcohol-free options.
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Why This Recipe Works
- So incredibly delicious!: Rum balls are bite-sized homemade treats made with cookie crumbs, crushed nuts, confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar), cocoa powder, and rum. We make our boozy confection with honey instead of corn syrup which keeps these balls from being overly sweet. If you aren't a fan of rum, try them with bourbon instead.
- A no-bake recipe: A small batch of rum balls are very easy to make and are a great treat when you don't want to turn on the oven. The rum is not cooked off so this is a treat for adults only.
- Ready in minutes: This dessert takes hardly any time to make. They're made with simple ingredients that are easy to find and all of the ingredients mix together in one bowl.
- Recipe doubles well: If you'd like to make a large batch of rum balls, just double or triple the ingredient amounts.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.
- Cookie crumbs: The base of these classic rum balls cookies consist of a fine powder made from crushed vanilla wafers, also called Nilla Wafers. I like to grind my cookies in a food processor but you can also do this by hand. Although I love using vanilla wafers because of their mildly sweet vanilla flavor, you can use graham crackers, butter cookies, digestive biscuits, or shortbread cookies instead. To make gluten-free rum balls, use gluten-free cookies.
- Crushed nuts: Traditionally pecans or walnuts are used but I've made rum balls with other types of nuts like almonds, cashews, or hazelnuts.
- Rum: You can use dark rum, white rum, coconut rum, or spiced rum. Use whiskey instead of rum to make whiskey balls or bourbon to make bourbon balls.
- Powdered sugar: Also called confectioners' sugar or icing sugar, this type of sugar is light, fluffy, and dissolves easily. Do not use granulated sugar because it will leave you with rum balls that have a grainy texture.
- Cocoa powder: Use good quality unsweetened cocoa powder. I like using Ghirardelli brand. The cocoa powder gives the rum balls their chocolate flavor.
- Honey: Although I prefer using honey, you can use light corn syrup, maple syrup, or agave nectar instead.
How To Make Rum Balls
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Place vanilla wafers in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Process into fine crumbs, about 20 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl.
Pro Tip: You can crush the cookies in a bag instead of using a processor.
- Place the nuts in the food processor and process them into fine crumbs. Transfer the crushed nuts to the bowl with the cookie crumbs.
Pro Tip: You can finely chop the nuts by hand instead of using a processor.
- Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder into the bowl of cookies and nuts. Stir to combine.
Pro Tip: A fine mesh strainer and a light touch are all you need to sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Hold the mesh strainer in one hand and gently tap its side with a finger from your opposite hand.
- In a separate small bowl, mix the honey and rum together until the honey is completely dissolved.
- Pour the rum mixture into the crumb mixture and stir to mix the ingredients. If it's a bit dry in parts, add a splash of rum.
- Scoop the cookie mixture into balls and roll the balls in the palm of your hands. Place the balls on a sheet of wax paper, a plate, or a mat.
Pro Tip: Rum balls can be made into any size but I like rolling them into 1-inch bites.
- Roll the balls in your choice of candied sprinkles, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, or chopped nuts.
Pro Tip: It is best to roll the balls in the powdered sugar and sprinkles just after they're formed. Once the outsides dry, they will not pick up much of the coating. If you store the chocolate rum balls in the refrigerator, you may want to re-roll them in powdered sugar before enjoying them since powdered sugar tends to absorb into the rum balls in the fridge.
Expert Tips
- Read through the entire recipe and also through the Ingredient Notes section of this recipe post before starting.
- If the dough seems to be a little too hard to roll into balls, place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes. You can also coat your hands with a little cooking spray if you find the dough sticking to your hands.
- Add a little extra rum for an extra kick and to help bring the dough together if they're a bit dry.
- I think these rum balls have a pretty strong taste of rum. If you like extra strong rum balls, add a little bit more rum. If you add additional rum, you may need to add a small amount of cookie crumbs to the mixture.
Storage Tips
- Cover and store rum balls in an airtight container for up to 10 days. I actually love making rum balls in advance. The longer they sit in the fridge, the more time the crushed cookies have to absorb the rum flavor.
- They can be kept at room temperature or in the refrigerator. I prefer keeping mine in the fridge.
- To freeze rum balls, place them on a baking sheet and freeze them for about 2 hours. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag so you can squeeze out as much air as you can. Freeze for up to 2 months. To thaw, place the balls in the refrigerator until they are soft enough to bite.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can make traditional rum balls without a food processor. Add the cookies to a sealable plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin or heavy can. You can finely chop the nuts by hand or crush them in a bag instead.
There are so many options! Sprinkles and powdered sugar are the most traditional and what I usually use because I love how they look together on a platter. I've also rolled the balls in crushed nuts, crushed cookies, shredded coconut, or even melted chocolate.
It is highly unlikely because we are only using 2 tablespoons of rum which is combined with the other ingredients and made into 6 balls.
Absolutely! Although any rum will work, consider using tequila, bourbon, or whiskey instead.
Yes. Use orange juice or apple juice instead for a non-alcoholic version.
Yes. To make nut-free rum balls, use ¾ cup (85g) of crushed cookie crumbs and the remaining ingredients listed in the recipe, except for the nuts.
Press the mixture together tightly when forming them into balls.
How To Gift Rum Balls
A small batch of rum balls makes the perfect gift! I like to place them in mini foil wrappers inside a festive gift box.
Recipe Variations
- Cookies: Use crushed Oreos, graham crackers, butter cookies, shortbread cookies, or even ginger snaps instead of vanilla wafers.
- Alcohol: Swap out the rum with bourbon or whiskey. Consider using coconut rum and rolling the balls in shredded coconut if you're a coconut lover.
- Non-alcoholic: Replace the alcohol with orange juice or apple juice.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch rum balls recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Vanilla wafers: Banana Cream Pie, Caramelized Banana Pudding, S'mores Dip, Icebox Cake, No-Bake Cheesecake
- Nuts: Pecan Pie, Butter Pecan Granola, Hummingbird Cake, Pralines, Pineapple Lime Jello Salad
- Powdered sugar: Mini Texas Sheet Cake, Ricotta Cookies, Peanut Butter Pie, Peanut Butter Fudge, Mini Carrot Cake
- Cocoa powder: Triple Chocolate Scones, Hot Chocolate, Mini Devil's Food Cake, Tiramisu, Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Rum: Strawberry Daiquiri, Bananas Foster, Eggnog
- Honey: Peanut Butter Balls, Honey Lemon Custard, Peach Scones, Ginger Turmeric Tea, Baked Oatmeal
More Small Batch Holiday Treats
- Brownies
- Peppermint Bark
- Sugar Plums
- Microwave Fudge
- Peanut Butter Fudge
- Chocolate Truffles
- Frosted Sugar Cookies
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
If you’ve tried this rum balls recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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Recipe
Small Batch Rum Balls
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons crushed vanilla wafer cookies (approximately 22 cookies)
- ¼ cup ground nuts (use pecans, walnuts, cashews, or hazelnuts)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons rum
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Optional for rolling: sprinkles, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, or chopped nuts
Instructions
- Place vanilla wafers in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Process into fine crumbs, about 20 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl.You can crush the cookies in a bag instead of using a processor.
- Place the nuts in the food processor and process them into fine crumbs. Transfer the crushed nuts to the bowl with the cookie crumbs.You can finely chop the nuts by hand instead of using a processor.
- Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder into the bowl of cookies and nuts. Stir to combine.A fine mesh strainer and a light touch are all you need to sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Hold the mesh strainer in one hand and gently tap its side with a finger from your opposite hand.
- In a separate small bowl, mix the honey and rum together until the honey is completely dissolved.
- Pour the rum mixture into the crumb mixture and stir to mix the ingredients.
- Scoop the cookie mixture into balls and roll the balls in the palm of your hands. Place the balls on a sheet of wax paper, a plate, or a mat.Rum balls can be made into any size but I like rolling them into 1-inch bites.
- Roll the balls in your choice of candied sprinkles, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, or chopped nuts.
- Cover and store the rum balls in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Notes
- Read through the entire recipe and also through the Ingredient Notes section of this recipe post before starting.
- If the dough seems to be a little too hard to roll into balls, place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes. You can also coat your hands with a little cooking spray if you find the dough sticking to your hands.
- Add a little extra rum for an extra kick and to help bring the dough together if they're a bit dry.
- I think these rum balls have a pretty strong taste of rum. If you like extra strong rum balls, add a little bit more rum. If you add additional rum, you may need to add a small amount of cookie crumbs to the mixture.
- Cover and store rum balls in an airtight container for up to 10 days. I actually love making rum balls in advance. The longer they sit in the fridge, the more time the crushed cookies have to absorb the rum flavor.
- They can be kept at room temperature or in the refrigerator. I prefer keeping mine in the fridge.
- To freeze rum balls, place them on a baking sheet and freeze them for about 2 hours. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag so you can squeeze out as much air as you can. Freeze for up to 2 months. To thaw, place the balls in the refrigerator until they are soft enough to bite.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Cara says
So yummy and so easy! Toasted the cashew nuts. Really glad we doubled the recipe. Can’t wait to make with Cointreau.
Joni says
I made mine with peanut butter whiskey and added some crushed up butterfingers candy bar then rolled the balls in the left over butterfingers yummy
Next I’m gonna make the rum balls and add health crunch and roll them in the English toffee
Joanie Zisk says
Oh my!!! That sounds amazing. What a wonderful idea.
Heather says
Easy, fast, and pretty - perfect for entertaining! And as others have mentioned, there are endless amazing variations to try.
Shari Hughes says
As a substitute for the rum, I have also used 100-proof Southern Comfort or an orange flavored liqueur such as Grand Marnier.
J.Hegyi says
Good recipe using Kaluha instead of rum.
J.Hegyi says
Good recipe.