Traditional Rum Balls

Traditional Rum Balls- a No-Bake, boozy holiday confection of pecans, rum and a splash of bourbon.

an antique brown and white transfer ware plate filled with powdered sugar covered rum balls next to two large candles and a wooden nutcracker

All about Rum Balls- and why you need to make a batch now-

Rum balls or bourbon balls are a no-bake sweet treat served around the holidays. they are made of crushed cookies, sugar, light corn syrup, cocoa powder, alcohol and nuts. Then they are rolled in powdered sugar to make them look like little snowballs.

This recipe is very booze forward so only eat one or two at a time. They taste best two days after shaping, so they are a perfect gift to share at the holidays- make up a batch, freeze, thaw the day you want to give them away, roll in the powdered sugar, wrap and enjoy!

a grouping of small dishes filled with ingredients for rum balls

Ingredients in Rum Balls:

  • Nilla Wafers- you can substitute with graham crackers
  • Pecans
  • Salt
  • Vanilla Extract- buy Premium Pine & Palm Kitchen Vanilla Extract HERE.
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • Powdered sugar
  • Light corn syrup
  • Rum
  • Bourbon
a grouping of small plates filled with ingredients

Equipment needed for this recipe:

  • Food Processor
  • small (1.5 oz) ice cream scoop or melon baller- buy the one I used HERE
  • air tight container for storage
  • fine mesh strainer or sifter for confectioners sugar- Buy my favorite HERE
  • chef’s knife
  • stationary boxes or tins for using as gifts- I like these.
  • parchment paper for lining the boxes- optional
a pile of finely chopped pecans

All About Pecans:

Buy here for the freshest nuts:

three plates filled with powdered sugar, dough for the rum balls and chopped pecans

Common Questions About Rum Balls:

I can’t find Nilla Wafers-

You can substitute graham crackers, digestive crackers ( like Hobbs)

Can I use just rum or just bourbon?

YES! I just like the sweet caramel of rum and the smokey notes of bourbon combined.

What if I don’t want to use alcohol?

Use a non-alcoholic beverage like ANON Spiced Cane or Free Spirits Spirit of Bourbon.

Can you substitute other kinds of nuts?

Yes- Walnuts are a perfect substitute.

Is confectioner’s powder the same as icing sugar?

Yes- Confectioner’s sugar, or powdered sugar or 10X sugar and icing sugar are all the same thing.

a single rum  ball on an antique plate

Other Holiday Recipes to enjoy:

 an antique plate filled with rum balls

My Rum Ball Origin Story:

This recipe was handed down to me by my best friend’s mother- Sue Dixon. She shared this recipe with me last year after a lovely visit to her home on the Florida East Coast. I have known Sue for almost 45 years. She was a wonderful home cook, making everything from scratch. Sue recommended using Mount Gay Barbados Rum.


a plate of rum balls

Traditional Rum Balls

No ratings yet
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Southern
Keyword: Rum Balls
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 12
Author: Meggen

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Nilla wafers
  • 3 cups pecans
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 TBSP heaping unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 TBSP light corn syrup
  • ¼ cup rum
  • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 TBSP bourbon
  • Extra powdered sugar for decorating

Instructions

  • Pulse Nilla wafers, pecans and salt in a food processor until the mixture resembles sand. Pulse in cocoa, powdered sugar rum, bourbon, vanilla extract and corn syrup until mixture comes together in a ball.
  • Remove from food processor and pinch off 1 TBSP at a time, roll into a ball and dredge in extra powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container up to one week.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating