Grandma's Rum Balls Recipe

Rum Balls in a bowl with one cut in half

Rum Balls are a vintage holiday dessert made with cookie crumbs, chocolate, nuts, and a splash of rum - all rolled up into a sweet and boozy bite-sized treat.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword pecans, rum, Rum Balls, walnuts

Prep Time 30

Total Time 30

Servings Balls

Calories 180kcal

Cost $12

Equipment

Mixing bowls
Food processor
Large baking sheet
Small Cookie Scoop

Ingredients

5 Cups Nilla Wafers finely crushed
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Cup Walnuts or Pecans finely chopped
1/2 Cup Spiced Rum
2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
2 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Optional Toppings

1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder

Instructions

To Prep: Line a 9x13 baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the crushed Nilla wafers, salt, and finely chopped nuts. Make sure the nuts and cookies don't have any big chunks before incorporating. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and stir together until thoroughly combined.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the corn syrup and rum until the syrup is dissolved. Pour this mixture into the cookie dough and stir. If needed, you can finishing kneading the mixture by hand. It should be thick like cookies dough.
Using a 1-inch cookie scoop, portion the mixture into 1-inch balls, roll until they are an even sphere shape, and place them on the prepared pan.
Add the extra powdered sugar and/or cocoa powder to separate small bowls. Roll the rum balls in the coating and place them back on the pan to dry.

Notes

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate only. This recipe contains alcohol and is intended for readers 21+

Prep Tips

Texture - Make sure your cookie crumbs and finely chopped walnuts don’t have any big chunks. You want them to be similar to dry sand so they mix into your ingredients seamlessly. I pulse mine in a food processor to achieve this, but you could also put the cookies in a large zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin to achieve similar results.
Storage - Keep your rum balls in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to a week. Do not keep them in the refrigerator, as this can cause them to become mushy.
Substitutions/Variations - You can use honey or dark corn syrup instead of the light corn syrup. If you don't have spiced rum, you could alternatively use dark rum or light rum. If you don't have vanilla wafers, graham crackers or shortbread cookies will have a similar consistency in the finished recipe.

Nutrition