This easy, no-bake rum balls recipe is a Christmas tradition in my house! I’ll show you how to make old-fashioned rum balls with crushed cookies, pecans, and honey. They’re perfect for the holidays, right down to the endless decorating possibilities. You’re sure to be rolling, eating, and gifting these rum-soaked truffles all season long.
These holiday rum balls are the boozy answer to my peanut butter balls and chocolate-covered cherries at our yearly cookie exchange!
This traditional rum balls recipe is my reminder every year that the holidays are here. Simple, beautiful rum balls are a cinch to make with crushed vanilla wafers, pecans, rum, and honey. The real fun comes after they’re rolled! Cover your holiday rum balls with sprinkles, or add a powdered sugar coating. These are a family favorite, and they’re great to make ahead for Christmas parties and cookie exchanges.
The Only Festive Rum Balls Recipe You’ll Need
- No oven required. Rum balls are a no-bake dessert, so you can leave your oven free for all the sugar cookies you’ll be baking.
- One bowl, 5 ingredients. You can count your rum ball ingredients on one hand. Mix the “dough” in one bowl, then form it into balls. They’re ready to eat in 30 minutes or less.
- Great for gift giving. I love making rum balls for edible Christmas gifts. Their small size is ideal for wrapping up and sharing with family and friends.
- Easy to customize. This rum ball recipe is perfect for rolling and coating in cocoa powder, sprinkles, or powdered sugar. Decorate them any way you’d like!
Gather These 5 Ingredients
If you plan on giving your rum balls as gifts, I recommend picking up some small paper candy cups or truffle wrappers from the baking aisle while shopping for ingredients. These help protect the balls after they’re finished! Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for the full recipe amounts and detailed instructions.
- Vanilla Wafers – You’ll need approximately 1 box of cookies, finely crushed. Alternatively, you can make your rum balls with graham crackers, chocolate wafers, or crushed Oreo cookies.
- Pecans – Finely chopped or crushed. Other good options are walnuts, hazelnuts, or almonds. If you’d like to make nut-free rum balls, I’d suggest substituting the nuts with extra crushed cookies instead.
- Powdered Sugar – You can also use powdered sugar to roll the balls in afterward.
- Rum – I like to use dark, spiced rum for the depth of flavor. However, you can use any type you’d prefer. If you don’t have rum, swap it out for bourbon, brandy, or a liqueur, like Kahlua, Amaretto, or Cointreau.
- Honey – Honey sweetens the mixture and also acts as a binder. You could use maple syrup or light corn syrup if needed.
Yes. As the name would suggest, rum is added to the mixture. And since this is a no-bake recipe, the alcohol won’t cook off. The individual balls aren’t overly boozy, but you can indeed taste the rum.
Absolutely! If you’d prefer to make alcohol-free rum balls, replace the rum in the recipe with equal parts water mixed with 1 teaspoon of rum extract(or more to achieve the desired flavor).
How to Make Rum Balls (Step-By-Step)
Here’s an overview of what you can expect from this easy rum balls recipe. The steps are very simple:
- Make the dough. First, you’ll mix the crushed wafers with pecans and powdered sugar. Next, add the rum and honey, and mix again. Using your hands, knead the mixture into a thick, no-bake dough.
- Form the balls. Now, use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion and roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Place your truffles on a baking sheet.
- Decorate! You can leave your rum balls as-is, or coat each ball in powdered sugar, cocoa powder, or sprinkles. See my decorating ideas and recipe tips below.
Customizing and Decorating Your Holiday Rum Balls
Over and above powdered sugar and festive sprinkles, there are loads of ways that you can change up the toppings and flavors in this rum balls recipe. These are some quick suggestions:
- Coconut. Coat your rum balls with coconut. It can be sweetened or unsweetened, plain or toasted, like in my toasted coconut balls recipe.
- Sanding sugar. Roll the balls in colored sanding sugar depending on the holiday (red and green for Christmas rum balls, red for Valentine’s Day, etc.)
- Cocoa powder. Natural, unsweetened cocoa powder is a great way to make chocolate rum balls, and it also helps with sticking! Try Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a darker color and fudgier flavor.
- Crushed nuts. Coat the outside of your rum balls in extra crushed pecans or walnuts.
- Edible glitter. For the fabulous bakers out there! You could also cover the balls in edible gold leaf.
Recipe Tips
- Help the toppings stick to the rum balls. It helps to dampen your hands with a little water before rolling the mixture into balls, especially when you’re adding heavier toppings, like sprinkles. It helps the toppings adhere to the dough.
- Use a cookie scoop! A small cookie scoop makes it quick and easy to measure out rum balls that are the same size.
- Use a food processor. Crush the cookies and pecans using a food processor to speed up the process. Just pulse it until the cookies are a fine crumb. Alternatively, use a resealable bag and a rolling pin if that’s what you have on hand.
- If you notice the mixture is too dry, add another splash of rum. If you find your mixture is too wet, add a bit more powdered sugar until you reach the right consistency. You’ll know you have it right when the dough holds together easily when you squeeze it.
How to Store
- Store at room temperature. When it comes to storing rum balls without refrigeration, keep them in an airtight container. They’ll last for up to 1 week at room temperature. You can also keep them in the fridge, though they tend to dry out a bit. I still recommend serving rum balls at room temperature.
- Can you freeze homemade rum balls? Yes! To freeze, place the balls on a baking sheet and allow them to pre-freeze until solid. Then transfer the balls to a freezer-safe container or resealable bag for storage. Freeze the rum balls for up to 1 month and thaw them overnight in the fridge before serving.
More No-Bake Dessert Recipes
Rum Balls
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 30 balls 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy no-bake rum balls recipe is made with only 5 ingredients! Holiday rum balls are the best bite-sized treat for Christmas parties, cookie exchanges, and festive gifting.
Ingredients
- 1 (11- ounce) box vanilla wafer cookies, finely crushed
- 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans (approximately 1 cup whole)
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup rum
- 1/2 cup honey
- Optional for rolling: 1/2 cup powdered sugar, cocoa powder, or nonpareil sprinkles
- Optional for gifting – small paper candy cups.
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix together the crushed cookies, chopped pecans, and powdered sugar. Mix until evenly combined.
- Add in the rum and honey and mix until incorporated. Using your hands knead the mixture together until it becomes a thick dough.
- Measure out 1 tablespoon of the mixture at a time and roll into balls. Place on a plate or baking sheet.
- Roll the rum balls in powdered sugar or cocoa powder to coat. See note if coating in sprinkles.
- Place in candy cups for gifting.
Notes
I like to use a food processor or blender to crush and chop the cookies and pecans. You want them both to be a fine crumb.
If you notice the mixture is too dry, you can add a splash more rum. If it’s too wet, add a tablespoon more of powdered sugar. The mixture should hold together easily when squeezed.
If coating the finished balls with sprinkles, you will need to dampen your hand with water slightly and roll the mixture into balls so the sprinkles adhere easily.
Store airtight at room temperature for up to 7 days.
Freeze airtight for up to a month.
I made this recipe for Christmas and it was a success. I used Biscoff cookies. Thank you for sharing.
I bet the Biscoff cookies were delicious!
Cocoa is missing from the ingredients for the holiday balls! How much cocoa? Mine turned out okay but after the fact, I realize cocoa is missing from the ingredient list. 🙁
Hi! There is no cocoa powder in my recipe 🙂 You can use it to roll the balls in as a garnish!
Cocoa is in the photo in the bowl above which is misled me. Your final balls, before rolling, look a lot darker than the ones I made and I followed the recipe exactly, using dark spiced rum. Thanks for clarifying.
I want to make these every holiday season but my husband has a nut allergy. Any suggestions to make them nut free?
You could omit the nuts and add more cookie crumbs!
The picture of your unmixed ingredients appears to have cocoa in it. Is there an option that includes cocoa – besides as an option to roll them in ?
Hello, Nice recipe. Thanks. Can I use ice cream cones instead the waffers?, I have a ton broken!!!!!
I don’t see why they wouldn’t work. They might not absorb as well as the Nila Wafers, but I would love to know how they turn out!
would you wait to roll them in powered sugar until after they are thawed if freezing?
This looks delicious! I live outside the US, is there a substitute for vanilla wafers?
Any small crispy butter or sugar should work!