Rum Balls
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Rum balls are festive, unfussy, and made for the holidays—great for make-ahead baking, sharing with friends, and enjoying all season long.
Rum balls are one of those classic holiday treats that are a must on a cookie tray—sweet, a little boozy, and way too easy to pop in your mouth, especially when you find yourself standing in front of the fridge late at night. This is my go-to version, made with crushed Nilla wafers, toasted pecans, dark rum, and a touch of butter for a soft, chewy, almost cookie-dough-like texture.
One of the things I love about this rum balls recipe is how adaptable it is. You can add a little warmth with spices, swap in graham crackers or chocolate Teddy Grahams for the wafers, or use bourbon instead of rum. They come together in minutes and actually get better after a day or two, once the flavors have had time to meld—which makes them perfect for holiday baking and gifting.
WHat You’ll Need To Make Rum Balls
You’ll need Nilla wafers, pecans, granulated sugar, confectioners’ sugar, rum, light corn syrup, melted butter, and salt.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Blend the nuts and cookies. In a food processor, pulse the cookies and pecans until finely ground.
Step 2: Mix the base of the rum balls. In a large bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, rum, corn syrup, melted butter, and salt. Add the cookie mixture to the bowl and stir until evenly moistened and the mixture holds together when pressed.
Step 3: Chill, roll and coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour, until firm enough to handle. Once chilled, place the granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Using a small cookie scoop (1½ tablespoons) or spoon, portion the mixture into 1-inch balls, roll smooth between your palms, then roll in the sugar to coat.
Step 4: Store and serve. Store the rum balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze for longer storage. These actually taste even better once they’ve been in the fridge for a few days. For best flavor and texture, let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
Jenn’s Pro Tips
- Toasting the nuts is worth it. Even a quick toast brings out the pecans’ oils and deepens their flavor, which really matters in a no-bake recipe like this, where every ingredient shows up. To toast, spread the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in a 350°F oven until fragrant and lightly golden.
- Swap the cookies. Instead of vanilla wafers, you can use 12 oz graham crackers—2 sleeves plus 4 crackers—or a 10-oz box chocolate Teddy Grahams.
- Mix up the flavor. For a warm spiced version, add ½ teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg or allspice. Or go in a citrusy direction with finely grated orange zest—especially good with dark rum.
- Adjust the rum to taste. Six tablespoons gives you a classic, boozy rum ball—but if you’re serving a mixed crowd, start with a little less and add more after tasting. You can always stir in another tablespoon or two.
- Sugar isn’t your only coating option. Granulated sugar keeps things classic, but sanding sugar adds sparkle, cocoa powder gives them a more grown-up, truffle-like feel, and confectioners’ sugar creates a soft, snowy finish. Finely chopped nuts also work well; they’ll adhere best if the rum balls are slightly tacky, so roll them right after shaping or give them a light brush of melted butter or rum if needed.
More Holiday Treats You’ll Love
Rum Balls
Ingredients
- 1 (11-oz) box Nilla wafer cookies
- 1¼ cups pecans, toasted (see note)
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 6 tablespoons dark or spiced rum
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
- About ½ cup granulated sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Place the cookies and pecans in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse until finely ground.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, rum, corn syrup, melted butter, and salt. Add the cookie mixture and stir until evenly moistened and the mixture holds together when pressed.
- Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour to let the mixture firm up—it will be easier to roll.
- Place the granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Using a small cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoons) or spoon, portion the dough into 1-inch balls and roll them smooth between your palms. Roll each ball in the granulated sugar to coat.
- Store the rum balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For the best flavor, let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to mellow and the texture to soften.
Notes
- Instead of vanilla wafers, you can use 12 oz graham crackers—2 sleeves plus 4 crackers—or a 10-oz box chocolate Teddy Grahams.
- To toast the pecans, preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant and lightly golden, about 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool before using.
- Freezing Instructions: Rum balls freeze beautifully. Chill until firm, then freeze in a single layer before transferring to an airtight container, separating layers with parchment. They’ll keep up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, let stand at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes, and reroll in sugar if needed.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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