Yes, you can taste the rum in these old fashioned Rum Balls! They’re an easy, no-bake cookie that everyone will love.
“Made these for our ladies cookie exchange and they turned out great.” -Terri
Every Christmas, my grandma made these old fashioned Rum Balls. And everyone LOVED them. They’re packed with chocolate, walnuts, and of course, rum!
One taste sends me right back to Christmas at Grandma’s, when rum balls were served on a platter with Snowballs and Toffee Squares.
Grandma’s ancestors were from Germany, so this recipe is likely German. Scroll down to see her typewriter-written recipe! I refined the recipe only slightly, adding clarification for ingredients and instructions.
I love making Rum Balls every year for guests, and I’ve entered them a few times in Christmas cookie exchanges. They’re one of those nostalgic recipes, similar to Corn Flake Candy, that people remember fondly.
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What’s The best rum for rum balls?
Choose whatever rum you like. Grandma used white rum, but I’ve had readers tell me their family use spiced rum (or even bourbon, like in these Bourbon Balls). I used Bacardi White Rum, which is about $12 for the bottle. You can definitely taste the rum, so I don’t recommending purchasing a super cheap variety.
Ingredients
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips make these balls extra chocolate-y. You could also use dark chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate chips.
- You’ll need granulated sugar both for the rum ball mixture and for rolling the balls.
- I used white rum for this recipe. Spiced rum or bourbon work, too.
- Grandma’s recipe calls for walnuts. Pecans are good, too! Make sure they are very finely chopped.
How to Make Old Fashioned Rum Balls
- Place the vanilla wafers in a food processor and process until the wafers are in fine crumbs. Alternatively, you can crush them in a large zip-top bag with a rolling pin or meat mallet. While the food processor is out, use it to pulse the walnuts into very small pieces. Otherwise, chop the nuts with a knife.
- Microwave the chocolate chips in 30 second intervals until melted, stirring in between.
- Stir in the sugar, rum, and corn syrup. Tip: when measuring the corn syrup, spray the measuring spoon with cooking spray—the corn syrup will slide right out!
- Stir in the vanilla wafer crumbs and walnuts. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes.
- Roll the mixture into balls, and roll in granulated sugar.
- Serve!
Troubleshooting Tips
- I find that a cookie scoop/ice cream scoop with a release lever is the easiest way to scoop out the dough. I have this cookie scoop to create 1 inch balls.
- If the dough is too firm to scoop, let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, then try again. It will continue to soften as it sits.
- If the dough is too wet (and sticks to your hands), add another tablespoon of crushed wafers and try again. If it’s too dry, add a few teaspoons of rum.
Rum Ball variations
White sugar is a very traditional topping for Rum Balls. That’s what Grandma used, so that’s what I prefer.
Here are a few more ideas for what to roll them in:
- Cocoa powder
- Powdered sugar (like in old fashioned Bourbon Balls)
- Very finely chopped coconut (also known as desiccated coconut)
- Chocolate sprinkles
- Colored sprinkles (red and green would be pretty!)
If you use powdered sugar, you will likely need to re-roll the rum balls after a day or two, as the powdered sugar gets absorbed into the ball.
Frequently Asked Questions
Instead of white rum, try using bourbon to create bourbon balls! You can also use spiced rum if you like the taste of it.
To crush vanilla wafers, place them in a large zip-top bag and seal the bag. Pound the bag with a meat mallet or rolling pin to crush the wafers. It might take a few minutes, but they will turn to crumbs eventually!
To make rum balls that are nut-free, simply omit the nuts. You do not need to change anything else about the recipe. It will yield fewer rum balls but they will still be really delicious.
Each rum ball contains approximately ⅓ of a teaspoon of rum. (⅓ cup rum divided by 42). You would have to eat a LOT of rum balls to feel the effects. 🙂
More holiday cookie recipes
This season, I’m sharing more of my grandmothers’ old fashioned Christmas cookie recipes. I hope you enjoy them as much as our family has throughout the years!
- Grandma’s Do Re Mi Cookies—nutty and tangy…I adore these
- Grandma’s Cocoa Drops—a must-make for chocolate lovers
- Classic Ginger Cookies—these are SO soft and chewy!
- Snowball Cookies—a holiday classic
- 7 Layer Bars—super easy and everyone loves them
- Old Fashioned Spritz Cookies—so festive and fun!
📖 Recipe
Grandma’s Rum Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup white rum
- 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 50 vanilla wafers (about 2 cups when crushed)
- 1 cup walnuts, very finely chopped
- Granulated sugar for rolling
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Instructions
- Place the vanilla wafers in the bowl of a food processor or in a zip-top bag. Process or crush with a rolling pin until the wafers are fine crumbs.
- Place the chocolate chips in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted.
- Stir in the sugar, rum, and corn syrup. Fold in the vanilla wafers and nuts. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Shape into 1 inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar.
- Store in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
- Place them in a holiday tin, lined with parchment paper or wax paper.
- Decorative bakery boxes are an easy way to gift a lot of rum balls.
- Grab a pretty plate from Homegoods or another home store, and drop them off with the neighbors.
Love this recipe, they remind me of home
Love that! <3
We really love this recipe. I didn’t have very many chocolate chips so i added some reeses chips along with whit the chocolate chips to make a cup and turned out fantastic. I just followed the recipe then.
I will definitely make this again.
Oh my that sounds good! So glad you enjoyed them!
Made these for our ladies cookie exchange and they turned out great. I tripled the recipe and let me tell you mixing them and rolling them out is a serious workout. I measured the dough balls for consistency so about .45-.50 ounces each makes a perfect sized ball and resulted in about 120 rum balls. I rolled them in Caster Sugar for a very nice looking finish.
I’m so glad to hear this, thanks, Terri!
What if they don’t hold together when forming the balls
Hi Myrna,
Were the chocolate chips melted completely? And were all the ingredients added as written? I’m a little bit at a loss—I’ve made these dozens of times and haven’t had that happen.
Can these be made ahead and frozen?
Yes! I have some in my freezer right now. 🙂 Put them in something to protect them (like a freezer bag) and then thaw at room temperature overnight. Hope you enjoy them!
These are seriously addicting!
Is this a spiced rum or white rum?
White rum!
Malibu balls are chilling in the fridge (no Bundy rum on hand ??). Made the mistake of trying to mix a double batch in the TM5. The mixture was a little too heavy to blend so I dropped it out onto the pastry mat and kneeded the mixture like dough. Blended quickly and was processed in half the time it normally takes me.
Is the sugar in this recipe powdered or granulated? Want to make these. They look delicious.
Hi Nancy! It’s granulated sugar. I’ll update the recipe now so there’s no confusion—thanks!
Thanks!
Hi Shannon, thanks for your comment! Did you measure them after you crushed them? If so, I wonder if the brand of wafers makes a difference. Just guessing here—I’m curious as to why you needed a whole extra cup!
Will they come out ok if I skip the corn syrup?
Hi Fran! Unfortunately, the rum balls won’t stick together without the corn syrup. I haven’t experimented with any other sweeteners to know if you could substitute honey or agave. If you try it, let me know!
Is the two cups of vanilla wafers before or after they are crushed?
Hi Diana, they are measured after they are crushed.
I can’t use nuts of any kind, would I have to increase the vanilla wafers for consistency? Or sub chocolate chips.
Hi Jeannette! You can just leave out the nuts. The recipe won’t yield as many rum balls, but they will still taste amazing! I haven’t tried it, but I suspect mixing in 1 cup of mini chocolate chips would be delicious, too (don’t melt them with the other chocolate chips, just mix them in whole). You do not need to increase the vanilla wafers if you leave out the nuts. Happy baking!
How long can you store in an airtight container? If I send them in a military care package overseas would they still be okay to eat after 2-3 weeks?
Hi Andrea, I’m honestly not sure! I *think* that they would still be good after 2–3 weeks. I’ve kept them as long as a week and they tasted the same and still had the same consistency. Thank you for you and your loved one’s sacrifice to serve our country. <3 Happy holidays to you!
If no one in my family likes walnuts, what substitute would you suggest?
Hi Meghan, you could use pecans instead!
Thank you! Also, are the vanilla wafers like the round cookies or the rectangular crispy ones?
The round ones! Nilla wafers or a similar version.