Rum Balls {with Spiced Rum} (2024)

This old-timey family recipe makes the BEST Chocolate Rum Balls, made extra-tasty with spiced rum. They're a classic Christmas favorite, for sure!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

In our family, it's not Christmas without Rum Balls. My Mom has made Rum Balls at Christmastime ever since I can remember. And I have more than happily continued the tradition.

Of course, once I got my hands on the recipe, I "Tracey-ified" it, as I like to do.

Isn't it so fun to tinker with a recipe to make it your own? To me, that's what cooking and baking is all about.

Dark spiced rum is richer in flavor than regular rum, which adds a wonderful richness and touch of spice to the rum balls.

So, I took Mom's classic rum ball recipe and changed the regular white rum to dark spiced rum. Dark spiced rum is richer in flavor than regular rum, which adds a wonderful richness and touch of spice to the rum balls.

And oh, then added in some extra rum to the recipe ~ you know, just for good measure.

I make these Rum Balls with Spiced Rum each year to include in the Christmas treat bags I give to friends. At this point I'm so known for rum balls, I don't think I could get away with not putting them in my holiday treat bags without some form of ariot. Of course, my friends never turn down my extra-tasty Kentucky Bourbon Balls, either.

The extrabeauty of these chocolate rum balls? They're easy to make.

A bit time consuming if you're making several batches, like I do ... but easy.

And hey, you can just turn on your favorite Christmas movies and roll away to your heart's content while getting in the holiday "spirit" (pun intended!).

To whip up a batch, start by crushingvanilla wafercookies to form the base of the rum ball dough. A super quick and easy way to do this is to give the vanilla wafers a whirl in a food processor. But if a food processor isn't available, simply put them in a ziploc bag and crush them with a meat mallet or rolling pin.

Do be warned, I love my rum ballsquite "spirited" - aka: I make them a wee bit strong. Adjust the amount of spiced rum to taste, if you'd like.

Then add inconfectioners' sugar, very finely chopped walnuts, cocoa, a touch of honey, and ... the best part ... spiced rum.

Mix everything together until well combined, and then chill the dough for about an hour to make it easier to work with. Once chilled, form the dough into small balls with your hands and roll each ball in confectioners' sugar. I sometimes use a small cookie scoop to help keep the size of the rum balls consistent.

And that's all there is to making these Rum Balls with Spiced Rum. They're an easy no-bake holiday treat.

But do be warned, I love my rum ballsquite "spirited" - aka: I make them a wee bit strong. Adjust the amount of spiced rum to taste, if you'd like.

Happy holidays!!