Gingerbread Rum Balls Recipe
Gingerbread rum balls are full of seasonal flavors for a holiday twist on my classic rum ball recipe. These boozy bites are made with gingersnap cookies and warm spices, then rolled in cinnamon sugar or nonpareils. They are perfect for holiday gatherings and shipping to friends and family.
I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.
You may also be interested in my traditional rum balls and my gluten-free rum balls recipes. For ease of browsing, you can find all of my rum ball recipes in one place.
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Gingerbread Balls
I like to have an easy no bake recipe that I can make ahead for holiday parties or Christmas cookie platters. Rum balls are perfect for this because they are incredibly easy and fast. Many rum ball recipes call for cocoa powder. However, I make most of my rum balls without cocoa, including this gingerbread rum balls recipe. If you prefer it, just add in a tablespoon or two.
I rolled half of these in a cinnamon sugar mixture and the other half in red, white and green sprinkles for colorful Christmas rum balls. If you have colored sanding sugar, that would also be great for coating the gingerbread balls.
What you need to know
This is a great time to get together with a friend or neighbor, share your resources and make a big batch of rum balls for holiday parties. They keep really well and they are even better after a day or two, so making them a few days before you’ll need them is perfect.
They should only take about 30 minutes to make, then they need an hour or two to chill in the fridge. You can make them up to a week in advance, as long as they are stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Don’t forget to check out my tips on how to ship cookies in the mail to make sure they arrive fresh!
Ingredients
You probably have most of what you’ll need to make these gingerbread rum balls already. These are rum balls without vanilla wafers, I’ve used gingersnaps instead to get a strong gingerbread flavor.
- Gingersnaps
- Substitution: If you prefer to use vanilla wafer cookies, add in 2 teaspoons of ground ginger to your spice mixture.
- Pecans
- Powdered sugar (also called icing or confectioners sugar)
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves
- Amber (gold) rum
- Molasses
- Honey (or corn syrup)
- Granulated sugar (or sprinkles) – for rolling
How to make gingerbread rum balls
Here’s a quick summary of how to make gingerbread rum balls. Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
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- Grind cookies and nuts – In the bowl of a food processor, process gingersnaps and toasted walnuts until finely ground.
- Mix sugar and spices – In a large bowl, combine powdered sugar and spices.
- Make rum ball mixture – Add cookie mixture to the bowl, with rum and sweeteners. Mix well, then chill in the refrigerator.
- Scoop – Using a small cookie scoop, portion out tablespoon sized balls, then roll in sugar or sprinkles to coat.
- Place rum balls on sheet pan – Place rolled rum balls on sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
Gingerbread rum ball FAQ’s
YES! Rum balls freeze really well, actually. If you plan on freezing them, don’t roll them in sugar, wait until the day of or the day before to coat them. After you’ve brought them to cool room temperature, toss them in the sugar mix to make them party ready!
If stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, they will last a few weeks.
Storage / Freezing Information
To store: • At room temperature (on the counter) they’ll last for about 5 – 7 days, as long as it’s a cool location. Warm, humid climates can reduce this by a few days.
• In the refrigerator, they’ll last for 3 – 4 weeks, stored in an airtight container.
To freeze: Don’t roll them in sugar – wait until the day of or the day before to coat them. After you’ve brought them to cool room temperature, toss to coat.
Variations and substitutions
- Subtle flavor – If you prefer a milder gingerbread flavor, use vanilla wafer cookies instead of gingersnaps. Add 2 teaspoons of ground ginger to the mix.
- Alcohol-free – To make them without the rum, swap in root beer, apple cider or apple juice. You can add a splash of rum extract, if desired.
Helpful tools and equipment
- Small cookie scoop – this is the same scoop I used to make the rum balls.
- Quarter sheet pan – perfect size for holding smaller quantities.
- Mixing bowls – stainless steel bowls are the go-to!
- Food processor – this is the newer version of the one I own and love.
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Gingerbread Rum Balls
Ingredients
For gingerbread rum balls
- 12 ounces gingersnap cookies
- 1 ½ cup walnuts toasted
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅓ cup amber rum *up to ½ cup, if needed
- 2 tablespoon molasses
- 1 tablespoon honey or corn syrup
Cinnamon sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, process gingersnap cookies and walnuts until finely ground. Set aside. (You may have to do this batches if you have a smaller food processor).
- In a large bowl, sift together 1 cup powdered sugar, sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
- Add cookie/walnut mixture and mix well.
- Stir rum, molasses and honey together in small bowl, then add to cookie mixture. Mix until uniform.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon in a shallow bowl and set aside.
- Scoop out tablespoon portions, roll into balls and toss to coat in cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Place on parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
Notes
- Start with 1/3 cup of rum in your mixture. If it feels too crumbly to hold together, add in a tablespoon or two at a time – up to 1/2 cup.
- If you want to make these without rum, substitute apple juice or root beer for the rum.
Nutrition
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Originally posted 12/21/19, most recent update 12/4/25.
I halfed the recipe, added a little extra spice, rum and sugar and they were fantastic!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed them and made them work for you!
How far in advance can these be made
You can make these a couple of days ahead of time. They actually get better a day or two after they are made.
What kind of molasses? I have black strap. Is that too strong?
Black strap has MUCH less sugar than regular molasses and therefore is bitter in comparison. It is also denser than regular molasses. I would follow the recipe as written for best results.
Never mind -delete my first message if you wish – it was my mistake. I halved the recipe but forgot to halve the molasses.
This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!
Can these be made and froze ahead of time?
Hi Gail, yes they can! I would not toss them in anything if you plan to freeze. Do that when you thaw them, before you plan to serve.