A Life in Food by real-life Chef Cheryl Bennett
Gingerbread rum balls are full of warm spices for a holiday twist on my classic easy rum ball recipe.
Old fashioned rum balls are a Christmas staple in our house. They have been since I was a teenager. Over the years, I’ve made a few variations and these festive holiday rum balls are the latest version.
…Chocolate covered rum balls are a sweet, boozy grownup treat. Made with dark rum and dark chocolate, these chocolate covered rum balls are a variation on my easy rum ball recipe. They make a great addition to the holiday dessert table and they are perfect for holiday cookie exchanges.
Most often, we make rum balls around the holidays. Which is the time of the year when many of us are indulging in two things: booze and sugar. Check and check.
And, because we usually make these around the holiday season, I need a recipe that doesn’t require much time or energy when I have a to do list that’s a mile long. Enter: rum balls.
…Cinnamon rum balls are a sweet, cinnamon-flavored, boozy grownup treat. Made with amber rum and warm spices, these cinnamon rum balls are a variation on my easy rum ball recipe. They make a great addition to the holiday dessert table and they are perfect for holiday cookie exchanges.
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These rum balls are full of warm cinnamon flavor. They taste like cinnamon toast, not a red hot (do they still make those?).
The outside of these cookie balls is coated in cinnamon sugar, the same combination you sprinkle on buttered toast for a sweet breakfast treat. Except this treat is spiked with a hefty amount of rum.
If you want to make these with an extra kick, you could try swapping some of the rum for cinnamon schnapps. You know the one with the gold flecks floating in the bottle. That will give these rum balls a bit of fire.
Most of my rum ball recipes use dark rum, but for this cinnamon variation, I went with amber rum. The dark rum has a very strong rum flavor and it competed with the cinnamon.
That being said – unless you plan to make several batches of rum balls, or you are stocking the bar for the holidays, it isn’t worth a special trip to the store. Use what you have.
Most rum ball recipes start out with vanilla wafer cookies, and this recipe does as well. I had planned to use half vanilla wafer cookies and half graham crackers, but I didn’t want to overcomplicate things. The next time I make these, I’ll definitely try that combination, just to experiment.
The base of most rum ball recipes is this: one box of cookies mixed with toasted nuts, sugar, rum, honey (or corn syrup) and a pinch of salt. Salt in desserts is necessary to help balance out the sweetness.
Nope, but they should be kept in a cool area. If they are kept on the counter, try to find a cool spot and they will be fine. That is, if they even last that long.
Rum balls are also a big hit for cookie exchanges. They are easy to make and everyone loves them. Plus, they satisfy two things that many of us partake of during the holidays: sugar and booze.
Here are some helpful tips to getting them perfect every time!
You are probably not doing anything wrong at all. When you scoop the rum balls, press the scoop against the palm of your hand to pack the rum ball mix.
Lightly pressing the mixture together will help the ball keep its shape.
Absolutely! The flavor of a rum ball develops even more overnight, so making them ahead is actually better. If stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, they will last for a few weeks.
One tool that I use to make cinnamon rum balls is a food processor. It makes quick work of chopping nuts and grinding cookie crumbs. If you don’t have one, you can certainly break the cookies up with a rolling pin.
Another helpful tool is a kitchen scale. I often use weight as a measurement instead of volume because it is more accurate.
Finally a small cookie scoop will ensure that your rum balls are all the same size.
If you’re planning to make some for your holiday cookie exchange, these Christmas tree gift boxes are the perfect size and they are super cute
Looking for a few more variations? Try these flavors!
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Cinnamon rum balls are a sweet, cinnamon-flavored, boozy grownup treat. Made with amber rum and warm spices, they are perfect for your holiday dessert table.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Place walnuts on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast in the oven for 8 - 10 minutes until fragrant.
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Nutrition information calculated by a third-party company as a courtesy. It is intended as a guideline only.
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Chocolate coconut rum balls are an easy no bake treat that is perfect for any occasion. They taste like the chocolate and coconut candy bar that we are all familiar with, but spiked with a bit of rum. They are a variation of my coconut rum balls recipe and feature two different types of rum.
The flavor develops even more overnight, making them a great option for a make ahead dessert.
Most often, we make rum balls around the holidays. Which is the time of the year when many of us are indulging in two things: booze and sugar. Check and check.
And, because we usually make these around Thanksgiving and Christmas, I need a recipe that doesn’t require much time or energy when I have a hundred other things going on.
If you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I make a few pennies at no extra cost to you. Questions? Please see disclosure for info.
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Cherry rum balls have a sweet surprise in the center – a maraschino cherry. A bit of cherry juice in the mix bumps up the cherry flavor in these adult no bake treats. A version of my original easy rum ball recipe, these cherry rum balls are pretty enough for gift-giving.
Boozy, sweet and delicious – rum balls are an adults only no bake treat. Cherry rum balls are the newest creation and I think they are here to stay.
If you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I make a few pennies at no extra cost to you. Questions? Please see disclosure for info.
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Coconut Rum Balls are like a taste of the tropics in an easy, no-bake treat for adults. The flavor gets even better overnight, making rum balls a perfect make ahead recipe. This version features toasted coconut and coconut rum. Every year, we make this easy rum balls recipe for the holidays. Recently, I made a batch of pumpkin rum balls for something different and they were a big hit.
This coconut rum ball recipe is made without condensed milk to keep it dairy-free.
If you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I make a few pennies at no extra cost to you. Questions? Please see disclosure for info.
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