No-Bake Classic Rum Ball Cookies Recipe
User Reviews
4.5
No-Bake Classic Rum Ball Cookies Recipe
Description
This recipe creates no-bake rum ball cookies by mixing ground vanilla wafers with toasted pecans, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and rum to form a sticky dough. After chilling the mixture for about two hours to firm up, it is portioned and rolled into tablespoon-sized balls, which are then coated in more toasted pecans to add texture and flavor contrast.
The use of maple syrup adds moisture and subtle sweetness, while the rum flavor permeates the mixture but is balanced by the cocoa and nuts. The cookies do not require baking, making them a practical make-ahead sweet, suitable for freezing and serving throughout the holiday season.
These rum balls work well as a festive treat or gift, and customizing the coating or dipping them in chocolate can add variety. The preparation involves chilling to ensure the dough holds shape when rolled.
Freezing the rum balls extends their shelf life, and using different plain cookie types works if vanilla wafers are unavailable. The mixture benefits from being well cold before shaping for easier handling.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (3 oz/85 g) vanilla wafers ground
- 1 ½ cups (7 ½ oz/213 g) pecans divided, toasted, chopped
- 1 cup (4 oz/115 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder unsweetened
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons rum
Notes
- Feel free to substitute the vanilla wafers with other plain cookies like rich tea or NICE biscuits for variation.
- Prepare the rum balls early in December and freeze them to have homemade treats ready for unexpected guests during the holiday season.
- Leftover Christmas cookies can be repurposed in this recipe by grinding them as a base.
- For a fancier presentation, dip the rum balls in melted chocolate and add sprinkles before allowing them to set.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.5
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