Description
These Rum Balls are a delightful no-bake treat combining the rich flavors of vanilla wafer cookies, pecans, coconut rum, and cocoa. Perfect as bite-sized festive snacks, they are easy to make and rolled in a mixture of desiccated coconut and cookie crumbs for an extra burst of texture and flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- 11 ounces vanilla wafer cookies (312 grams, 1 box)
- 2 cups pecans (250 grams)
- ¾ cup desiccated unsweetened coconut (85 grams, divided)
- ½ cup powdered sugar (57 grams)
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (21 grams)
Wet Ingredients
- ¼ cup coconut rum (57 grams)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (39 grams)
Instructions
- Process Cookies: Pulse the vanilla wafer cookies in a food processor until they reach a coarse crumb consistency. Reserve ½ cup of these cookie crumbs and set aside for rolling later, leaving the rest in the processor.
- Add Nuts and Coconut: Add ¼ cup of the desiccated coconut and the pecans to the food processor. Continue pulsing until the mixture is finely crushed into crumbs.
- Combine Remaining Ingredients: Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, coconut rum, and maple syrup to the mixture. Pulse until the ingredients come together to form a dough.
- Adjust Consistency: If the dough feels dry, add water 1 tablespoon at a time to moisten. If it’s too sticky, incorporate additional reserved cookie crumbs 1 tablespoon at a time until a workable dough forms.
- Form Balls: Using a cookie scoop, shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Coat the Rum Balls: Roll each ball in the reserved cookie crumbs and the remaining desiccated coconut until evenly coated. This adds texture and prevents sticking.
Notes
- Use a food processor to achieve the best crumb texture and to evenly combine ingredients.
- If you prefer a stronger rum flavor, you can increase the coconut rum slightly, but be careful not to make the mixture too wet.
- These rum balls are best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and can last up to two weeks.
- For a nuttier coating, consider adding finely chopped pecans to the coating mixture.
- Feel free to substitute coconut rum with dark or spiced rum for a different flavor profile.
