Sure, so maybe rum balls are traditionally associated with Christmastime. But why?
Rum is a tropical drink, which means its best suited for warm weather. No bake treats are ideal for not wanting to turn on the oven when it's blazing outside. And these perfectly portioned little treats are a small indulgence that no one else needs to know about ... unless you want them to.
Plus these are insanely easy and if you stock up on your pantry ingredients, you can whip them together in no time to take to parties this summer, assuming that we have parties this summer. If we don't, they are a great way to drop off a little treat on a friend's porch to let them know you care. I think it took me about 20 minutes to go from grabbing the ingredients out of the pantry to fishing the last one out of the powdered sugar, and I wasn't even trying to make these quickly. They came together between checking emails. And with no refrigeration necessary, they're ready to be on-the-go in a matter of minutes.
One of my favorite parts of these rum balls is that I am finally using and enjoying the rum we bought on our Puerto Rico trip in 2015. Funny story, we acquired this rum at a CVS near our hotel, so it's not even ~fancy~ rum, but it was made in Puerto Rico and it has a really good flavor.
The Difference Between Light and Dark Rum
This recipe calls for dark rum. If you aren't an extensive Caribbean island hopper, you may not have a variety of rums in your cabinet from your travels. There are three kinds of rums: light rum, dark, rum, and spiced rum.
Dark rum typically clocks in at 40% ABV (alcohol by volume). It is made from tropical sugar cane and the byproducts of the sugar production, like molasses. Once it's brewed, the rum is stored in oak barrels, which gives it the darker amber color.
Light rum generally has a higher ABV, but not always. Light rum begins its life as dark rum, but is filtered to remove the dark coloring and any flavors it may have picked up while it aged. This makes it have a much milder flavor, which makes it perfect for cocktails like daiquiris where you don't want the fruity flavors overpowered by the rum. So if it's all you have, you could use it in rum balls, but will notice a less pronounced flavor profile.
Spiced rum, like Captain Morgan's, is something that I typically avoid because the spices are overpowering for pretty much all cocktails. So let's pretend it doesn't even exist. Definitely do not use spiced rum in this recipe.
No Bake Rum Balls
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups vanilla wafer crumbs
- ¾ cup pecans
- 1 ½ tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsp light corn syrup
- ¼ cup dark rum (not spiced)
- 1 cup powdered sugar divided
Instructions
- Pulverize the vanilla wafers into small crumbs in a food processor with the blade attachment. Set aside in a large mixing bowl.
- Next, put the pecans in the food processor and pulverize them too. Add to the large mixing bowl.
- Add in the remaining ingredients, leaving ½ cup of powdered sugar aside.
- Use two spoons to stir and thoroughly combine all ingredients into the bowl until the mixture is the texture of wet, sticky sand.
- Put the extra ½ cup powdered sugar in a shallow bowl.
- Use your hands to roll the mixture into small balls, about the size of a gum ball. Drop them in the powdered sugar and roll around to coat. Use tongs to remove and set aside on a serving plate. Continue until all of the mixture is used.
- If the mixture isn't coming together well, or loses moisture as you get to the end, add a very small drizzle of additional corn syrup to help it retain its stickiness. This will make between 20-30 balls, depending on how large you roll them.
Just remember, it doesn't count as drinking while working if you're chewing your booze!
If you need more boozy concoctions, try my watermelon frose, wine gummies, or Mardi Gras jello shots!
