Spiced Rum Balls
Ginny McMeans
Published:
March 14, 2024
Last Modified:
February 18, 2026
That’s right! Not rum balls but Spiced Rum Balls. These little treats are so good! There are a lot of simple ingredients that mix so well and taste so amazing.
Here’s one more chance to turn out a festive sweet treat for the holidays. Any one of those three-day long holidays. So simple and festive!
Everything is put through a food processor and ground quite fine. The mixture rolls up into these delicious balls and they can easily become a new tradition added to any of your get-togethers.
I was just at one of those big box stores and they were loaded with these huge bags of nuts. Each variety had its own packaging, and they were so pretty.
Don’t I sound like a nut addict? Yes, that’s my downfall. Keep your jewels, and I want nuts. Ha! How else could I make these super little gems?
A little aside is that I thought Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum would be the way to go for this recipe but then I got introduced to Sailor Jerry’s Spiced Rum.
I know funny names, but either one of these spicy blend’s is perfect for just a touch of celebration.
Whichever product you use, the outcome will be delicious and easy. These bites can even be put out as one of the pre-dinner appetizers. No need to wait.
Ingredients
- Pitted dates – If you accidentally pick up a box of dates with pits–or already happen to have some on hand–by all means make use of them! It will take a little more work, just take the time to halve each date and remove the oblong seed-like pit that is at the center.
- Walnuts – I recommend using unsalted, roasted walnuts for this recipe as the texture becomes more crisp and the nutty flavor deepens.
- Cashews – Same as the walnuts, unsalted, roasted cashews are best. If you already have raw nuts on hand, you can roast them yourself in a dry skillet over low-medium heat or on a baking sheet in a low oven. Keep a close eye on them, and remove them from heat after just a few minutes to avoid burning.
- Pumpkin seeds – In my area, I find that raw pumpkin seeds are far more readily available than roasted, and that’s just fine! The raw green seeds add a great texture here.
- Shredded coconut – I love the super nutty, sweet flavor that shredded coconut adds to these rum balls. Either coarsely or finely shredded coconut will do the job, and unsweetened or sweetened–the choice is yours!
- Vegan chocolate – Need I say more? Check out our vegan chocolate taste test and review for our tasting panel approved recommendations!
- Spiced rum – Spiced rum is a special breed–usually a gold or dark rum that has been flavored by some combination of vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, and/or cardamom and I just love the warm and cozy flavor profile it brings to the table. As I mentioned above, Sailor Jerry’s is my new favorite spiced rum for this recipe (and for making drinks of course!) but you can use any spiced rum you like.
Variations
For an Even Sweeter Treat: After you finish shaping each rum ball, roll it in vegan powdered sugar to pick up some additional sweetness!
To Make Double-Chocolate Rum Balls: For an extra chocolatey flavor, roll each spiced rum ball in vegan cocoa powder.
For Extra Crunch: To get a crunchy exterior on your rum balls, try rolling them with additional chopped nuts or try other goodies like crumbled graham crackers or crushed vanilla wafers.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Chop the dates. If you have a food processor, this is most definitely a time to use it. Toss the pitted dates into your machine and pulse until finely chopped. The dates will be incredibly sticky so you may need to do this in batches, but don’t worry, you’ll get there! Once chopped, remove from the food processor and set them aside.
- Chop the nuts. Add the walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, and shredded coconut to the food processor and pulse until finely ground. Getting the nuts into a small, even texture is key so that the rum balls are easier to roll smoothly.
- Combine the ingredients. Transfer the chopped nut mixture and chopped dates in a large bowl
- Mix. Stir until the dates, nuts, and seeds are well mixed.
- Add the chocolate. Drizzle half of the melted vegan chocolate over the nut mixture and stir until well combined. Then pour in the rest of the chocolate and once again, stir well. At this point, I like to start using my fingers to get the chocolate mixture nice and evenly blended.
- Add the booze! Time to introduce the star of the show! Pour your spiced rum into the mixture.
- Mix all together again. Mix again until the rum ball mixture is evenly textured and all of the bits of nuts, seeds, and dates are evenly distributed.
- Shape the rum balls. Using your hands, scoop and roll the mixture into evenly sized spheres. I like these rum balls to have about a 1-inch diameter, but if you prefer them larger or want to make mini rum balls, that’s just fine too!
- Serve and enjoy! Once all of the mixture is rolled into rum balls, they’re ready to eat!
Watch Us Make Spiced Rum Balls
Tips From Ligia
Melting chocolate like a pro is quick and easy!
Break your vegan chocolate into large chunks, then place them in a glass or metal bowl. Place the bowl over a pot or larger bowl of very hot water–freshly boiled and still steaming is ideal!–making sure the bottom of the chocolate bowl does not dip into the surface of the water. Leave this setup for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, and your chocolate will be silky, smooth, and melty in no time.
To avoid sticky hands when rolling your rum ball mixture:
Simply dampen your hands a bit with water. This will help prevent some of the mixture from sticking to your palms and allow you to roll the balls more easily.
No food processor?
No problem! Having the tool will make things more speedy in this recipe but is not absolutely necessary. To make this recipe by hand, I recommend buying pre-chopped nuts and finely shredded coconut to give yourself a head start. Then chop them along with the pumpkin seeds and dates until everything is about the same size.
How To Store
Refrigerating These are made of shelf stable ingredients so they will be just fine at room temperature for a couple of days, but I do like to keep mine in the fridge to make them last even longer and to prevent them from getting too soft. Just package them in an airtight container and they’ll stay fresh for a couple of weeks!
Freezing Yes you can freeze rum balls! I recommend first freezing them in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet until firm, then you can pile them into a resealable zip-top bag and toss the whole thing in the freezer. This helps to prevent them from sticking together.
Thawing Just take them out of the freezer and leave at room temperature until soft enough to enjoy. Don’t worry, it won’t take long! And, since this is a no bake recipe, there is no reheating required.
Spiced Rum Balls Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups pitted dates
- 4 cups walnuts
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds
- 2 1/2 cups shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup melted vegan chocolate
- 4 tablespoons spiced rum of your choice
Instructions
- Pulse the pitted dates in your food processor until finely chopped. The dates will be incredibly sticky so you may need to do this in batches. Remove them from the food processor and set aside.
- Add the walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, and shredded coconut to the food processor and pulse until finely ground. Getting the nuts into a small, even texture is key so that the rum balls are easier to roll smoothly.
- Transfer the chopped nut mixture and chopped dates in a large bowl and stir until well mixed.
- Drizzle half of the melted vegan chocolate over the nut mixture and stir until well combined. Then pour in the rest of the chocolate and once again, stir well. At this point, I like to start using my fingers to get the chocolate mixture nice and evenly blended.
- Pour your spiced rum into the mixture.
- Mix again until the rum ball mixture is evenly textured and all of the bits of nuts, seeds, and dates are evenly distributed.
- Using your hands, scoop and roll the mixture into evenly sized spheres. I like these rum balls to have about a 1-inch diameter, but if you prefer them larger or want to make mini rum balls, that’s just fine too!
- Once all of the mixture is rolled into rum balls, they’re ready to eat!
Video
Notes
- Unsalted, roasted walnuts and cashews are best for this recipe but if you already have raw nuts on hand, you can roast them yourself.Â
- Use any type of shredded coconut you like, from finely to coarsely ground and either sweetened or unsweetened.Â
- To easily melt your chocolate, break it into pieces and place them in a bowl over a pot or larger bowl of very hot, steaming water, ensuring that the bottom of the chocolate bowl does not touch the water’s surface. Stir the chocolate frequently until melted, refreshing the hot water as needed.Â
- When rolling your rum balls, you can lightly dampen your palms if needed to keep the mixture from sticking as much.Â
- Using a food processor will make these rum balls come together most easily, but if don’t have one, you can chop the ingredients by hand. Shop for pre-chopped nuts to and finely shredded coconut to make it easier on yourself.Â
- These rum balls are great to roll in any number of additional ingredients! Try powdered sugar, cocoa powder, crushed cookies, or graham cracker crumbs.Â
- Store your rum balls at room temperature for a couple of days, refrigerate them for a couple of weeks, or freeze them for up to 6 months.Â
- To thaw frozen rum balls, just place them on the countertop until they are soft enough to enjoy–it happens quickly!Â
Nutrition
10 responses to “Spiced Rum Balls”
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Would ground up oats work in place of coconut? Maybe ground to almost flour like consistency?
I am going to make the original recipe because it sounds delicious! I may even share them!-
Yes, I think ground up oats could work but I wouldn’t go as fine as flour. That is a good thought.
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Hi again Vivian – someone was asking about oats in the next question. I think that would work. Rolled oats and then ground up a bit in place of the coconut.
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Ginny I love these! What a great idea!!!!
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Thanks Heather! You won’t believe how good they are.
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Those look great! I’m sure they would be awesome as a DIY gift too 🙂
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I love rum balls! My grandma always made these for Christmas. So yummy. -
What about using almonds instead of walnuts? I have tonnes of almonds to use up 😸
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Sure Trish, you can substitute almonds for walnuts. It won’t be as ‘earthy’ of a flavor but it should work out.
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Delicious! I doubled the rum as we wanted more rum flavour, and added some spices because we only had dark rum. I halved the recipe and it still made a lot! Great to have a more healthy option for Christmas.
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