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by Todd + Diane
The classic chocolate rum balls can be made with bourbon as well, so treat yourself to all the delicious flavors of the holidays.
Diane was initially going to write this post, but after 1 bourbon ball she quietly passed out on the couch. Although I think she may be faking. I’ve always loved good chocolate rum balls. Actually, the love for chocolate rum balls extends to just about any dessert with a little hit of alcohol. I’ll macerate just about any dried fruit going into a dessert just to give it a little punch. If someone is serving trifle, tiramisu… “Seconds Please.”
Video: Chocolate rum balls or Chocolate bourbon balls Recipe:
So often these little chocolate rum ball delights have rum to booze them up, and for good reason. Smooth, a touch of sweetness. We are un-biased drinkers, but recently we’ve dived into exploring more of the wonders of rum. A little seasonal changeup from our usual go-to’s of gin and whiskey. But a little bourbon or rye whiskey sounded pretty good too, so we took a favorite winter treat and swapped out the rum with another favorited spirit (curious about whisk(e)y – check out our whisk(e)y guide). Both the rye whiskey and bourbons worked perfect for these balls, and since “bourbon ball” sounds more appealing than “rye ball”, we’ll stick with that.
It took a whole 10 minutes to throw together and was beautiful. And after seeing all the dark chocolate love, we added a bit more cocoa powder. Roll ’em in the pecan/cookie crumbs, confectioners’ sugar, crushed candy canes, or more cocoa powder and they were perfect.
The holidays just got a little happier.
-Todd
Chocolate Bourbon Balls
Yield: 24 1″ Balls (about)
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Chill Time: 1 hour hr
Total Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
These have a good hit of bourbon or rum in them, so they are best reserved for the adults. Unless you need a little quiet time out of the kids. Just kidding. Kind of.
For the finely ground wafers and pecans, they are best to grind separately in the food processor. The wafers need a good solid grinding to get them nice and fine, however for the pecans it is best to just pulse them until they are finely ground but not pasty. You don't want to create a paste out of them.
Insprired by Dessert for Two's pumpkin bourbon balls.
4.18 from 35 votes
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (140 g) finely ground Vanilla Wafers (about 40 regular Nilla wafers) or Graham Cracker Crumbs
- 1 cup (110 g) finely ground Nuts , we prefer pecans
- 1 cup (120 g) Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground Ginger (or freshly grated Ginger)
- fresh grated Nutmeg , to taste
- 1/4 cup (22 g) Cocoa Powder
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) Bourbon or Rum
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) Agave Nectar or light Corn Syrup
Topping Ideas
- ground Vanilla Wafers (Nilla Wafers)
- finely chopped Pecans
- Pecans and ground wafers together
- Powdered Sugar
- Cocoa Powder
- crushed Candy Canes
Equipment
Small Cookie Scoop optional
Instructions
In a bowl, whisk together ground vanilla wafers, ground nuts, confectioners' sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger, grated nutmeg, and cocoa powder until well combined.
Stir in bourbon (or rum) and agave nectar (or corn syrup) until evenly mixed.
Form into even balls (about 1 Tablespoon worth – this small cookie scoop works great for making even sized balls).
Roll the balls in topping of choice to coat the outside (we like to put the toppings in small bowls, then swirl the balls one at a time in the coating).
Chill for an hour. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Video
Nutrition Information per Serving
Calories: 90kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 21mg, Potassium: 54mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 1IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 7mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 90
How to Make Chocolate Bourbon Balls or Rum Balls
This original chocolate rum balls 2012 recipe post is being re-shared in 2023 with a new video for you to see the step-by-step process!
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54 comments on “Chocolate Bourbon or Rum Balls- Three Ways”
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Manny — December 15, 2023 @ 12:23 am Reply
I can never say “no” to boozy chocolate. This was exceptional. It was soooo good.
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Malissa — December 23, 2021 @ 6:13 pm Reply
My daughter must say that it’s so so delicious! I am not really a kichen-holic but sometimes I am no need to have much effort to make something that my little girl’s very excited. Thank you for sharing!
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Ann — December 19, 2021 @ 1:14 pm Reply
Wowza! These were awesome. I tried your recipe because I was intrigued by your use of the spices. Absolutely delicious! I used bourbon because it goes nicely with the cocoa and pecans. Next time I may add a tad more liquid for a creamier texture.
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Todd + Diane — December 21, 2021 @ 9:31 am Reply
Thanks Ann! The spices gives a nice layer of flavor. 🙂
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Helen — December 6, 2021 @ 11:49 pm Reply
I can’t wait to make these as holiday treats for my girlfriends. They’re gonna love these.
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Carol — December 17, 2020 @ 8:35 pm Reply
YUM! I wasn’t a fan of rum balls before, but I tried this recipe with bourbon and now I think I’m addicted! This is definitely going into my cookie gift box this holiday.
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— December 18, 2020 @ 9:17 am Reply
Hi Carol. So glad you love them. We were in the same boat before having a good rum ball. Then always elicited a “meh” but after having and making good ones, we were hooked! Happy holidays!
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