Chocolate Bourbon or Rum Balls- Three Ways
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
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
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!
OMGosh, Iโm in love with theseโฆand Iโm one of those silly Asians too haha
I just stumbled upon this page out of curiosity how rum balls are made & besides the fact that I’ll highly unlikely ever make them, your blog had me giggling from beginning to end. I bookmarked your page.
These would be great for gifts! Love that you used bourbon too! Yum!
Thank you, thank you, thank you so much, they look lovely – and – you are in perfect timing, as the Christmas season is here, we are almost panic about what to make to give as a present, it needs to be within a budget, and it needs to be lovely and welcome. It is totally amazing that we can make it happen with your lovely idea.
I too love alcohol, but they don’t love me. I’ve barfed many times drinking margarita or a glass of wine:-(! This from a certified bartender at one point in my life. LOL
Like you, I like desserts spiked with a little liquor. Love, love rum cakes. I fell in love with rum balls from Whole Foods exactly 10 years ago, and it’s been on my list of things to make. This beautiful post inspires me to do it this year. Thanks!
Ahhh..such beauties…i am going to make all of the version
My Mom’s birthday is coming up soon, and I just found the perfect gift for her. ๐ Cannot wait to make some of these (and psst, I’m gonna squirrel away some for myself). Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I just made these and they are excellent! I can’t wait to try them tomorrow after they have aged a little. I used Guittard Cocoa Rouge that I found at the Williams Sonoma outlet.
Thanks for the recipe.
We made these last night, but used half Dutch processed cocoa to make it super dark and put a small thumbprint in them, to make them look like little Death Stars for a Darth Vader themed dinner party! Was a hit! Thanks for the recipe!
That is soooo awesome. What a brilliant idea with the thumbprint to make Death Stars! Love it!
is bourbon balls good for little kids i need to now
Only if you don’t mind giving them a good nip of bourbon. It isn’t cooked so the bourbon is straight up.
This looks like the perfect treat for a christmas table!
it’s christmas so, of course, I have to have something with alcohol ๐ these are great – I substitute pecans with hazelnuts and corn syrop with rise syrup, so any modifications works ๐ thanks for inspiration and happy holidays ๐
What a funny post. I love boozy desserts too. Beautiful pictures.
I am in love with them.. love all 3 of them and I am so happy that I stumbled upon your amazing beautiful blog! Love all the clicks, truly inspiring for a newbie like me into the world of food photography. Happy Holidays!
You had me at “boozy balls,” anything with that title is bound to be aMAzing!
You know I love anything boozy, especially with a hint of agave, aka, tequila, do you think these would do well with some tequila? Will give them a go go and see what happens. I’m gonna try these this week.