No-Bake Chocolate Rum Balls
In 1986, we published The Wellesley Cookie Exchange Cookbook, compiled and edited by Susan Peery, and the book has become a classic. One bite of these delicious no-bake chocolate rum balls will make you understand why.
By Amy Traverso|Dec 16 2019|
No-Bake Chocolate Rum Balls
Photo Credit: Michael PiazzaSince 1971, the 40 or so women of the now-famous Wellesley Cookie Exchange have gathered each December to swap dozens of Christmas cookies and recipes. In 1986, we published The Wellesley Cookie Exchange Cookbook, compiled and edited by Susan Peery, and the book has become a classic. One bite of these delicious no-bake chocolate rum balls will make you understand why.
Find more recipes for “Cookies Through the Decades.”
Yield
3 dozen balls
Total Time
30 minutes minutes
Hands-on Time
30 minutes minutes
Ingredients
2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup finely chopped toasted almonds or hazelnuts, plus more for rolling
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/3 cup rum (any kind)
Instructions
In a large bowl, stir together the crumbs, sugar, nuts, cocoa, maple syrup, and rum. Form into 1-inch balls; then roll in the chopped nuts. Refrigerate until firm. Serve cold or at room temperature.
I don’t believe they sell chocolate wafers anymore … not here in Virginia anyway.. I have not seen them anywhere
Chocolate graham crackers work well.
I am allergic to drinking alcohol. Is it possible to substitute something for the rum?
Hi Kathy – I haven’t tried it yet, but if I was going to substitute rum to create a non-alcoholic version of this bake, I would try using a sweet/tart fruit juice (to cut the density of the chocolate) or molasses thinned with apple cider, pineapple juice, white grape juice, or even orange juice! I haven’t tried it yet, but thinking about it makes me want to experiment… Good luck!
I WOULD SUBSTITUTE ANOTHER LIQUID FOR THE RUM AND ADD RUM EXTRACT
POSSIBLY TRY COCA COLA, ROOT BEER, COFFEE, OR JUST WATER.
I love this recipe and have made it many times but I always add extra rum and maple syrup. As it sits and you roll them, the cookies absorb the moisture and they become quite hard. Make a sticky mixture and you should have no problems. They are seriously delicious. I too had to go to several stores to find the chocolate wafers. I may look on Amazon before I make them in the future.
Giant and Walmart sell them
Could you substitute honey for the maple syrup?
Use the chocolate cookies sold to make ice cream bars. They come in oblong
or round shapes. In Pa. they are found in Amish or Mennonite grocery store and are reasonably priced.
These sound so delicious; I plan on making them for Valentine’s Day and I think they will be a big hit. My only question is about the chocolate “wafers”; are these the same as the Nabisco Chocolate Wafer Cookies that are used to make icebox cakes and similar desserts? (I think these are available at most of the large grocery store chains and I hope these are the cookies I can use.)
Those are the ones, Debi! Happy (no) baking! 🙂
The cookies are available on Amazon
These look so delicious! Are the “chocolate wafers” referred to in the recipe the same chocolate wafer cookies from Nabisco that are used to make icebox cakes? I want to make sure I am using the correct ingredient.
King Arthur Flour sells chocolate wafers and everything baking. They are located online and in Norwich Vermont. Great products and service.
Yes, I always use King Arthur for my Chicago style pizza!
You can also use a rum flavoring.
This recipe is the closest I’ve seen to my aunt’s for Kentucky bourbon balls, a Christmas and Derby time staple. Her recipe calls for Karo syrup, chopped pecans, and of course, bourbon.
My sister used to make them, she used vanilla wafers. I am not a baker, but you may have to increase the cocoa.
This recipe is the closest I’ve ever seen to my Aunt Willa’s Kentucky bourbon balls which I make every Christmas. She used vanilla wafers and chopped pecans, plus bourbon, of course. They get better after sitting at least a few days; the rawness of the spirits dissipates leaving only the celebratory flavor.
I make a similar goodie every year with Vanilla wafers, chocolate chips, white sugar, finely crushed walnuts and bourbon or rum.
I lost that recipe. If you would email it to me, I would appreciate it. hcyknitter3@yahoo.com
It’s been several years since I’ve made Yankee’s rum balls…I have the old recipe that uses vanilla wafers and cocoa, and has them put up for a month before serving. I made them with brandy and they were always appreciated by the recipients. Given the year 2020 has been, I think I need to revisit them. We deserve their decadence, and ease of creation, this year!
Infound the wafers by Goya in spanish section of store
I have used chocolate graham crackers successfully to make these rum balls.