I don’t want to be too crazy with the superlatives but these really are the best and most dangerous rum balls ever. Why? Because if you double the batch then you use close to 26 ounces of rum for the recipe and that’s just crazy. But they’re worth the expense and the effort. In the old days I used to make people beg and plead for the recipe but the new kinder gentler me is open to sharing. Now is the time to start making these – they get better with age. Keep them in the freezer once you’re done rolling.
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (don’t cheap out on the chocolate. Get the good stuff)
1/2 cup almond paste
1 cup sour cream
A pinch of salt
8 cups (or three boxes) Nilla Crackers or vanilla wafers (finely crushed)
1 1/2 cups melted butter
2/3 cup cocoa (again no cheaping out on this)
1 1/2 cups rum (any old kind but I use amber rum)
2 cups pecans crushed
5 cups REAL CHOCOLATE SPRINKLES NOT THE PLASTIC STUFF
Combine melted chocolate, sour cream, almond paste and salt. Cream well and set aside. In separate bowl combine wafers and the rest of the ingredients except for the real chocolate sprinkles. Mix until it holds its shape. Add chocolate-sour cream mixture and knead with your hands until blended and soft. Refrigerate until firm (overnight) enough to form small delicious rum-filled balls then roll in chocolate shot and put in cookie tin lined with wax paper. Keep them refrigerated until you eat every single last one of them.
Merry Christmas.
Categories: Recipes · food
Condofire 
Thanks for bringing our rum balls out of mediocrity!
Aprox. how many rum balls does this receipe make?
Every year I make these with my B.F. Diane and we each get about 100. I might get a little bit less because I get bored of rolling and my r. balls get bigger and bigger so that they end up more like oranges. That just gets you drunk so I advise against it.
This made me LOL alot..
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I just made these with spiced rum and they are absolutely amazing. Great recipe!
Thanks Paul. They are pretty darn good, I have to say. My friend and I always make a double batch which means a 26er of rum goes into the recipe. Each year we always say the exact same thing: does this entire bottle really go in? And it does! Glad you like them.
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I put on two pounds just reading the recipe.
Ah hah! Well that’s the whole idea!
allergic to almonds, any substitutions for the almond paste?
Hi Norma, To be honest with you I don’t know what you could substitute but I looked this up and they had some ideas. Good luck! http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/substitute-marzipan-for-baking.html#b
thanks – will give this a try next week as this week/end is already toast.
I just made these amazing Rum Balls for a cookie exchange party last weekend. I changed up one ingredient though, instead of sour cream I used Creme Fraiche (french cultured cream) from Trader Joes. They were the best ever. Thank you for sharing.
What is considered the “good stufff” for the chocolate and the Sprinkles?
Hi Pat,
By that I mean real chocolate, not chocolate flavoured sprinkles.
Tess
DO NOT use Hershy’s. They screwed Hershey Pennsylvania when they moved to Mexico-that’s right, Hershy product come from Mexico! Use Nestles, or Ghiradelli…
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Really, there is no confectioners sugar in the recipe? Just want to be sure there isn’t an omission. Please confirm – my dad loves rum balls and its the only thing I know he will want for Christmas.
what are chocolate shots?
Sprinkles
lol i figured but i wanted to make sure. When you say “cream well” i assume you mean to mix the concoction until it looks like a cream?
Yes- it’s quite thick but you want to make sure the marzipan and crackers are well blenders into the melted chocolate. It should be thick and creamy. And yummy!!! Good luck!
hmm i don’t see any ingredient listing for marzipan. these will be my first attempt at rum balls and i don’t want to screw it up
Good point. I’ll get it for you. Thanks for pointing that out. It’s actually very hard to screw this up. Offhand I’d say you need a cup but I will get the right amount . Tess
1/2 cup Jason.
I just made these using 1 and a 1/4 cup of coconut flavored rum,I love the flavor,and I hav’nt ever made or eaten rum balls before.My question is are they safe to take to a place of work for a xmas spread?I have to admit I’ve eaten several spoon fulls of the mixture and I did get a little buzz.
My work mates BEG me to bring them in:) So yes, I do share them. I just ask people not to drive after consumption!
i made mine and they are strong. well i almost used 2 cups worth of dark rum so yeah lol. thanks again
Haha! I did use two cups this time around and they are stronger than ever! They’re so fantastic though!
I have eaten a many rum balls in my lifetime but have never made them before. All I can say is… YUM!
Best tasting rum balls I have ever had!
Thank you and Merry Christmas!!
Haha! You’re welcome. I’ve actually never really liked rum balls but these are sensational! Thanks so much for stopping by and I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Tessa
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I made these last year and everyone couldn’t believe how great they were! Absolutely fantastic!! Here’s the thing, I used expensive rum (expensive for me $50) and this year I would like to get something a little less expensive. Any brand suggestions for a decent amber?
Hi there, Great to hear they turned out so well! I use Lamb’s Palm Breeze and they turn out really nicely. It still makes for an expensive recipe but very worthy it:) Tessa
Very odd getting this e-mail. My batch is in the fridge – getting ready to be made into balls. I am thinking of trying a butterscotch/gingersnap or graham cracker batch. Have your ever made butterscotch rum balls? Let me know if you have a recipe for that. My family loves your recipe and is now tradition (2nd year in a row).
Diane
Hi there, That’s so great that rum balls have become a tradition. My best friend and I have been making them every year for the last 20 years! The other thing I am making is almond/pecan caramel corn which is quickly becoming a BIG favourite. If you search the site with “caramel” you’ll find it. Let me k ow how it goes! Merry Christmas!
I made these for Christmas this year with cherry chocolate shortbreads. They were a big hit, and will be a tradition for me in following years. I used appleton estate spiced rum, and I even cheaped out on the real chocolate sprinkles because I couldnt find real ones, but GASP! They were still phenomenal 😉
Hi Krys, I guess the chocolate, butter, marzipan and other goodies make this recipe hard to beat no matter what.I am now gluten free and I’m wondering if I can replace the Nilla crackers with something else. I’m so glad you enjoy these. I’ve been making them with my best friend for over 20 years now:)
Its that time of the year again, this year it looks as if its 4 batches..
I have to get going on mine! 24 ounces of rum here i come! Have you tried the caramel popcorn recipe I posted. It is DELICIOUS. I’m making that this year too:)
On the off chance you might have a good brand to try (Im in Canada if it makes a diff) but.. I used 80 proof last year and they could kick you in the pants if you didnt pay attention, this year I must go with the 151. Preferably so that it forego’s the “kick” and just knocks em off.. What might you reccommend trying? I tend to lean towards spiced rums..
Wow, I’m going for your 80 proof. That sounds fantastic. Some people are so delicate they claim they’re drunk after one rum ball! What a bunch of pansies! I usually go for amber rum Lamb Breeze or whatever it’s called.I’m in Canada too. Where are you?
Im in BC, on Vancouver Island.. I opted for a 750 ml of Lambs Navy, dark 151 proof, and mixed that with a mickey of Appleton estate for a little spice, (which is the slightly over 80 proof.) So, it was 3 batches, instead of 4 because wow, its already costing me a pretty penny lol.
Yes, these rumballs are like hwy robbery but SO worth it. Small world…I’m from North Van:)
I wanted to share something I discovered about getting the best price, and the best quality sprinkles.. Try the imported aisle in your grocers, or a Dutch foods store. So yea, youre looking for Dutch chocolate sprinkles. (I just picked up enough for 2 batches of REAL chocolate sprinkles for under 15.00, just at my regular grocers (which was the same price and brands as what I found in our Dutch community stores) I’d been stumped because for the plastic equivalent in the bulk stores I was looking at about 25.00! So the secret.. buy Dutch sprinkles! (the packages mostly have the sprinkles on toast!)
Krys I happen to be dutch so I very much approve of your comments!
Heya, it’s August and I’m feeling the Christmas spirit coming on! I’m wondering how far ahead you can make the rum balls? I seem to remember my mother making them quite far in advance on purpose… but of course I don’t want to make them and have them not be good anymore for the big xmas eve party.
You can make em now, just keep them in the freezer.. the longer they sit the more flavorful they will be! 🙂 Store in the fridge after while they’re being eaten.
hi there, i’m in langley, B.C. and just wondering where i can find real chocoloate sprinkles and almond paste?
Hi Jane,
Small world! I’m in North Van and we get most of our supplies for Galloways. Not sure if you have one in Langley or not. Or you could try a bakery…Let me know how it goes.
thanks:-) i don’t think there’s a galloways but will try a bakery
HI there, Just talked to a friend and he got his marzipan at Pricesmart. Superstore also has it he mentioned. Good luck!
Hi from NYC! I’m making this with gingersnaps (instead of wafers) and possibly diced crystalized ginger, homemade almond paste and 80 proof. Taking them to a holiday party Thursday night. I’ll let you know the response 😉 I’m so excited to try these out. never thought to put sour cream in them before…
Haha! Love seeing everyone changing it up. I just made mine. I always do a double batch and love seeing that gigantic bottle of rum going into that delicious chocolate, marzipan, pecans, sour cream….yum yum
Last time I made these was in 2012 and I am just about to make them again. I loved, loved, loved them but think I am going to up the rum a bit this time. Can’t wait to eat them!!!
Yes, they are fantastic! If you look at the comments someone else here was using spiced rum and OVER PROOF – sure to knock people off their chairs! Enjoy. These are amazing. I will be rolling mine this week – a double batch = 26 ounces of RUM!!! Happy Holidays!Tess
I just went to a holiday cookie exchange party and was fretting over what to make. I’m not much of a baker and the thought of making something resembling a cookie let alone edible, was daunting for me. So after a Google search and stumbling upon this no-bake recipe, I thought this was the perfect thing to bring. And much to my delight (and everyone else’s), these rumballs won first place amongst a sea of other cookies. Thank you!
I know Hagelicious! These rumballs are Delicious! You can’t go wrong with marzipan, chocolate, butter, sour cream and so on and so on! Have a great holiday season!
Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe! Just made my second batch of the season as the first went so fast. Could not find any good chocolate sprinkles in my rural outpost, so I substituted finely crushed pecans on some and rolled the others in confectioner sugar. Both well received. These will be a new holiday tradition in our house. Happy holidays to you!
Thanks Jan. They are amazing and I think improving is great. I might try crushed pecans next year! Happy 2015
Have you ever used bourbon instead of rum?
Hi there, I’ve never used bourbon. I don’t experiment too much because it’s quite an expensive recipe to make…but others on here have said they tried using kahlua etc..
Hi I am planning on making these, however am a bit confused about the marzipan comment? when do I add the 1/2 a cup marzipan? and also is it milk chocolate?
No we use dark chocolate…add the marzipan when you add the butter, sour cream etc…
Quick question: I’m planning on making this for Xmas. Are you substituting almond paste or are you adding marzipan in addition to almond paste?
Hi Michael, I just use almond paste!
Happy Rum Ball Making! Tessa
This recipe is on several websites, but yours seems to be the only version that doesn’t have confectioners’ sugar as an ingredient. Could you please confirm that you do not add confectioners’ sugar. Thanks.
Hi there, It was in the original recipe but we forgot to add it and then decided we didn’t need to. It’s still quite sweet and holds together beautifully. Tess
I love this recipe, so THANK YOU for sharing it, and I’ve taken it to a whole new level using Stroh Austrian 160 proof rum! Yes, it really is 160 proof! These rum balls are off the chart!!!!
I’m going to give that a go this year! Thanks for letting me know:)
do you double up on all ingredients? or just the rum?
Yes, we double the recipe.