Peppermint Rum Balls are a quick and easy, no bake holiday treat. I took my Grandma’s Rum Ball recipe and made a few changes to make these easy and refreshing peppermint confections.
Rum balls are a grown up treat that have been a staple on holiday cookie platters and cookie exchanges for many years.
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Yes, there is rum in the rum ball. I also love using peppermint schnapps in this version of the peppermint ball.
And, since these are a no bake treat, the alcohol does not get cooked out.
But, the balance of flavors in these treats is great, and you won’t feel like booze is the overwhelming flavor here.
How to make peppermint rum balls
Full of peppermint flavor, they’re great for making ahead, and are perfect for the holiday season.
If you’re not familiar with these treats, they’re basically cookie crumbs that are mixed with chopped nuts, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder, and then rolled together with light corn syrup and booze. You can decorate them as you like!
Be sure to scroll down to the printable recipe card for full ingredient amounts and instructions.
Toast and chop the nuts
To toast pecans, place them on a baking tray and place in 350° F oven for about 10 minutes or until they start to smell toasty and they turn golden. Keep an eye on them while they’re in the oven to make sure they don’t burn. Give them a good chop so they are small and even in size.
You can also toss the nuts in the food processor with the cookies.
Crush the cookies
Crush the vanilla wafers, and the easiest, fastest, and least messy way to do that is in the food processor. Just pulse a few times until all the crumbs are small and about the same size.
If you don’t have a food processor, put the cookies into a ziptop bag, close it, and use a rolling pin to crush the cookies. Leave a small opening in the top of the bag so that the bag doesn’t burst open and shower your kitchen in cookie crumbs.
Mix it all together
Place the cookie crumbs, chopped nuts, powdered sugar, and cocoa in a bowl and mix well.
Combine the corn syrup, rum, and peppermint extract in a small bowl, and add to the crumb mixture. Mix well.
How to roll rum balls
Using a small cookie dough scoop or a tablespoon, scoop out portions of the dough mixture and press into balls. Using your hands, roll the balls in the confectioners’ sugar, coating evenly.
The powdered sugar will harden and help keep the dough in the shape that you want.
Decorate the rum balls
I went for a fancy chocolate dipped peppermint truffle here. And, once they’re dipped, sprinkle on some crushed peppermint candies.
But, if you want to make it easy on yourself and not dip them, just drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the candies and sprinkle on the peppermint.
How to crush peppermints
You’ll want some crushed peppermints for garnishing these candies.
You can use candy canes or peppermint starlight candies for the crushed peppermint candies. And, crushed candies are a great way to use those holiday candy canes!
To crush the candies, place them in a plastic zip top bag. Seal the bag. Place the bag with the candies on a wooden cutting board. And, with the bottom of a sturdy metal measuring cup, the bottom part of the handle of a metal ice cream scoop, or a flat meat pounder, smash the heck out of the candies in the bag.
I also found, in my grocery store’s baking aisle, some peppermint crushed candy canes. Or, grab a bag on Amazon with my affiliate link.
I like to store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They will last for a couple of weeks.
They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Homemade food gifts
These peppermint chocolate balls make a great handmade gift to give to coworkers, neighbors, or family across the country.
Want tips on how to ship baked goods, check out my post that’s chock full of useful information.
Butter mint candy, Peppermint Marshmallows, and Candied pecans also make great gifts! Be sure to check out my great handmade gifts for more ideas!
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Peppermint Rum Balls Recipe
Peppermint Rum Balls
Ingredients
- 2 cups vanilla wafers
- 1 cup pecans toasted and finely chopped
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup or liquid sweetener of choice
- 1/3 cup white Rum or peppermint schnapps
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- Melted chocolate for dipping
- Crushed candy canes or peppermint candies
Instructions
- Crush the vanilla wafers. Do this by placing them in a food processor and pulsing until they are even sized fine crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, place the cookies in a zip-top bag (leave a small opening in the top of the bag so that the bag doesn’t burst open and shower your kitchen in cookie crumbs) and crush them with a rolling pin, a flat meat tenderizer, or your fist until they are fine crumbs.
- Place the crumbs in a medium bowl. Add the chopped nuts, sugar, and cocoa, and mix well.
- Combine the syrup and rum or peppermint schnapps and peppermint extract in a small bowl, and add to the crumb mixture. Mix well.
- Using a small cookie dough scoop or a tablespoon, scoop out portions of the dough mixture and press into balls. Using your hands, roll the balls in the confectioners’ sugar, coating evenly.
- The powdered sugar will harden and help keep the dough in the shape that you want.
- Once the rum balls have hardened, dip them in melted chocolate and decorate with crushed peppermints.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
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