These festive vegan rum balls are full of flavor and easy to make with just six ingredients! They’re perfect for holiday gifting and entertaining.
A bunch of readers have asked for a recipe for vegan rum balls over the years. It really shouldn’t have taken me this long: these were absolutely delicious and one of easiest holiday treat recipes ever! You only need a handful of ingredients, and there’s no baking required.
Conventional rum balls are almost vegan. Almost! The typical recipe calls for crushed up cookies, some cocoa, sweeteners, and of course, rum. The cookies and sweeteners are the ingredients we need to watch out for, but switching them up with vegan alternatives isn’t a big deal at all. And I think these turned out to be the best rum balls I’ve ever had.
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Ingredients You’ll Need
- Biscoff cookies. Lots of rum ball recipes use vanilla wafers, but I have yet to find a vegan brand at the store. So I used Lotus Biscoff cookies instead! They’re vegan and way tastier than vanilla wafers if you ask me. Look for them in the cookie aisle or the International aisle of your supermarket (they’re Belgian). If you can’t find them, vegan graham crackers will also work.
- Organic powdered sugar. Conventional (non-organic) powdered sugar may be processed using animal bone char, so it may not be vegan.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Rum. I used spiced rum.
- Maple syrup. Conventional rum balls are often made with corn syrup, which I’m not a fan of, or honey, which isn’t vegan. Maple syrup makes a great alternative and adds a wonderful flavor. If you need an alternative, see my guide to vegan honey substitutes.
- Vanilla extract.
- Toppings. These are optional, but will make your rum balls tastier and prettier. Powdered sugar, shredded coconut, chopped nuts such as pecans or walnuts, sprinkles, colored sugar, and nonpareils all make great toppings.
How They’re Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Start by crushing your cookies. You can put them in a food processor to do this, or use my quick and dirty method: stick them in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
Place your crushed cookies into a large mixing bowl, along with the powdered sugar and cocoa.
Stir up the dry ingredients, then add the rum, maple syrup, and vanilla. Keep stirring the mixture until the dry ingredients are evenly saturated with the wet ingredients.
Roll the mixture into 1-tablespoon balls, preferably using a cookie scoop to measure. Optionally, roll each ball in toppings, gently pressing them into it’s surface.
Tip: Keep a bowl of water handy. If the mixture feels too crumbly, add a splash of water. If it sticks to your hands during rolling, wet them. If you’re having trouble getting toppings to stick, lightly moisten the rum ball.
Your rum balls are finished! You can enjoy them right away if you’d like, but they’re best when they’ve spent a few days chilling in the fridge.
Shelf-Life & Storage
Vegan rum balls will keep for about a week in an airtight container in the fridge, or for up to three months in the freezer.
More Vegan Holiday Sweets
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Vegan Rum Balls
These festive vegan rum balls are full of flavor and easy to make with just six ingredients! They’re perfect for holiday gifting and entertaining.
Ingredients
-
3
cups
crushed Biscoff cookies,
36 or 37 cookies (Notes 1 and 2) -
¾
cup
organic powdered sugar -
¼
cup
unsweetened cocoa powder -
⅓
cup
rum -
3
tablespoons
maple syrup -
2
teaspoons
vanilla extract - Toppings of choice, such as powdered sugar, shredded coconut, chopped nuts, and sprinkles
Instructions
-
Place the cookie crumbs, powdered sugar, and cocoa into a large mixing bowl.
-
Add the rum, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir until the mixture is combined and the dry ingredients are evenly saturated.
-
Roll the mixture into balls by tablespoonfuls. Add a splash of water if the mixture seems too dry, and use wet hands if the mixture is sticking to them.
-
Optionally, roll each rum ball in toppings of choice, lightly pressing the toppings into the surface. You can lightly we the outside of the rum ball if you’re having trouble getting the toppings to stick.
-
Serve immediately, or (preferably) place the rum balls in an airtight container to chill for 2 to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
- Graham crackers will work as a substitute if you can’t find Biscoff cookies. Just make sure they’re vegan, as many brands are made with honey. You’ll need about 20 whole graham cracker sheets to obtain 3 cups of crumbs.
- You can crush your cookies in a food processor, or by placing them in a sealed plastic bag and rolling over them with a rolling pin.
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Rum Balls
Amount Per Serving (1 rum ball)
Calories 161
Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 2.5g13%
Sodium 97mg4%
Potassium 47mg1%
Carbohydrates 29.7g10%
Fiber 0.7g3%
Sugar 17.8g20%
Protein 1.8g4%
Calcium 14mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.