Easy Rum Balls with Nuts

This is a Czech recipe for delicious, no-bake rum balls (Rumové kuličky). Czechs traditionally make them at Christmas, but they are perfect for any holiday season. Everyone loves them!

The flavor of these rum balls is truly exceptional. They are crafted with grated walnuts and raisins, lending them a delightful juiciness.

In Czech, these delectable treats are known as "rumove kulicky" (correctly spelled as "rumové kuličky").

MY TIP: Don’t miss Kokosky, Czech coconut meringue cookies!

➜ Ingredients

To make rum balls, you'll need:

• Vanilla wafers; e.g., Nilla wafers, or other plain shortbread biscuits. Czechs use piškoty cookies to make rum balls.
• Unsalted butter; take it out from the refrigerator for about half an hour to soften
• Powdered sugar
• Ground nuts; I like to use walnuts for their intense flavor. Hazelnuts or almonds are just as good.
• Dark cocoa powder; unsweetened
• Rum; Czech classic is "tuzemák" or "Božkov". If you are based in the US, I recommend Kirkland spiced rum (available at Costco) or Austrian Stroh 54 – these types taste similar to Czech "tuzemák" rum.
• Coconut; dried, unsweetened and shredded, for coating

✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

➜ How to Make Rum Balls

STEP 1: First, grind or crush the wafers (photo 1). Grate/grind the nuts. Coarsely chop the raisins with a chef's knife (photo 2).

STEP 2: Place the crushed wafers, nuts, sugar, cocoa powder, and raisins in a bowl. Pour in the rum and add the butter. Make a soft dough. Start with a fork, continue with your hands. Or use a food processor if you have one.

STEP 3: Pour shredded coconut on baking paper or a wide cutting board. Pinch off the dough's equal-sized pieces and shape into balls between your palms. The size of each ball should be about 1 inch (2,5 cm) in diameter. Roll the ball in coconut on all sides.

➜ Serving

Arrange the rum balls on a platter and serve. Always serve a quantity only that will soon be eaten up. Keep in mind that the balls require to be stored refrigerated.

➜ Storage

After finishing the balls, place them in an airtight container lined with baking paper. Ensure the top of the balls is covered with additional paper before sealing the container with its lid. Store it in a cool, dry place; the fridge works perfectly for this!

➜ How Long do Rum Balls Last?

The rum balls will last about a week from when you prepare them. The condition is that you store them in a cool, dry place, and in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out.

➜ Useful Tips

• I prefer to grind wafers and nuts on a conventional hand grinder with a cheese grating insert. Further, you can crush the wafers with a rolling pin between a folded sheet of baking paper.
• For a festive presentation, place the balls in small paper cups. They will look amazing on the table!
• The dough for the rum balls should be softer and slightly wet on the surface. It won't crumble, and the coconut will stick to it nicely when you roll it.

More Czech sweets:

• Linzer cookies – linecké cukroví
• Vanilla crescents – vanilkové rohličky
• Walnut-shaped cookies – ořechy
• No bake mushroom cookies – mandlové hříbky
• No bake honey balls – medovníkové koule