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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
These aren’t your typical dry, nutty rum balls! Soft, fudgy, and made with rich chocolate cake, these nut-free Chocolate Rum Balls are melt-in-your-mouth delicious, like a chocolate truffle in bite-sized form.
We take our rum and bourbon balls seriously in this household – they’re Mr. Magpie’s favorite treat! Use my Crazy Cake or Wacky Cake Recipe to get the perfect chocolate base for your bites, and pair them with a batch of Spice Cookies or Shortbread Bites for a cozy dessert spread.
Reader Review
These are so very yummy! Definitely a Christmas favourite. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This recipe is super easy and quick to make. Perfect for beginners or last-minute holiday treats!
- Total Time: You’ll have these ready in about 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Variations: Mix things up by rolling your Chocolate Rum Balls in crushed Cookies, coconut, or mini chocolate chips! You can also try swapping in coconut rum or coffee liqueur for a fun flavor twist.
- Tools For This Recipe: You’ll need a whisk, a large mixing bowl, a medium mixing bowl, a 9×13 pan for the cake base, and a baking sheet for setting your rum balls.
What You’ll Need for Ingredients
Dark Rum: A good-quality dark rum adds warmth, depth, and that signature full-bodied taste to your rum balls. Karlynn’s Tip: You can also try spiced rum for a cozy, festive twist, or even swap in bourbon if that’s what you like!
Cocoa Powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder for a rich, chocolatey flavor. It’s the perfect balance to the sweetness of the condensed milk, making every bite melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
All-Purpose Flour: Flour helps your cake base hold together while keeping the rum balls soft and fudgy. Karlynn’s Tip: Measure your flour carefully. Spoon it into the cup, then level it off so your mixture doesn’t turn out too dense.
Chocolate Sprinkles: The finishing touch! Rolling your rum balls in sprinkles gives them a fun, classic look and a little crunch with every bite. Experiment with other toppings and let me know your favorites in the comments below!
How To Make The Best Chocolate Rum Balls
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients and stir until smooth.
- Pour batter into an ungreased 9×13 pan and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
- Cool the cake completely in the pan.
- Crumble the cooled cake into a bowl.
- Stir in rum and sweetened condensed milk until a soft dough forms.
- Roll into 1-inch balls, then coat with chocolate sprinkles.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm.
- Transfer to a sealed container and store in the fridge or freezer until ready to enjoy.
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Chocolate Rum Balls
- Use a Cake Mix Shortcut: You can absolutely use a boxed chocolate cake mix instead of baking one from scratch. It saves time and still provides that rich, chocolatey base.
- Customize Your Mix-Ins: Feel free to get creative! Stir in chopped walnuts, pecans, or your favorite nuts for extra crunch and flavor. You can even mix in crushed cookies or coconut for a fun twist.
- Roll Like a Pro: Refrigerate the dough before shaping to make it easier to handle, and lightly dampen your hands when rolling. This keeps the mixture from sticking and helps you get perfectly smooth rum balls every time!
Storage Instructions
These Chocolate Rum Balls get even better with time, so they’re the perfect treat to make ahead for parties or gifting!
Refrigerator: Store your rum balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. For the best taste and texture, let them sit for a day or two before serving. This helps the rum flavor deepen, and the texture becomes extra fudgy!
Freezer: Keep the rum balls in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag, where they’ll stay delicious for 3–4 months according to USDA food safety guidelines. I make these a few weeks before Christmas and freeze them until the big day!
More Delicious Dessert Recipes
If you love these Chocolate Rum Balls, try these sweet Dessert Recipes out next:
- Hot Chocolate Marshmallow Brownies are gooey, chocolatey, and perfect for cozy nights!
- Peppermint Cheesecake Bites bring a refreshing minty twist to any dessert table.
- For the ultimate chocolate fix, try Death By Chocolate Dessert Dip. It’s rich, decadent, and great for sharing!
There you have it, folks! These soft, fudgy, nut-free Chocolate Rum Balls are perfect for gifting, parties, or just a little treat for yourself. Give them a try and share in the comments how you customized them, what mix-ins you added, or any creative twists you tried.
Happy Baking!
Karlynn
Chocolate Rum Balls Recipe
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups water
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar
Rum Ball Additions
- ½ cup dark spiced rum , or bourbon
- ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ¾ cup chocolate sprinkles
Instructions
Bake the Chocolate Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F.
- Whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Add in the wet ingredients, then stir until smooth.
- Pour into an ungreased 9×13 pan.
- Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan completely.
Assemble the Rum Balls
- Crumble up the baked cake into a medium mixing bowl.
- Add in the rum and the condensed milk. Mix together until all of the ingredients are combined and the cake is now a dough that can be rolled into balls.
- Roll the mixture into one inch balls, then roll the balls into the chocolate sprinkles, covering them completely.
- Place the rum balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze them individually first, then transfer to a sealed container to keep frozen.
- These are best if left to sit a few days in the refrigerator if you are eating them soon, or keep them in the freezer until you are ready to eat.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
CARL BALDASSO says
I have to admit that I used the box cake mix shortcut – Betty Crocker Delights Super Moist Cake Mix, specifically – adding 1/4 cup of Espresso powder to pump up the chocolate, and it turned out great. My 9×13 cake made 50 rum balls, which I got using the OXO Small (2-teaspoon) cookie scoop. I also wound up using the entire 14-oz. can of sweetened condensed milk which was “rinsed out” with the dark spiced rum to make my “dough,” which was soft but not runny… easily scooped and hand-rolled using nitrile kitchen gloves. I used an entire 9.3-oz. bottle of Betty Crocker Parlor Perfect Chocolate Sprinkles to roll my rum balls in, as 1/4 cup would never have been enough for 50 rum balls. Very, very yummy. Thanks for a great recipe including that cake shortcut.
Dawn says
just tried this recipe. They turned out fantastic. they remind me of the old fashioned ones when I was a kid.
Valerie Kraemer says
this recipe is a joke. cake after cooling wet and soupy. wasted my money.
AMBER says
So you looked at a soupy mess in the pan and didn’t think to bake it more? This is definitely a problem on your end, and not the recipe’s end.
Yomama says
What are the wt ingredients
Elaine McKay says
The rumballs taste great, but I couldn’t get the sprinkles to stick.
Becky says
Instead of sprinkles could you dip these in melted chocolate so they have a crunchy chocolate outter layer?
Lindsey says
Made these with gluten free cake and they turned out amazing! I have saved this one as I will be making every year. I rolled them in chopped pecans, some in coconut and an others in chocolate sprinkles. Great make ahead gift!! Thank you so much for the easiest recipe ever.
Linda Bartlett says
I soaked the rum in some raisins and processed them with cake and condensed milk, tired out great!
Linda says
Should of read soaked the raisins in rum and it turned out great
Cindy Foreman says
How long did you soak your raisins?
Altagracia Pena says
I used a premade Sock It To Me Cake added finely chopped pecans and rolled them in powdered sugar …. Christmas Gift for coworkers…it was a hit !
Kay says
Super disappointed that I wasted 3 cups of sugar, 6 eggs, and 1 1/2 cups of cocoa. The mixture is gooey and lumpy. I followed the instructions, cake was slightly underdone but even if it was drier, I don’t see how the mixture wouldn’t be lumpy, as the top of the cake is harder than the middle. Won’t be making this again, and frankly, if I can’t trust that the recipes will turn out, the cookbook is done for me.
Aliza H says
Kay, are you rating the wrong recipe? There are no eggs in this cake! 6 is a lot for a 9×13 choco cake, esp for an *eggless* recipe (6 vs 0). Also your sugar:cocoa ratio is off. Sounds like this recipe isn’t the problem.
Note for scrollers: I’m leaving 5⭐ to counteract this irrelevant 1⭐. Will rate/review for real after I’ve made the recipe, hopefully this week 🙂
Dawn Bermingham says
Hi
I use to get my favorite rum balls at Eaton’s.
Yours sounds so good.
I would like to try it. But instead of using rum can I use rum flavouring. But that would mean limiting the liquid. Any suggestions
Thank you.
Happy holidays
Kyle says
Sorry but I made this today and I will say it is horrible. Way to much alcohol in it, it’s all you can taste. It actually made me sick eating it. Thanks but no thanks, I will not ever make this again.
Lynda says
Hi, I do NOT like chocolate! I know I am weird. That being said, can I use a white cake mix or another flavor. If so will the results still taste as good? Maybe I should use chocolate, then I won’t eat any.:-))Thanks so much. Merry Christmas!
Linda says
Yes you can, I’ve made it before with vanilla cake
Susan T. says
I used the linked Wacky Cake recipe (my longtime go-to recipe for chocolate cake) and it worked out perfectly – did not have to add extra rum or condensed milk and the sprinkles adhered to the balls. I believe the secret is to not over-bake the cake. It’s also not necessary to fully cool the cake – in fact, I think that when it’s slightly warm, it forms a better, stickier dough. I refrigerated the dough for about an hour before forming the balls.
I’ve had mixed results with other chocolate rum ball recipes – they’re often too dry. Last year, we couldn’t find vanilla wafer or crumbs so I tried a recipe without them and the result was balls of chocolate icing – too sweet! I really like this recipe because it’s easy, moist, chocolatey and not too sweet!
Marta Roberts says
For the chocolate cake you suggest a 9 x 13 cake from a mix or your chocolate cake. Your cake is 9 x 9. Will your cake be enough?
Karlynn Johnston says
The wacky cake is a 9×13 cake, it will work!
Margaret says
These are so very yummy! Definitely a Christmas favourite. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Jenn says
I just made this recipe & they are delicious. I have an issue with them being wet on the outside though. The sprinkles and the outside of the ball are wet, but the inside is fine. I did wet my hands when rolling them, could that be what caused this? Thanks!
Jill says
Rolled some of mine in coconut!
Bryan says
My Beloved’s been making these for years — she lets me pour the rum. Today I’ll be making them all on my own — this weekend’s 3-dozen house guests mean that my Beloved’s got bigger things to do.
I hate sprinkles, I expect my rum balls to be smooth and amorphous. Solid when frozen, firm as they thaw, soft & gooey when they meet your tongue. So I roll them in unsweetened crushed coconut; it’s a powder, so it makes a gorgeous snow. I intend to add just a hint of cardamom to it tonight, for that gentle floral scent.
Last year, a first-time party guest came to me with the words: “release the kraken!”. He knew the rum from his first bite. If you’ve been dilly-dallying around with random rums, you gotta go kraken. Deep, dark, and twangy; it offsets the condensed milk perfectly, and pairs with the tough of coffee in the chocolate cake.
And yeah, mine’s a long pour. If you think rum balls are too alcoholic, it’s because you want to eat balls. Maybe check out a recipe for cake-pop on a stick. These are rumballs; if they don’t rumble, they ain’t rum! I’ve done the math. I wind up with 1/3oz of rum per ball; so three are a shot. Not rum-“flavoured” balls; rum-balls.
This is why I got the full-size upright freezer. I do three cakes at a time — because that’s the biggest mixing bowl I have!
Amie Korn says
How many balls will this make?