These healthy rum balls are fudgy and flavorful with no cream, condensed milk, or added sugar. Plus, with just enough rum to feel like a decadent treat or as after dinner healthy snacks!
Table of Contents
I love to keep some of these rum balls on hand along with other bite-sized treats like coconut protein balls and chocolate coconut balls!
Ingredients for Healthy Rum Balls
Let’s quickly go over the best ingredients to use to make healthy rum balls.
- Dates: Pretty please use Medjool dates like Natural Delights. They are meaty, soft, and moist. They mash and blend well yielding tender soft healthy chocolate rum balls.
- Rum: We have this amazing family in Mexico that are our friends. In summer, they gifted us with a bottle of Ron Zacapa rum. I have heard it is one of the best.
- Nuts: The good news is you can use either pecans, almonds or walnuts. I used a mixture of three because that is what I had on hand. Also nuts have to be toasted.
How to Make Healthy Rum Balls
There is a quick over you how to make healthier rum balls recipe. Full recipe card is located below.
Add nuts to a non-stick ceramic skillet and cook on medium heat for about 4 minutes or until fragrant, stirring occasionally.
Transfer to a food processor with remaining dry ingredients and process until small crumbs form. Do not overprocess, especially softer nuts like pecans, otherwise nut butter will start forming.
Add wet ingredients and process for a few more seconds just until well combined. Place bowl of a food processor in a freezer for about 30 minutes.
In a large Ziplock bag or on a large dinner plate, add cacao powder. Form golf size balls and coat and roll in cacao powder.
More Dessert Recipes to Try
- Almond joy protein balls
- Cacao nibs brownie bites
- Almond flour snickerdoodles
- Healthy gingerbread loaf
- Healthy cookie dough
Be sure to check out these other healthy cookies for Christmas before you go!
Healthy Rum Balls
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups nuts almonds, pecans or walnuts*
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cacao powder
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
Wet Ingredients:
- 7 Medjool dates pitted**
- 1/3 cup dark rum
- 3 tbsp molasses***
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Other:
- Cacao powder for coating
Instructions
- Add nuts to a non-stick ceramic skillet and cook on medium heat for about 4 minutes or until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a food processor with remaining Dry Ingredients and process until small crumbs form. Do not overprocess, especially softer nuts like pecans, otherwise nut butter will start forming.
- Add Wet Ingredients and process for a few more seconds just until well combined. Place bowl of a food processor in a freezer for about 30 minutes.
- In a large Ziplock bag or on a large dinner plate, add cacao powder. Form golf size balls and coat/roll in cacao powder.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in a glass airtight container for up to a week.
- Freeze: For a few months in an airtight container or freezer bag.
I’ve just discovered your website and love your recipes…haven’t tried any yet but will after grocery shopping.
Just wondering lf I could use rum flavoring + what other liquid in the rum ball recipe? I will be sharing with my 86-year-old mother and can’t take the chance of her falling down if she eats too many.
Thanks!
Apple juice or apple cider are probably the best substitutes for rum.
These are great. I made them nut-free using Nutiva’s Superseed Blend instead of the nuts and they turned out great. I just processed the oats before adding everything else. Super simple!
Yay. Perfect!
Pure deliciousness!
I’m glad you found a use to that rum! hahaha i will definitely try to make this, although after my pancake catastrophe I’m not sure i can pull it off.
P.S. you should definitely try whatever is left of that rum with some coke, and if it is too sweet add some club soda, I think it is something you might like.
LOL just don’t show this recipe to your dad haha. We will sip on it with ice at special occasions. I think I’m past the stage when I can handle coke. I bought zevia to drink with this rum, which is natural one, and couldn’t just stomach it. We will offer it to guests and drink on Christmas remembering your family, my dear! xoxo
These are heavenly, and healthier than traditional balls, but not sure I would call 106 calories per ball “healthy”. LOL!
Totally healthy. Not all calories are not created equal. 106 calories in pop are empty and unhealthy, 106 calories in a ball full of fiber, healthy fats and complex carbs, not to mention vitamins is absolutely healthy. It is not calories you should be afraid of but rather added sugar, refined food ingredients. We shouldn’t count calories if we eat healthy. Just eat real food of good quality and you will be full before you know it.
Medjool Dates! This is why I need you in my life, Olena! I can cook anything that comes to me already in a recipe, but I have no imagination at all! I am making your version, gratefully, this year for Christmas! Out with my old Vanilla wafer recipe, and in your much better version!
I get that you are a Frank Sinatra fan, year round. Personally, I go for Bing Crosby! Another old time crooner. While he has great Christmas music, I am in love with everything!
Most importantly, thanks for getting me out of the rut my years old rum ball recipe held over me. I am so excited for a much better option!
🙂 You are very welcome. Well, everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. If I could only create and write every day for half a day in a quiet and peace, I would call it a dream life. Reality is I get way creative time because of reality haha. I have so many ideas but they all need testing which means time. But that’s OK.:) Enjoy this Holiday season!
You are Mom! Just that that is exhausting, especially with the demands of your boys hockey schedules. And no matter what others might think, being at home and working is actually MORE complicated than everyone (including mom) leaving for the day, when the house stays the way it is left all day. Your job is physical! Cooking, cleaning, tasting, photographing, and somehow, because you are there all day, it’s naturally expected that the normal household duties will be kept up too. I am just afraid that eventually something is going to have to give. Most working people take a full vacation from their job and you really didn’t even do that when you hit the sandy beaches! I feel concern. You are no longer a blog That I read, I feel I know you through your family stories and the history that you shared. So please, consider taking a vacation for the busiest, most stressful time of year. Your followers are loyal! They will be right here when you return!
I will be fine. Now I’m concerned about you being concerned haha. I had a few deadlines for projects I couldn’t ignore but I’m gonna slow down with work as of Friday and with kids duties as of next week. It is just crazy because of the holidays activities.
I actually had a very relaxing sandy beach vacation with Alex. I didn’t work at all. Didn’t even post anything on social media.
You nailed my job description working from home is tough. In a way. I’m slowly training everyone to do more. But I can’t imagine going to work for someone else in an office. Yuk. Plus I love my home. I love my blog and all of you girls for being so loyal and generous and healthy. Don’t worry about me. I needed to complain haha. Big hug!!!