German Rum Balls (Rumkugeln) - Recipes From Europe (2024)

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These Delicious German Rum Balls Always Liven Up The Holidays!

For a classic dessert with a bit of booze infused into it, traditional rum balls are definitely the treat for you.

Made from rich, melted chocolate and just the right amount of rum, these chocolate rum balls are perfectly sweet, bite-sized, and dangerous once you get into them.

Stack them in a little pyramid on a plate or dessert tray and they’re basically irresistible!

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Rum balls are actually a classic German holiday treat – Lisa really likes them but so does Eric’s mom (true story).

Speaking of German holiday treats, you might also want to try out our vanilla crescent cookies.

That said, you can find rum balls all over Europe like in Hungary, Italy, and Austria. Truth be told, rum balls were apparently invented by Danish bakers.

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Of course, a consideration when making rum balls is what kind of rum you use. We used Bacardi rum for the rum balls because it has a simple flavor and is over 40% alcohol.

You could also use the Kraken Black Spiced Rum which has a bit more of a sweet and spiced flavor (it’s also 45%).

We didn’t use Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum because it’s very sweet and only 35% alcohol.

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Recipe Tips

When you’re forming the rum balls, it is very important that your hands stay cold and dry when you do it.

The rum ball batter is sensitive to heat and will be hard to roll when your hands are too warm.

This recipe ends up making quite a few rum balls – around 60, depending on exactly how large you roll them.

German Rum Balls Step-By-Step Guide

If you want to make German rum balls as we did, we documented the process so you can see what things should look like at each step!

You’ll also find the detailed steps in the recipe card down below – this is just a photo guide for visual reference!

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The first step is melting the chocolate chips in a bowl. We like to place the bowl in hot water in the sink but you can definitely use a microwave. There is more than one way to melt chocolate.

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Once your chocolate chips are fully melted, set the bowl aside for now.

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In another bowl, mix the butter – which should be at room temperature – and the powdered sugar with your hand mixer.

Mix for a few minutes until you get a creamy consistency.

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In the next step, add the melted chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and rum to the butter mixture and mix everything together.

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Once everything is whipped together, it’ll look something like you can see in the photo above. Put cling film on top of the bowl and place it in the fridge for one to two hours.

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After the dough has cooled in the fridge, it’s time for the German rum ball “creation station”. You can see in the photo above what our set up looked like.

We like putting the chocolate sprinkles and the cocoa powder for coating in small bowls with higher sides. That will make the process less messy.

We also always have a bowl of really cold water nearby that we use to cool our hands during the process. We change the water as necessary when it gets too warm.

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Use a table spoon to gather some dough as a guideline for the size of your rum balls. Roll the dough in the palm of your cold, but dry hands.

You have to work quickly here or the dough will get too warm!

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Once you ball is nice and round roll it around in the bowl of chocolate sprinkles, cocoa powder or other topping of your choosing and place it on a plate or small serving tray.

Then repeat the process until you have used up all the dough.

Storage Tips

It’s important to keep the rum balls stored in a cool place (like the fridge) and definitely not out on the counter because they will soften up.

You can freeze the rum balls that you don’t intend to eat right away and then take them out of the freezer as you need them.

Related Recipes

For more delicious and festive recipes, check out these sweet desserts and other treats:

  • Easy Coconut Macaroons – Light, sweet, and delicious easy-to-make coconut treats
  • Nussecken – Tasty German “nut corners” dipped in chocolate
  • Dampfnudeln – The classic German yeast dumpling that goes well with vanilla sauce!

German Rum Balls (Rumkugeln) - Recipes From Europe (12)

German Rum Balls (Rumkugeln)

These traditional German Rum Balls are always a hit around the holidays. Loaded with rich chocolate, packed with rum to taste, and finished off with sprinkles or cocoa powder, this sweet and tiny dessert doesn't last long on the treat plate!

4.64 from 46 votes

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Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 60 rum balls

Ingredients

The Dough

  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 4-5 tablespoons rum

The Coating

  • chocolate sprinkles
  • cocoa powder

Instructions

  • Melt the chocolate chips in a hot water bath in the sink, a pot on the stove, or in the microwave, and then set them aside.

  • In a medium-sized bowl, mix the butter and powdered sugar with a hand mixer until creamy.

  • Add the cocoa powder, melted chocolate, and rum, and mix again.

  • Place cling film on top of the bowl and put it in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

  • Remove the mixture from the fridge. Scoop out a teaspoon amount of batter per rum ball and roll it in your hands to form a round ball. Roll the ball in a bowl of chocolate sprinkles or cocoa powder and place it on a plate once it’s fully coated. IMPORTANT: It’s important that your hands remain cold during the process. You can use a bowl with cold water and soak your hands in it after every one to two balls. Dry off your hands before forming the next ball.

Notes

  • Once again, it is very important that your hands – and the dough – stays cold and dry during the ball rolling process. That’s why it’s important to soak your hands in cold water every once in a while and to work quite quickly when forming the balls.
  • If you’re a huge fan of coconut, you can also roll the rum balls in coconut splinters.
  • If you want the rum flavor to be less intense, use slightly less rum. If you want more rum, add more!
  • Store the rum balls in the fridge and/or freeze the ones you don’t plan on consuming immediately. We also like eating cold rum balls straight out of the freezer but that’s a personal preference.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 51kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 15mg | Sugar: 4g

This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.

Course Dessert

Cuisine German

Author Recipes From Europe

German Rum Balls (Rumkugeln) - Recipes From Europe (2024)

FAQs

Where do rum balls originated from? ›

Rum balls were originally created as a way for Danish bakers to make use of cakes and pastries leftover at the end of the day. They would mix them up with cocoa and rum, and roll the dough into balls, coating with coconut or chocolate sprinkles to sell for a low price the next day.

What is another name for rum balls? ›

What is this? My kid-friendly rum balls are also known as chocolate coconut balls or 'donkey drops' - because of their resemblance to... well... you know what! They're the perfect recipe for getting the kids in the kitchen - you can see how easy it is for my Mr 4 to make them in the video below!

What do rum balls taste like? ›

Rum balls are pretty similar to turtle cookie balls or peppermint oreo cookie balls — just… boozier. Rum balls are bite-size homemade treats made with vanilla cookie crumbs, pecans, cocoa, confectioners' sugar, and spiced rum. These do taste like spiced rum, so keep that in mind.

What do you drink with rum ball liqueur? ›

Best enjoyed neat over ice, or for a delightful decadent dessert try a dollop of ice cream in a short glass, pour over Bundaberg Rum Ball Liqueur with a crumbled Rum Ball on top. Explore our Royal Liqueur Range for more options.

Do rum balls contain egg? ›

In bowl mix together walnuts, sweet chocolate, sugar and half the egg whites. Add enough rum to moisten mixture so it holds together to form dough. Shape mixture into 1" balls. Roll balls in remaining egg white, then in chocolate sprinkles.

What can I substitute for vanilla wafers in rum balls? ›

While vanilla wafers are my favorite for their subtle sweetness and vanilla notes, graham crackers, butter cookies, digestive biscuits, or shortbread cookies are all excellent substitutes. For a gluten-free version, opt for gluten-free cookies.

Will rum balls get you drunk? ›

Can rum balls make you drunk? This is a no bake recipe, which means any alcohol we use in the process won't be cooked away or made less effective. However, we're not using that much of it, so getting drunk isn't something to worry about! After all, there's only ¼ cup of rum divided among 24 individual bites.

How long will rum balls keep in the fridge? ›

A Christmas favourite. These can be stored in the fridge for up to one month.

Can toddler eat rum balls? ›

Keep them at room temperature or in a fridge or freezer. Can a toddler eat Rum Balls? How can I make them kid-friendly? Toddlers and kids shouldn't eat Rum Balls since they contain alcohol.

Why do my rum balls go flat? ›

Mixture should be very thick. At this stage it may be a little too soft or sticky because of our summer heat; so just pop in the fridge for a bit to prevent totally flat bottomed balls. Then take spoonfuls of the mixture and make your balls by rolling between your palms then roll in coconut.

How long can you keep rum balls for? ›

Step 2 -Spread coconut out on a shallow plate. Shape the mixture into walnut sized balls. Roll in the coconut and place on a plate and serve with tea or coffee. These can also keep in the fridge in an airtight container or in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.

What is the origin of rum pudding? ›

The modern baba au rhum (rum baba), with dried fruit and soaked in rum, was invented in the rue Montorgueil in Paris, France, in 1835 or before.

Where did rum fruit cake originate? ›

This cake truly reflects hundreds of years of Caribbean history and culture. Caribbean rum cake is thought to have originated with British colonists, who began settling on the islands during the 18th century, bringing with them recipes for steamed fruit puddings.

What cultures drink rum? ›

Caribbean Rum
  • American. Antiguan. Bajan. Canarian. Dominican.
  • French. Grenadan. Guadeloupe. Guatemalan. Jamaican.
  • Martinican. Mauritian. Mexican. Guyanese. Puerto Rican.
  • Spanish. St Lucian. Trinidadian. Venezuelan.

What is the history of Romkugler? ›

The invention of Danish Rum Balls (Romkugler)

The cunning bakers came up with a clever plan where they assembled all the Danish pastry and cakes, which were not sold during the day; they then mixed it all together with cocoa powder and some rum.

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