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    Home » sweet recipes

    Vegan Rum Balls

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    vegan rum balls recipe pinterest graphic
    pinterest graphic for vegan rum balls

    They're chocolatey, they're creamy, they're boozy - they're vegan rum balls! Such a phenomenal, flavor-packed treat that's perfect for the holidays. Made with real whole foods, gluten-free, without added oil or added refined sugar (just what's in the chocolate chips or bar). Not doing alcohol? No problem - there's an alcohol-free version included!

    Several rum balls on marble with a golden star light behind them.

    When I was in high school, my friends and I had a phase when we would run down to the local bakery after school and get a treat.  That's where I discovered that rum balls were a thing.  These babies were golf ball-sized spheres of chocolatey goodness that had kind of a slightly chewy, cakey-cookie dough ganache center and smacked of rum. They were not the chocolate kisses I'd grown up with.  My food world opened up a notch.  I was smitten.  I had to take each one home in a box so that I could slowly savor every bite. Pure bliss.  Yeah, maybe the bakery should have thought to card me - they were pretty potent!  Probably a good thing I waited until I was home to eat it.

    Alas, I've never had one since.  I just haven't seen them.  So it's been a delight to create a dairy-free version of that rum ball I remember.  They have that texture and flavor that I recall, soft and a bit like chocolate mousse with a little cake in it.  My husband is particularly drawn to the tiramisu-like finish. 

    Did I mention these are nutrient-packed rum balls?  Check out the ingredients.  Yep, nutrient-dense vegan rum balls are now a thing!

    Ingredients

    Soaked and drained cashews
    Kraken rum on marble with a pink napkin behind

    I love that these rum balls are made with minimally-processed ingredients.

    • raw cashews
    • almond meal/flour
    • oat flour
    • 70% chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
    • maple syrup
    • almond butter
    • dark spiced rum
    • cacao powder
    • salt

    If making these alcohol-free, you will need the following instead of the rum (choose an alcohol-free version of the extracts, if desired):

    • vanilla extract or powder
    • almond extract
    a tray of vegan rum balls

    Instructions

    I'm also happy to report that these vegan rum balls are easy to make! These are the key steps involved:

    • Soak cashews at least two hours to soften, which adds creaminess
    • Combine the dry ingredients
    • Melt the chocolate
    • Blend the wet ingredients
    • Combine everything
    • Add the rum
    • Refrigerate overnight or at least 6 hours to set
    • Prepare to shape the set mixture into balls and roll in cacao
    • Serve, refrigerate, or freeze

    Helpful tips

    Here are some helpful tips to be aware of ahead of time:

    • Have all the ingredients in-hand to prepare the "cookie-dough ganache" the night before. Once all the ingredients are mixed, they set overnight.
    • I life to use Divine 70% Bittersweet Chocolate, the 5.3-oz baking bar. Divine is right! If you can't find it, though, an equal amount of any bittersweet bar or even chocolate chips will work fine - keep in mind semi-sweet chips will tend to have sugar added so the balls will end up sweeter.
    • Any rum in the cupboard will do, but I recommend a dark spiced rum for a full-flavor experience. Have you tried The Kraken? It's a vegan rum and I love it! (Yes, part of my love for it is the packaging, but it's a delicious rum, too!).
    • Want an alcohol-free version? Replace the rum with a ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and a ½ teaspoon almond extract along with ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons of maple syrup.
    • Heads up: the raw cashews need to soak for a couple hours ahead of time.
    • When it's time to roll the "ganache-dough" in cacao powder, place a few tablespoons of cacao in the center of a dish and roll the ball of ganache-dough in the powder. Once covered in caco, tap the rum ball on an empty spot of the plate to release excess cacao.
    • Size them as you'd like. The figures here are for a bit smaller than a golf ball.
    • These rum balls are soft and easy to eat. The ball holds firm so that you can pick them up, yet they are soft enough to take a bite. They're also very easy to eat with a fork, perfect for a romantic dinner!

    Note

    Are you surprised to learn that there are wines, beers, and other much-enjoyed drinks that seem like they'd be vegan but aren't? Yeah. I was surprised, too. Rather than getting into the gory details here, I recommend you google it. On a brighter note, I recently came across a website that is dedicated to helping people find their favorite alcohol in animal-free form: Barnivore! Thank you, Barnivore!

    a close up of a rum ball on a white plate surrounded by pink flowers

    More chocolate:

    You can find more tasty chocolate recipes here.

    close up view of a chocolate rum ball with a bite out of it

    Vegan Rum Balls

    They're chocolatey, they're creamy, they're boozy - they're vegan rum balls! Such a phenomenal, flavor-packed treat that's perfect for the holidays. Made with real whole foods, gluten-free, without added oil or added refined sugar (just what's in the chocolate chips or bar). Not doing alcohol? No problem - there's an alcohol-free version included!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: vegan
    Key Attributes: balls, chocolate, gluten-free, holiday, rum
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Soak Time: 2 hours
    Total Time: 2 hours 43 minutes
    Servings: 12
    Fiber: 3g
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • blender
    • Double-boiler or small pots and pans
    • Mixer (stand or hand)

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup cashews raw
    • ¾ cup water filtered, to soak the cashews
    • ½ cup almond flour
    • ½ cup oat flour
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt pink or sea salt recommended
    • 5.3 oz bittersweet chocolate 70%, or equivalent chocolate chips (about a half bag)
    • ½ cup water
    • ⅓ cup maple syrup
    • 4 tablespoons almond butter
    • 7 tablespoons rum spiced dark recommended
    • 3-5 tablespoons cacao powder

    For an alcohol-free version, replace the rum with the following:

    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract if needed, use alcohol-free/vanilla powder
    • ½ teaspoon almond extract if needed, use alcohol-free
    • 7 tablespoons maple syrup or ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons

    Instructions

    • Soak cashews.  Place the raw cashews in a jar or bowl with enough water to cover, about ¾ cup water.  Cover and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
    • Dry ingredients.  Place the almond and oat flours and salt in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.  With a fork or the paddle of the stand mixer, stir until mixed.
    • Chocolate.  In a double boiler, melt the chocolate on medium-low. (Don't have one?  You can make one with a small pan or pot sitting in another pan filled with about an inch of water.)  Stir the chocolate until all is melted.
    • Wet ingredients.   Strain the cashews and place them in a blender.  Warm water in a teapot until steaming and add ½ cup to the cashews.  Blend on high until creamy.  Add the maple syrup and almond butter.  If making an alcohol-free version, add the extra maple syrup and extracts now.  Blend until well mixed.
    • Combine.  Place the chocolate on top of the dry ingredients, using a spatula to get as much as possible out of the pan.  Then pour the wet ingredients, with the help of a spatula, over the chocolate and stir with the stand mixer paddle or a hand mixer just until combined.
    • Add rum.  Stir gently while adding the rum, just until well disbursed.
    • Refrigerate.  Place the mixture in the fridge with a towel to cover.  Let set overnight, at least 6 hours.  The ganache should be firm enough to hold a ball form.  If it warms up too much while working, stick it back in the fridge until it's firm again.
    • Cacao station.  Pour a few tablespoons of cacao in the center of a large plate.  Set it next to the ganache-filled mixing bowl.
    • Form the balls.  Have a towel handy for your soon-to-be-chocolatey hands.  Using a measuring tablespoon, scoop two tablespoons of ganache and form into a ball.  Roll the ball in the cacao powder until covered.  Drop the ball on a clean part of the plate a few times to remove excess powder.  Set the finished ball on a serving plate or in a glass container to store in the fridge.  Repeat until all the ganache has been used.  Add more cacao powder to the cacao station if necessary.
    • Serve.  Serve immediately or store in the fridge.  Can be made a day or two ahead, but watch out - they may disappear before then.

    Notes

    Note:  The time estimates above do not include refrigerating the mixture overnight or at least 6 hours.
    Tried this recipe?I'd love to see! On Instagram, mention @beautifulingredient and tag #beautifulingredient!

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