Ingredients
- 1 (11-ounce) box vanilla wafers
- 3/4 cup confectioners sugar, plus more for rolling
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup mini dark chocolate chips, or finely chopped dark chocolate
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon dark rum, plus more as needed
For Coating:
- 3 cups finely shredded sweetened coconut
- 10 ounces white chocolate, chopped into small pieces
Instructions
- Combine vanilla wafers, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips in a food processor. Pulse on and off until mixture is finely ground.
- Add maple syrup and rum. Pulse until mixture comes together to form a stiff, but moldable dough. If mixture is too dry to scoop and roll balls, add more rum, a little at a time, and pulse again, until the proper texture is reached.
- Scoop out portions of dough and roll into smooth balls. The ideal size is between 1 and 1 1/2 inches. Place on a plate; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the white chocolate coating.
- Place coconut in a shallow bowl; set aside.
- Place a heat-proof (metal or glass) bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water over low heat. Reserve about 20% of white chocolate to stir in later; place the rest in the bowl, and let sit, without stirring, until almost all the pieces are melted. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the chocolate should read 105 degrees F (41 degrees C). Add in reserved white chocolate, and stir until smooth and runny.
- Drop a rum ball into white chocolate. Use 2 forks to roll it around to coat, then lift out, letting excess chocolate drip off. Drop into the bowl of coconut; toss to coat. Using your hands, do the final shaping, pressing coconut lightly into coating. Transfer to a plate. Repeat until all rum balls are coated. Place the bowl of white chocolate back over hot water if it begins to harden.
- Wrap and refrigerate until needed. Rum balls are best made ahead and left to “age.” Can be made a week or more ahead, as long as they are kept tightly wrapped.
Notes
- Quality Ingredients: Use a good quality dark rum for the best flavor.
- Sweetness Control: Adjust the maple syrup amount for your preferred sweetness level.
- Alcohol-Free: Substitute the rum with strong coffee, orange juice, or a non-alcoholic rum flavoring.
- Coconut Variations: Try flavored coconut, chopped nuts, or festive sprinkles for the coating.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes (for melting chocolate)
- Category: Dessert, Snack
- Method: No-bake
- Cuisine: North American with European roots
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 snowball
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 45mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
