Rum Balls to me are more than just a delicious treat at Christmas, they remind me of the fun and wonderful time I spent with my extended family each Christmas when I was a child. Â My Nan used to fill the table with so many home baked goodies and we would all sit around chat and play cards for hours. Â Such good times.
This is my Nan’s Christmas Rum Balls recipe, she made them every Christmas when I was younger.  Now I enjoy making them together with my kids each year. I usually make two batches one for the kids (minus the rum) and one for the adults were I may add in some extra rum!
Unlike a lot of other recipes I have seen which use a base of biscuits instead of cake, this recipe uses Madeira butter cake. I just can’t alter this recipe, I like the soft cake balls!
Christmas Rum Balls
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Prep Time |
Total Time |
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15 mins |
15 mins |
- 1 Madeira Butter Cake
- 3 tablespoons apricot jam
- 3 tablespoons cocoa
- 2 tablespoons rum, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons apricot jam, extra
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
Instructions
- Wash your hands
- Using fingertips crumble cake into a bowl
- Add jam,
cocoa and rum - Combine together with hands until a thick paste
- Roll into bite sized balls
- Warm water and extra jam in a dish in
mircrowave for 20 sec, mix together - Place coconut into a small dish
- Dip balls into jam mixture then roll into coconut
- Refrigerate
By Kat – The Organised Housewife
PLEASE SHARE IN THE COMMENTS BELOW, WHAT RECIPE REMINDS YOU OF YOUR NAN AT CHRISTMAS?
Note: this post has been updated with new photos, it was originally posted on 15th December 2011.
33 comments
I’ve never made them with apricot jam before- yummo!
I don’t like apricots, but these taste so yummy!
We love chocolate balls here every christmas with a different recipe! I think my 3.5yo is going to love getting his hands dirty rolling the balls this year xx
Do you mean Madeira cake (orangey taste) or is it something else
Thanks for recipe!
A great cheat to run balls is: buy a cheap fruit cake. Crumble. Pour run over it. Let it stand overnight in fridge. Roll into balls. Presto rum balls. I then roll in chocolate. Yum yum. Always a big hit!
Can u plz clarify on cake mix!!!???
Yes Rachel, Madeira sorry thought I spelt it right. Packaged in the bakery section of the supermarket. It looks like 1/2 a cake.
oh sorry to be picky but im 38 weeks pregnant and wasnt sure i wasnt just having a mental blank
we use chocolate sponge cake, condensed milk, sultanas- soaked in rum :-), a bit of coconut and rum. Roll in balls, throw in freezer until needed. Always get comments on how beautiful they are!
Thanks I just made them with my 3 year old 🙂 changed slightly so they are gluten and dairy free to suit our needs.
thank you! I have been looking for a good rum ball recipe! I just found it!
Karissa how did u make gluten free?
Mmmmmm rum balls 🙂
they look really good.. thanks for sharing x
I always assumed they were hard to make cause they’re so impressive looking. Maybe I’ll add some rumballs to my Christmas hampers.
You should these are great. Sometimes I might just splash in a bit more rum for hubby!
Butter Rum essence is nice if you want non-alcoholic 🙂
Ooh, I have not heard of that is that in the supermarket?
a tip i learnt from a thermo-consultant friend… roll the ball mixture into a log, roll log in jam/cocoa/coconut, refrigerate then slice into discs. not traditional but a lot quicker!
Fantastic! Even if you rolled the discs into balls after that, you’d have the consistency of size that eludes me! ?
Looks yum! ‘1 Madeira butter cake’ I’m just wondering what amount this is? I have a madeira recipe that makes a large 25cm round cake, would that be right? Or do you mean the ones you can buy from the supermarket? Thanks! Jac
A silly question but what is a tlb
Tablespoon I Think,
20ml in Oz
Mel a tablespoon.
This is very similar to my family recipe but we use chocolate cake and dip them either choc non parells (choc sprinkles) or coat them with chocolate. we also soak aprox ! cup of chopped finely sultanas in aprox 2 tablespoons of rum over night and add them to keep the mixture moist and the rum flavour sweet.
Hi, how much chocolate cake do you use size wise? Because I wanted to try chocolate cake or chocolate brownies. Could you possibly share your recipe please?
I use two packet cake mixes and make in a baking tray, Aprox 1 cup sultanas covered with rum to soak overnight (chopped finely). Make these the day before. (easier). crumble cake add sultanas and rum mix then add as much apricot jam to make it a play dough consistency usually aprox three heaped tablespoons. If you want to add more rum nows the time. Roll into balls about walnut sized (heaped tablespoon) dip in chocolate or dip in warm jam and roll in choc sprinkles and let set . Makes about 60 rum balls of two bite size. Its all been handed down via osmosis so all the measurements are by eye. I hope it helps. note. If you make them a few weeks in advance and keep them in the freezer they will not freeze completely but they will get stronger because of the sultanas.
thank you 🙂
Made these today, Katrina, ready for Christmas Day. Can’t wait to try them! Thank you for sharing your Nan’s recipe with us. I love recipes that have been handed down from our beloved, older relatives and, therefore, mean something special. Vxx