Pumpkin Spice Rum Balls
What I Love About My Pumpkin Spice Rum Balls
This is how I dress up my rum balls for the fall season, using pumpkin pie spices and RumChata! It’s become one of my favorite fall treats that’s super easy and no need to turn on the oven.
- You only need a handful of pantry staples for these, no special grocery trip required.
- For that classic pumpkin pie flavor everyone craves this time of year, you won’t need any canned pumpkin or extra prep.
- You’ll taste a cinnamon-cream flavor here you won’t get from rum alone.
- These taste even better the next day, so you can make them ahead of a party and keep them in the fridge until you need them.
- With just a quick roll in cinnamon sugar, you get a festive look with no extra effort.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredient Notes
- Vanilla wafers: I use Nilla wafers here since they crush into a fine, sandy crumb that holds these together well. Any crisp vanilla wafer cookie works, just make sure it’s a hard, crunchy variety and not a soft cookie.
- Pumpkin pie spice: This is a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, and sometimes allspice, not pumpkin itself, so there’s no canned pumpkin or squash anywhere in this recipe. I use it for concentrated fall flavor without the extra liquid canned pumpkin would add to the dough.
- Rumchata: This is a cream liqueur made with rum, dairy cream, cinnamon, and vanilla, and I add it for the smooth, creamy backbone in these rum balls. I use it in my Rumchata rum balls too, and it’s worth keeping a bottle around for the holidays since it’s also great in coffee and cocktails.
- Rum: I go with a dark or spiced rum here for a deeper flavor than I’d get from a light rum. If you want to see how these compare to a more traditional version, I make a similar dough with just rum in my rum balls.
- Honey: I rely on honey to bind the crumbs together and add a touch of floral sweetness alongside the spice.
NOTE: Since these never see the inside of an oven, the alcohol in both the rum and the Rumchata doesn’t cook off the way it would in a baked recipe. As someone who’s food safety certified, I treat these as a strictly adults-only treat and keep them well out of reach of kids, the same way I would with any boozy no-bake dessert.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Rum Balls
- Crush the wafers: Pulse the vanilla wafers in a food processor until they look like fine crumbs, almost like sand. Bigger chunks make the dough harder to roll into a smooth ball later.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the wafer crumbs, powdered sugar, and pumpkin pie spice until they’re evenly combined.
- Add the wet ingredients: Whisk the honey, rum, and Rumchata together, then pour it over the dry mixture and stir until the dough comes together. It should hold its shape when pressed, but not feel wet or sticky.
- Chill if needed: If the dough feels too soft to roll, I pop the bowl in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes. It makes a big difference when it comes to rolling neat, round balls.
- Roll into balls: Use a small cookie scoop for evenly sized portions, then roll each one between your palms until smooth.
- Coat in spiced sugar: Whisk together the powdered sugar and pumpkin pie spice for the coating, then roll each ball until it’s fully covered.
- Chill to set: Refrigerate the rolled rum balls for at least 30 minutes before serving, so they firm up and hold their shape.
Ways to Serve Pumpkin Spice Cookie Balls
These fit right into any fall or holiday spread.
- I like setting these out on a dessert board next to other bite-sized sweets.
- Pack a few into a small tin for a simple, boozy hostess gift.
- Pair them with a warm mug of cider or my chai cocktail, since the spiced, creamy flavors work well together.
- For a Halloween or Friendsgiving spread, try piling these onto a platter, since they travel well and don’t need to be kept warm.
How to Store and Freeze Pumpkin Spice Rum Balls
- Store: in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks. They’ll also hold up at room temperature in a cool spot for about a week, though the fridge keeps them firmer and holds the coating in place.
- Freeze: in a single layer on a parchment-lined tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
- A tip on the coating: if you’re making these ahead, hold off on the final roll in cinnamon sugar until right before serving. The coating absorbs moisture from the cookie balls over time and can turn glassy instead of staying powdery.
Pumpkin Spice Rum Balls Recipe FAQs
No, these get their flavor from pumpkin pie spice, a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove, not from pumpkin puree or squash. It’s a mix-up I hear about often, since the name sounds like it should include actual pumpkin.
Rumchata is a cream liqueur made with Caribbean rum, dairy cream, cinnamon, and vanilla. You can find it at most liquor stores, and I use it here for the smooth, creamy edge alongside the straight rum.
This recipe makes about 12 rum balls at a 1-inch size. You can roll them smaller to stretch the batch further, or double the recipe if you’re serving a crowd.
Swap the rum for about 1/2-1 tsp of rum extract mixed with a little water, and replace the RumChata with a splash of heavy cream plus extra cinnamon and vanilla. Start with less amount of heavy whipping cream because RumChata is actually slightly thicker. The flavor won’t be identical, but you’ll still get a spiced, creamy no-bake cookie.
They can, though graham crackers are a different weight/density than vanilla wafers, so it’s best to measure by weight rather than by box count. One reader swapped in graham crackers successfully but needed a bit more Rumchata to bring the dough back to the right consistency, since graham crackers soak up more moisture.
This usually means the dough needs a touch more liquid, or that it wasn’t packed firmly enough going into the scoop. Press the dough into the scoop before rolling, since packing it tightly helps each ball hold its shape.
More Recipes From Me
- Eggnog Cookie Balls
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
- Espresso Chocolate Truffles
- Cranberry White Chocolate Fudge
- Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies
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Pumpkin Spice Rum Balls Recipe
Ingredients
- 11 oz Nilla wafers makes 3 cups crushed
- 1/4 cup Rumchata
- 2 Tbsp rum
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup powder sugar for rolling + 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice sifted together
Instructions
- Pulse Nilla wafers in a blender until all crumbled.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix powder sugar, pumpkin pie spice, wafer crumbs, honey, rum and Rumchata until completely mixed and looks like cookie dough.
- Roll cookie dough into 1-inch balls.
- Roll each cookie in powder sugar mixture.
- Store in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
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Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
These are delicious! Everyone loves them. However, this year my grocery store was out of nilla wafers, so I tried it with graham crackers. You have to measure out the weight because a pack of graham crackers is 16 oz, while the nilla wafers are 11. The other thing I had to do was add more Rumchata. The grahams needed a little more moisture to make the rum balls just right for rolling. Start with a teaspoon and go from there. The recipe made 22 balls if trying to make them 1 inch diameter.
Thank you so much for your feedback! I’m thrilled to hear the Pumpkin Rum Balls were a hit, even with the graham cracker substitution. Your detailed tips are so helpful—measuring by weight and adjusting the Rumchata for moisture is such a smart approach. I love that you were able to make them work perfectly! Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful and delicious holiday season!
So good! A holiday party hit!!!
I am do glad to hear that terry!
I would also like to know what Rumchata is and where I can get it. I didn’t see a reply for the previous comment.
Hi, Leigh! RumChata, is a cream liqueur that has the perfect blend of Rum, Cream, Cinnamon and Vanilla and you can get it anywhere that sells liqueur it’s in a white bottle with a gold top.
I want to make the Pumpkin Spice Rum Balls, but what is Rumchata and where can I find it?
These sound delicious! Will be making them for a Harvest Party this weekend. Can you tell me how many actual cookie balls the recipe makes – serves 12 is not clear if it’s only 12 cookies or multiples of twelve. Need to know for planning purposes. I have a similar recipe with cocoa and rum that I make and it makes 48 rum balls. Thanks in advance for your help!
Hi Deb! I’m SO sorry for the late response. I actually just noticed that the final recipe format says “serves” because it’s different in the draft. It actually makes 12 rum balls. You can double the recipe or make the rum balls smaller to make more. Thank you!
Well…while these sound amazing, and I will be making them ASAP, I do have to comment that pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice are not the same thing. I mean…pumpkin is a squash and pumpkin pie spice is, as you said, a mixture of spices used to make a pumpkin pie. Not the same thing.
What’s the best way to store these? How far ahead can I make them?
Hi Andrea! You ca make these a day or two in advance, just so they are nice and fresh. Store them in the fridge in an air-tight container. They don’t have to in the fridge if you’re serving them the same day. I keep all my cookie balls in the fridge because we can never eat them fast enough and they last much longer that way.
I really hope you enjoy them!