Rum balls are a classic Christmas treat. There are endless options but they usually contain some chocolate and of course, some rum. This version is stuffed with other nutrient dense ingredients- almond flour and almond butter for protein and substance, medjool dates and maple syrup for natural sweetness and a vanilla bean for extra flavour.
The chocolate flavour comes from raw cacao mixed into the truffles then used for an outer coating. It is considered to be an incredibly nutrient dense food because of its mineral and antioxidant content but regular roasted cacao is a more economical and widely available option that works just as well for flavour.
Nutritious Rum Balls
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Serves: 16
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup tightly packed large medjool dates, pitted (around 16-18)
- ¾ cup dark spiced rum
- ¾ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup almond butter
- ¼ cup raw cacao (or roasted if unavailable)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and husk discarded (or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract)
- Optional: a few extra spoonfuls of raw cacao for coating
DIRECTIONS:
- Optional prep: soak the dates in the rum for a few hours up to overnight to get the rum flavour extra infused.
- Pulse the dates and rum in a high speed blender or food processor a few times (alternatively, cut the dates finely then mash them with the rum) until it forms a paste then transfer to a medium pot and set it on the stove over medium heat. Stir often until the paste thickens and the sharpness of the rum cooks down and mellows out, around 5 minutes. Add in the other ingredients and fold with a sturdy spatula until it blends completely. Remove from heat and set aside until it cools, around 10-15 mins. Take 2 tablespoons at a time and roll it into balls then place in mini muffin cups and refrigerate until serving.
- Optional last step: roll the balls in cacao powder until they are very lightly coated.
- They will stay in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple weeks or the freezer for a couple months.
Almond flour is simply ground up almonds, it can be found in the bulk and baking section of large grocers and health food stores or made at home with a food processor or high speed blender. Like almonds it has a subtle, sweet flavour that doesn’t overpower the other ingredients but any nut flour available can be used.
Dark spiced rum is great for sweet treats because it has a deep flavour with nice spice undertones. Soaking the dates until they absorb the rum is an optional preparation step that deepens the rum’s impact.
