Today coconut rum teams with honey, cocoa powder, actual coconut, vanilla, and toasted pecans and it’s all enrobed under a generous layer of pure dark chocolate. That’s a crazy amount of flavor and texture in 1 bite size truffle, but we’re never afraid of overdoing it here. Oh! I forgot to mention a little orange zest because dark chocolate and orange = LOVE.
Here’s what’s going down. And if you don’t understand anything you’re about to read you can watch me actually making them in the video below PLUS exactly how I dip truffles in chocolate. Yay!
These aren’t traditional truffles made from chocolate and cream. More like Oreo balls meets holiday rum balls. In fact, this recipe was inspired by the cocoa rum ball recipe in Sally’s Candy Addiction. Rum balls are delicious, especially if you use coconut rum instead of regular rum. But we’re going a step further today! Let’s start with the pecans. We’re going to toast them to really bring out their flavor. You can use walnuts instead of pecans, just make sure they are chopped nice and fine. If there’s a nut allergy in your house, you can use extra graham cracker crumbs. Traditional rum balls are made with vanilla wafers, but any dry cookie crumb will do. Graham cracker flavor seemed to work well with what I was throwing into the bowl. Also, I didn’t have any vanilla wafers because I forgot to pick up a box. For another variation I use Biscoff cookies in this recipe for rum balls.
We’ve also got confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder for some binding dry ingredients and a little honey not only for sweetness and flavor, but to help all the ingredients stick. Vanilla extract and orange zest for added flavor and the star of the show: coconut rum!
Guess what. If you don’t want to add coconut rum at all, you can add orange juice in its place. Very tasty with all these flavors.
How to Dip Coconut Rum Balls
I use this dipping tool set when I dip truffles. More specifically, the spiral one. You can see it in the video below, but I dunk the entire ball into the melted chocolate then lift out with the tool. Tap it a few times to rid excess chocolate then quickly flip it over onto the lined baking sheet. Thenโand this is the secret touchโI make a swirl motion when I lift the tool off the truffle. This creates a pretty swirly look on top.
Print
Chocolate Coconut Rum Balls
- Prep Time: 55 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Yield: 25 truffles
- Category: Candy
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
My favorite rum balls taken up a notch! Turn them into dark chocolate coconut rum truffles with a couple easy steps.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (150g) graham cracker crumbs (about 10 full sheets)
- 1 cup (110g) shelled pecans
- 1/2 cup (60g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (10g) unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2 Tablespoons (43g) honey
- 1/4 cup (60ml) coconut rum*
- 1 cup (80g) sweetened shredded coconut
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 10 ounces (282g) quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped*
Instructions
- Preheat oven toย 300ยฐF (150ยฐC). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Spread pecans on top and toast for 7-8 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then give them a fine chop or pulse in a food processor until finely chopped. See photo above for how mine look.
- Add all of the ingredients except for the chopped chocolate to a medium bowl. Stir to combine.ย The mixture will be sticky. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 45 minutes (and up toย 2ย days) before forming into balls.ย Chilling makes the mixture sturdier and easier to work with.
- During the last few minutes of the chilling time, begin melting the chocolate. You can melt the chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave. If using the microwave: place the chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. I like to use a liquid measuring cup. Its depth makes it easier for dipping. Melt in 30 second increments in the microwave, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Let the warm chocolate sit for 5 minutes to slightly cool before dipping.
- Remove chilled mixtureย from the refrigerator. Take 2 teaspoons of the mixture and roll into a ball, thenย dip completely into the chocolate using a dipping tool (see video above for how I dip!). Repeat with the remaining mixture. When lifting the ballย out of the chocolate, remember to tap the dipping tool gently on the side of the bowl to allow excess chocolate to drip off. ย Place ballsย back onto the baking sheet after you dip each one.ย Refrigerate forย 30ย minutes or until chocolate has completely set before serving.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: These truffles are best made ahead of time because the flavors intensify afterย a day or two. You can either prepare the mixture through step 2 up to 2 days in advance or you can roll the mixture into balls then refrigerate or freeze.ย Chocolateย doesn’t look or tasteย ideal after being refrigerated or frozen forย tooย long, so I usually just roll the mixture into balls then coat them in chocolate the day I need them. Here’s how I store the uncoated balls: layer between sheets of parchment paper and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then coat in chocolate.
- Special Toolsย (affiliate links): Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Food Processor | Glass Mixing Bowl | Double Boiler or Liquid Measuring Cup | Candy Dipping Tool
- Rum: If coconut rum (or rum in general) isn’t your thing, use orange juice in its place. This will make an incredible dark chocolate orange coconut truffle.
- Chocolate: I like Ghirardelli or Baker’s brand. Use 10 ounces of chocolate if coating all of the truffles. I only coated half with chocolate in these photos, so I used about 5-6 ounces of chocolate. For the rest, I rolled them in graham cracker crumbs. You can also roll in chopped sweetened (and toasted!) coconut as well.
- Adapted from cocoa rum balls in Sally’s Candy Addiction cookbook.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I canโt find the video to make the cake pops. Please help
Hi Rosette! We’re having issues with the videos playing on our website right now but you can find the video on our YouTube channel!
These are addictingly delicious. I increased rum to โ cup, which was stronger but still great. They are somehow even better the day after making- all my friends loved them!
I make many different truffles and other candies for Christmas time. I definitely want to try this recipe.
Can I make this without coconut? Or less?
Hi Judith, here is our recipe for regular chocolate truffles instead. You can leave out the extract and add 1-2 Tablespoons of your favorite liqueur, if you want a rum truffle without the coconut.
Made these with semi-sweet chocolate and coconut rum. Absolutely delicious. These will be a standard on my holiday cookie trays for years to come.
Does it matter what kind of chocolate you use when dipping? Milk, semi, dark. Would chocolate chips work for this part or is it still best to use baking chocolate?
Hi Julie, we prefer to use semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, but milk chocolate should work as well. It’s best to use baking chocolate here.
I had unsweetened coconut on hand so added a little extra sugar…and had โno choiceโ but to add double the rum made it so much more delicious! Thanks for a great recipe! Although the taste was amazing, I think it could be a bit more truffle-y inside and less grainy…maybe with coconut cream?
Do the rum balls need to be kept in frig when done?
Hi Sandra, See recipe note #1 for how I store these.
Hi Sally, Another couple questions… do you use salted or unsalted pecans? Also, if you are swapping out rum for coconut rum, what would be the exchange, and how much added vanilla and rum extract?
As always, your talent and creativity never ceases to amaze me!
Happy Valentines Day!
โค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธ
Hi Donna! You can use either salted or unsalted pecans. If you like salty/sweet, you can use salted. The regular rum is a 1:1 substitution for coconut rum. Feel free to add a bit of rum extract, but it’s not necessary. This recipe just uses 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Hi Sally! Iโm getting started on Valentineโs Day a little early. I plan on making these divine looking truffles and canโt wait to get started! I have a lot to make. My question is what kind of cocoa powder do you use? Dutch Processed or Unsweetened?
Thank You for all your marvelous recipes. I love your insight and expertise! โค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธ
Hi Donna! I recommend unsweetened cocoa powder. You can use dutch-process or natural. Enjoy!
Sally,
If I don’t have orange zest can I substitute with orange oil ? And how much ? Thank you !ย
How about 1/4 teaspoon to start. Taste, then add more if you’d like.