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    Home » Recipes » Chocolate

    Published: Nov 25, 2019 · Updated: Oct 18, 2020 · This post may contain affiliate links · We donate 10% of our profits to support good causes.

    Vegan Rum Truffles

    Jump to Recipe 6 Comments Share Pin Save Saved!

    Decadently delicious and easy to make - this vegan rum truffle recipe is top on our list of festive treats. Serve these rum balls at your next holiday party or give them as cute Christmas presents, just make sure to gift yourself some too!

    A pyramid of coconut covered rum truffles

    Vegan Rum Truffles, also known as Rum Balls, are a chocolate treat popular around the festive season. They are really easy to make and don’t require an oven.

    Unlike some other truffles which become very soft at room temp, these are firm at room temperature. You don't have to refrigerate your finished vegan rum truffles, which makes them transportable as a perfect little gift! 

    As the name suggests, Rum Truffles are made with rum. And as they are not baked, they retain both the rum aroma and alcohol. They are great thing to make in the campervan, as they don’t require an oven.

    They might not be seen as the most child-friendly Christmas goodie - not that anybody was worried about that twenty years ago - but they can certainly cheer up your holidays…

    We certainly had fun making them, as you can see from the video! (Watch with sound on for the full festive experience!)

    Rum balls - a typical holiday treat

    The baking of Christmas cookies is very popular in many Central European countries. In my homeland of Austria, these vanilla crescent cookies are probably the most famous!

    Plates and tins full of a variety of cookies, gingerbreads, biscuits and pralines are found in every kitchen, on dining tables and are given away to friends and family. Rum balls are often a part of this and bring variety onto a cookie plate.

    The German name for these Rum Truffles, ‘Rumkugeln’, translates as rum balls (Rum = rum, Kugel = ball). But funnily enough, if used as a verb, ‘rumkugeln’ can have a very different meaning: to roll around (‘rum = around, kugeln = to roll), which is what you do when you had too many of them. 😉 

    I remember my mum ‘measuring’ the rum ‘by feeling’, just adding a dash straight from the bottle into the mixing bowl. It was that decisive moment in the making of the rum balls. Sometimes you would hear a high-pitched “ooh!”, which meant that they were going to turn out rather strong that year… 

    Three vegan rum truffles next to a crystal glass of rum

    Is rum vegan?

    Did you know that not all alcohols are vegan, and some use animal products in their processing?

    To find out if your bottle of rum is vegan, Barnivore is a super helpful drink directory which will tell you, check it out here.

    Our favourite variation of vegan rum truffle 

    Recipes for rum balls vary, and not only in the amount of rum that goes in. Some recipes call for ground hazelnuts, some use ground up remains of stale sponge cake to firm up the truffle mixture.

    You might see a shot of espresso in some recipes, too. We ran some tasty tests and have found our favourite, easiest recipe.

    We think that hazelnuts overpower the other flavours in the rum balls, plus we like to keep things simple.

    So for our vegan rum truffle recipes we just use dark chocolate, coconut oil, cocoa powder, sugar, instant coffee, and - of course - rum. 

    Finally, we roll our vegan rum truffles in coconut flakes (also known as desiccated or shredded coconut.)

    Coconut flakes look a bit like snow, which fits the season (in the northern hemisphere), and they also add some nice texture. As a bonus, they leave your hands clean.

    Alternatives to the coconut flakes could be rolling the rum balls in cocoa powder, chocolate sprinkles, or vegan icing sugar.

    Rolling the rum ball in coconut
    Rum truffles ready to cover in coconut

    Can I make this vegan rum truffle recipe without alcohol?

    Yes you can! The flavour of the rum is quite important though, but don’t worry!

    You can use liquid rum aroma, non-alcoholic liquor, vanilla or almond extract to bring some flavour to your truffles.

    But be aware, some of these products still have some alcohol in them. So if you are particularly cautious about alcohol levels, always check the ingredients on the label of whatever you use. 

    Dark chocolate truffles stacked in a pyramid

    Tips on making Rum Truffles

    Choice of fat

    The fat in the recipe helps hold the mixture together. Coconut oil which is solid around room temperature, works best for this job. Using refined coconut oil has a more neutral, less coconut-y taste.

    Melting the chocolate

    We have recently developed a new technique of how to use a hot water bath to melt chocolate. For this, the hot water does not need to sit in a pan on the hob.

    Simply pour hot water from the kettle into one bowl, and place a second bowl with the chocolate and coconut fat on top, so it touches the hot water. The water stays hot enough to melt your chocolate just fine. This way, you don’t have to keep regulating the hob to keep it at just a simmer.

    Cooling down the mixture

    After mixing, the mixture needs to cool down to become roll-able.

    Refrigerating is the easiest and quickest way to achieve this, but check up on the mixture very regularly, especially after about 15 minutes.

    The mix can firm up very suddenly, and a few extra minutes in the fridge can make it almost too solid to shape. Don’t worry, you’d simply have to wait for it to become soft again. And if the mix has separated a little, just stir it and it will be fine.

    Rolling the rum balls

    Rolling the truffles into its shape is much easier if you have naturally cold hands. If your hands are just always a bit warm (like mine), dust them with cocoa powder first and regularly.

    That keeps the fats from melting and makes smooth truffles… and you won’t have to lick the chocolate from all over your palms. Poor you!

    The dark, soft inside of a vegan rum truffle

    We hope you enjoy our vegan rum truffle recipe! If you fancy something else chocolatey too... Try our other favourite vegan chocolate recipes perfect for making this festive season:

    This no bake Vegan Chocolate Salami

    Our easy Vegan Chocolate Pear Cake

    And these three ingredient No Bake Chocolate Cookies

    Wishing you a very merry rum truffle season!

    Sophie and Paul

    📖 Recipe

    A pyramid of coconut covered rum truffles

    Vegan Rum Truffles

    by Sophie & Paul
    5 from 7 votes
    These vegan rum truffles are decadently delicious. Rich chocolates with a kick and rolled in coconut make the perfect festive treat or gift.
    Print Pin Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cooling Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Makes: 20 truffles
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Vegan

    Ingredients
     

    • 100 g (3.5 oz) dark chocolate 70% cocoa
    • 2.5 tbsp refined coconut oil
    • 4 tsp good quality rum
    • 2 tbsp icing sugar
    • 1 tsp cocoa powder
    • 1 tsp instant coffee powder

    coating

    • 20 g (¼ cup) dessicated coconut

    Instructions
     

    • Break the chocolate into pieces. Place it in a bowl with the coconut oil and melt over a hot water bath, stirring frequently.
    • Take the bowl off the hot water bath and stir in the rum.
    • Add the sugar, cocoa powder and instant coffee powder, mix to combine.
    • Let the mixture cool down to solidify and become mouldable.
      TIP: Refrigerate to speed things up, but check on it every few minutes. Below the fat's melting point, the mixture will solidify very suddenly.
    • With a teaspoon, scoop out portions of the mixture and roll into balls between your palms.
      TIP: If your hands are warm and the chocolate melts, cover your palms in cocoa powder before rolling.
    • Roll the shaped truffles in a plate of coconut to coat them.
      TIP: Coat the balls immediately after shaping. Otherwise they might cool down and the coconut might not stick so well.

    Notes

    We adapted this recipe to make these non alcoholic Chocolate Orange Truffles, which are great if you'd like to make a variety of truffles! 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 47kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 36mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg

    This information is calculated per serving and is an estimate only.

    Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment to let us know! Share a photo and tag @veganonboard - we love to see what you make!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jilly Richardson says

      September 23, 2023 at 10:37 pm

      Hi - thanks for this recipe. How long would they keep for? I’m assuming that alcohol will preserve them …? Jilly

      Reply
      • Sophie and Paul says

        September 25, 2023 at 10:55 am

        Hi Jilly, You're welcome! I've personally kept them for up to three weeks with no problems. The alcohol and absence of cream does help to extend their shelf life. Storing in an airtight contatiner in the fridge or freezer will help them last longer.

        Reply
    2. Ellen says

      November 29, 2020 at 10:59 am

      I really want to make these however we aren't coffee drinkers - is there something I can add instead?

      Reply
      • Sophie and Paul says

        November 29, 2020 at 11:09 am

        Hey Ellen, you can simply leave the coffee out. 🙂 Have fun and let us know how they turn out!

        Reply
    3. CHP says

      November 28, 2019 at 2:36 pm

      This has been my fave dessert for the longest! Since vegan, I haven't really had it. I guess once. This is great, so I can try this recipe during Christmas time 🙂 Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sophie and Paul says

        December 04, 2019 at 6:07 pm

        Wahoo! Wishing you a merry Rumkugeln filled time 🙂 Sophie x

        Reply

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