Ingredients
- 1 (3.5 ounce) package sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar, divided
- 2 (10 ounce) packages coconut cookies (such as Coconut Cocadas® or Coconut Gems®)
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup white rum (such as Bacardi®)
- 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
What Makes This Recipe So Great
Best Cooking Tips
- Chill the dough before rolling to make shaping easier.
- Roll the balls in powdered sugar or cocoa powder for an extra layer of flavor and texture.
Step 1
Put the coconut flakes in a food processor and pulse them a few times until they’re chopped up but still have some texture—don’t turn them into a powder. Toss the chopped coconut into a bowl and mix it with 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, then set that aside for later.
Step 2
Break up the coconut cookies in the food processor in batches until they turn into fine crumbs. Once you have enough, measure out 5 cups and put them in a large bowl. If you have extra crumbs, you can save them for another recipe or just discard them.
Step 3
To the cookie crumbs, add the remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar along with the cocoa powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Give everything a good stir until it’s all mixed together.
Step 4
In a small measuring cup, combine the rum and sweetened condensed milk. Slowly pour this mixture into the cookie crumb bowl, stirring as you go so everything comes together evenly.
Step 5
When the dough feels ready, use your hands to roll it into about 36 balls, each roughly 1 1/4 inches across. Roll each ball in the coconut and sugar mix you set aside earlier, pressing lightly so the coconut sticks well.
Step 6
Pop the rum balls into an airtight container and refrigerate until you’re ready to enjoy or share them. They taste even better after chilling for a bit!
