These wickedly delicious paleo rum balls are a perfect Christmas treat minus the guilt. Grain, dairy and refined sugar-free, these chocolate orange balls of goodness are also raw and vegan friendly. In addition, they are super easy to make – absolutely no cooking involved and your kids can help to roll the balls.
They do contain some dark rum so it’s up to you if you want to give them to the kids. I’m pretty sure that was never a problem in our household and I turned out ok…I think. Feel free to leave the rum out completely and instead add 30ml of orange juice.
I hope you enjoy this recipe. Let me know what you think in the comments below. Don’t forget to share with friends and family, or bookmark it for later on Pinterest from here. And if you’re gonna snap it for Instagram, make sure to tag @eatdrinkpaleo so I can find it.
Want more Christmas paleo treats?
Tahini & Mustard Paleo Crackers (nut-free)
Cherry Ripe Balls
Paleo Christmas Mango Trifle
Festive Kiss-me Orange Cake
Paleo Raw Chocolate Bark
Coconut Raspberry Cake
Irena x
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PinDescription
Raw cacao powder can be used in cocoa powder. Ground up seeds could be used instead of almond meal. You could also add some flaxseed or chia seeds to the mix.
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond meal (or other ground nuts)
- 30 ml /1 fl oz dark rum (about a shot glass)
- 6 tablespoons coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons brown rice malt syrup or maple syrup
- 1/2 cup sultanas or raisins
- Zest of 2 oranges
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut (unsweetened)
- Extra cocoa and desiccated coconut for dusting
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a food processor. Process into a thick, doughy mixture. It should be coming off the sides and sticking together.
- Roll into small balls using your hands. Note that your hands will be oily from coconut oil inside, which makes it very easy to roll the balls without the mixture sticking to your fingers. No need to wet your hands.
- Dust the finished balls with some desiccated coconut and extra cocoa powder. Place on a plate and refrigerate, covered with cling wrap.
- Store in an air-tight container in a cool place, refrigerator if possible, before serving. These should keep for a week, if not a little longer.
These looks so good! Can’t wait to whip up a batch for Christmas with the family this year.
You are an evil lady! These look divine… I think I am over Christmas eating and it’s not even Christmas Eve yet but I can justify these delightful paleo treats.
Lovely site btw.
These smell and taste divine.
I made these for Christmas Day. They were delicious. Had no sultanas so used chopped dried apricots and used the orange juice instead of rum. Went down a treat. Any chance there is a white christmas version as the younger kids didn’t like the taste of the cocoa.
Many thanks for the unbelievable recipes you have on this website they are fantastic.
Laura
Thanks Laura 🙂 If they like coconut, you could make something similar with a little coconut cream, extra shaved coconut, apricots, and maybe some vanilla extract. I’ll have to think of a white version 😉
thanks so much. I am looking forward to your white version.
have a great new year.
Laura
Made these yesterday for a party, they were a huge hit!
I made these using half hazelnut flour half almond flour – tastes sort of ferrero roche like!
Can I substitute coconut flour for the almond flour. If yes do I use the same amount. Thank you so much.
You can but use less coconut flour as it tends to absorb more moisture. Try using 1/2 or 3/4, depending on how thick the mixture gets.
We’ve made about ten batches of these in the past few weeks… they’re amazing and super addictive!
Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Yummo!! I whipped up a batch of these for Christmas dinner and they were a huge hit! And so quick and easy. That little bit of rum went a long way- they sat in the fridge for four days and were pretty potent- but very delicious!!
Hi. They look yummy. I’m thinking of using this receipe for a party on Saturday. Could I make them on Friday and keep them in a fridge? If it means it’ll impact on how fresh and delicious they are I’ll just make them on the Saturday instead. Thanks.
Hey Andy, I made these a few days ahead of time & they were fine in the fridge!! Got a little more potent but still amazing.
These are delicious! Made them multiple times and are a big hit in my family. A great healthier alternative to regular chocolate truffles.
Used this recipe as a base…
Didn’t have enough coconut oil, so it ended up being more rum, no oranges either or sultanas (dates instead). I did add a scoop of whey protein as I found it too wet (and not sweet enough). Popped them in the freezer, then the fridge and wow. Super easy (clean up took longer) and way better than the recipe I attempted last week.
5 stars from me 🙂
I want to make these for my children….you think I could use the juice of the oranges instead of the rum?
Yes, you can omit the rum completely and they will still be lovely orange chocolate flavour.
Hi,
Thinking of making these rum balls for Xmas. Can you replace the orange zest with 2-3 drops of orange essential oil?
Thanks
Yes, definitely.