Coquito Balls (Caribbean-Style Rum Balls)

Prep time: 20 min
Servings: 36
Yield: 36 servings

Description

For rum balls with a Caribbean flair, try these no-bake Coquito balls flavored with coconut and other spices--they're perfect for holiday dessert plates or for gifting.

Ingredients

1 (3 1/2 ounce) package sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, divided
2 (10 ounce) packages coconut cookies (such as Coconut Cocadas® or Coconut Gems®)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup white rum (such as Bacardi®)
3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

Directions

1 Place coconut flakes in food processor and pulse until finely chopped with some chunks of coconut still visible; do not process to a powdered consistency. Transfer to a bowl and mix with 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. Set aside.
2 Process coconut cookies in batches in the food processor until they become fine crumbs. When all cookies have been processed, measure 5 cups crumbs and pour them into a large mixing bowl. Discard any additional crumbs or reserve for another use.
3 Add remaining 1 cup powdered sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the mixing bowl and mix with cookie crumbs until well combined.
4 Mix together rum and sweetened condensed milk in a small measuring cup; pour slowly into the cookie crumb mixture, stirring to combine. Mix everything until well blended.
5 Use your hands to form dough into about thirty-six 1 1/4-inch balls. Roll each ball in the reserved coconut-sugar mixture until well coated, lightly pressing in the coconut topping. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve or gift.