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WW Recipe of the Day: Low-Fat Chocolate Rum Balls
There are many ways to make holiday rum balls—some common recipes include crushed vanilla wafers, chops pecans and powdered sugar. This enlightened version is made with old-fashioned rolled oats and fiber-rich dates with no added sugar!
This recipe has a fraction of the fat found in more traditional rum balls, mixes together in minutes and makes a small batch of 14 rum balls—but can easily be doubled, or even tripled for large gatherings.
How Many Calories and WW Points in these Low Fat Rum Balls?
According to my calculations, each 2 rum ball serving size has 155 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
4 PointsPlus (Old plan)
How to Make Low Fat Rum Balls
Step 1: Gather and prepare all ingredients.
Step 2: Add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder to shallow bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Process the dates in a food processor (affiliate link) (fitted with a chopping blade) until they are finely chopped.
Step 4: Add the remaining cocoa powder, oats, rum, vanilla and allspice and continue processing until the oats are finely chopped and the mixture sticks together (stopping to scrape down the sides of the processor as necessary).
Step 5: Spoon the mixture into a mixing bowl. Using about 1 tablespoon each, roll mixture into balls between the palms of your hands and place on a clean plate.
Step 6: Roll balls in reserved cocoa powder until completely coated; place balls in a small sieve/strainer (affiliate link) and gently shake to remove any excess cocoa.
Step 7: Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.
Recipe Notes
What is a good replacement for the rum?
According to McCormick & Company, for every tablespoon of dark rum required in a recipe you can substitute 1/2 tablespoons (1-1/2 teaspoons) of rum extract. And if the recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of light rum, you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of rum extract.
Does rum extract contain rum?
You may find two types of rum extract, natural and imitation, or artificial. Natural rum extract has a concentrated richer and more complex rum flavor without the higher alcohol content of rum. The imitation versions are made with artificial ingredients and tend to have a less interesting taste, though they work just fine in most recipes.
Serving Suggestions
Add these bite-size rum balls to your holiday cookie platter. They also make great hostess gifts and pack well for cookie swaps.
If you’ve made these Lightened Up Gluten-Free Rum Balls, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Low Fat Rum Balls Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1-1/2 cups pitted dates (number of dates with vary based on size)
- 2/3 cup old-fashioned oats
- 2 tablespoons dark rum (I used Myer's)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder to shallow bowl and set aside.
- Process the dates in a food processor (affiliate link) (fitted with a chopping blade) until they are finely chopped.
- Add the remaining cocoa powder, oats, rum, vanilla and allspice and continue processing until the oats are finely chopped and the mixture sticks together (stopping to scrape down the sides of the processor as necessary).
- Spoon the mixture into a mixing bowl. Using about 1 tablespoon each, roll mixture into balls between the palms of your hands and place on a clean plate.
- Roll balls in reserved cocoa powder until completely coated; place balls in a small sieve/strainer (affiliate link) and gently shake to remove any excess cocoa.
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 4 PointsPlus (Old plan) What is a good replacement for the rum? According to McCormick & Company, for every tablespoon of dark rum required in a recipe you can substitute 1/2 tablespoons (1-1/2 teaspoons) of rum extract. And if the recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of light rum, you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of rum extract.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe source: The Biggest Loser Dessert Cookbook: More than 80 Healthy Treats That Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth without Breaking Your Calorie Budget (affiliate link) by Chef Devin Alexander and The Biggest Loser Experts and Cast with Melissa Roberson
