These gluten-free Danish rum balls are inspired by the traditional Scandinavian bakery treat — romkugler — made from leftover cakes and pastries. Rich, chocolatey, and coated in shredded coconut, they’re the perfect way to repurpose leftover gluten-free cake into an irresistible no-waste dessert.
The Danish Bakery Tradition of Rum Balls
One of the things I love about Danish baking is that almost nothing goes to waste. Rum balls — called romkugler in Danish — were originally created by bakeries as a way to give leftover cakes and pastries a second life. Instead of throwing away perfectly good cake at the end of the day, they blended it with cocoa, jam, and rum (or rum essence), rolled the mixture into balls, coated them in coconut, and sold them the following day as an inexpensive sweet treat. They quickly became a favorite with Danish children and remain one of the country’s most recognizable bakery classics.
Today, they’re still one of the smartest — and most delicious — ways to rescue cake that has gone a little dry, broken during baking, or simply didn’t get eaten.
The Perfect Use for Leftover Gluten-Free Cake
Gluten-free cakes deserve the same second chance. Instead of letting leftover slices sit in the freezer indefinitely, I like turning them into rum balls. Almost any gluten-free cake works, and combining different cakes often creates even more interesting flavors.
These rum balls are naturally gluten-free and can easily fit a lectin-free lifestyle when made with compliant cakes and sweeteners. The sweetness is entirely adjustable, so you can make them as mildly sweet or as indulgent as you like.
My Favorite Combination: Lamingtons and Citrus Cake
For these rum balls I started with a citrus almond cake, then turned part of that cake into gluten-free Lamingtons by coating the pieces in chocolate and rolling them in shredded coconut. The following day I blended both the plain cake and the Lamingtons together to make the rum balls.
The extra chocolate and coconut from the Lamingtons create wonderful depth of flavor, but don’t worry if you don’t have them. This recipe is wonderfully forgiving and works with almost any leftover gluten-free cake you have on hand.
Below is the citrus almond cake recipe I use most often as the base for these rum balls. It’s inspired by a lemon coffee cake recipe from Dr. Steven Gundry’s cookbook, with a few modifications of my own. Feel free to use this cake, your favorite gluten-free cake recipe, or simply whatever leftovers happen to be waiting in your freezer.
- Mix together the following dry ingredients: 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour, 1/4 cup coconut flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon baking soda.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 pasture-raised eggs, 1/4 cup allulose, 1/4 cup avocado oil, the juice of 3 lemons, the zest of 2 lemons, the zest of 1 organic orange, 1/4 cup full-fat unsweetened coconut milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
- Pour the batter into a rectangular Pyrex baking dish and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Once cooled, you can use the cake in two ways. Like I do, you can turn part of it into Lamingtons by cutting it into cubes or rectangles, coating the pieces in melted chocolate, and rolling them in shredded coconut. Enjoy a few as they are, then use the leftovers the next day to make the rum balls. Alternatively, simply refrigerate the cake overnight before using it. If you have other compliant cakes or desserts on hand, feel free to include them in the mixture as well.
Make the Rum Balls
Use the lamingtons, or any leftover cake you have, process them with the rest of the ingredients from the recipe card below, and shape them into balls. Coat them in shredded coconut and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
They are a delicious little treat, perfect for cofffee ot tea time.
Enjoy!
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Gluten-Free Danish Rum Balls
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 10
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: Scandinavian
- Diet: Gluten-Free
Description
These gluten-free Danish rum balls are inspired by the traditional Scandinavian bakery treat — romkugler — made from leftover cakes and pastries. Rich, chocolatey, and coated in shredded coconut, they’re the perfect way to repurpose leftover gluten-free cake into an irresistible no-waste dessert.
Ingredients
- About 6 cups roughly chopped leftover gluten-free cake (see Notes)
- 2–3 tablespoons homemade berry jam (I use sugar-free strawberry jam)
- 3–4 tablespoons unsweetened raw cacao powder
- 3–4 teaspoons dark rum (or rum essence, adjusted to taste)
- Optional: 2–4 soft dates or dried figs, if you prefer a sweeter rum ball
- Unsweetened shredded coconut, for coating
Instructions
- Add the leftover cake to a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form and the mixture begins to come together.
- Add the berry jam, cacao powder, and rum. If using dates or figs, add them now.
- Process until the mixture forms a thick, moldable paste. Taste and adjust the sweetness, cacao, jam, or rum to your liking.
- Roll the mixture into approximately 15 balls, about the size of a ping pong ball.
- Roll each ball in shredded coconut until evenly coated.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to develop and the texture to firm up.
Notes
These rum balls are an excellent way to use leftover gluten-free cakes, cakes that have become slightly dry, broken cake layers, or leftover Lamingtons. Mixing different cakes often creates even more complex flavor.
I often use a combination of plain citrus almond cake and homemade Lamingtons, which adds extra chocolate and coconut flavor.
Homemade berry jam works especially well, but any thick gluten-free jam can be substituted.
In Denmark, rum essence is commonly used, while in the US it’s usually easier to find dark rum. If using rum essence, start with a small amount, as it’s much more concentrated.
For an alcohol-free version, you can experiment with rum extract or use vanilla extract with a small amount of almond extract for a different flavor profile.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
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