Last Updated on December 10, 2020 by Chef Mireille
Gluten Free Coconut Flour Holiday Fruit Balls – These holiday fruit balls are stuffed with rum soaked fruit usually reserved for Caribbean Black Cake. These are perfect to have for the adults at your holiday party!
Have you tried coconut flour yet? If not, it’s time to! I am just in love with using this ingredient. Since it has a high absorption rate of liquids, a little goes a long way. Since you need to use so little of it when compared to regular flour, it automatically makes anything you make with it both low carb and gluten free!
One absolute requirement every holiday season for Caribbean people is black cake. Every island has a version of this cake, even in the Dutch Caribbean, where it is known as Bolo Pretu.
On the top of our cabinets or somewhere in our pantry, is a jar of mixed dried fruits and nuts soaking in rum and brandy. The longer it soaks the better. During the holiday season, black cake is made. The jar is then replenished with more fruit and alcohol and left there to marinate until the next year’s holiday season. I used a little of this alcohol soaked fruit in these cookies.
The fruit is very wet, so if you don’t have any soaking fruit and only dried fruit, I would suggest soaking ½ cup of mixed dried fruit in rum or orange juice for at least an hour, if you prefer to make it alcohol free. When you add to the cookie batter, add 1 tablespoon of the juice with the fruit.
What fruit to use?
Mine is a combination of raisins, currants, prunes, cherries and almonds.
You don’t have to reserve the fruit for Black Cake alone now!
Browning
So why is our cake called Black Cake? It is because the color of the cake becomes black after we add an ingredient called browning. Browning is a molasses type thick liquid, however not as strong or as smoky as molasses. Browning is made by basically cooking sugar until it thickens and turns a dark brown color, but most of us buy the ready made product sold in markets. If you’d like to try your hand at making black cake this holiday season, check out my recipe here. You can generally find browning at markets in Caribbean neighborhoods or stores with really good International aisles. You may also find it at gourmet markets like Whole Foods. It is alright if you only soak it for a week or two, although it is better the longer it is soaking as the fruit has more time to absorb the alcohol.
…back to today’s fruit balls…
So I decided to take a little of my rum soaked fruit and instead make some adult Fruit Balls with them. You definitely taste the alcohol in these, so these are for the adults as the kids enjoy their sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies, you can dig into these!
IN THE MAKING – HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE COCONUT FLOUR HOLIDAY FRUIT BALLS
Enjoy with your holiday punch or eggnog… or maybe with Kremas – Haiti’s eggless eggnog!
These delicious rum infused snack has a delightful cake like texture!
Gluten Free Coconut Flour Holiday Fruit Balls
Ingredients
- ¾ cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup softened butter
- ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup pre soaked fruit in rum/brandy or orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spray with non stick spray.
- In a small bowl, combine coconut flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until well combined and creamy.
- Add eggs and vanilla and beat for a few minutes, until well beaten.
- Add coconut flour mix and beat until well combined.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the fruit.
- Form into small balls and place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until they feel a little firm.
Nutrition
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Those cookies look seriously addictive. And that too with coconut flour makes it a little more OK to indulge…
thank you – they are delicious!
Cookies sounds simply fabulous and those soaked fruits would have turned these cookies more flavourful na. Looks like you are having loads of fun with coconut flour. Lovely holiday fruit balls.
yes the juicy fruits definitely add so much flavor!
This Coconut flour cookies sounds so yum with the soaked fruits.
they are – the fruit makes all the difference!
Great idea to make these Fruit Balls, they sound perfect for this time of the year . More like Christmas Bakes ,great recipe with coconut flour !
yes – they are definitely a holiday treat!
Fantastic post and so lovely to read about the black cake and the fruits that go in…these baked balls look sinful!..
yes – these balls are quite addictive!
Perfect holiday treat.. Looks super yummy..
thank you Sharmila
You had me a rum soaked fruit! These holiday balls look and sound scrumptious. I love coconut with rum!
yes – rum soaked fruit makes everything better 🙂
Cookies look fabulous with those fruits.Wonderful share.
thanks – they are delicious!
Using coconut flour instead is such a great idea, naturally gluten free recipes are the best! Those rum soaked fruits sound delicious too!
I haven’t tired cookies with coconut flour. These fruit balls look fabulous and now I am tempted to try them. Will make an alcohol free version soon. These look so yum.
they don’t spread like regular cookies but have a more cake like texture but still oh so delicious 🙂 and you can use the orange juice version to make these alcohol free
Love baking with coconut flour! And my kids will love helping to make them as well, great idea!
they will love these holiday treat balls!
I’m a huge coconut fan, so I’ll definitely have to give these a try. They sound so fun for the holidays. Thanks for sharing!
yes – they are absolutely perfect for this time of year!
You had me at dried fruit soaked in brandy! These holiday fruit balls look perfect for any upcoming holiday party.
yes perfect for any holiday party or event!
Ok. I’m totally making these as a nod to my family’s recent trip to Bermuda (where the rum was flowing a plenty). These sound amazing, and they seem pretty easy to make! Looking forward to surprising my family with these on Christmas!
I am sure they will love these but you need to start soaking the fruits NOW!!!
I have to start using coconut flour and you are giving me one more reason to start it off. This guilt free fruit balls looks so delicious and the texture is just awesome. I am new to baking with alcohol, and this looks like a must try.
if you prefer, you can use orange juice instead!
Anything bite sized goes down well in our house. This sounds like a good alternative to fruit cake which we would normally have around Christmas time. Adding to the ‘to make list’!
yes an easy alternative to fruit cake!
These gluten free holiday fruit balls are such an interesting holiday treat. Love that they are gluten free and made with coconut flour. Love the soaked fruit surprise in the middle of these beauties.
yes the soaked fruit add so much flavor!
These sounds perfect for a party. I really like your write about the soaked fruit. I feel tempted to try.
You should. I am sure you would love them!
So tempting bursting with so many flavors!!Perfect for the upcoming New Year Parties!!
yes they are perfect for New Year’s!
These flavoured coconut fruit balls look so delicious. One more gluten free recipe to try
yes – You should try it for sure!