Hot Buttered Rum
Hot buttered rum is a warm winter cocktail perfect for serving at holiday parties or enjoying by the fire! Butter adds richness, while a trio of spices makes it oh-so-cozy.
What Is Hot Buttered Rum?
No, hot buttered rum is not adding a pat of butter to warm rum! Hot buttered rum is a classic winter cocktail that combines rum, cozy spices, and a buttery batter to create a rich, comforting drink.
Hot buttered rum dates back to colonial New England. It’s creamy, smooth, and the warm spices infuse it with holiday vibes. (This vegan eggnog is another holiday favourite!) Once you’ve made the hot buttered rum batter, or base, you can keep it on hand and enjoy this buttered rum recipe all winter long!
Why You’ll Love This Hot Buttered Rum Recipe
- Impress your holiday guests. Hot buttered rum is a festive drink that will wow the guests at your next holiday gathering. Serve it alongside my slow cooker hot chocolate or boozy Christmas spiced eggnog!
- Warm up on a cold day. Nothing beats a warm cocktail on a chilly winter day! Hot buttered rum is the perfect drink to cozy up with by the fireplace.
- Easy to make. This hot buttered rum recipe doesn’t require a bunch of pricy liqueurs or fancy bar equipment—you don’t even need a cocktail shaker!
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the Butter Base:
- Vegan butter – You can use store-bought or my vegan butter recipe.
- Brown sugar
- Vegan vanilla ice cream – Let this soften a bit. I love this homemade vegan ice cream, but store-bought is just fine!
- Spices – Ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves.
- Vanilla extract – Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavour.
- Salt – Just a pinch!
For the Cocktail:
- Butter base
- Rum – Choose a good quality dark rum; spiced rum works too, but it’s not necessary since we’re already adding spices.
- Hot water
For the Toppings:
- Vegan whipped cream – Use your favourite store-bought variety, or try my coconut whipped cream or cashew whipped cream.
- Ground cinnamon or nutmeg
- Cinnamon stick – Optional, for garnish.
How to Make Hot Buttered Rum
- Prepare the batter. Beat the butter, brown sugar, spices, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt in a bowl until creamy. Whisk in the softened ice cream.
- Store. Transfer the batter to an airtight container and freeze.
- Assemble. Add 2 tablespoons of batter to a mug. Pour in 2 ounces of rum, a cup of hot water, and stir.
- Garnish. Add vegan whipped cream and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon or nutmeg, along with a cinnamon stick, if desired.
Tips and Variations
- Make a big batch. If you’re making hot buttered rum for a party, you can easily scale up the recipe by assembling it in your slow cooker and using the keep warm setting for serving.
- Try using apple cider. For a fall variation on the classic, swap the water for hot apple cider.
- Give it some holiday flair. Instead of cinnamon or nutmeg, you can add holiday sprinkles or red and green sanding sugar on top of the whipped cream.
What to Serve With Hot Buttered Rum
Hot buttered rum is the kind of cocktail you serve with dessert. Vegan pumpkin pie and vegan apple pie are always good choices if you’re serving this in the fall or for Thanksgiving, or pair it with holiday cookies like chai sugar cookies, gingersnap molasses cookies, and buttery vegan spritz cookies.
How to Store Leftovers
- Refrigerator: If you have an unfinished mug of hot buttered rum, you can refrigerate it for up to a day in an airtight container or covered in the original mug. Reheat in the microwave before enjoying.
- Freezer: The butter base can be stored in the freezer for up to a month. For easy cocktails in the future, you can freeze it into 1-tablespoon portions in an ice cube tray, then you’ll know you need exactly 2 cubes to make a mug of this hot buttered rum recipe.
Enjoy friends! If you make this hot buttered rum recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Hot Buttered Rum
Ingredients
For the Butter Base:
- ½ cup vegan butter, softened, 115g
- ½ cup brown sugar, 100g
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup vegan vanilla ice cream, softened but not fully melted, 150g
- pinch of salt
For the Cocktail:
- 2 tablespoons butter base, per serving
- 2 ounces rum, per serving, 60ml
- 6 ounces hot water, per serving, 180ml
Toppings:
- vegan whipped cream
- ground cinnamon, or nutmeg for garnish
- cinnamon sticks, optional
Instructions
For the Butter Base:
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Beat the mixture until smooth and creamy. Make sure that all the spices are well incorporated.
- Add the softened vegan ice cream and whisk until fully combined.
- Transfer the butter base to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to a month. The recipe makes about 12 servings.
For the Cocktail:
- Take a heat-safe mug and add 2 tablespoons of the prepared butter base.
- Pour in 2 oz of rum over the butter base.
- Add about 1 cup of hot water and stir well to combine the ingredients.
- Top with vegan whipped cream and garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg, and a cinnamon stick if desired.
Notes
- Refrigerator: If you have an unfinished mug of hot buttered rum, you can refrigerate it for up to a day in an airtight container or covered in the original mug. Reheat in the microwave before enjoying.
- Freezer: The butter base can be stored in the freezer for up to a month. For easy cocktails in the future, you can freeze it into 1-tablespoon portions in an ice cube tray, then you’ll know you need exactly 2 cubes to make a mug of this hot buttered rum recipe.
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
It;s been raining cats and dogs, so you know I had to try this and it didn’t fail the taste test! In fact, it completely aced the test. I sat at my window seat and felt warm and comfy sitting there, watching the rain and enjoying this delicious drink.
Love that you enjoyed this so much Judy!! I know the feeling of the need for coziness and so happy to know this hit the spot!