Hot Buttered Rum Recipe

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This creamy hot buttered rum recipe creates a cozy winter cocktail that retains the classic mix of butter, brown sugar, and warm spices, but uses a small-batch, make-ahead batter. I like to make it extra special by using quality local butter, ice cream, and fresh apple cider.

mugs of hot buttered rum with whipped cream and cinnamon sticks

Hot Buttered Rum has its origins in America's Colonial days, when rum was a major industry in New England. During that time, recipes for Hot Buttered Rum varied, but the main ingredients usually included rum, sugar, butter, and spices.

The drink experienced a revival in the 1940s at tiki bars, where it was served alongside other rum-based beverages in ceramic skull mugs.

However, you don't need to live in colonial times or visit a tiki bar. Today, Hot Buttered Rum remains the perfect drink to indulge in at home on a winter evening when the snow is falling and you're craving something warm and comforting to sip.

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😍Why You'll Love This Cocktail
🧈 Ingredients
Substitutions & Variations
🔪 Instructions
✨ Top Tip
🥡 Storage
🙋🏻‍♂️ FAQ
🍰 Pairing
📖 Recipe
🍵 Related Recipes
💬 Comments

The old tiki bar chain, Trader Vic, included a Hot Buttered Rum batter recipe in their 1948 book Bartender's Guide. The idea is to cream together the butter, sugar, and spices in a batch.

Then, to make an individual serving, you scoop some batter into a mug and dissolve it in your hot water and rum. You can keep the batter in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for a few months and use it as needed.

😍Why You'll Love This Cocktail

Warm and cozy for cold winter nights.
Made with a make-ahead batter.
Works with dark, spiced, or black rum.

For more winter beverage ideas, try my recipes for Smoked Negroni, Gingerbread Mocktail, Baileys Eggnog, and a Pomegranate Rosemary Cocktail.

🧈 Ingredients

Here's everything you need to make this drink at home.

Dark rum: I've made several Hot Buttered Rums using Mad River Distillers' First Run Rum, and I think that's an excellent choice for this drink-the rich caramel flavors of their rum blend in perfectly here. However, any dark or spiced rum you prefer will work.
Butter: Use an unsalted butter in this drink and make sure you let it sit at room temperature for a while so that it will easily blend into the other ingredients of the batter.
Vanilla ice cream: The ice cream blends with the butter and sugar, adding extra creaminess to the drink. It also helps to make sure the butter doesn't just float on top of your mug.
Brown sugar: This is a sweet drink, and brown sugar adds a deeper, richer sweetness than white sugar, which complements the warming spices.
Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and cardamom add a range of warm, baking spices. If you like pumpkin spice-flavored beverages, you'll enjoy the flavor of these spices in the drink. You'll want ground spices to mix into the batter, but if you have some cinnamon sticks handy, they make a great garnish.
Apple cider: Personally, I think hot buttered rum is way better made with apple cider instead of water. If you like a hot, spiced cider that's just a little creamy, you'll want to opt for cider. Use a cider from a local orchard in your area for the best quality.

Check out the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions & Variations

Water: Keep it simple and use water instead of apple cider. It won't be as flavorful, but it will still be warm and rich.
Alcohol-free: Omit the rum and use additional apple cider in its place. If leaving out the rum, you'll want to be sure to make the drink with cider; otherwise, it will lack flavor.
Maple syrup: Try maple syrup in place of the brown sugar.

🔪 Instructions

hot buttered rum batter being combined in a bowl

Step 1: Stir the softened butter, brown sugar, and spices together in a bowl.

ice cream being whisked into the batter in a bowl

Step 2: Whisk in softened ice cream.

hot buttered rum batter being scooped into a mufifn tin

Step 3: Divide the batter into individual portions (about 2 tablespoons each). You can freeze these in greased muffin tins or silicone ice cube trays.

frozen hot buttered rum batter being added to a mug

Step 4: To make a drink, add the frozen batter to your mug.

Step 5: Pour in the rum.

Step 6: Then add hot cider (or water).

Step 7: Still to combine.

whipped cream being sprayed onto a drink in a mug

Step 8: If desired, top off with whipped cream.

nutmeg being grated over a mug of whipped cream

Step 9: Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

Step 10: Serve immediately and enjoy.

✨ Top Tip

Make sure to soften the butter and ice cream so that they're easy to mix. To do this, just leave them out on the counter - the butter for about 30 minutes and the ice cream for 5-10 minutes.

🥡 Storage

Store the individual portions of hot buttered rum batter in an airtight container or bag in the freezer for up to three months.

To serve, add the hot buttered rum mix to a mug with hot water or cider and 1 ½ ounces of rum. Top with whipped cream, if desired, and a grating of fresh nutmeg.

🙋🏻‍♂️ FAQ

Can you make hot buttered rum ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the base of hot buttered rum - butter, sugar, spices, and ice cream - then freeze in individual portions. To serve, add rum and hot water or apple cider.

What's the best rum for hot buttered rum?

You can use your favorite dark or spiced rum for this cocktail. Black rum, which has more intense flavors, is also a good choice.

Is hot buttered rum alcoholic?

Yes, hot buttered rum does include rum, which makes it alcoholic. However, if you make the drink with apple cider and the batter, it would have enough flavor to leave out the rum.