Warm cocktails are my favorite, and this Hot Apple Buttered Rum recipe has just the right balance of sweet, spicy, and creamy. The perfect warm drink for a holiday party or curling up on the couch on a chilly evening. Cheers to rum cocktails!
Hot Buttered Rum With Apple Butter
There are a few things I love more in the winter than warm cocktails. And whenever I can, I try to convert my favorite chilled cocktails into warm versions.
Lucky for me, I didn’t have to with this one. A traditional Hot Buttered Rum is a warm, boozy, cocktail with baking spices, like cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and a pat of butter for light creaminess. To enhance this already amazing drink I just added homemade apple butter which echos several of the same spices making it the perfect addition.
Key Ingredients
To make this sweet and spicy fall cocktail recipe, you will need the following key ingredients:
- Apple cider. You can find apple cider at most grocery stores in the fall, but I’ve always thought the jugs from the farmer’s market taste the best. To each their own!
- Apple butter. While it’s totally fine to use a store-bought version, it’s WAY tastier to make your own homemade apple butter from scratch.
- Rum. Any dark spiced rum will work well in this Hot Apple Buttered Rum recipe, so just choose your favorite high-quality rum.
- Butter. You will need unsalted butter for this recipe. Feel free to swap out the butter for grass-fed ghee for a hot buttered rum that is higher in fat and nutrients.
- Sugar. Brown sugar sweetens the cocktail and has notes of caramel that pair beautifully with apple flavors. For a sugar-free cocktail, feel free to swap out the brown sugar for maple syrup. Or, leave out the sugar altogether and let the apple cider do the sweetening.
How to make Hot Apple Buttered Rum?
There are two components involved in making this delicious fall cocktail recipe: preparing the dried apple garnish and preparing the beverage. The garnish is totally optional, but it goes a long way in taking this drink to the next level! If you want to really impress your friends, I highly recommend the extra step.
Dried Apple Garnish Recipe:
- Preheat the oven to 200°F (95°C). Then, thinly slice an apple vertically into rounds with a mandolin or sharp knife.
- Set a wire rack over a baking sheet, then arrange the apple slices evenly across the rack.
- Bake for 60 minutes or until the apples are crisp. Remove from the oven and let them cool, then use as a garnish.
Hot Apple Buttered Rum Recipe:
- Whisk together the apple cider, apple butter, butter, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cook for 1 minute while whisking continuously.
- Remove the pot from the heat, then whisk in the Rum. Optional: pour the drink through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any solids.
- Pour the hot buttered Rum into 2 glasses or mugs, then garnish with dried apples and cinnamon sticks. Serve warm, and enjoy!
Best Rum to use!
There are several types of Rum out there: dark, amber, and light Rum. In this recipe, it’s essential that you use dark spiced Rum. It’s the most flavorful and pairs the best with the rest of the ingredients in this fall cocktail recipe.
As far as which type of Rum to choose, any high-quality rum will work fine. If you’re unsure, here are some of the best dark spiced rum brands to try:
- Chairman’s Reserve Spiced Rum
- Boukman Botanical Rhum
- Cruzan 9 Spiced Rum
- Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
Can I make a non-alcoholic version?
Looking for the mocktail version of this delicious warm cocktail? I’ve got you covered. For a flavorful fall beverage that even the kiddos will love, simply leave out the Rum. Seriously, that’s all you have to do.
Between the apple cider, sugar, and butter, this hot apple buttered rum cocktail mocktail is still a total winner. To get some of the spicy flavor provided by the Rum, you can use a non-alcoholic rum alternative or simply garnish your beverage with a cinnamon stick or two. Yummy, sounds delicious!
Hot Apple Buttered Rum storage tips
End up with some leftovers? No worries! You can preserve the remaining Hot Apple Buttered Rum by transferring it to an airtight glass jar and storing it in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to a week. Just remember to allow the cocktail to cool down to room temperature before sealing and storing it.
Can this be made in advance?
If you’re wondering, “can I make hot apple buttered rum in advance?” The answer is absolutely! If you’re serving this fall cocktail at a party, you can leave it on the stove over low heat for 2-3 hours or in a crockpot on warm. This allows your guests to grab a delicious hot buttered rum cocktail at their leisure, knowing it will always be nice and warm.
Now it’s your turn!
This Hot Apple Buttered Rum is a great recipe for entertaining party guests or just making at home. You can make this sweet and spicy drink in batches ahead of time, so you don’t have to worry about preparing drinks when the doorbell rings. This recipe is a must-try!
If you enjoy the recipe, please share it with your friends and family. And don’t forget to give me some five-star love down below. And if you have any comments or questions, leave them below too, and I’ll be sure to get back to you as soon as possible.
More Warm Winter Cocktails
Ingredients
Dried Apple
- 1 Gala apple sliced thin
Hot Buttered Rum
- 8 ounces apple cider
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 tablespoons Apple Butter
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 ounces dark spiced rum
Garnish
- Cinnamon sticks optional
Instructions
- Make the dried apple: Preheat the oven 200°F (95°C). Set a wire rack over a baking sheet.
- Thinly slice the apple vertically into rounds with a mandolin or sharp knife. Arrange the apple slices on the wire rack, spacing evenly.
- Bake for 60 minutes, or until the apples are crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Make the hot buttered rum: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the apple cider, butter, apple butter, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 1 minute, whisking continuously.
- Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the rum. If desired, pour the drink through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any solids.
- Pour the hot buttered rum into 2 glasses or mugs and garnish with dried apples and cinnamon sticks. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Equipment
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
**The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products I use and love. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
