Keeping a can of frozen orange juice concentrate in the freezer means you can make more than just orange juice. Try it in a variety of orange-flavored recipes.
Slow Cooker Colonial Hot Buttered Rum
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A classic holiday drink made in the crock pot. This version of hot buttered rum is made with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg, rum, and topped with whipped cream.
serves/makes:
ready in:
2-5 hrs
2-5 hrs
21 reviews
4 comments
ingredients
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 pinch salt
3 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 quarts hot water
2 cups rum
fresh whipped cream
additional ground nutmeg, for topping
directions
Combine the brown sugar, butter, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in the crock pot. While stirring, add the hot water.
Cover the crock pot and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Stir in the rum and let heat for 10 minutes.
Serve the hot buttered rum from the crock pot (keep on warm or low setting).
Serve in mugs, topped with whipped cream and a fresh grating of nutmeg.
crock pot notes
Crock pots/slow cookers all heat differently. There is no standard among manufacturers. Cooking times are suggested guidelines based on our testing. Please adjust cooking times and temps to work with your brand and model of slow cooker.recipe tips
Use unsalted butter to control the salt level in your drink.
Try different types of rum for variety.
For a festive touch, rim mugs with crushed graham cracker or caramel before serving.
Add a splash of flavor like caramel or maple syrup for a twist.
Serve the drink in thermal mugs to keep it warm for longer.
Adjust the quantity of spices to taste.
For a holiday presentation, add cinnamon sticks to each mug as a stirrer.
common recipe questions
What is hot buttered rum?
It is a classic hot holiday drink that combines rich flavors of brown sugar, butter, and spices with rum.
What type of rum is best for this drink?
Aged rum or dark rum is recommended for its deeper flavor, but you can also use white rum if you prefer a milder taste.
Can I make it non-alcoholic?
You can create a non-alcoholic version by removing the rum and adding more hot water or apple cider for flavor, though it will lack the characteristic rum taste.
How can I adjust the sweetness level?
You can reduce the amount of brown sugar or add more hot water to dilute the sweetness if desired.
What are some other spices I can use?
In addition to or in place of the traditional spices, you can experiment with cardamom, allspice, or ginger.
How long can I keep leftover hot buttered rum?
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave before serving.
How do I make it richer?
You can add a touch of vanilla extract or a scoop of ice cream as a garnish.
tools needed
Crock Pot: The main tool used for combining and cooking the ingredients slowly to develop the rich flavors of the hot buttered rum.
Measuring Cups and Spoons: For measuring the brown sugar, butter (if not using stick butter), nutmeg, hot water, and rum.
Large Spoon or Ladle: For stirring the ingredients in the crock pot and serving the hot buttered rum into mugs.
Mugs: To serve the drink once it is prepared. Choose heat-resistant mugs to handle the hot liquid.
Grater (optional): For fresh grating of nutmeg to top the finished drink.
Whipped Cream Dispenser (optional): For a perfect whipped cream texture.
what goes with it?
Vanilla Ice Cream: Serve a scoop of vanilla ice cream atop your hot buttered rum. The cold creaminess contrasts beautifully with the warm drink, and a melting scoop adds a sweet creaminess to the rum.
Ginger Snaps: The spiciness of the ginger snaps complements the warm spices in the hot buttered rum.
Cheese Platter: Offer a selection of soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert to balance the sweetness of the drink.
Dark Chocolate Truffles: Serve with dark chocolate truffles. The bitterness of dark chocolate enhances the sweetness of the drink.
Roasted Nuts: Provide a mix of roasted nuts such as almonds or pecans for a savory contrast.
Candied Pecans: Use crushed candied pecans as a topping for the whipped cream on your drink.
Pumpkin Pie: Serve alongside a slice of easy pumpkin pie. The spices in the pie pair with those in the drink, creating a festive flavor combination that is perfect for holiday gatherings.
nutrition data
249 calories, 7 grams fat, 32 grams carbohydrates, 0 grams protein per serving. This recipe is low in sodium.
Pumpkins aren't just for pies or Halloween decorations. These large, orange gourds - while naturally sweet - also work well in savory dishes. They pair well with poultry and pork (and especially bacon) and their creamy-when-cooked texture blends easily into soups.
Beer makes batters better, meat more tender, and sauces more flavorful.
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reviews & comments
October 31, 2019
I make this recipe every year at Halloween. It's super easy and tastes great! We sit in the driveway with a fire pit and some neighbors and pass out candy to the kids and cups of hot buttered rum to the parents! It's always a hit and people have started to bring their own glasses! I love that you can change the servings in this recipe and get the updated portions. I will have two crock pots going tonight for Halloween! Yum!
December 30, 2015
I make this every year for our Christmas party and it's a HUGE favorite of our guests! The recipe is sweet so I recommend using salted butter in addition to the pinch of salt to balance the sweet. Don't ruin it with cheap rum or packaged topping! We use Captain Morgan private stock and whip real whipping cream with a touch of powdered sugar and salt. The warm mugs are a must too! Thanks for this great recipe~
Do you use salted or unsalted butter and what type of rum is best?
You can use either salted or unsalted but personally I'd use unsalted since you're also adding a pinch of salt. As far as the rum, really any kind will do. A lot of people prefer dark rum which have a stronger flavor. I wouldn't use a spiced rum since you're adding in all the spices already.
It looks like a good recipe and will have to try it if I ever get my hands on any rum. I just wondered if it's supposed to be light or dark rum or does it not matter? And also to ArbyC3, you could probably just use CoolWhip, esp. lite or sugar-free CoolWhip. I'll try this the original way first but I recently read that in most cooking or baking that you could substitute Greek yogurt for any fat in the recipe. Even an equivalent amount of 4% Greek yogurt would be far less fat than a stick of butter and at 4% milkfat would probably still provide some of the richness as if you were using butter. I also found a way to make a brown sugar substitute, which is to combine 1 tbsp. of molasses with an amount of calorie-free sweetener equivalent to the sweetness of 1 cup of sugar (for every cup of brown sugar, and while splenda is a 1-to-1 substitution, other calorie-free sweeteners like Truvia require less to be equivalent to the sweetness of 1 cup of sugar....I believe the equivalent for Truvia is 1/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp. to equal the sweetness of a cup of sugar)
December 16, 2013
Recently made this for a christmas party with rave reviews.The whip cream changes the flavor a little and recommend trying it with and without. Scale up tip: I doubled the recipe and it almost fit into a 26.5 quart crockpot. I just removed some of the liquid to add the rum at the end and then added it back once there was room.
November 28, 2013
I love hot buttered rum on a chilly winter night. This recipe has a great mix of flavors in just the right proportions. The crock pot makes it so simple to keep it heated for serving too.
November 26, 2013
What kind of "cloves" are you supposed to use?
Clove is a spice, you can find whole cloves in the spice aisle of your grocery store along with things like nutmeg and cinnamon.
October 26, 2013
It's finally cooled down enough to warrant some hot buttered rum! Just took the first sip of this and I think we've found a new favorite. It is a bit sweeter than some other recipes but it worked with the spices in it because they kinda balance it out.
July 4, 2013
Saw this recipe mentioned on reddit so thought I would try it. It's as good as everyone says. Not low in calories, but dang good.
November 4, 2011
I made this for a large group and it turned out great. I actually made it the night before (sans rum), stored it in the fridge, warmed it up the next morning with the rum and it was delicious! - Thanks for a great recipe!!
I am attempting to make this recipe, but I'm confused on the heavy cream-whipped. When do you use it and how much. I see whipped cream as a topping at the end, so why would it call for 'heavy' whipped cream? Did I buy a quart for nothing?
Heavy cream is whipped to become "whipped cream"
November 29, 2009
This was delicious. Brought it to an oyster roast and it was huge hit! It wasn't too sweet at all, but because of the too sweet comment, I didn't put a ton of sugar in the whipped cream and it worked perfectly. Yummy!
February 17, 2009
I made this recipe for my guests on Christmas and let me tell you it was a big hit !!! It was so easy to prepare and the taste was excellent. It is the best drink on a cold winter day. I highly recommend it for your next gathering.
December 20, 2008
I made this for a party we had tonight and it was a big success. I looked all over the internet for recipes for hot buttered rum. Some are quite involved and come from several reputable places. I wanted something quick and simple that I could just put together and then leave for guests to help themselves. This recipe does just that. You make enough for the number of guests expected and then let it simmer in the crockpot for 5 hours. There are a couple of pointers that I think would help. First of all, we used only 1/3 of the rum, and it should be dark rum for better flavor. We left a bottle of Myers dark rum by the crockpot for guests who wanted to add more. Secondly, we cooked the recipe for about 5 hours, then added the rum and let it sit under the keep warm setting for a couple of hours till the guests arrived. Thirdly, it is essential you use fresh grated nutmeg, instead of the bottled grated nutmeg. It tastes much better. Finally, I was surprised to find that the whipped cream does make a difference. I don't like whipped cream, so I did my dry run without whipped cream and thought it was good. At the party everyone loved it with the whipped cream, so I tried it. No wonder some people add ice cream! That makes it even sweeter. However, with ice cream you may need to add the recommended amount of rum to maintain the rum flavour. I do have 2 questions about this recipe. 1) If I wanted to make it for work, would it be as good with rum essence/flavoring instead of rum? 2) How do you store leftovers, and how long will they keep?
November 20, 2008
Fabulous drink! Easy to make. I only used 1/4 cup butter and it was still plenty rich. I also let everyone add their own rum to taste.
July 2, 2008
It was great for my family get together. It was sweet and warm. It was easy to do. I just got it ready when every got there. I will so make this again.
February 26, 2008
It was truly excellent and to the above post everyone knows you have to adjust recipes to taste and if you didn't do it then you have only youslef to blame.
December 26, 2007
This was way too sweet and no one drank it. A waste of rum
December 10, 2007
I have a happy hour once a month and this is the second time I have used this recipe at Christmas time. I get lots of requests for the recipe. It is really good! Note: I forgot to start it early enough this year so I did it on high for the first hour and then low for 2.5 hours and it turned out as good as last year!
December 8, 2007
I have been a Hot Buttered Rum fan for over 40 years. This is the best I've had and very easy to make. I served it at a party recently. It was a big hit! The recipe was requested by several guests.
January 9, 2007
This was absolutely wonderful! What a GREAT hot beverage for the holidays!!
December 17, 2006
This is a great for the whole family. The children and adults can all enjoy, just add the Rum to each glass individually for the adults. This is a fantastic drink, and the whole house smells festive.
This recipe says "ready in 2hrs" and then says to cook on low for 5hrs. Do you not check your recipes to make sure they are correct?
No, it says Ready in: > 2 hrs which means the recipe takes MORE THAN 2 hours. That symbol means "greater than"
December 26, 2005
This is wonderful! Next time I would use only half the brown sugar, so it wouldn't be so sweet.
December 25, 2004
This was so full of a carmel flavor it was the hit of the holiday party. Thanks to whom ever posted this... now everone knows I can cook... :) The only thing I can say is becareful when you stir it, when it's heated the sides of the crock get hot and then it does spit. This was before I tamed it with the Captain's!!!! BTW Made the under 21 crowd this also they loved it but was only able to drink small portions it was to rich and sweet for them.