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This coffee hot buttered rum is the coziest, dreamiest winter cocktail. It’s made from scratch with homemade batter, hot coffee, fresh whipped cream, and warm spices. Save this recipe for Christmas morning, holiday parties, and lazy Sunday nights.

Two mugs of coffee hot buttered rum on a beige counter next to a red plaid linen, coffee beans, garland, and gold decorations.

Now that we are days away from Christmas, I am in full cozy, winter wonderland, cookie mode. But before I make my husband hide my laptop and hibernate for the rest of the year, I had to share just one more little recipe with you all!

This year, we’ll be having Christmas breakfast at Marc’s family’s house, and my contribution is hot buttered rum. This is one of my go-to holiday drinks along with cinnamon hot chocolate and spiced Norwegian gløgg, of course.

This buttered rum is a traditional holiday cocktail that is rich, sweet, spicy, and beyond cozy! But, in this recipe we’re using coffee instead of hot water, because well, when don’t I add coffee? I used to be a career barista after all. Also, it basically makes this a morning drink which means it’s perfectly acceptable for Christmas brunch.

Choose a good coffee

A bottle of rum, stick of butter, and box of coffee next to brown bowls of brown sugar, spices, and vanilla on a white marble counter.

I would pick a coffee with flavor notes like nuts, chocolate, or caramel to complement the batter. And choose something good-quality because it’ll definitely make a difference in the overall taste of this cocktail!

For the batter, grab unsalted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, Morton’s Kosher salt, and vanilla extract. You’ll also need spiced rum, half-and-half, and whipped cream for the drink.

Make the batter

Three steps to making hot buttered rum batter. In photo 1, butter and brown sugar is in a white bowl on a white counter. In photo 2, the butter and sugar is topped with spices. In photo 3, the batter is mixed together.
In a small bowl, mix together the butter and brown sugar until it’s creamy. Then, add the cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and vanilla. Mix everything together until it’s very smooth.

For easier mixing, use a hand mixer to whip the batter together.

Mix the cocktails

Three steps to making a coffee cocktail. In photo 1, a hand pours alcohol into a glass mug on a beige counter next to garland and gold decorations. In photo 2, a Chemex pours coffee into the mug. In photo 3, a carafe pours milk into the mug.
Add the batter and rum to a mug. Then, pour the coffee into the mug and stir until the butter is melted. Mix the half-and-half into the coffee. Lastly, add whipped cream and enjoy!

Store & freeze for later

Spoon leftovers into an airtight container. Refrigerate the batter for up to 2 weeks – amazing for gifting or make-ahead drinks!

To freeze the batter, use a #40 cookie scoop to scoop the batter into mounds on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Freeze the sheet pan until the batter pucks are solid, about 1-2 hours. Then, pop the frozen batter in a zipper bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Big batch for a crowd

Making this coffee rum cocktail for a crowd? You can make it in a slow cooker for easy serving. Here’s how!

  1. Mix the batter and brewed coffee in a slow cooker.
  2. Set the slow cooker to WARM and stir it well to make sure everything is mixed.
  3. Then, ladle the coffee into mugs. Add a shot of rum, half-and-half (if you want), top with whipped cream, and enjoy!

Don’t add the rum to the slow cooker! The heat of the slow cooker will make the alcohol evaporate. Just keep the base warm and add shots of liquor as you serve the cocktails.

A mug of coffee hot buttered rum on a beige counter next to a red plaid linen, gold Christmas decorations, and garland.

If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!

5 from 1 vote

Cozy Coffee Hot Buttered Rum

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
This coffee hot buttered rum is the coziest, dreamiest winter cocktail. It's made from scratch with homemade batter, hot coffee, fresh whipped cream, and warm spices. Save this recipe for Christmas morning, holiday parties, and lazy Sunday nights!
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Ingredients

Spiced Batter

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (113 grams)
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed (210 grams)
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coffee Buttered Rum

  • 1-2 Tablespoons batter, per cocktail (recipe above)
  • 1 1/2 ounces spiced rum, per cocktail (45 milliliters)
  • 3/4 cup hot black coffee, per cocktail (180 milliliters)
  • Half-and-half, for serving
  • Whipped cream + cinnamon, for serving

Equipment

Instructions 

Spiced Batter

  • Add the butter and brown sugar to a medium mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer or rubber spatula, mix the butter and brown sugar until it's completely combined.
  • Add the cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and vanilla. Mix until it's combined.
  • Use the batter to make hot buttered rums. Or, place it in an airtight container and refrigerate the batter for up to 2 weeks.

Coffee Buttered Rum

  • Add 1-2 Tablespoons of batter to each mug. Then, pour the spiced rum over the batter.
  • Add the coffee to the batter-rum mixture. Stir well, until the batter is completely melted. Add a splash of half-and-half, if desired.
  • Finish the cocktail with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Enjoy!

Notes

The batter will make between 8-12 cocktails depending on how much batter you put in each drink. I personally like closer to 2 Tablespoons, but 1 Tablespoon will make a less sweet, less rich cocktail.
Use good-quality butter and coffee. They’re the main flavors in this cocktail, so good-quality stuff makes a big difference!
Add more or less batter to taste. If you prefer less sweet cocktails, use less batter. If you like sweeter cocktails, use more.
Fresh spices make a huge difference in this drink! I recommend using freshly-ground spices (or at least new spices) for the best flavor.
The nutrition information does not include the half-and-half, whipped cream, or any additional toppings.
Cuisine: American
Course: Drinks
Author: Sara Lynn Hunt Broka
Serving: 1cocktail, Calories: 184kcal, Carbohydrates: 10.4g, Protein: 1.4g, Fat: 4.3g, Saturated Fat: 2.6g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 112mg, Potassium: 544mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 9.8g, Calcium: 36mg
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