Welcome to the one time of year when it’s totally acceptable (encouraged even) that we coat our throats with a hearty dose of booze and butter. That’s right, my friends… it’s totally time to drink butter. Call your mom, call your friends, text your ex-boyfriend from three ex-boyfriends ago (awesome excuse), and let everyone know that it’s time to get on this drinkable butter bandwagon. Hallelujah, this is fun/dangerous/delicious/ridiculous/whaaaat!?
This post is brought to you by: there’s a bottle of spiced rum ‘decorating’ my desk (and something must be done about it).
Let’s start with our spices. Cinnamon sticks are stellar. Freshly grated nutmeg is so fragrant it’s bonkers. Fresh cloves are in-your-face holiday. This is a solid trio. Should you want to spice things up for real, you might try a few dried anise seeds, too. Just a few!
I find that it’s important to use whole spices for this recipe. The whole cinnamon sticks and cloves will be steeped in our liquid. The one small exception is the nutmeg… we don’t throw the whole nutmeg pod in, we simply fresh grate a few good pinches into the liquid. Cool?
We’re using a spiced apple cider as our base liquid. I just used a bottled, unfiltered apple cider… the kind of apple cider you’d want to chug cold, straight from the jar (not that I did that, or anything).
Cider is brought to a simmer and the essence of spices are infused into the liquid. If you place your face over the steaming cider… it’s like a cider facial (which probably costs about three hundred dollars in Beverly Hills).
A bit of butter is added as well. Butter is melted and whisked into the steaming cider. What could be bad about this!? Absolutely nothing (unless you’re vegan or allergic to butter).
To finish the cider we add a hearty dose of black spiced rum, round sliced apples, and a splash of fresh lemon juice.
This Hot Buttered Rum and Cider is my new go-to holiday cocktail situation. I’m going to keep in warm in a dutch oven on the stove top when I know people will be stopping by. I made a batch and actually placed it back in the apple cider jar or future holiday-drop-in circumstances. I appear to be clever… but I might just drink it all myself.
Feel free to adapt this recipe in any way you see fit. If you don’t have rum, try bourbon. If you’re vegan, leave out the butter. If you’re not into booze at all… well heck, just leave it out! The heart of this dish lies in the warm and spiced apple cider. Rum and butter just make it go down all the easier.
It’s a holidaaaaayyy!
xo
Hot Buttered Rum and Cider
serves 4
adapted from Epicurious
3 cups spiced apple cider
1/2 cup water
2 cinnamon sticks
10 whole cloves
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter
3/4 cup dark spiced rum
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
sliced apples and cinnamon sticks for serving
In a medium saucepan, combine cider, water, cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes.
Uncover, return to medium heat, and add butter. Stir until melted. Remove from heat, stir in bourbon and lemon juice. Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves. Add sliced apples before serving. I like to serve the cider in mugs with cinnamon sticks for garnish.
Jennifer
So my friend makes a version of this with some cranberry juice that she serves at Thanksgiving and calls Pilgrims Punch…
Jen Platzer
Hi there,
I’d like to make this but wasn’t sure if the apple cider called for is the “alcoholic” version, the powder mix or the stuff that you buy at the grocery store. Thanks
Jenn
Sadie
The Kraken is the best spiced rum ever!! Smells like homemade vanilla ice cream. :)
Chris
Never had this type of drink but LOVED it!!! You have me hooked!
Catherine
I made this last night for a friend’s party….it was fabulous!!!!!! Thanks Joy and happy holidays to you.
Stacey
Stop it right now, Joy! I am so excited about this! Butter AND Kraken?! Release the Kraken!
Kathryn
Totes burrit, yes! And please, because you so often mention Uhh yeah dude, and as a long time UYD listener/JtB blog reader…you have to tell about why/how you two intersect. to hear that my two crazy separate, totally different, Internet spheres of love actually know each other, it blew my mind.
Kathryn
Is that cleansing sage as part of your desk decorations? Love it. I’ve written you a million times, I think we’d be friends. But now I’m just the weird stalker that says over and over, without reply, that we should be friends. I made your gingerbread cake today, haven’t tried it yet but it smells totes amaze. Teach me how to wear a hi-low skirt, I know you must have tips. Happy holidays Joy the Baker! Seatbelts.
joythebaker
it’s totally cleansing sage. you’re totally not a weird stalker. i appreciate you. but wait… what’s a hi-low skirt?
Kathryn
Oh, Joy! A hi-low skirt is one of those that is high in the front and longer in the back? I picked up that name from modcloth, which is where I have a long navy number in my “shopping bag” that I just can’t decide on. It seems like a summery look, but I recently saw a chick with short boots and scrunched socks that looked really cute, and I was just wondering how you might have rocked one. This is old news, but you and Tracy got me blazin’ it up! I’m up in montery; us cali ladies dont totally have to dress for the seasons, right? i wore flip flops over the weekend. Really though, you’re an inspiration. Xoxo
joythebaker
tracy and i need to talk about the hi-low skirt on the podcast. it’s just too much to type.
anna
yaay! drinkable butter!
Julianne of Kitchen Constellations
loved the photos in this post! the picture of the apple makes me want to grab some paper and draw it…. normal impulse, yes?
Ellen @ Indigo Scones
Kraken= the best rum and coke! Also, vanilla beans are steeping in a bottle of it as we speak. Going to be one crazy good extract!
tracy {pale yellow}
warm cider, delicious spices, butter; joy you speak my love language!
Laura D
Last time I made a batch of mulled wine I drank it all by myself, including the mason jar I filled and saved for later to “share” so… if that does happen, you know, it’s Christmastime, TREAT YO SELF
Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe
My family makes hot buttered rum every Christmas, but we use a mix. I like this idea much better, especially with the addition of apple cider. Yum!
Mary Obremski
Joy, will you be coming out with another cookbook? Anxiously waiting for #2. :)
Chloe Moon
So far I haven’t had any Christmasy drinks…that needs to change! This sounds so yummy!!!! =)
Ergo – Blog
Nicole @ Lapetitebaker
Hot buttered rum is my favorite cocktail for the holiday season! Love love this recipe.
Julie Smyth
JOY! I have a question….. I haven’t heard anything about my next Lost Crates shipment. I tried to check their website and it seems to be MIA…. what does this mean? I LOVED my surprise in August but am not sure what’s going on. Let me know please :)
joythebaker
I’ve actually stopped sending out Lost Crates shipments.
Jennifer
I totally recommend Smirnoff Kissed Caramel Vodka to be added to warmed cider. Totally delicious. :) Your recipe looks super yummy!
Lauren
This is my favorite drink this time of year! I totes take it to parties and keep in warm in a crock-pot! Happy Holidays Joy!
Seanna Lea
My Christmas party was on the 8th, or I so would have made this. It might have ended up a little light on the rum, but that would be aOK!
Janet
Ooooh!!!! The Kracken! I LOVE making drinks.
Here’s an “eye candy” trick that I love just for apple cider drinks. Rim your martini glass or mug with some agave or simple syrup and then dip your glass into… wait for it… BROWN SUGAR. Just half the glass is good enough.
Got some broken christmas cookies, sugar cookies or heaadless gingerbread men? Put them in baggies, bang em around and use them to rim hot chocolate mugs. :)
Lori
sounds so delicious!
Maggie @ A Bitchin' Kitchen
I wish I could smell things through the computer screen, because this surely smells DIVINE. I wish I was having a Christmas party to have an excuse to make this!
Meredith
Oh my. This recipe looks incredible!
Sara @ The Cozy Herbivore
Girrrrrrrl… you need to stop it. Seriously, how can one amazing drink (hot apple cider) be made EVEN MORE AMAZING-er? Butter and rum, naturally. And you did this. I hope you’re very proud of yourself, because this recipe makes me weep happy, buttery tears.
Ellen
Oh man, I think there need to be more holidays where it is ok to drink butter. This looks goooooood.
Sarah
ONE DAY I will have a cold Christmas. I don’t know what the weather;s like in LA. But it was 102F here in Queensland (Australia), yesterday. I think I’ll crank the air con and make some cid-ah anyways.
Rachel
I have been looking for a good Hot Buttered Rum recipe for a while – thanks Joy!
Carina
awh… i’m sure this tastes delicious! love that you add some butter ;)
Diane, A Broad
I remember there being a bottle of kraken at this party after which I experienced the worst hangover of my life, so I have an understandably pavlovian twitchy aversion to that particular brand of spiced rum. which is a shame, because that bottle is so darn pretty.
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes
I think I will make this for my NYE party!
Bakerkat
Another reason to get apple cider .Just what the cold weather calls for. Nothing wrong with it. but I think I’ll mostly have it without the rum. It sounds so good.
TerriSue
Joy, This looks fantastic! I am a Hot Buttered Rum person. But my husband and son, who is living with us right now having just gotten out of the army, are Spiked Mulled Cider people. Today with one recipe you have united a family. Even though it’s just 10 A.M. I’m sending my husband out for some cider. I mean, what if there was a cider rush this afternoon? We HAVE to have some tonight.
Amanda
I’ve been looking for an excuse to buy kraken so I could keep the funky bottle! and to drink butter! So excited to make this!
tj
…Oh Miss Joy, this is just what the doctor ordered! Well, maybe not, but a doctor that knows his stuff certainly would write a prescription for this as this should be a “must” on the holiday to-do list. This certainly would warm the cockles, not to mention, the scent alone must be heavenly! ;o)
…Thank you for the recipe! :o)
…I also want to take a moment to offer up to one of your readers a free subscription to your gift program. Some time ago, my husband & I were down on our luck both financially and physically with illness, hospital stays and all. And one of your dear, sweet, kind, totally awesome readers purchased me a subscription to your joy filled gift program. (I call it “joy filled” because one: it’s a package of pure joy when you receive it. And well, secondly: it’s from you, Joy. :o) So, as my way of expressing my gratitude to this fellow reader/angel who brought a lil’ joy to my life during a time that was so dismal, I would like to pay-it-forward. I will leave this up to you Joy to decide who you think will benefit from a lil’ extra joy this holiday season, ‘kay? Thank you to the person who did this for me, it will never be forgotten, and thank you Joy for doing what you do! We love ya!
…Now, off to add these ingredients to my grocery list so I can have me some of this boozy, buttery concoction to enjoy this foggy, drizzley (is that a word?), chilly December Sunday eve’. :o)
…God bless.
Axelle the french cook
Ha ! It seems to be SO good !!
I want to drink this thing right now !
In france, we’re making something called “vin chaud” : it’s hot red wine and spices like yours.
I admit that for many years I didn’t want to taste it, because hot wine …. beurk !
But last year, I’ve tried and this is excellent too ! If one day, you’ve got the possibility to taste one, just don’t hesitate. :)
Diana Devlin
Okay – I’m feeling the alcohol pressure. Listening to you and Tracy wax lovingly about bourbon week after week, I gotta get me some for my holiday liquor cabinet.!!
Key question: what kinds do you recommend for the bourbon novice?
Love what you do, but moreover, the positive way in which ya do it!
Catherine
Diana – I like bourbon a lot but didn’t know what kind to buy. I went to the liquor store and bought small sizes of several kinds, including Knob Creek, Maker’s Mark, Jack Daniels and Woodford Reserve. Then I did a blind taste test to figure out which brand I liked best. (Had someone else pour the bourbon into cups labeled a, b, c) You should try this! I will tell you that bourbon is more of an acquired taste and not something that everyone will like…
Margherita
Yummy! Looks divine…
Deirdre
Not a big fan of mulled wine because I’m not big into wine but I’d love to try the flavours with cider or rum!
Bought the book online. Love it. Wondering why you use granulated sugar in your recipes rather than caster sugar as we would here in Ireland/UK? Maybe it just what you use in the US?
Deirdre @ thekitschcook.blogspot.com
joythebaker
caster sugar is just a superfine version of American granulated sugar. it’s just more common here in the US. ps. thanks for buying the book!
Deirdre
Oh cool, thanks for getting back to me- I thought there might be additives in caster sugar that aren’t good for you or something…
I’m so starstruck because I love the blog and the podcast and the book! I have a blog too but I need to get a good camera- I’m saving up! Your passion is totally infectious, it makes me want to try new things when I bake and always be passionate.
Totally converted by the Spinach and Kale smoothie, I was very sceptical when I saw it but I drink it every morning and it makes me feel great!
xx
Deirdre @ http://thekitschcook.blogspot.ie/
Jim
Nice. Thanks. I wonder what the point of the butter was, when this was first concocted. The rum I get. The spices and apple cider, I get. Wait. I get to drink butter? Ah, got it. Never mind.
joythebaker
exactly.
Chris
Release the Kraken (rum) !!
joythebaker
hahahha! now look what you’ve gone and done!
katie mazur
wow!! that looks absolutely amazing! it’s a great change up to the Gluehwein that we’re drinking here in Germany!
MJ
Shame on you – this makes me want to take up drinking :) Naah – I’m just not that cool – great pics per usual!!!
Sherrawk
I bought a dutch oven, you proved my decisions right <3
Caz
What a genius drink combination! Perfect for the holiday season.
Averie @ Averie Cooks
That looks and sounds fabulous. I have seen many recipes for buttered rum cider but never really pay much attention but you have definitely caught my attention. I like your pour back into container/make-ahead idea. I hope you are able to forget that you stashed it in there – I don’t think I could!
Emily
Awww Joy, I just want the straight-up cold cider you were talking about now! That sounds soooo good.
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
yummm!
andrea
Im gonna drink this in the shower. With 5 straws attached to each other going from the shower caddy to my mouth. I know you dont judge me.
Nicole
Here’s to drinking butter! Cheers!