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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Dessert

    Butter Rum Sauce

    Published: Dec 19, 2020 · Modified: Nov 28, 2022 by Susie Weinrich · This post may contain affiliate links. 16 Comments

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    pinterest image for butter rum sauce with text

    Butter Rum Sauce is a buttery caramel-like-sauce that has a lovely flavor from the dark rum. Don’t worry it doesn’t taste like a cocktail as the liquor will boil out during cooking. It is made with 5 simple ingredients – butter, brown sugar, sugar, cream, and dark rum.

    a mason jar full of butter rum sauce

    It is perfect drizzled over apple spice cake, apple crostata, brownies, apple nachos, bread pudding, pancakes or just ice cream! And if I’m being honest I have been spotted eating it by the spoonful (it’s REALLY good!).

    Table of Contents hide
    1 Ingredients & Supplies
    2 Dark Rum
    3 How to Make Butter Rum Sauce
    4 Other Recipes Using Dark Rum
    5 Butter Rum Sauce

    Ingredients & Supplies

    You don’t need much to make this butter rum sauce recipe, just 5 ingredients:

    • saucepan
    • 1 stick of butter (preferably salted)
    • brown sugar
    • granulated sugar
    • heavy whipping cream
    • dark rum
    heavy cream, butter, brown sugar, dark rum, sugar and a tablespoon on a table

    Dark Rum

    When you buy dark rum (or look through your liquor cabinet), you want to make sure you get “dark rum”. It will literally be darker in color, like a caramel color. Definitely do not use the clear rum, it will not have the right flavors for this recipe. Dark rum is aged and the molasses flavors are enhanced.

    If dark rum is not something you would normally keep in the house or would use for cocktails, you can absolutely buy an airplane sized bottle of dark rum! They are usually kept up by the registers at the liquor store.

    Rum Extract

    If you prefer to not use alcohol you can absolutely sub 1 teaspoon rum extract for the dark rum.

    How to Make Butter Rum Sauce

    There is not much to making this Butter Rum Sauce. Just add all the ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat. Let it all melt together and then let it simmer for about 2-3 minutes.

    a saucepan of butter rum sauce

    Remove it from the heat and let it cool. It will thicken more as it cools.

    If you like a stronger rum/alcohol flavor you can wait and add the rum in the last 30 second of simmering the sauce. But, be careful that it doesn’t boil up on you!

    Storing

    Store your cooled butter rum sauce in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. I like to store mine in a mason jar with a lid.

    Reheating

    To reheat the sauce just portion out how much you want to use into a saucepan and place over low heat for about 5 minutes (less if you only have 1 or two portions), stirring occasionally, until it is the right consistency for drizzling!

    a jar of butter rum sauce being drizzled with a spoon

    Other Recipes Using Dark Rum

    If you have purchased a bottle of dark rum and now are thinking what am I going to do with this… her are a few recipes you can make to use it up!

    Cocktails:

    • Ina Gartens Dark Rum Southside
    • Spruce Eats Dark and Stormy
    • or just a really good Rum & Coke (Cuba Libre)

    Food:

    • Maple Rum Sweet Potato Cornbread
    • Island Rum Lime Chicken
    • Grilled Rum Pineapple with Ice Cream
    a jar of butter rum sauce being drizzled with a spoon

    Butter Rum Sauce

    A delicious recipe for Butter Rum Sauce, made with just 5 ingredients. Perfect for drizzling over pies, bread puddings, cakes, or ice cream!
    5 from 14 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 3 minutes
    Cooling: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 38 minutes
    Servings: 12 servings
    Calories: 172kcal
    Author: Susie Weinrich

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup butter
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
    • 1 tablespoon dark rum up to 2 tablespoon for stronger flavor. (could sub 1 teaspoon rum extract if you prefer to not use alcohol)
    Prevent your screen from going dark while you are cooking!

    Instructions

    • Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened and coats a spoon.
    • TIP: for a stronger rum/liquor flavor wait and add the rum in the last 30 seconds of simmering. But be careful if it boils up.
    • Remove from the heat. Let it cool for about 30 minutes, it will thicken more as it cools.

    Storing

    • Store any unused (and cooled) butter rum sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. A mason jar works nicely!

    Reheating

    • To reheat the butter rum sauce right out of the fridge place it in a saucepan over low heat for about 5 minutes (less if you are only warming 1 or 2 portions), stirring occasionally. Once it has darkened in color and is the right consistency pull it from the heat.

    Serving

    • This butter rum sauce is amazing drizzled over spiced apple cake, apple crostata, apple nachos, or over ice cream!
    Did you try this recipe? Connect with me & let me know how it turned out by commenting below!
    Jump to Comments
    Serving: 2tablespoon | Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 74mg | Potassium: 20mg | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 382IU | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

    If nutrition facts are provided they are calculated as an estimate to the best of our knowledge.

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    About Susie Weinrich

    Susie Weinrich is the recipe developer, food photographer, and content creator behind Mom's Dinner. She has over 20 years experience in the food industry. Currently, Susie shares all her recipes and food knowledge on Mom's Dinner. You will find her recipes are easy to follow and full of tips and tricks to make sure the recipe you are making turns out perfect!

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Donna

      December 29, 2022 at 3:00 pm

      5 stars
      I am so excited that I have found this Rum Sauce recipe for our Christmas Pudding. I have been looking for this recipe for many years as it reminds me of the Rum sauce my Mom use to make every Christmas. Thank You.

      Reply
    2. J Duncan

      November 22, 2022 at 2:51 pm

      Did I miss something? There is an amount for the butter and nothing else. What kind of recipe is that?

      Reply
      • Susie Weinrich

        November 22, 2022 at 8:13 pm

        There should be measurements for everything. Make sure you are looking in the recipe card …
        ½ cup butter
        ▢½ cup granulated sugar
        ▢½ cup brown sugar
        ▢½ cup heavy whipping cream
        ▢1 tablespoon dark rum up to 2 tablespoon for stronger flavor.

        Reply
        • Laurie

          December 21, 2022 at 9:44 am

          Can you use 10% cream instead of heavy cream?

        • Susie Weinrich

          December 21, 2022 at 12:40 pm

          I have not tested that so I cannot tell you 100%. Heavy cream has around 36% milk fat, so Im not sure a 10% will react the same in the recipe.

    3. Patricia

      November 09, 2022 at 12:57 pm

      Can you bottle (can) this for storage?

      Reply
      • Susie Weinrich

        November 09, 2022 at 1:54 pm

        I am not sure about this. I do not do any canning or preserving.

        Reply
    4. Anthony

      August 14, 2022 at 3:13 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent sauce for ice cream, and it is really quick to put it together.

      Reply
    5. Kavinda Ekanayake

      April 04, 2022 at 8:35 am

      Every thing good. I like it .thanks

      Reply
    6. Mike

      February 04, 2022 at 6:09 pm

      DELICIOUS and so quick and easy to make! THANK YOU

      Reply
    7. Judi Stillar

      January 07, 2022 at 12:25 pm

      5 stars
      This is now my favourite caramel sauce. So good on sticky toffee pudding. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
    8. Ronda Nguyen

      December 03, 2021 at 10:05 am

      5 stars
      This is delicious and easy to make.

      Reply
    9. Dianne H

      October 10, 2021 at 7:04 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious. I wanted a butter rum sauce for creme brulee bread pudding. This was easy to whip up and tastes great. I did double the rum though for a nice “rummy” flavor.

      Reply
      • Susie Weinrich

        October 11, 2021 at 9:43 am

        Crème Brulee Bread Pudding sounds AMAZING!!!!

        Reply
    10. Darlene

      September 06, 2021 at 8:42 pm

      5 stars
      Great flavor! Awesome to use in place of maple syrup. I love it on my Pannekoekens.

      Reply
      • Citrus

        March 28, 2022 at 7:59 pm

        This rum sauce is deliscious, and not overly sweet!!!

        Reply

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