Mixpert editorial recipe

Hot Buttered Rum

Name: Hot Buttered Rum
Prep time: 4 min
Total time: 7 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: American-style
Ingredients: 1 1/3 fl oz (40 mL) rum, 40% ABV; about 2 tsp (10 g) unsalted butter, softened; 2 1/2 tsp (10 g) granulated sugar; 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp (150 g) hot water; about 1/8 tsp (0.3 g) ground cinnamon; a small pinch (0.1 g) ground cloves

Soft butter, sugar and ground spices form a quick single-mug base for hot buttered rum. Hot water melts the butter before the rum is stirred in, giving a gently creamy drink without making or storing a large batch of batter.

By Mixpert KitchenReviewed for clear measures, practical steps, and nutrition consistency.Our recipe standard

Ready in7 minMakes1 servingCalories · estimated per serving200Total sugar · estimated per serving10g

Amber hot buttered rum in a dry heatproof mug with butter, sugar and ground spices behind.

Legal drinking age · Enjoy responsibly

What you’ll need

Ingredients

1 1/3 fl oz (40 mL)rum, 40% ABV
about 2 tsp (10 g)unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 tsp (10 g)granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp (150 g)hot water
about 1/8 tsp (0.3 g)ground cinnamon
a small pinch (0.1 g)ground cloves

Estimated nutrition per serving

200Calories0gProtein10gCarbs8gFat0gFiber10gTotal sugar10g*Added sugar

Nutrition values are calculated estimates for the listed ingredients, preparation, and serving size. Ingredient brands, substitutions, preparation, and serving size can change the result.

*Marked values have additional uncertainty. Added sugar uses a documented nutrient fallback for granulated sugar.

Calculation assumptions

The reference serving uses the exact quantities below, summed by source profile and divided by 1 serving(s): 40 mL rum, 40% ABV, 10 g unsalted butter, softened, 10 g granulated sugar, 150 g hot water, 0.3 g ground cinnamon, 0.1 g ground cloves. One serving counts 40 mL 40% ABV rum, 10 g unsalted butter, 10 g sugar, 150 g water, 0.3 g cinnamon and 0.1 g cloves. Ground spices stay in the drink; no spice-extraction percentage is invented. Alcohol energy is retained. The 40% ABV spirit portion uses 0.789 g/mL ethanol density and the established derived spirit profile; ethanol is included at 7 kcal/g. No heat-loss fraction is assumed.

Serving basis: The calculated batch is divided into 1 equal serving.

Finished yield: One medium heatproof mug; final volume is an ingredient-based estimate.

Estimated alcohol: about 0.9 U.S. standard drinks. Approximately 88 calories come from ethanol at 7 kcal per gram.

Method: Nutrition is estimated from listed mass quantities or the stated label-volume basis, preparation, and cited composition data. A label-volume equivalent is not a measured gram weight. Actual values vary by brand, produce size, preparation method, and serving yield.

Quality check: database or declared-label energy is checked against macro-derived energy. Variances above 8% are blocked for review unless a documented food-specific or rounding explanation has been approved.

USDA FoodData Central ↗

See modeled quantities and references

rum, 40% ABV · 38 gDistilled spirit, 40% alcohol by volume · Declared Mixpert product profile · Mixpert declared profile: distilled-spirit-40-abv ↗ · Mixpert declared-label set 2026-09-12 (verified 2026-09-15). Included in nutrition.
Calculation basis
Reference serving: 100 g derived basis. Derived from the declared formulation; ethanol energy is calculated separately at 7 kcal/g.
unsalted butter, softened · 10 gButter, without salt · USDA FoodData Central · FDC 173430 · SR Legacy April 2018 ↗ · USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy April 2018 JSON archive (verified 2026-10-20). Included in nutrition.
Calculation basis
Reference serving: 100 g edible portion. Scale the 100 g USDA record by the explicit gram weight in nutritionQuantity. All displayed quantity-to-mass conversions must separately disclose their measurement basis. Missing nutrient arithmetic placeholders are zero internally while provenance remains null and the nutrient is marked unavailable.
granulated sugar · 10 gSugars, granulated · USDA FoodData Central · FDC 169655 · SR Legacy April 2018 ↗ · USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy April 2018 JSON archive (verified 2026-10-20). Included in nutrition.
Calculation basis
Reference serving: 100 g edible portion. Scale the 100 g USDA record by the explicit gram weight in nutritionQuantity. All displayed quantity-to-mass conversions must separately disclose their measurement basis. Missing nutrient arithmetic placeholders are zero internally while provenance remains null and the nutrient is marked unavailable.
hot water · 150 gBeverages, water, tap, drinking · USDA FoodData Central · FDC 173647 · SR Legacy April 2018 ↗ · USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy April 2018 JSON archive (verified 2026-10-20). Water or ice contributes no energy. Water retained in the drink, including melted or blended ice, is consumed; this is not an omitted nutrient value or a claim that it is discarded.
Calculation basis
Reference serving: 100 g edible portion. Scale the 100 g USDA record by the explicit gram weight in nutritionQuantity. All displayed quantity-to-mass conversions must separately disclose their measurement basis. Missing nutrient arithmetic placeholders are zero internally while provenance remains null and the nutrient is marked unavailable.
ground cinnamon · 0.3 gSpices, cinnamon, ground · USDA FoodData Central · FDC 171320 · SR Legacy April 2018 ↗ · USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy April 2018 JSON archive (verified 2026-10-20). Included in nutrition.
Calculation basis
Reference serving: 100 g edible portion. Scale the 100 g USDA record by the explicit gram weight in nutritionQuantity. All displayed quantity-to-mass conversions must separately disclose their measurement basis. Missing nutrient arithmetic placeholders are zero internally while provenance remains null and the nutrient is marked unavailable.
ground cloves · 0.1 gSpices, cloves, ground · USDA FoodData Central · FDC 171321 · SR Legacy April 2018 ↗ · USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy April 2018 JSON archive (verified 2026-10-20). Included in nutrition.
Calculation basis
Reference serving: 100 g edible portion. Scale the 100 g USDA record by the explicit gram weight in nutritionQuantity. All displayed quantity-to-mass conversions must separately disclose their measurement basis. Missing nutrient arithmetic placeholders are zero internally while provenance remains null and the nutrient is marked unavailable.

Sugar checkThe measured 10 g sugar is added sugar. Butter and rum are counted separately from the chosen references.

Step by step

Make it like a pro.

4 minutes mixing plus about 3 minutes heating water.

01
Mash the softened butter, sugar, cinnamon and cloves together in a large heatproof mug.
02
Add a small splash of the measured hot water and stir until the butter melts. Add the remaining measured water gradually, stirring to disperse the fat.
03
Stir in the measured rum away from a heat source. Serve hot and stir occasionally if a light butter sheen separates.

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Tools for This Recipe

Helpful equipment for making this recipe at home.

SaucepanCuisinart 419-18P 2-Quart Pour SaucepanCuisinart

A small saucepan for warming milk, spices, chocolate, and café bases.

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Easy swaps

Use 10 g brown sugar instead of granulated sugar for a different molasses note; its nutrient reference changes.
Reduce butter to 7 g for a lighter mouthfeel; that variation has less fat and energy than the base.

Mixpert tips

Use softened, not browned, butter so it mashes evenly with the sugar and spices.
Expect a light fat sheen; this is stirred butter and water, not a permanently stabilized dairy emulsion.

Good to know

Hot Buttered Rum FAQs

Why is there butter on the surface?

Butter contains fat that can separate from the hot water as the drink stands. Stir thoroughly after adding the water and again before sipping. A light sheen is expected; large unmelted pieces suggest the butter or water was too cool.

Can I use salted butter?

It changes the salt level and its source nutrition. The reference uses unsalted butter so the flavor and ingredient calculation are clear.

Do I boil the rum?

No. Melt the butter with hot water first, then stir in the rum away from direct heat. The drink remains alcoholic; this method does not claim alcohol removal.

Hot Buttered Rum

Make it like a pro.

Tools for This Recipe

Easy swaps

Mixpert tips

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Hot Buttered Rum FAQs

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