Eat Your Rum in These 12 Desserts

Just consider it another kind of vanilla extract

By SAVEUR Editors
February 26, 2016

As a main ingredient in piña coladas and frosty, fruity cocktails, it's no secret that rum is a sweet little spirit that loves even more sugar. So give into your sweet tooth—lend rum some sugar and make one of these desserts.

Dried Apricot and Fig Clafoutis with Rum

Fruit Cake Clafoutis
A custardy French classic with an American twist: a soak in rum and dried figs in place of the usual cherries for a darker, more caramelized flavor.Matt Taylor-Gross

Rum-Broiled Grapefruit

rum-broiled grapefruit
Rich dark rum is brushed over grapefruit halves, which are then sprinkled with sugar and cayenne pepper before broiling.Ingalls Photography

Rum Raisin Ice Cream

Rum raisin ice cream
The combination of rum and raisins has long elevated all kinds of desserts, but when applied to a vanilla custard base, the flavors truly shine: a concentrated burst of dried fruit cut by the boozy kick of rum, all cushioned by creamy dairy.Penny De Los Santos

Orange, Pineapple, and Walnut Fruitcake

Orange, Pineapple, and Walnut Fruitcake
Sweet, spiced, and dense, with a bright rum glaze, a sophisticated take on classic Christmas fruitcake is a perfect holiday treat for giving as a gift—or for keeping to yourself.Helen Rosner

The Ultimate Fruitcake

Houseman's Fruitcake
Fruitcake has a bad rap. But if you take the care to find good ingredients, or make them yourself (re: roast the walnuts, candy the fruit and ginger, and soak your own cherries in rum) like Houseman chef Ned Baldwin does, there's no reason fruitcake can't hold its own against any other holiday dessert.Matt Taylor-Gross

Rum Bundt Cake

rum bundt cake recipe, rum cake recipes
A supremely moist, boozy Southern bundt cake fitting for any holiday spread.Helen Rosner

Classic Bananas Foster

Classic Bananas Foster
This boozy, buttery concoction of caramelized bananas flambéed in rum sauce is a dining-out classic invented at legendary New Orleans restaurant, Brennan's.Maxime Iattoni

Bratapfel mit Walnusseis (Baked Walnut-Stuffed Apples with White Wine)

Walnut-stuffed apples
Apples are roasted in wine and butter for this sweet and spicy dessert, a staple of holiday markets throughout Germany.Todd Coleman

Banana Fritters with Cinnamon-Sugar and Rum

Banana Fritters with Cinnamon-Sugar and Rum
Use very ripe organic bananas for these silver-dollar-size fritters, as they will mash the best and create a smooth, sweet batter.Matt Taylor-Gross

Vanilla-Rum Custard (La Tarte)

Vanilla-Rum Custard (La Tart)
The creaminess of this classic vanilla custard gains an edge with the addition of light rum.Penny De Los Santos

White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Bananas and Rum Sauce

White chocolate bread pudding
Two of our favorite New Orleans desserts combine in an extravagant white chocolate and banana rum bread pudding.Todd Coleman

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