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This Rum Raisin Ice Cream mixes rum-soaked raisins, custardy vanilla ice cream, and a hint of rum in each creamy bite. It’s a little bit old school, and a whole lot of creamy delicious. Who can say no to that? I sure can’t!
Friends, I make a LOT of ice cream. It’s kind of my thing. But this recipe still sat on my must-try list for a long time before I finally made it. (There are always soooo many must-try recipes on my list!) If you love a good old-fashioned ice cream like my classic pralines and cream ice cream, you are going to love this rum and raisin ice cream recipe.
Rum Raisin Ice Cream
At first glance, making a custard-based ice cream can seem a bit intimidating. But, my friend, you can do this! And, let me be clear: this rum raisin ice cream recipe is not a shortcut situation.
Yes, you could take rum-soaked raisins and just stir them into a batch of vanilla ice cream. Will it be tasty? Yes. But, will it be anything like this classic rum raisin ice cream? No. Sometimes, you just have to invest the time for an extra special result. I promise, this is one of those times.
The rum-soaked raisins need at least four hours to plump up, so plan ahead on that. I usually toss them together in the morning and let them sit until I’m ready to make the custard later in the day. Or, honestly, the night before. The longer they soak, the better.
If you’ve made a custard base before, you already know the drill. And if you haven’t, you’ve found the perfect place to learn the process of tempering egg yolks for ice cream.
Ingredients and Substitutions
The Rum – I use Mount Gay rum for its dark, creamy flavor. We infuse that flavor into the raisins themselves, and the custard base, too. You can use any regular rum, but avoid spiced varieties. I find that the spices interfere with the nutmeg in this recipe.
The Raisins – I am not brand loyal with raisins, but I typically use Sun-Maid out of convenience.
Dairy – I always use whole milk and standard heavy cream unless otherwise noted. But, I will note that this is a custard base, so the fat content really matters. Don’t try to lighten this one with reduced fat milk. It won’t set right.
Eggs – Five eggs, but just the yolks, folks! Save the whites for a lemon angel pie. Or to scramble in a breakfast quesadilla, or just drink them like Rocky. But don’t put them in this ice cream. They’ll make the custard all grainy.
Sugar – The rum and the raisins in this ice cream bring a fair amount of sweetness already, so this recipe goes a little easier on the sugar with just a half cup.
Nutmeg – Oh, my gosh. Please, PLEASE try to find whole nutmeg and use a microplaner to prepare it fresh. It is so much more flavorful! You will never want to go back.
Notes on Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Two mixing bowls (one large for ice bath, one smaller metal)
- Whisk
- Spoonula – One of my favorite kitchen tools, this bad boy combines the best parts of a spatula and a spoon into one. And, it’s totally non-stick and safe for the dishwasher.
- Ice cream maker – I have reviewed so many ice cream makers over the years. These are the ones I recommend!
- Small jar with lid (for the raisin soak)
A knock out! I make ice cream once a month for family and friends, I get request for my hits (Butter Pecan, Cherry Garcia, Vanilla Bean custard) ! So when I got a request for Rum Raisin — I was not prepared for how to do that. Found this recipe, Holy Häagen-Dazs! I got compliments all around! My frozen treat fans LOVED this! Bravo!
– Michael
How to Make Rum Raisin Ice Cream
Preparing the Rum-Soaked Raisins: I add the raisins and rum to a jar. Then, I screw on a lid, give it a quick shake to show it who’s boss, and set it to the side.
Making an Ice Bath: Before you start the custard, I fill a large mixing bowl with ice and set a smaller metal bowl in the center. You have to add just enough cold water to float the ice cubes around the small bowl.
Heating the Cream Mixture: Combine the cream, milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium high heat. I whisk for about five minutes, until steam begins to rise. Then, remove it from the heat.
Tempering the Egg Yolks: While that warms up, crack five eggs and separate the yolks into a medium bowl. I slowly pour the hot cream into the yolks while whisking.
Cooking the Custard: Now, I pour the combined eggs and cream back into the saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously with a heatproof spatula until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of it, roughly 5-6 minutes.
Straining: Once the mixture has thickened, remove the saucepan from the heat and strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into the inner metal bowl of the ice bath. This catches any bits of egg that might have started to cook. It happens.
Cooling and Flavoring: Let the custard cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Once it’s cooled, stir in the rum and nutmeg. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours.
Churning and Final Steps
Churning: When ready to church, just follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your machine. I also have a handy guide for making ice cream without a machine!
Adding the Raisins: Transfer the finished ice cream to an airtight container and fold in those glorious rum-soaked raisins along with any remaining rum from the jar.
Serving: You can serve it immediately (soft-serve consistency) or pop it in the freezer for 2-3 hours for a firmer, scoopable texture.
Expert Tip
Making a custard-based ice cream is all about exercising patience. When I say that I pour the hot cream mixture into the eggs slowly, I mean sloooowly. If you add too much at once, the hot cream can end up cooking the eggs. And, when you’re heating the merged eggs and cream, adjust the heat lower while it thickens if it does more than steam. We’re not making scrambled eggs, folks!
Watch the Alcohol – Take care not to adjust the rum amounts too much. If you add more than a few tablespoons of alcohol to most ice creams, the result might be too soft and it can inhibit freezing altogether.
Add Rum After Heating – Don’t trust a recipe that tells you to add the rum to a hot pan. If you cook the rum, the alcohol can cook off, and you’ll lose the rum flavor you worked so hard to get in there.
Don’t Skip the Sieve – Even if you think your custard looks perfectly smooth, strain it anyway. It only takes a few seconds and catches any tiny bits of cooked egg you might not see. Trust me, you’ll notice if you skip this step.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead: Well, obviously! You don’t want to have your friends over for a dinner like an episode of the Office, waiting for hours while the raisins soak. But, isn’t that the best part about ice cream? You can make it weeks in advance and it’s ready for you any time the cravings strike.
How to Store: This ice cream keeps well in an airtight container in the freezer for several months. But, if I’m making this for a special occasion, I prefer to place it in a visually distinctive freezer-safe dish before freezing. It makes it feel like more of an event when you bring it to the table.
More Custard Style Ice Cream Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
Alcohol changes the freezing temperature of ice cream. If you’ve added more than the recipe calls for, that’s likely the issue. Stick to the measurements, and your ice cream will firm up just fine.
Nope. The ice bath helps the custard cool rapidly. Without that rapid cooling, the rum won’t incorporate as well, and the custard may continue to cook and curdle. It takes just a few minutes to set up and it makes all the difference.
The yolks are where all the fat is, and fat is what gives custard ice cream its creamy texture. The whites are leaner and more prone to scrambling when they hit the hot cream mixture.
At least four hours. But, the longer the better. If you start this recipe with that step, the raisins will be perfect by the time your ice cream is ready for them.
Rum Raisin Ice Cream
Ingredients
Rum-Soaked Raisins
- ½ cup raisins
- ¼ cup Caribbean rum (I use Mount Gay rum.)
Rum Raisin Ice Cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons Caribbean rum
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 batch of Rum-Soaked Raisins see above
Instructions
Rum-Soaked Raisins
- Combine raisins and rum in a small jar. Cover with lid and shake to combine. Set aside for at least 4 hours, until the raisins plump up.
Rum Raisin Ice Cream
- Prepare an ice bath by filling a large mixing bowl with ice and settling a smaller metal bowl into the ice. Add just enough cold water to the larger bowl to float the ice cubes around the smaller bowl.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, combine cream, milk, sugar, and salt. Stir over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until steam begins to rise from the surface. Remove from the heat.
- While the cream mixture is warming, whisk the egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl. Slowly pour 1 cup of the heated cream mixture into the yolks, while whisking vigorously. Continue adding heated cream and whisking until about half the cream mixture has been added to the yolks. Transfer the egg mixture to the saucepan.
- Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring continuously with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spatula, about 5-6 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat and pour through a fine-mesh sieve into the inner metal bowl of the prepared ice bath.
- Stir in rum and nutmeg. Cool the custard in the ice bath until room temperature, stirring occasionally. Cover and chill the mixture in the refrigerator at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- When ready to churn, pour into the ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the finished ice cream to an airtight container and stir in the rum-soaked raisins and any additional rum from the raisins.
- Serve immediately or freeze for 2-3 hours for a firmer, scoopable ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 6/24/22 – recipe notes and photos updated 4/16/26}
recipe shared, with thanks, from Great Scoops: Recipes from a Neighborhood Ice Cream Shop
This ice cream really sounds delicious! I have a small Cuisinart ice cream maker and might just try this recipe.!
I hope you love it as much as we do, MaryAnn!
This is the best rum raisin ice cream I have ever made. I thought the volume was a little low so I plussed up a with a little more cream and milk. The result was very smooth and creamy.
Thank is awesome. Thanks, Alan.
Made this ice cream with Golden rum. It was delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
That sounds delicious, Theresa! I’m glad you enjoyed the ice cream.
Thank you for this lovely recipe and including the ice bath tip.
May I ask, when do you add the remainder of the custard mix, I assume before you put in back on the heat.
Yes, you’ll transfer the egg and cream mixture back to the saucepan after it’s combined.
Excellent recipe worked a treat after conversion to UK weights/measures.
Never understood the “cups” concept of US style cookery – a “half cup of raisins” could be varying amounts if well packed or loose. Whereas 100g in UK measures is ALWAYS 100g.
Instructions unclear on rest of rum bottle… “why is all the rum gone?!”
Lovely recipe, family enjoyed and will make again.
Hahaha, “why is all the rum gone?” Thanks for the grin, Rob. I agree with you that the metric system is much more straightforward. However, having learned to cook in the US and with an audience that is 90% American, the cups system simply makes sense for this website. Glad you were able to work it out and enjoy the ice cream!
A knock out! I make ice cream once a month for family and friends, I get request for my hits (Butter Pecan, Cherry Garcia, Vanilla Bean custard) — all gluten/dairy free! So when I got a request for Rum Raisin — I was not prepared for how to do that. I’m not usually a fan of raisins (oddly, they make my tongue itch!). Found this recipe, switched out the dairy for plant based cream and milk — as I usually do. Holy Häagen-Dazs! I got compliments all around! My frozen treat fans LOVED this! Bravo!
Awe! I love hearing that, Michael. This has been a surprisingly popular one with friends and family here too!
Would you mind sharing how you replace the mill and cream and what you use as the substitute please.