A creamy and luscious summer treat for the adults. This eggless soft serve Rum Raisin Ice Cream is flavored with vanilla and real rum.
Rum Raisin Ice Cream was a favorite of mine when I was growing up in Malaysia. Back then we had more Asian and tropical flavors like red bean, corn, yam, and durian. There were also watered down vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate flavors. When Rum Raisin Ice Cream appeared on the scene it instantly became a favorite at our house. Even though the ice cream was artificially flavored, it was different and delicious.
We never made ice cream at home as home ice cream makers were unheard of back in those days. Fresh milk was also not something that was usually consumed. I do not remember ever seeing fresh milk or cream being sold at regular grocery stores. Children drank either condensed or powdered milk and soymilk. Freshly squeezed coconut milk was used only for cooking and not for drinking as a beverage.
Fast forward to the present here in the United States where personal ice cream makers are so affordable and easily available. There is also an abundance of milk, cream, and endless fruits and flavorings suitable for making ice cream. This makes it so easy for the home cook to whip up a delicious batch of homemade ice cream in no time at all.
I noticed too that the quality of milk here is much richer and creamier. Hence, ice cream especially here in Minnesota requires little to no thawing straight out of the freezer. When we first moved here, we enjoyed many, many tubs of ice cream. It was all so creamy and delicious. Unfortunately though, my favorite Rum Raisin Ice Cream was not as easily available. One way is to make my own.
Alcohol – An Anti-Freeze
Most store bought rum raisin ice cream uses rum flavoring instead of real rum as alcohol acts as an anti-freeze. It is said that no more than a ¼ cup (60ml) of rum should be used for 1 quart of ice cream. This will give a very light rum flavored ice cream. Most recipes call for ½ to ¾ cup (120ml to 180ml) of dark rum. I used slightly more than half a cup (hic!) and my ice cream was definitely soft serve. It took two days to harden in the freezer as seen in the first 2 pictures. The ice cream quickly melted after a few shots as seen in the picture above.
The recipe below was adapted from Saveur.com. I did not use eggs because of egg sensitivities in the family.
Similar Products Used in Making This Rum Raisin Ice Cream
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• Cuisinart 1.5 Quart Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream Maker (White)

Rum Raisin Ice Cream
Ingredients
- ½ cup raisins (80g)
- ¼ to ½ cup dark rum ** (60ml to 120ml)
- 1½ cups whole milk (360ml)
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream (360ml)
- ½ cup sugar (110g)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Freeze ice cream bowl for 24 hours.
- Combine raisins and rum a small bowl. Cover with plastic wraps and allow raisins to soften and plump up overnight.
- In a medium sized saucepan, combine milk, cream, and sugar over medium heat. Bring mixture to a gentle boil, stirring to dissolve sugar, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Pour rum and soaked raisins into milk mixture.
- Add vanilla essence and stir to combine. Allow mixture to cool. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Place frozen bowl on base of ice cream maker and turn it on. Pour chilled mixture into frozen bowl and churn until desired consistency, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Transfer ice cream to a container and place in freezer for at least a couple of hours to set before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Enjoy…..and have a wonderful day! 😎
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
Rum and raisin…the combo reminds me of X’mas. It must taste heavenly.
Have a great weekend!
Angie
Biren says
Rum and raisin ice cream is one of my favorites. Glad to hear you like it too. 🙂
Janine says
now that rum & raisin is no longer sold at Baskin Robbins, my only alternative is Swensens. But I’m definitely trying your recipe out to satisfy my urge for rum & raisin ice cream hehe
Biren says
There is no Swensens in my city and so the only way to enjoy this ice cream is to make my own. I hope you will give it a try. 🙂
Ramona says
I have never had rum raisin.. but I can just imagine how tasty this must be. My mother would adore this ice cream. 🙂
Biren says
Rum and raisin ice cream is delicious. You should give it a try.
Ruby says
So is this the Philadelphia style you were telling me about? Kind of similar to my method but not exactly the same. Great flavour suggestion – I love rum raisin and can’t wait until the kids develop a taste for it! Maybe I’ll make a 1/2 batch just for me. 😉
Biren says
Yes, this is Philadelphia style ice cream. I explained the difference in this Pistachio Ice Cream post. My version of rum and raisin ice cream is definitely an adult version. 😉