Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bowlful of Rum Raisin Chocolate Ice Cream

What comes to mind when you think about the flavor of raisins soaked in rum?

For me, it brings up serious memories of rum raisin bread pudding, enjoyed during the holiday season.

My grandma used to whip up that classic recipe every single year. And as a child, I hated it.

I thought it was the grossest thing in the world because she always made it nice and boozy. Of course, as a kid, my palate wasn’t appreciative of spiced rum, so naturally it’s not a flavor combination that I remember fondly from my childhood.

However, in my adulthood, that flavor combination has become one that I love. No longer tied to the holiday season, I find myself craving this particular combo year-round.

Enter this creamy, dreamy ice cream that no one can resist.

Since it’s been about a thousand degrees outside every single day so far this summer, I’ve been craving frozen sweets morning, noon, and night (though I still crave ice cream in the cooler fall months, in which case I eat pumpkin spice ice cream!).

There’s nothing like a giant cone filled with a big scoop of frozen goodness to take the edge off after a long day outside in the heat, or a long commute home in traffic, when even blasting the air conditioner doesn’t bring relief.

The best part is, you no longer have to chase the ice cream truck around to get your fix.

What, you don’t do that? Is it just me? I guess the cheese stands alone on this one…

Making this frozen dessert from scratch can seem like a daunting task because of all the time it takes to make. That being said, it’s not the hardest process to go through, and most of this is spent freezing and soaking, leaving you time to do other things.

You start by making a creamy custard, and then add bittersweet chocolate and cocoa powder to make a delicious chocolate ice cream.

The chocolate base is rich, decadent, and perfectly indulgent. It’s a recipe that you will want to keep on hand even if you aren’t in the mood to add the boozy raisin flavor to the mix.

All you chocoholics out there can thank me later, of course.

Then, as you churn the ice cream, you add raisins and chopped dates that you’ve soaked for a couple of hours in spiced rum. The plump raisins and dates bring a burst of that spiced boozy flavor, paired with the sweetness of the dried fruit, in every single bite.

If you adore all things rum raisin, you are going to love this ice cream. It’s a recipe that you can enjoy year round, even during the holidays if you are looking for a break from the traditional cookies and cakes. It makes a lovely pairing with a rum cocktail as well.

All I can say is, no one will ever ask you, “But where’s the rum gone?” again. That is, until you run out of ice cream…

Print

Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Separate, Chop, and Measure

Separate the egg yolks from the whites, and place them in separate bowls. Reserve the whites for another use, like making meringues.

Roughly chop the chocolate and place in a bowl. Set aside.

Remove pits from the dates if necessary, chop, and set aside.

Measure the remaining ingredients as listed. And don’t forget to make sure your ice cream maker is ready to go before you begin.

Step 2 – Make Custard Base

Add the heavy cream, milk, and 1/8 cup sugar to a medium saucepan, whisking to combine. Bring the mixture to a low boil over high heat, but be careful not to scorch the milk. Remove from heat.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and remaining sugar.

Slowly add 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture. This will temper the mix, so you don’t wind up with scrambled eggs.

Once combined, add the egg mixture back to the milk mixture and stir to combine.

Continue to cook over medium heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, approximately 5-8 minutes.

Remove from heat, then stir in the cocoa powder and chocolate until the chocolate is melted. Allow to cool briefly.

Transfer the custard to a medium bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and make sure it touches the surface of the liquid. This will prevent a film from forming.

Step 3 – Chill and Soak

Chill custard base in the freezer for about 2 hours, until completely chilled through.

In a small bowl, combine spiced rum and dried fruits. Let the fruit soak while the custard base is chilling.

Step 4 – Churn Ice Cream

Add custard base to your ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Strain the fruit, and reserve the rum for another use, if desired.

In the last 5 minutes of churning, add the fruit to the mixture. The fruit can also be folded in by hand if you prefer.

Step 5 – Freeze

Transfer ice cream to a freezer-safe container, and cover with plastic wrap or a tight-fitting lid. Chill for a minimum of 6 hours before serving.

Frozen desserts that contains alcohol typically take a bit longer to freeze, or might result in a softer texture. Freezing overnight is recommended, and the timing on this largely depends on the temperature of your freezer.

Boozy, Sweet, and Indulgent Are the Buzzwords of the Summer

When it comes to beating the heat, there’s nothing better than something frozen that’s boozy, sweet, and oh-so-indulgent. It’s incredible how the flavors of spiced rum, dried fruits, and chocolate come together to create the best dessert your taste buds have ever encountered.

Homemade ice cream always tastes better, and this silky smooth version is proof of that. The richness of the bittersweet chocolate comes through in every bite (you can also try our vegan chocolate recipe for a dairy-free base that’s equally as indulgent), and the booziness is something that you just won’t find in the grocery store, where artificial rum flavoring is king.

Of course, if you prefer to make an alcohol-free version, a solution of sugar, water, and imitation rum flavoring could be used to accomplish this.

As is the case with all scrumptious homemade desserts, your friends and family will thank you for making the effort. That is, if you decide to share…

Looking for another boozy dessert to fulfill your craving? Check out these rum punch freeze pops for a new treat to cool off with in the hot weather.

Tell us what memories rum raisin brings to mind for you in the comments below, and be sure to rate the recipe as well. This helps other readers to know how much you enjoyed it!

More ice cream recipes, you say? Take a look at these creamy delights:

• Vegan Vanilla
• Cherry Chocolate Chip
• Strawberry Walnut Chocolate Chunk
• 3-Ingredient Vanilla Bean
• Dairy-Free Chocolate Cherry

Photos by Meghan Yager, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published by Shanna Mallon on January 24, 2012. Last updated: April 5, 2022 at 9:24 am. With additional writing and editing by Allison Sidhu.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.