Home Recipes Meal Types Desserts
Lisa KaminskiUpdated: Feb. 19, 2024
Rum extract is the secret ingredient behind lots of our favorite treats like bananas foster, eggnog and even tiramisu. Find out how you can use rum extract at home.
Pina Colada Zucchini Bread
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At my husband's urging, I entered this recipe at the Pennsylvania Farm Show—and won first place! You'll love the cakelike texture and tropical flavors. —Sharon Rydbom, Tipton, Pennsylvania
Classic Tres Leches Cake
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Tres leches means "three milks." This cake gets its name because it uses three kinds of milk—evaporated, condensed and cream. This tres leches cake's light and airy texture has made it a classic in Mexican kitchens for generations. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Coconut-Rum Cake Pops
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Plan your own tropical escape with these surprisingly light-tasting pops. Angel food cake is a nice change of pace.
Eggnog Mini Loaves
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The seasonal flavors of eggnog, rum extract and nutmeg shine through in these moist, golden loaves. Tender slices are just right with a cup of coffee. —Beverly Elmore, Spokane, Michigan
Raspberry Coconut Balls
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My family loves Hostess Zingers, especially the raspberry flavor coated with coconut, inspiring this treat to make for school bake sales. We can make about four dozen in 30 minutes, and they sell out fast! —Pam Clark, Wheaton, Illinois
Creamy Cranberry Cheesecake
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This creamy cheesecake is perfect for holiday desserts. The colorful topping is so good that I prepare it separately and use it as a cranberry side dish at Thanksgiving. —Mary Simonson, Kelso, Washington
Coconut Mango Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce
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All the fun flavors of Puerto Rico come together in a dessert that's both exotic and familiar. Topped with a brown sugar rum sauce, it's even better with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. —Jennifer Jackson, Keller, Texas
Rich Hot Fudge Sauce
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I've made this scrumptious topping since the early 1980s. It always turns out smooth and yummy. The dark chocolate flavor, with a hint of rum extract, is not overly sweet but will still satisfy a chocoholic's cravings. —Carol Hanihan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Creamy Tiramisu Cheesecake
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The Italian word "tiramisu" means "pick-me-up" and refers to a dessert of ladyfinger sponge cake dipped in coffee, embracing mascarpone cheese. Work that in with cream cheese and you have a guaranteed picker-upper that redefines a classic. —Mrs. Priscilla Gilbert, Indian Harbour Beach, Florida
No-Bake Chocolate-Pecan Tartlets
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At the last minute, I frantically came up with this treat for a holiday tea. The tartlets were quickly gobbled up. Now, I make them for our annual Teacher Taster's Choice and special family gatherings. —Joy Johnson, Culbertson, Montana
Creamy Chocolate-Banana Pie
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You can make almost any dessert more awesome with chocolate. In this cream pie, fresh banana and chocolate make a truly irresistible combo.—Diane Nemitz, Ludington, Michigan
Tropical Muffins
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I entered these muffins at our county fair and won the grand champion award for baked goods. They're so moist, they don't need butter. —Sylvia Osborn, Clay Center, Kansas
No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cannoli Cheesecake
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I make this cannoli cheesecake in the summer for a flavorful and refreshing treat. I love the added bonus of not having to turn on the oven in hot weather. —Kristen Heigl, Staten Island, New York
Frosted Butter Rum Brickle Bites
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The rum, real butter and toffee bits made these cookies my husband’s new favorite. If you’d like them less sweet, skip the frosting and sprinkle the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while still warm. —Cindy Nerat, Menominee, Michigan
Oma's Marzipan Stollen
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My German grandma made this stollen for us when we were young. I love its homey taste and how it reminds me of her and the German food she made. I often freeze this sweet bread once it’s shaped into a braid. Then I can pull it out the night before, let it rise on the counter overnight, and bake it in the morning. —Abigail Leszczynski, Beauford, South Carolina
Tiramisu Cookies
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These tiramisu cookies bring out the delicious flavors of tiramisu, sandwich-style. Pack these treats in a decorative container for an easy edible hostess gift. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Eggnog French Toast
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This recipe is a favorite of our family and not only at Christmas. We especially like to prepare this hearty breakfast when we go camping. —Robert Northrup, Las Cruces, New Mexico
Eggnog Pie
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Even better than holiday eggnog in a glass is eggnog on a plate! This creamy pie delivers all that rich, wonderful flavor. It’s pretty, too, with a sprinkling of nutmeg on top. —Florence Shaw, East Wenatchee, Washington
Butterscotch-Rum Raisin Treats
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I love making rum raisin rice pudding around the holidays. Those flavors inspired this recipe. Crispy rice cereal adds crunch, but nuts, toasted coconut or candied pineapple could do the job, too. —Crystal Schlueter, Northglenn, Colorado
Autumn Surprise Pie
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What better way to welcome fall than with a homemade pie? This one calls for apples, pears and raisins flavored with rum extract. —Karen Gauvreau, Portage, Michigan
Butterscotch Eggnog Stars
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These yellow star-shaped cookies with a "stained-glass" center are almost too pretty to eat! But they have a rich eggnog flavor that is irresistible. Although they take a little time and patience to prepare, they're worth every minute! —Cheryl Hemmer, Swansea, Illinois
Butterscotch Fruit Dip
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If you like the sweetness of butterscotch chips, you'll enjoy this warm rum-flavored fruit dip. I serve it with apple and pear wedges. It holds up for up to two hours in the slow cooker. —Jeaune Hadl Van Meter, Lexington, Kentucky
Pina Colada Icebox Cake
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This icebox cake has all the flavors of a pina colada. It takes just one bite to escape to a tropical island! —Rachel Lewis, Danville, Virginia
Easily impress your guests with this quick dessert. It takes just 30 minutes to prepare, and you'll receive rave reviews. —Peg Atzen, Hackensack, Minnesota
Grapefruit Alaska
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I have wonderful memories of eating bananas Foster in New Orleans, and as a dietitian, wanted to find a healthier version. I combined the best of two recipes and added my own tweaks to create this southern treat. —Lisa Varner, Charleston, South Carolina
Bananas Foster Sundaes
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"This is my son's favorite Christmas cookie. It is a very old recipe that I have used many times." These delightful gems have great nutmeg flavor and are a perfect way to ring in the holidays. – Janie Colle, Hutchinson, Kansas
Frosted Nutmeg Log Cookies
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Whenever I pass a display of bananas in the grocery store, I can almost smell the wonderful aroma of my best banana bread recipe. It really is amazingly good! —Gert Kaiser, Kenosha, Wisconsin
Best Ever Banana Bread
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Monkey bread is no stranger at our house, but I wanted a holiday version. This one with cranberries and eggnog is a breakfast treat or knockout dessert. —Katherine Wollgast, Florissant, MO
Cranberry Chip Monkey Bread
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Blintzes are thin pancakes filled with cheese or fruits. I created an easy casserole version with cheese filling and topped it with apples. —Ann Hillmeyer, Sandia Park, New Mexico
Make-Ahead Blintz Casserole
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I tried substituting rum extract for vanilla in a classic Christmas recipe, and the end result was a cookie that tasted a lot like eggnog! —Lisa Varner, El Paso, Texas
Holiday Spritz
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I make good use of extra eggnog by creating this luscious cheesecake. A bit of rum extract adds a special taste. —Kristen Grula, Hazleton, Pennsylvania
Eggnog Cheesecake
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Seasoned with cayenne pepper and cinnamon, this spicy microwave brittle packs its own heat and warms up holiday visitors. It also makes a superb stocking stuffer! —Terri McKitrick, Delafield, Wisconsin
Spiced Rum-Nut Brittle
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Talk about a scene-stealer! This raspberry-filled cake, an exceptional dessert for any meal, is an especially lovely ending for a holiday feast. —Carol Gillespie, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
White Chocolate Christmas Torte
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My mother and I tried many different types of rum cake to find the best one, and finally hit on this cake that doesn't dry out and imparts the most flavor. For a really moist cake, brush rum over the individual sponge cakes before topping them with the filling. —Dona M. Hoffman, Addison, Illinois
Mini Rum Cakes
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This oatmeal tastes like bananas Foster, my favorite dessert. If you can’t find rum extract, double the vanilla. —Carol Touchton, Seffner, Florida
Bananas Foster Oatmeal
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Presents from the pantry are a tradition in my family, and this moist, fruity quick bread is a favorite. I wrap loaves in cellophane and garnish with stickers and curly ribbons. —Margo Stich, Rochester, Minnesota
Originally Published: December 05, 2019
Lisa Kaminski
Lisa is a formerTaste of Home editor and passionate baker. During her tenure, she poured her love of all things sweet (and sometimes savory) into Bakeable, Taste of Home's baking club. Lisa also dedicated her career here to finding and testing the best ingredients, kitchen gear and home products for our Test Kitchen-Preferred program. At home, you'll find her working on embroidery and other crafts.