Coquito is a thick, creamy holiday drink with coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, rum, and warm spices. This incredible recipe is eggnog’s sassy cousin with a tropical flair. Deliciously creamy, rich, and cozy!
Christmas isn’t complete without a boozy drink to set the mood. What makes this fantastic coquito recipe work? The condensed, coconut, and evaporated milks and warm spices balance the rum for a warming without being overpowering or too thick.
You’ll love making this recipe because it transforms simple ingredients into magical goodness. My friends lovingly call this the HHH drink (holiday happy hour drink) because it tastes amazing and warms you up! And the only equipment you need is a blender.🎉
What Is Coquito?
While it’s called Puerto Rican eggnog, it has no eggs. In Puerto Rico, people often drink it on Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Each grandmother has her own recipe, but as long as you have the main ingredients, you can use your creativity to make your own recipe. 😍
Even better, coquito is so shareable! Increase your festive feel by bottling it and spreading cheer this holiday season. What an easy gift idea solution!
Recipe Ingredients
- Milk – Condensed, coconut, and evaporated milk combine for a creamy, thick, sweet wonder. Try my quick condensed milk and evaporated milk recipes if you don’t have a can in your pantry.
- Spices – Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg are classic Christmas spices because they’re warm and cozy with a festive flavor! Ginger and star anise add more.
- Vanilla – The aroma really enhances this drink. And homemade vanilla extract is even better.
- White Rum – I prefer white rum for this drink because it keeps the creamy white color. However, you can use spiced or dark rum for a deeper color and bolder alcohol kick.
- Cinnamon Sticks – This is optional but recommended; they add a fresh, sweet touch and are great for garnishing. You could sprinkle some ground cinnamon on top of each drink if you don’t have sticks.
How to Make Coquito
- Blend – Combine all your ingredients in a blender and blend for about a minute.
- Refrigerate – Bottle or place in a sealed container and then refrigerate. It stays good for over two weeks.
- Serve – Garnish with a cinnamon stick or sprinkle with cinnamon spice if desired. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Chocolate Coquito – Chocolate is pure comfort! Add cocoa powder or melt in a chocolate bar to make this drink a chocolate coconut-flavored delight.
- Alcohol-Free – Feel free to skip the alcohol; it’ll still be delicious and festive.❤️
- More Spices – Ginger, star anise, and allspice are fantastic additions. They also add a sensational touch to cocktails.
- Coquito Eggnog – Add two egg yolks and whisk them in until frothy. If you’re uncomfortable consuming raw eggs, you can temper them.
Tips and Tricks
- Shake your coquito mix before serving.
- Adjust the amount of rum to taste, or leave it out for a virgin coquito.
- Chill the ingredients before blending for a smooth and creamy coquito.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Coquito is best made ahead. Store it in a clean glass bottle with a lid in the fridge for 4-8 weeks. It makes great gifts and is so cute in personalized bottles. (The alcohol is a natural preservative.)
Serving and Storage Instructions
Store coquito in a clean glass jar or bottle. Alcohol is a preservative, so it will last in the fridge for 4-8 weeks or freezer for 2-4 months.
When ready to serve, run it in the blender for a creamy, refreshing drink.
FAQs
Yes. So please drink responsibly.
No. Though similar, they are different. American eggnog has eggs, cream, and whole-fat milk with rum. Coquito has coconut milk and no eggs (unless you want them).
Leaving coquito in the fridge for a couple of days before enjoying allows the flavors to meld beautifully. Because of the alcohol content, it should last 4-8 weeks. You can keep it colder and longer in the freezer, but leave room for expansion as it freezes. Storing it in a plastic bottle is safer.
What to Serve With Coquito
Coquito is a highly versatile drink. Keep things light and festive with beef empanadas or delicious shrimp and guac tostones.
For Christmas, serve it with arroz con gandules and pernil or picadillo. And flan makes an awesome dessert for Thanksgiving or Christmas!
More Delicious Holiday Recipes to Try
Conclusion
Holiday drinks don’t get better than this fabulous, creamy coconut coquito. Are you planning to make it soon? I’d love to hear how it goes in the comments!
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”Vq1TsSc8″ upload-date=”2019-12-03T23:46:48.000Z” name=”Coquito (Puerto Rican Eggnog)” description=”Coquito, also known as the Puerto Rican Coconut Nog or Eggnog, is a thick, creamy holiday drink made primarily with coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, rum, and spices. This is like the sassy cousin of eggnog with a tropical flair. Deliciously creamy, rich, cozy drink!” ]This blog post was originally published in December 2017 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Coquito (Puerto Rican Eggnog)
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Puerto Rican
Instructions
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Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend for about a minute.
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Bottle or place in a sealed container and then refrigerate. Serve as soon as it’s cold, but it will last up to 2 weeks.
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If desired, garnish with a cinnamon stick or sprinkle with ground cinnamon.
Tips & Notes:
- Coquito is usually made with coconut cream (homemade is the best). However, I substitute it with homemade coconut milk. Feel free to go with thick coconut cream.
- Shake your coquito mix before serving.
- Adjust the amount of rum to taste, or leave it out for a virgin coquito. If you want to feel it on the back of your throat and warm you on the inside, go with 1½ cups of white rum.
- Chill the ingredients before blending for a smooth and creamy coquito.
- If you want to thicken it up, add 2 egg yolks and whisk it in to blend thoroughly until frothy.
- Chill for 2-6 hours before serving.
- You can play around with your Coquito, add a spoonful of cocoa powder or a thinned chocolate ganache for a chocolaty version.
- Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1cup| Calories: 709kcal (35%)| Carbohydrates: 89g (30%)| Protein: 18g (36%)| Fat: 30g (46%)| Saturated Fat: 22g (138%)| Cholesterol: 77mg (26%)| Sodium: 414mg (18%)| Potassium: 834mg (24%)| Sugar: 83g (92%)| Vitamin A: 625IU (13%)| Vitamin C: 5.6mg (7%)| Calcium: 672mg (67%)| Iron: 0.5mg (3%)
