Rich and creamy Coquito is a traditional Christmas drink made with coconut, rum and cinnamon. Also known as Puerto Rican eggnog or coconut nog, the sweet, thick and creamy drink is one of the best things you’ll ever taste!
The Best Coquito Recipe
The holiday season brings us many things such as gifts and mistletoe. But If you live in Puerto Rico or if your closest friends / adopted family are Puerto Ricans, the holidays will certainly bring you Coquito and that is an amazingly delicious gift!
Coquito is a delightfully rich, creamy and boozy drink similar to eggnog but a million times better! (no offense to eggnog lovers out there),
Made with only 6 simple ingredients, Puerto Rican coquito is poured into glass bottles filled with a few cinnamon sticks and served cold in shot glasses. If you ask me, a shot glass full of this rich cocktail is like having only a spoonful of arroz con gandules aka Puerto Rican rice with pigeon peas – simply not enough! But I usually pretend I’m only having one small glass and then I sneak in for one more! (or 4!)
Why you’ll love this Coquito Drink
- Flavor: Creamy coconut, warm cinnamon and a hint of rum makes this drink unbelievably delicious.
- Texture: Thick, creamy, dreamy, rich and decadent. Perfect for the holidays!
- Make Ahead: You can mix this festive drink days in advanced. Keep it refrigerated until you are ready to enjoy it.
- Party in a Glass or Gift in a Bottle: Serve it at home on Christmas eve, bring it to any holiday gathering (your family and friends will love you for it) or put a bow on it and give it away as a delicious homemade gift (hint, hint).
What’s Coquito?
Coquito means “little coconut” in Spanish but, the eggnog-like drink Coquito, pronounced (co-kee-to), is a thick and creamy traditional holiday drink made with coconut cream, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, Puerto Rican rum, pure vanilla extract and warm spices, like cinnamon and ground nutmeg.
Although some traditional recipes include raw egg yolks, you will also find many authentic coquito recipes (including recipes from Puerto Rican cookbooks) that don’t include raw eggs.
Can I Make Coquito Without Alcohol?
If you don’t drink alcohol, don’t worry! This rum-based cocktail can be made into a ponche aka virgin coquito. Simply make a whole batch without the rum and serve it chilled with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Coquito Recipe Ingredients
Be sure to check the printable recipe card below for the complete ingredient list and their exact quantities.
- Cream of Coconut: It’s important that you use sweet cream of coconut. I buy cans of cream of coconut like Coco Lopez to make tropical drinks like piña colada. Canned or fresh coconut milk won’t work for this recipe as they don’t contain sugar or the rich coconut fat needed to create this cocktail.
- Evaporated Milk: This shelf-stable, concentrated canned milk is available in most grocery stores. This unsweetened milk is made by evaporating (removing) water from fresh cow’s milk.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: This canned sweetened milk is thick and delicious. It’s found in the baking section of any supermarket.
- Rum: When it comes to rum, I suggest that you use your favorite rum. White rum, dark rum or Puerto Rican rum can be used.
- Cinnamon: You will need ground cinnamon and cinnamon sticks.
- Vanilla: Use good quality pure vanilla extract.
How to Make Puerto Rican Coquito
For detailed instructions on how to make this drink, check the recipe card below.
- Pour all the ingredients in a blender.
- Blend at high speed until well combined, about 2 minutes.
- Pour into glass a bottle or mason jar and add a cinnamon stick. Close the lid and refrigerate until well chilled.
Coquito Recipe FAQs
Does Coquito Have Eggs?
This recipe doesn’t contain eggs however, as with many traditional recipes, every family seems to have their own favorite recipe for this drink and some include raw egg yolks which adds richness to the drink.
Can Coquito Be Made Without Rum?
Yes! You can make a virgin coquito or ponche without rum. Skip the rum completely or if preferred, you can add coconut milk instead of rum. Add 1/2 teaspoon of rum extract if you want for extra flavor.
How to Store Coquito
After you blend the drink, pour it into glass bottles or mason jars and add a few cinnamon sticks. Close the lid tightly and refrigerate until ready to use.
How long Does Coquito Last?
Since this recipe is made without any eggs, it will keep refrigerated in a sealed container for about a week. Make sure you keep leftovers in the refrigerator for about 3 days.
Tips for Success
- This recipe was provided by my beautiful “adopted “Puerto Rican mamá Nydia Villanueva Rodriguez. Thank you for the recipe and the love. Eres lo maximo!
- Make sure you use real cream of coconut like Coco Lopez. Don’t substitute this ingredient with coconut milk or coconut cream.
- Use your favorite rum to make this coquito drink! Although in Puerto Rico Don Q Puerto Rican rum is often used, you can make this festive drink with any type of rum. I recommend a lighter rum such as white rum or silver rum so the coconut flavor of the drink can shine through.
- Although traditionally coquito is served chilled in shot glasses, I like mine chilled and on the rocks (this is almost sinful I know!). I often use an old fashioned glass for serving.
- Most of the Puerto Ricans I love make this drink by simply mixing ingredients without measuring anything. I was able to put this recipe together after many years of begging my Puerto Rican adopted family to write one down for me! Embrace it and make any adjustments to make this drink to your taste.
Family Bonds
We’ve been lucky enough to have met incredibly nice people from Puerto Rico but we’ve been blessed to be “adopted” into the Cruise – Rodriguez family years ago. They became our closest friends and showed us that family is really who is there for you no matter what. We love you.
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The Best Puerto Rican Coquito
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (12-ounces) can evaporated milk
- 1 (15-ounces) can cream of coconut (I use Coco Lopez)
- 1 (14-ounces) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup rum, white or dark (more or less to your taste)
- Cinnamon sticks for the bottles and as garnish
Instructions
- Place the evaporated milk, cream of coconut, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon and rum in a blender.
- Blend at high speed until well combined, about 2 minutes.
- Pour into glass a bottle and add a cinnamon stick. Close the lid and refrigerate until well chilled.
- Before serving, shake the bottle and pour into small glasses. Garnish with ground cinnamon or cinnamon sticks.
Notes
- Traditionally this drink is served chilled in shot glasses. Mine are a bit bigger than a shot glass which is just what I like!
- Make sure you use real cream of coconut like Coco Lopez. Don’t substitute this ingredient with coconut milk or coconut cream.
- You can make a virgin coquito or ponche without rum. Skip the rum completely or if preferred, you can add coconut milk instead of rum. Add 1/2 teaspoon of rum extract if you want for extra flavor.
- You can use brown sugar or cinnamon sugar to rim the glasses for a festive presentation.
- This recipe was provided by my adopted Puerto Rican mamá Nydia Villanueva Rodriguez.
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