Coquito Recipe: Creamy Puerto Rican Coconut Drink
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Coquito (i.e., little coconut) is Puerto Rico’s creamy coconut rum drink. White rum, coconut cream, two kinds of canned milk and cinnamon do all the work. No eggs and no stove are required. It’s ideal for both summertime sipping and Christmas parties.
Is it just us, or is the Coquito having a moment? The Puerto Rican tipple seems to be everywhere, both online and in real life.
The traditional Caribbean cocktail initially hit our radar while we were researching holiday drinks. Then, by pure coincidence, we bumped into a TV commercial (sponsored by Goya) featuring the milky concoction along with dancing gingerbread man cookies.
We were so entranced by that Goya commercial that we had to rewind the DVR both for the dancing gingerbread men and the drink. Before long, we went to the store to buy coconut cream and ordered a brand-new blender online.
🍸 This Recipe at a Glance
- Flavor: Sweet, creamy coconut with cinnamon and a strong rum kick
- Base Spirit: White rum (Puerto Rican if you can find it)
- Method: Blended, then chilled
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Chill Time: 2 hours minimum (overnight is better)
- Yield: About 7 cups (14 four-ounce servings)
- Glassware: Small rocks glasses or punch cups
- Garnish: Cinnamon stick plus a dusting of ground cinnamon or nutmeg
- Make Ahead: Keeps up to two weeks in a sealed bottle in the fridge
- Eggs: None
What Is Coquito?
Coquito translates to little coconut, so it’s no surprise that the Coquito cocktail recipe includes coconut cream. Other key ingredients are sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon and a whole lot of rum. It sort of looks like an eggnog, but it’s an oversimplification to call the Coquito a Puerto Rican eggnog.
Yes, both creamy cocktails are popular during the Christmas holiday season, but that’s where the similarities end.
For starters, you don’t need to add eggs to craft Coquito. This drink derives its creaminess from processed milk products and coconut fat. Additionally, the Coquito answers eggnog’s nutmeg with cinnamon and a distinct coconut finish.
While you don’t need eggs, you do need a blender unless you’d rather use the stovetop. The stovetop method typically calls for eggs, while the blender method does not.
Speaking of recipes, there are as many Coquito recipes as there are stars in the sky. And, if you’re not careful, drinking too many cups of Coquito may cause you to have stars in your eyes.
History of the Coquito
Coquito is firmly rooted in Puerto Rico, but its exact origin is a mystery. What isn’t a mystery is its popularity. It’s a holiday tradition on the island and beyond, and it’s just as refreshing on a summer day.
In a way, each Puerto Rican family created their own Coquito histories when they developed recipes that fit their personalities and budgets. Passed through generations, some of those recipes add eggs to the mix and others replace cinnamon with nutmeg and cloves.
Ingredients
We mentioned that every Coquito recipe is different and we weren’t kidding. When you follow our easy Coquito recipe, you need to source the following ingredients:
Some Coquito recipes include eggs, which add a certain richness to the creamy drink. Although we were tempted to include eggs in our recipe, we ultimately decided to take an egg-free route.
Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.
One thing our Coquito recipe doesn’t scrimp on is rum. What can we say except that we like to drink boozy cocktails. It’s how we roll except when we’re drinking coffee or sparkling water.
How to Craft Coquito
You don’t need any special bar tools to craft Coquito at home. You just need a blender, a measuring spoon and a measuring cup.
You also need a bottle or jar for chilling your Coquito in the refrigerator.
The first step is to dump the cans of coconut cream, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk into the blender.
Pro Tip
Use a rubber spatula to get all of the condensed milk out of the can. It’s too good to waste.
Measure and add the rum.
Immediately measure and add the vanilla extract and ground cinnamon to the mix.
Blend the ingredients for a couple of minutes until they’re puréed. We use a Vitamix blender, but any full-sized blender works for this recipe.
Next, pour the Coquito mixture into a bottle or jar.
Give it a good stir or shake and then refrigerate the mixture for at least two hours until the jar is fully chilled. If possible, leave the Coquito in the refrigerator overnight to achieve a deeper flavor. You can also add a cinnamon stick to the bottle or jar to achieve extra cinnamon flavor.
Give the mixture another good stir or shake when you remove it from the refrigerator. You may need to skim the top layer or run it through the blender a second time if it’s too thick to pour.
Pour into small glasses and garnish each glass with a cinnamon stick.
Feel free to sprinkle some ground cinnamon or nutmeg on top of your Coquito.
Return the jar or bottle to the refrigerator if you don’t serve the full batch. It should last up to two weeks in a tightly sealed bottle.
Variations
The options are practically endless when it comes to Coquito variations. Here are some ideas to get you started on your quest to create your personal best Coquito recipe:
Discover 10 essential bar tools for the home mixologist.
Coquito Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups white rum
- 15 ounces coconut cream (can)
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk (can)
- 12 ounces evaporated milk (can)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- cinnamon sticks (garnish)
Equipment
Instructions
- Pour rum, coconut cream, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon into a blender.
- Blend until the ingredients are mixed and creamy.
- Pour the mixture into a glass container.
- Seal the container and refrigerate for a minimum of two hours.
- Shake or stir the mixture when you remove it from the refrigerator.
- Pour the drink into small glasses.
- Garnish each glass with a cinnamon stick.
Notes
- You may want to blend the chilled mixture a second time if it's chunkier than you prefer.
- Feel free to sprinkle ground cinnamon or nutmeg when serving.
Nutrition
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
Coquito is a creamy coconut and rum drink from Puerto Rico. It’s a holiday drink that tastes just as good on a hot summer day.
Eggnog is built on eggs, cream and nutmeg. Coquito gets its creaminess from coconut and canned milk, while cinnamon is its main spice. Our Coquito recipe has no eggs and no cooking.
Our recipe calls for white rum, coconut cream, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon. Cinnamon sticks are the garnish.
Yes, but cream of coconut (like Coco López) is sweetened. It’s the syrupy stuff that goes into a Piña Colada. Your Coquito will come out much sweeter, so start by cutting the sweetened condensed milk in half.
We use white rum. Puerto Rican brands like Don Q Cristal or Bacardí Superior fit the drink’s roots. Aged or spiced rum adds deeper vanilla and caramel notes.
Yes. Replace the rum with 1½ cups of coconut milk or whole milk. Add ½ teaspoon of rum extract if you want the rum flavor without the booze.
Yes. A 13.5-ounce can of full-fat coconut milk works. This replacement adds more coconut flavor and makes the drink a little richer.
Up to two weeks in a tightly sealed bottle in the refrigerator. We like to make it a day or two before a party so the flavors have time to meld.
Coconut fat firms up when it’s cold. Give the bottle a hard shake before pouring. If it’s still too thick, blend it again for a few seconds.
You can, but the fats separate as it thaws. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and blend it before serving. We think it’s better fresh from the fridge.
About 7 cups. That’s 14 servings at 4 ounces each.
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