Coquito

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Coquito is a Puerto Rican rum and milk punch (similar to eggnog but different) that is made around the holidays. This coquito recipe is flavorful, rich and perfectly spiced. Serve it for a holiday party or put it in cute jars and gift it to your friends!

Coquito in glasses.

When the holidays hit, I go into stealth mode when it comes to making drinks. I crave things like iced pumpkin spice lattes, horchata coffee and of course, coquito. This is a peak holiday drink!

What is Coquito

Coquito is a Puerto Rican rum and milk punch that is typically served around the holidays and Christmas. It gets a lot of comparisons to eggnog or horchata and I can see how it can be similar but I think it’s dramatically better! Lol.

I love the coconut flavors, the Puerto Rican rum and the flavorful nutmeg and cinnamon. It can be served chilled and neat (no ice) or with a handful of ice (my preferred way). It’s up to you!

Ingredients for Coquito

Ingredients you'll need for coquito.
  1. Coconut cream – This is one of, if not, the most important ingredient. It cannot be skipped or substituted! It’s divine and has a very concentrated coconut, tropical flavor.
  2. Sweetened condensed milk – All of the sugar in the drink comes from this the condensed milk. It gives a great thickness and sweetness.
  3. Cinnamon sticks – This gives the flavor of cinnamon without any texture that ground cinnamon would give the drink.
  4. Coconut milk – I like to use light coconut milk for this. It’s thinner in texture than regular coconut milk which I prefer.
  5. Evaporated milk – I love evaporated milk. It has a very concentrated milk flavor that is perfect for this drink.

See recipe card for more detailed list of ingredients.

Cinnamon water steeping in pot.

How to Make Coquito

  1. Combine the water, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a saucepan. Bring it to a simmer and then immediately turn the heat off. Cover the pot and let it steep for about 10 minutes. This is what we’re going to use to impart that delicious spice and cinnamon flavor into the drink.
  2. After it’s done steeping, remove the cinnamon sticks and discard them.
  3. Pour the steeped/flavored water into a blender and then add in the cans of coconut milk, cream of coconut, evaporated milk, condensed milk, vanilla and rum. If needed, you may need to do this in batches depending on how big your blender is.
  4. Blend it up until combined. Give it a taste and adjust the rum to your liking.
  5. And then pour it into your pitchers. Transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours. It will last in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Pitchers of coquito about to chill in the fridge.

Coquito Tips

Smooth coquito – It’s not uncommon for coconut fat to solidify toward the top of the pitcher. You can just whisk it it or scoop it out and discard it. It’s because the fat from the coconut is solifidying as it chills. If you don’t like that, feel free to add it to a blender and pulse until it’s smooth again.

Coquito in glasses with grated nutmeg on top.

Tips for Coquito

  • I love this recipe with Puerto Rican white rum. That I believe is traditional. But a lot of people also add brandy or they add dark rum. You’re welcome to do this too. Simply add half of the amount of rum and substitute the second half with brandy.
  • This makes a great gift to neighbors or friends. You can tie a ribbon around the bottle and boom! A present.

Recipe FAQs

Can coquito be made without alcohol?

Traditionally it’s always made with alcohol but a lot of people don’t drink for their own personal reasons, so I say absolutely leave it out!

How long does coquito last?

When stored in the fridge, coquito lasts from about 3-5 days.

How are coquito and egg nog different?

Egg nog is a custard made with milk, heavy cream and gently cooked eggs. Then the rum and extras are added. Coquito has no egg. It’s not a custard drink. It’s simply different milks and coconut mixed together.

What If I don’t like coconut?

Then coquito might not be the right drink for you! I would suggest something like horchata or perfect hot chocolate.

Coquito in glasses.

More Cozy Christmas Recipes

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5 from 23 votes

Coquito

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Steeping Time: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 12
Coquito is a Puerto Rican rum and milk punch (similar to eggnog but different) that is made around the holidays. This coquito recipe is flavorful, rich and perfectly spiced.

Equipment

  • 1 blender

Ingredients 

  • 1 2/3 cups filtered water
  • 2 cinnamon sticks, (broken in half)
  • Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon whole cloves
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 1 (13.5-ounce) can light or full-fat coconut milk, (I prefer light coconut milk)
  • 1 (15-ounce) can Coco Lopez cream of coconut
  • 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 350 ml good-quality white rum, (1 1/4 cup)

Instructions 

To Make the Coquito:

  • In a saucepan, set over medium heat, add the water, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Bring to a rapid simmer. And then immediately turn off the heat and cover the pan. Let it steep for 10 minutes. During this time, the water will become a delicious cinnamon and nutmeg flavored water. When it's done steeping, remove the cinnamon stick and discard.
  • Note: If your blender isn't big enough, you may need to do this in batches.
  • Pour the cinnamon/flavored water into a blender, along with the coconut milk, cream of coconut, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and rum. Blend it up until very smooth, about 15 to 30 seconds. Give the coquito a taste and adjust the rum to taste. Some may say I'm soft for this little amount of rum so feel free to add more if you like!

To Chill the Coquito:

  • Pour the coquito into pitchers and transfer to the fridge to chill, at least 2 hours. Ideally overnight. I like mine super cold.

To Serve the Coquito:

  • You can serve it neat (zero ice) or over ice. It's definitely your call. I personally like it over ice. Add a grating of nutmeg for a garnish or you could serve it with a cinnamon stick. Your call!

Notes

Tips and Tricks: 
  • I love this recipe with Puerto Rican white rum. That I believe is traditional. But a lot of people also add brandy. You’re welcome to do this too. Simply add half of the amount of rum and substitute the second half with brandy.
  • I’ve found that this recipe stays pretty smooth but some coconut fat might solidify toward the top of the pitcher as it chills. You can just whisk it in or scoop it out and discard it. It’s because the fat from the coconut is solidifying. If this happens to you, I would pop it in the blender right before serving. That should dissolve any bits that might’ve solidified.

Nutrition

Serving: 4g | Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: -25g | Sodium: 2mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 18g | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Drinks, Holiday
Cuisine: American, Puerto Rican
Like this Recipe? Please Rate & comment below!

Cozy Latin-Inspired Comfort Food Recipes

Hi! I'm Adrianna and this is my cozy space on the internet that is super-charged by butter, flour and copious amounts of pasta. Stay awhile, will you!

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11 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Big hit at holiday party! One thing i notice is you don’t mention when to add cloves. I just assumed they go in the spice steeping liquid, so all good. Thank you!

  2. Salt goes into a lot of sugary treats. Take for instance Chocolate Chip Cookies…..it a flavor enhancer.

    I make this, but not this way Adrianna(by the way that’s my granddaughter’s name too) but my question is this. Coco Lopez is sweet, what does the sweeten condense milk do for the recipe? Is it for creaminess.

  3. 5 stars
    E: No need to be critical of Adrianna’s recipe. She clearly states, “A lot of families make coquito their own way–it’ll vary from person to person.” That means: your way is fine, and so is hers. I’ve always wanted to try making Coquito. I appreciate Adrianna’s tips and simple instructions, so I will eventually try her recipe. But it won’t be this year–thanks to COVID-19, all of our family members (including my four kids and four sweet grandchildren) will be sheltering in place. This year has been so terrible for everyone–can’t we just say, “Thanks for sharing, dear Adrianna, and giving us a glimpse of normalcy and hoiday spirit”? Stay safe, everyone. Here’s to a brighter new year! (Adrianna, I am giving the recipe five stars because I know my family will love it!)

  4. Nutmeg, salt. Brandy, vanilla extract??? What is that?!!! That’s a mess, definitely not COQUITO… Ihave tasted many and dared not to even look at other’s. This isn’t coquito you advertise, its someone’s own concoction. You want “REAL”
    traditional Coquito; i have some you’ll never look back from again. No eggnog, no nutmeg; real COQUITO.

    1. the recipe doesn’t have brandy. i’m explaining how a reader of mine said their family uses part brandy and puerto rican rum. what’s the problem. that’s literally how they make it. i’ve seen hundreds of coquito recipes with both nutmeg and vanilla extract. i add salt to everything sweet. every family makes it differently. if you don’t like it, you don’t have to make it. super simple.

    2. 5 stars
      This comment is unnecessarily rude. Adrianna puts a lot of work into these recipes and makes them available *for free* on the internet – she doesn’t owe you anything. If you don’t like her version of Coquito how about googling for one that you do like instead of spreading negativity for no reason at all… Thanks Adrianna for this recipe and for all the work you put into this blog, it’s appreciated by most of us! 🙂