Name: Puerto Rican Coquito (Vegan substitutes included)
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: Puerto Rican
Ingredients: 1 cup rum; 1 tsp nutmeg; 2 tsp cinnamon; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 (14oz) cans of sweetened condensed milk or sweetened condensed coconut milk; 2 (12oz) cans of evaporated milk or evaporated coconut milk; 1 (14oz) can of coconut milk; 4 cinnamon sticks; Optional Garnish: cinnamon, coconut flakes, whipped cream or coconut whipped cream

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This Puerto Rican Coquito is a classic cocktail made with seasonal spices, coconut and rum, giving it a taste similar to eggnog. It's a creamy yet light, cinnamon & nutmeg infused cocktail.

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Coquito is a popular drink enjoyed around the holidays in Puerto Rico.

There’s something really special about cozying up next to the fire with a sweet cinnamon seasoned drink during the cold Winter months. This cocktail has all of the elements of the perfect Winter cocktail, without any of the heaviness dairy brings to the mix.

If you’re looking to really impress, you can top your coquito with a generous dollop of whipped coconut cream, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a festive cinnamon stick.

A pumpkin spice latte could never compete.

Keep reading for plant based alternative instructions.

bowls of coconut milk, rum, cinnamon, and more

Ingredients (Vegan Substitutes Included)

Here's what you will need to make your coquito:

rum
nutmeg
cinnamon
vanilla extract
cans of sweetened condensed milk or sweetened condensed coconut milk
cans of evaporated milk or evaporated coconut milk
can of coconut milk
cinnamon sticks
Optional Garnish: cinnamon, coconut flakes, whipped cream or coconut whipped cream

Step by Step Instructions

Blend the coquito. In a blender, combine the rum, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and coconut milk. Blend for 1 minute or until smooth and creamy.

Chill overnight. Pour the mixture into a glass pitcher or container with a lid, add the cinnamon sticks, stir well and set in the fridge overnight. The coquito should be ready to serve the next day.

Enjoy! Mix well before serving and garnish with coconut whipped cream (optional) and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

When you wake up, your coquito should be ready to serve! Not that I recommend starting the day with it… but I’m also not judging.

Toppings & Storage

This coquito should keep for up to 1 week in the fridge. It does not stand up well when frozen, so I recommend enjoying it fresh.

Traditionally, this cocktail is served as is, with a sprinkle of cinnamon and maybe some coconut flakes. Sometimes I like to add whipped cream or whipped coconut cream for a fun textural element.

Perfect Puerto Rican pairings

Looking for the perfect Puerto Rican meal to go with your Coquito? Look no further!

Here are some of my favorite Puerto Rican dishes to enjoy with this spiced cocktail:

Maduros - these fried sweet brown plantains make a delicious and filling pairing with notes that compliment the cinnamon in the coquito very well
Flan - a classic creme caramel goes excellent with the creamy sweet flavors of this cocktail
Arroz con Dulce - coconut and cinnamon highlight the flavors in both this sweet rice dish and coquito

Vegan Coquito vs. Traditional Coquito

This recipe is can be made vegan with easy plant based substitutions thanks to a couple different alternative ingredients.

I recommend using sweetened condensed coconut milk and evaporated coconut milk as our vegan substitutes. I find that this makes the recipe lighter and also helps to amp up the coconut flavor.

Additionally, to make this vegan whipped cream recipe, all you’ll need is a can of coconut cream and some powdered sugar.

Buen provecho and please remember to always drink responsibly,

Salima