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    Home » Puerto Rican » Puerto Rican Coquito

    Puerto Rican Coquito

    ★★★★★ from 1 reviews
    Sep 13, 2021 / by Salima Benkhalti / 4 Comments(updated Jan 4, 2023)

    240 shares
    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    A glass of coquito with whipped cream and cinnamon
    A glass of coquito with whipped cream and cinnamon
    A hand holding a spoon scooping some coquito out of a glass
    A glass of coquito with whipped cream and cinnamon
    A hand holding a glass of coquito with lots of cinnamon
    A hand holding a spoon scooping some coquito out of a glass

    This Puerto Rican Coquito is a classic cocktail made with seasonal spices, coconut and rum, giving it a taste similar to eggnog. 

    A glass of coquito with whipped cream and cinnamon

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    The perfect Winter cocktail 

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

    Today, we’re giving it a plant based spin by using rum, cinnamon and sweetened condensed coconut milk.

    The result? The creamiest, cinnamon & nutmeg infused cocktail. Almost like eggnog, but lighter and more flavorful. 

    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. 

    A blender with coconut milk and spices

    Making your Coquito 

    While this Puerto Rican Coquito does require a night in the fridge to allow the rum to absorb the other flavors, the process of making it is actually quite simple. 

    Start by measuring out your rum and mixing in a large pitcher with some cinnamon sticks. This step helps infuse the cinnamon spice into the rum. 

    Next, all the remaining ingredients go into a blender to get blended to smooth, creamy perfection. Honestly I could drink it at this point with 0 alcohol and be perfectly content. But because it’s the holidays, we’re taking things to another level.

    Pour your creamy coconut mixture into the pitcher with the rum and cinnamon sticks, cover and let it sit in the fridge overnight. 

    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. 

    From here, your coquito should keep for up to 1 week in the fridge. 

    Traditionally, this cocktail is served as is, with a sprinkle of cinnamon and maybe some coconut flakes. I like to add whipped cream for a fun textural element. But because we’re giving coquito a vegan spin, we’re doing something a little different.

    We’re topping ours with a bit of whipped coconut cream.

    A glass of vegan coquito with a spoon full of whipped cream

    Vegan Coquito vs. traditional Coquito 

    This recipe is made with easy vegan substitutions thanks to a couple different ingredients. In a more traditional Puerto Rican recipe, you would likely see cow’s milk, evaporated milk, and other dairy products in the ingredients list.

    Today, we’re using sweetened condensed coconut milk and coconut milk as our vegan substitutes. I find that this makes the recipe both lighter and helps to amp up the coconut flavor. 

    Additionally, in the vegan whipped cream recipe I mentioned above, all you’ll need is a can of coconut cream and some powdered sugar. 

    Who knew eating (and drinking) vegan was this fun?

    A hand holding a glass of coquito with lots of cinnamon

    Perfect Puerto Rican pairings

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

    Here is a roundup of some of my favorite Puerto Rican (and Puerto Rican inspired) recipes: 

    • Arroz con pollo 
    • Traditional Tostones
    • Puerto Rican Arroz con Ganules
    • Flan
    • Pernil
    A hand holding a spoon scooping some coquito out of a glass

    Buen provecho,

    Salima

    Print

    Puerto Rican Coquito (Vegan substitutes included)

    A glass of coquito with whipped cream and cinnamon
    Print Recipe

    ★★★★★

    5 from 1 reviews

    • Author: Salima Benkhalti
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Total Time: 10 minutes
    • Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
    • Category: Cocktails, Cocktail, Beverage
    • Method: Raw
    • Cuisine: Puerto Rican, Latin, Vegan
    • Diet: Vegan

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 2 cinnamon sticks
    • 1 cup rum 
    • 1 tsp nutmeg
    • 2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract 
    • 2 (12oz) can of sweetened condensed coconut milk
    • 2 (14oz) can of coconut milk
    • ½ cup shredded coconut
    • Garnish: coconut whipped cream & cinnamon

    Instructions

    1. In a large pitcher or container (with a lid) combine the cinnamon sticks and rum.
    2. In a blender, combine the spices, vanilla, coconut milk and sweetened condensed coconut milk. Blend for 1 minute or until smooth and creamy. 
    3. Pour the milk mixture into the rum and cinnamon mixture and set in the fridge overnight. Coquito should be ready to serve the next day.
    4. Mix well before serving and garnish with coconut whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. 

     

    Notes

    Note: find the recipe to make coconut whipped cream here.

    Keywords: Vegan Coquito, Coquito, Puerto Rican Coquito

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @salimaskitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #salimaskitchen

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      Comments

    1. Bobo

      January 08, 2021 at 4:42 am

      Vegan coquito 🤣paired with arroz con Pollo... 😂😂

      Reply
      • Salima's Kitchen

        January 25, 2021 at 9:49 am

        For your vegan AND carnivore friends 😅

        Reply
    2. Candice

      September 29, 2021 at 10:24 am

      I will be drinking this all winter long... it's SO good!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Salima Benkhalti

        September 29, 2021 at 1:41 pm

        It's such a cozy drink, totally perfect for Winter!

        Reply

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    240 shares