There’s nothing I love more during the holiday season than family and boozy drinks!
Ok, jk, I love the food too. Ha!
But I gotta say… the first time I tried this Puerto Rican eggnog, I nearly cried tears of happiness at how delicious it tasted.
I knew I had to learn how to make it at home and I’m happy to report… this homemade coquito recipe is absolutely perfect!
What is Coquito?
Coquito (pronounced ko-key-toe) is Puertorican coconut-flavored eggnog. Cubans have their own eggnog too called crema de vie, which is very similar to traditional eggnog except it is made with eggs. Coquito is a coconut nog without eggs.
Coquito is creamy and tastes like coconut, cinnamon, and rum. They are similar in texture but the coquito is not as thick as eggnog because of all the booze in it. Ha! Barcardi coquito is a party in a cup!
For years now, I’ve made desserts with coquito in them because I love it so much. From coquito donut holes to coquito cheesecake bars and coquito sugar cookies, but today, my friends, I’m bringing you the real thing – the actual coquito recipe no egg drink recipe!
Here’s how to bring it to life.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are the coquito ingredients for this recipe.
- Evaporated milk. This will add richness to the drink. If you can’t find it or if you prefer a stronger coconut flavor, use an extra can of full-fat coconut milk in place of evaporated milk.
- Sweetened condensed milk. This will sweeten the deal as well as make this drink SO creamy.
- Sweetened cream of coconut. I recommend Coco Lopez. Just make sure to shake the can to break up the cream of coconut a bit before adding it to the blender.
- Full-fat coconut milk. Make sure you get full fat for the best flavor.
- White rum. I recommend traditional Barcardi white rum for this recipe as it provides a light but balanced flavor which is perfect for this drink so it doesn’t overpower the coconut flavor (we want the coconut flavor to be the star!).
- Spiced rum. I recommend Captain Morgan. This gives the drink a delicious nutty, caramel-like flavor.
- Vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cinnamon sticks. Flavor enhancers!
Recommended For This Recipe
High Speed Blender
I use this high-speed Ninja Blender all the time. It’s perfect for making smooth soups, creamy smoothies, delicious dips, and awesome sauces. It’s also easy to clean!
How To Make Coquito
Let’s talk about how to make the coquito from scratch. There’s also a video in the recipe card below!
- Blend all the ingredients. In a high-speed blender, add evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, sweetened cream of coconut, full-fat coconut milk, white rum, spiced rum, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Blend until well combined.
- Chill it first. Listen, I know you want to enjoy it right out of the blender BUT you want to chill it first before serving. Chilling the drink will allow all the milks and cinnamon to infuse together. Trust me, it’ll be worth the wait. You don’t want to serve it with ice and water down the drink. No sir. Transfer the boozy beverage to a pitcher and seal with plastic wrap OR transfer it to a bottle with an airtight lid. Place it in the fridge for 1-2 hours to chill.
- Serve! When you’re ready to serve, shake the bottle to break up the solidified milks (or stir if it’s in a pitcher). Serve chilled in a glass with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.
When you’re done making this recipe, make another one of my other easy cocktail recipes!
What is the best rum for Coquito?
Coquito is made with two different types of rum.
- Barcardi white rum provides a light and balanced flavor and,
- Captain Morgan provides a delicious nutty, caramel-like flavor.
Recipe Tips
- Coquito makes a GREAT holiday gift. It’s one of my favorite gifts to give and receive. You can transfer the coquito to a swing-top glass bottle and wrap a red ribbon around it. Who wouldn’t want this as a gift?!
- Kid-friendly coquito? If you want to make a version of a coquito for kids, you can make the recipe without the rum and then serve the drink to the adults with a shot of rum next to it.
- Make-ahead recipe. You can make this recipe 2 hours or 3 days ahead of time so it’s ready to go before your next holiday gathering!
Common Questions About Coquito
Both of these rich, boozy, holiday drinks are sweet, thick, and creamy however eggnog does not taste like coconut at all and has raw eggs whereas coquito does not have eggs.
In a swing-top glass bottle or another container with an airtight lid, coquito can last up to 3+ months in the fridge. It actually tastes better the longer it sits in the fridge.
Of course, you can! Just skip the rums and blend together the milks with spices. It may be a bit thicker without the alcohol. Also, this virgin version will freeze better too since there is no alcohol.
15 Minute Creamy Coquito with Rum (Puerto Rican Staple)
Ingredients
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 15 ounces sweetened cream of coconut (I recommend Coco Lopez)
- 13.5 ounces full-fat coconut milk
- 2 cups white rum (I recommend Bacardi)
- 1 cup spiced rum (I recommend Captain Morgan)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon plus more for garnish
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Cinnamon sticks for garnish
Instructions
- In a blender, add evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, sweetened cream of coconut, full-fat coconut milk, white rum, spiced rum, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Blend until well combined.
- Listen, I know you want to enjoy it right out of the blender BUT you want to chill it first before serving. Chilling the drink will allow all the milks and cinnamon to infuse together. Trust me, it’ll be worth the wait. You don’t want to serve it with ice and water down the drink. No sir. Transfer the boozy beverage to a pitcher and seal with plastic wrap OR transfer it to a bottle with an airtight lid. Place it in the fridge for 1-2 hours to chill.
- When you're ready to serve, shake the bottle to break up the solidified milks (or stir if it's in a pitcher). Serve chilled in a glass with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Enjoy!
[email protected] says
Great recipe, thanks 🙏 I will make it today, didn’t know about 2 kinds of Rum Ummm! I can’t wait 😛 Feliz Navidad ! 🎄🎄🎄🎄🙏🙏🙏🙏💯
Jamie Silva says
YAY! Come back soon and let me know how you like it! :)
Yahiro says
You got it almost right. Our coquito (yes I’m puertorican) it isn’t eggnog it does not have egg, at least the traditional one. I know there are some people who like it with egg but that is not coquito. And we do not use nutmeg. That’s for eggnog, not coquito. But the rest you got queen! About the rum, use whichever you like. And of course you still can make it without alcohol for the kids and it’ll be delicious too.
Iván says
Listen guy, as a Puerto Rican myself I have to disagree with the egg thing. Every family has a different way of making coquito, and weather you put eggs in it just depends on who taught you the recipe.
Eggs or no eggs is a massive debate, and everyone has one side that they’ll fight to the death for.
I’ve had a taste of both and can confidently say, egg or no egg, coquito is just as delicious.
Magali Mercedes Maldonado says
However, it’s not eggnog so it shouldn’t be called eggnog and scare anti-eggnog people from trying it.
Jamie Silva says
Looks like you missed the first line of the recipe description next to the photo which says “eggnog without the eggs”. :)
Maria Flores says
It is Puerto Rican Eggnogg..
Evelyn says
Please…the word eggnog should never, ever be attached to Coquito. It’s Coquito and that’s it!!!
Jorge says
I would recommend using Don Q Cristal rum. It tastes better than Barcardi and is an actual Puerto Rican rum. Barcardi is really a Cuban rum. The family fled Cuba and went to PR in the mid 1900s. Don Q has been made in PR for over 100 years. So, to be really traditional, Don Q would fit that bill.
Wepa