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Coquito

A creamy and cozy Puerto Rican holiday drink with flavors of coconut, spices, and rum, perfect for festive gatherings.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Drink, Holiday
Cuisine: Puerto Rican
Calories: 350
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Spiced Water
  • 1 2/3 cups filtered water
  • 2 sticks cinnamon, broken in half
  • 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 tsp whole cloves
  • 1 pinch kosher salt
For the Coquito
  • 1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz, light or full-fat)
  • 1 can cream of coconut (15 oz, such as Coco Lopez)
  • 1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 350 ml good-quality white rum (1 1/4 cups, Puerto Rican)
For Serving
  • Freshly grated nutmeg or cinnamon sticks

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Combine the water, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a saucepan. Bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
  2. Remove the pan from the heat, cover it, and let the spices steep for 10 minutes. Strain out the cinnamon sticks and cloves.
Blending
  1. Pour the spiced water into a blender. Add the coconut milk, cream of coconut, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and rum.
  2. Blend for 15 to 30 seconds, until smooth and creamy. If your blender is small, work in batches.
Chilling
  1. Pour the coquito into pitchers or bottles and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
Serving
  1. Shake or stir the coquito well before serving to blend any separated coconut fat. Serve it neat or over ice, garnished with grated nutmeg or a cinnamon stick.
Storage
  1. Keep the finished drink refrigerated for up to 1 week. Shake before each pour.
  2. You can freeze coquito for up to 2 months, but the texture may change after thawing.
Make Alcohol-Free Version
  1. Replace the rum with 1/2 cup more coconut milk and 1/2 tsp rum extract if desired. Clearly label the alcohol-free version.

Notes

This drink tastes even better after chilling overnight. Be cautious with the blender size and stir or shake before serving to ensure an even texture.