Coquito is a must-make Puerto Rican holiday tradition. This creamy coconut and rum drink will remind you of eggnog, but even better with a tropical twist. We’ve tested 10+ versions and this is truly the BEST Coquito recipe!
Gifted to us by our friend Christina, this authentic Puerto Rican Coquito recipe has yet to beat. As soon as my husband Jorge took his first sip, we knew we’d finally found the one! It has the perfect coconut milk ratios to keep it thick and creamy. Plus, her family’s trick of soaking cinnamon sticks in the rum creates the best spiced flavor.
What Is Coquito?
Coquito (translated to “little coconut” in Spanish) is a traditional Puerto Rican holiday drink made with coconut milk, cream of coconut, warm spices, and a hearty splash of rum. It’s often called “Puerto Rican eggnog,” but it’s richer and smoother than eggnog and made without eggs.
Families make it in big batches and store it in jars to share all season long! You will usually see Coquito showing up around Thanksgiving and it is traditionally enjoyed all the way through Three Kings Day.
“This is our favorite Coquito recipe and we have been making batches of it for years and years! It is so thick, rich and creamy with tons of real coconut flavor. Soaking the rum with cinnamon sticks really makes a big difference.” — Juanita, home cook for over 40 years.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Rum: Traditionally a light Puerto Rican rum is used, like Bacardi Superior or Don Q Cristal. A dark aged rum is also a great choice to boost the spiced flavors. You can even use coconut rum or a mixture of rums. (See the variation section below for non-alcoholic option!)
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: Use traditional sweetened condensed milk, or sweetened condensed coconut milk (for a vegan option), but do not swap this for any other type of milk. It’s essential for achieving the right sweetness and texture!
- Cream of Coconut: Goya also makes it, but we much prefer the flavor of the original cream of coconut – Coco Lopez.
- Coconut Milk: Use a canned coconut milk with a thick layer of coconut cream on top, as this is important for thickening the Coquito. I find the Badia brand usually has a good thick layer of cream.
- Evaporated Milk: You can replace this with extra coconut milk to keep it vegan, but we like the creamier flavor from using a combination of both.
- Cinnamon: You’ll need both cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon.
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How To Make Coquito
Visit the printable recipe card below for full directions.
Soak the cinnamon sticks in rum. While optional, this adds a great spiced flavor to the Coquito. The longer they soak the stronger the flavor will be. We like to soak them for at least a week, but even 24 hours makes a difference.
Blend everything together (minus the rum and cinnamon sticks) until smooth. I like to do this in a blender, but you could also use an immersion blender or even a food processor. Then combine this creamy mixture with the rum, stirring or shaking until well combined.
Chill for at least 4 hours before serving, but overnight is best! This will give the Coquito time to thicken and will also give it time for the flavors to meld together.
Serve it chilled in a small glass. We serve it without ice as it will just melt and water it down. For garnish, sprinkle the top with cinnamon or add a cinnamon stick to the glass.
Variations To Try
For a non-alcoholic version, skip the rum. Just add more evaporated milk to thin it out as desired. You can also add a splash of rum extract so you don’t miss the rum flavor.
We love pumpkin Coquito and have also enjoyed pistachio Coquito (add 1 cup of pistachio puree) and Nutella Coquito (add 1 cup of Nutella).
Last Christmas we tried swapping half of the rum for Fireball whisky. It was surprisingly good and smooth and added even more cinnamon flavor.
You can also try adding rum raisins. Soak up to 1 cup of raisins in the rum up, with the cinnamon sticks, up to a week before.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
Coquito tastes better after chilling for a day or two, so it’s the perfect make ahead Christmas party cocktail. We like to make multiple batches and bottle them in decorative jars. Tie on a ribbon and they instantly become easy, festive gifts to share or bring to parties.
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, Coquito is good for up to a couple of months (since it’s made with canned milks)… But don’t expect it to last that long! 😉 You will know if it’s gone bad if it smells sour, tastes off, or the texture has changed. Always give it a good shake before serving as it can separate.
Best Coquito (Puerto Rican Coconut Eggnog)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups rum
- 2 cinnamon sticks, optional, but recommend for flavor
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk, or coconut sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (15 oz) can cream of coconut, Coco Lopez or Goya brand
- 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
- 4 oz evaporated milk
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
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Instructions
- OPTIONAL: In a large pitcher with a lid (or two large jars with lids – this will make about 56 oz of liquid total) add rum and cinnamon sticks. Let soak for at least 24 hours, or up to a week. This will add an extra depth of spiced flavor to your Coquito!
- In a blender, puree all the other ingredients (sweetened condensed milk, cream of coconut, coconut milk, evaporated milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla extract and optional shredded coconut) until smooth.
- Pour mixture into the bottle of rum and shake well to combine. Chill for at least 4 hours to allow the flavors to meld and for the Coquito to thicken. The coconut cream will help it thicken as it chills. If it's not thick enough after chilling, check the notes below to thicken it even more.
- Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up 8 weeks. Shake vigorously each time before serving. Serve chilled, in a glass, with a little cinnamon or nutmeg on top and enjoy! Wepa!
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Notes
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Nutrition
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More Puerto Rican Recipes To Try
- Pernil and Arroz con Gandules: For a Puerto Rican holiday feast!
- Plantains: Try maduros, sweet fried plantains, or crispy tostones.
- Tembleque: A sweet cinnamon dusted coconut pudding.
- Arroz Con Leche: Creamy rice pudding with warm spices.
- Ensalada de Coditos: Creamy macaroni salad with eggs.
- Tres Leches Cake: Sweet milk-soaked cake with cinnamon.
- Flan: Traditional is great, but creamy queso flan is our favorite.
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This is the BEST coquíto recipe I’ve ever made, it’s perfect and love the thickness and the cinnamon-rum flavor, and all recipients can’t wait till Xmas for me to gift them. Excellent! Thanks so much.
Hi, how long do you typically blend all the ingredients for? Do you recommend doing in batches?
Hi Jennifer, I’m able to make one batch in my standard size blender and do not need to do it in batches! I blend it for about 2 minutes, just until everything is well combined and there are no lumps left.
Can this be made without the rum?
Absolutely! If you want a little rum flavor still, try adding a splash or two of rum extract in its place.
How many ounces does this make in total? Trying to figure out how big of a glass bottle for storage I should buy. Thank you!
Hi Yami, this coquito recipe will make about 56 oz of liquid total.
Sounds wonderful, so I’m sure that I’ll want to try it right away as soon as it’s mixed. Before I’ve chilled it. could I serve some of it over ice, on the rocks?
Hi Glenn! No need for ice, just shake it well and serve it as is in a glass!
I highly recommend starting off with 1/2 cup of rum THEN work your way up to taste – DO NOT add the 1.5 cup right off the bat – it is waaayyy to much (for some of us).
Wonderful. Made it with rum extract and it turned out great.
Would it be ok If I used unsweetened condensed milk instead of sweetened condensed milk? The recipe sounds a little too sweet for me. I know the cream of Coco is very sweet.
Sure you can, but as you said, it will definitely turn out less sweet. It will also have less coconut flavor as the cream of coconut adds a lot of coconut flavor.
This was not good. Followed the recipe exactly and it tasted overwhelmingly of cinnamon. Made a second batch without soaking the cinnamon sticks in the rum and adding zero cinnamon to the recipe to mix with the awful overly cinnamon concoction. It’s still nothing special. Save your calories for something more worthwhile. This recipe is a dud.
Everyone, be aware that the Grinch goes online to spread their grinchiness under the pseudonym “Leslie Smith.” I love the recipe.
Hi Leslie, sorry to hear you didn’t like it, but I don’t think this recipe is dud… more like Coquito is not for you. It’s definitely a sweet cinnamon-coconut flavored concoction!
I’d love to make this and put it in a pitcher dispenser. Is that possible? Will it still hold up if i mix with a large wooden spoon and put in the refrigerator?
Absolutely! You can store it in any airtight container and can shake or stir it again just before serving!
I have evaporated coconut milk, can I use that instead of plain evaporated milk?
Yes! That will work just fine! 🙂
I’m not a huge fan of eggnog but have guests that are. This was sooo much better than eggnog in my opinion and everyone loved it. Without rum it was a bit too sweet for me, but extra evaporated milk helped with that. Thanks for a yummy recipe!!!
Do I add the whole can of cream of coconut?
Yes!
Looking forward to making this recipe! I am wondering if anyone used a plastic pitcher for soaking the cinnamon sticks and raisins. Does it have to be a glass container?
You can use plastic! Any container that seals (or you can cover with foil) is great!
In the first step when you allow it to marinate I placed it in the fridge by habit that won’t alter the drink in anyway when I finish making it right?
No it won’t hurt the rum/raisins to be refrigerated!
What should I do if I added to much star anise to my coquito
Hi! This recipe does not use star anise, so I assume you used another recipe? Once an ingredient is added, especially something strong like star anise, it is impossible to remove. You could add more other ingredients to try to balance it, but you can not take it out.
Can you provide the measurements or at least somewhere to start for the recipe?
Hi Dimitry! The recipe is posted in full at the bottom of the post. You can scroll through the post to the bottom or hit the “Jump To The Recipe” button at the top of the post. (The recipe is located right above the comments.) Hope this helps!
When you let it sit, is it on the counter or in the fridge? I was also wondering what kind of container you used? TIA!
Once the coquito is prepared, always store it in the fridge! You can use any kind of jar with a lid! A pitcher with a lid usually works well. Some people will also reuse orange juice cartons, etc.
Not when it’s prepared. She means when you let the cinnamon sticks and raisins marinate in the rum- is it on the counter or in the fridge?
Hi Michelle, I do it on the counter, but it can be done in the fridge too. It doesn’t matter either way!
4 oz evaporated milk or the entire 14 oz can?
Hi RL, just 4 oz!
Omg here we go with the raisins!? No no no. Not coquito reserve that for rum raisins ice cream but no matter what not in any island drinks like coquito or ponche none of them we don’t do that.
Yes! I was just saying that I ain’t ever heard of anyone putting raisins in coquito and my tía makes her own. Other than that the recipe looks good
I left out the raisin part and it’s still fantastic! Yum!! Thank you so much for sharing!!