Coquito (Puerto Rican Coconut Eggnog)

Try this rich and sweet Puerto Rican punch this holiday.

By
Garrett McCord
Garrett McCord
Garrett McCord
Garrett has been writing about food and sharing recipes for 15 years. He is the author of Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese.
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Updated December 05, 2023
Garrett McCord

Every December I throw our annual Christmas cookie swap. It’s a simple event that we’ve honed to turnkey tradition over the years. I throw on some hipster Christmas music, set out plenty of holiday-appropriate nibbles like a cheese plate or crab dip, and put a little Santa cap on our corgi because ohmygod it’s adorable.

Drink-wise I keep it simple: mulled wine and this coquito.

Two glasses of creamy Coquito on a woven mat

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

What Is Coquito?

Coquito is an easy cocktail to make. As the host, I feel it’s my merrymaking duty to introduce people to it.

Coquito is a traditional punch from Puerto Rico. It's often called "Puerto Rican eggnog" due to its very similar flavor profile and occasional use of eggs in some variations.

Puerto Rican Eggnog resting on a woven mat

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

How to Make Coquito

This recipe is simple: coconut milk, rum, vanilla, and cinnamon. Boom. Done.

I like to sweeten mine with sweetened condensed milk and cream of coconut. Look for cream of coconut in the liquor section if you can't find it with the other canned ingredients. Good brands are Coco Lopez or Goya.

Can You Make This Vegan?

I would recommend using almond milk or soy milk in place of the evaporated milk. As for the sweetened condensed milk, I would add 1 cup of sugar and another milk alternative to make up the volume and sweetness. Start slow with adding the sugar, and taste as you go until you reached the desired sweetness.

Suggestions and Substitutions

Anything after those basic ingredients is up to you. Like so many dishes, coquito doesn’t have an exact recipe. The type and amount of rum, the choice of spices, the type of sweetener, or even whether to use eggs or not can vary from recipe to recipe and person to person.

This means that coquito is a recipe that you shape to your taste.

  • Choose a rum you like! White, aged or spiced rum all are good. Mount Gay is smooth and affordable; Gosling's black rum is a little richer.
  • Don’t want nutmeg? Don’t use it. Ginger, cloves, and star anise are good adds.
  • Want to serve it on the rocks? Rock on.
  • Have guests who don't drink alcohol? Skip the rum and make it virgin!

Have fun, experiment, and make the recipe yours. It will quickly become part of your holiday tradition, too.

Two glasses of creamy Coquito on a brown woven mat

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

Make Ahead and Storing Tips for Coquito

You can chill this in the fridge up for as little as two hours and up to three days ahead of time. All you have to do is pull this out when it's time to serve, and garnish with some cinnamon or grated nutmeg.

You can also keep coquito indefinitely in the refrigerator since the amount of alcohol keeps it preserved. But it begins to separate and look dodgy after more than three days, which may make you nervous. It’ll still be fine, and all you have to do is shake it up to make it smooth again.

Looking for More Holiday Cocktails?

Coquito (Puerto Rican Coconut Eggnog)

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Servings 6 to 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

  • 1 (15 ounce) can cream of coconut (like Coco Lopez or Goya)

  • 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

  • 1 (13.5 ounce) can of coconut milk

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla, or 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded

  • 2 whole cinnamon sticks

  • 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

  • 1 to 2 cups rum

  • Grated nutmeg or ground cinnamon for garnish, optional

Method

  1. Steep the spices:

    Place the sweetened condensed milk, cream of coconut, evaporated milk, coconut milk, vanilla, cinnamon sticks, and nutmeg (all the ingredients except the rum) in a large saucepan. Warm over medium-high heat until just starting to simmer.

    Remove from heat, cover, and let infuse for 30 minutes.

    Spices steeping in milks for Coquito on a gas stove

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
  2. Mix in the rum:

    Remove the cinnamon sticks and the vanilla bean (if using) and pour the mixture into a punch bowl or pitcher. (Note: I rinse and dry the vanilla bean and cinnamon sticks, and save them future infusions such as rice pudding.)

    Add 1 cup of rum and taste; add more rum for a stronger punch. I usually stick to around 2 cups as I prefer it strong.

  3. Chill:

    Chill this in the fridge for at least 2 hours or for up to 3 days.

  4. Serve:

    Serve neat or over ice in small portions. Garnish with grated nutmeg or ground cinnamon as desired.

    Did you love the recipe? How do you like to make coquito? Tell us all about it in the comments!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
572 Calories
34g Fat
40g Carbs
9g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 572
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 34g 44%
Saturated Fat 24g 122%
Cholesterol 80mg 27%
Sodium 150mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 40g 15%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 37g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 3mg 14%
Calcium 291mg 22%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 473mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.