Coquito (Puerto Rican Eggnog) is a traditional holiday drink from Puerto Rico that is tropical, creamy, and easy to make!
Jump to RecipeA few years ago, when I was working at the doctor’s office in Orlando, one of our providers brought in Coquito aka Puerto Rican Eggnog. Since she was bringing it to work, she went extremely light on the alcohol, but it was still delicious!
Coquito means “little coconut” in Spanish. The drink is a coconut-flavored drink that originated in Puerto Rico. Coquito is a traditional Christmas drink similar to eggnog. That’s why it’s often called Puerto Rican Eggnog.
Although there aren’t any actual eggs in this eggnog recipe, the drink is just as creamy. The recipe that we have calls for cinnamon as the only added flavor. Of course, the coconut adds a lot of flavor of its own, but I think I will try adding a bit of vanilla next time, too. The drink goes really well with my chocolate chip cookies.
The drink has a very tropical feel, which is perfect for Christmas in the South. I remember quite a few years that it was so warm on Christmas day that we would jump in the pool after opening gifts. But, that’s Christmas in Sunny South Florida for you!
Also, this couldn’t be easier to make. It took me about 5 minutes to put it all together. The hardest part is waiting for it to cool in the refrigerator. Justin and I both tried some as soon as it was blended, and it just wasn’t the same as when it’s cold. So, we will be patient, I guess.
When I first read the recipe from my coworker/friend, I wasn’t sure of a few of the ingredients. I searched them on google and realized that she had given me the Spanish name on a couple of items. Once we learned what we were looking for, it was easy to find. Most of your ingredients will be found with the canned milk in the baking section of your grocery store.
This recipe is full of dairy, so if you are looking for a dairy-free version, try Vegan Eggnog.
Step by Step Instructions for Coquito (Puerto Rican Eggnog)
Gather all of your ingredients. As I mentioned, it’s almost all canned items that can be found with all of the baking ingredients. True Coquito would use Puerto Rican rum, but we had some Bacardi in the pantry so went ahead and used that.
Pour everything in the blender. I needed a spoon to scoop out the cream of coconut and sweetened condensed milk since they are thick (this is what gives the eggnog it’s texture). It’s also chilly in the house so the coconut is close to solidifying at this temperature.
Note: If you have a small blender, you’ll need to do this in batches by only adding half of each ingredient. My blender is a 7-cup blender and it was just big enough for everything.
Blend everything together. I used the “mix” setting on mine and it worked really well.
Place a few cinnamon sticks in the Coquito (Puerto Rican Eggnog) and set in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4-5 hours, or overnight. When ready to serve, mix the Coquito one more time and serve chilled. Sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg if desired, or serve with a cinnamon stick.
Recipe for Coquito (Puerto Rican Eggnog)
Originally Published On: November 14, 2017
Last Updated On: November 29, 2019
Coquito aka Puerto Rican Eggnog
Ingredients
- 15 oz cream of coconut
- 13.5 oz coconut milk
- 12 oz evaporated milk
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup white rum
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 3 cinnamon sticks
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except cinnamon sticks to a blender
- Blend until everything is combined and the mixture is creamy
- Add cinnamon sticks to the eggnog
- Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4-6 hours, or overnight
- Serve your eggnog cool and garnish with cinnamon, nutmeg, or a cinnamon stick
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Ooh, this sounds like a delicious drink – perfect for the holidays! I’m going to try making this…
It’s so yummy. Different from regular eggnog but I like this one better!
Ok pure creaminess and looks absolutely delicious. I love eggnog during the holiday season. Reminds me of festive gatherings at grandmas house.
This recipe comes out so creamy. It’s a great way to have something a little different while still getting into the holiday spirit.
This recipe sounds delish! May have to make it for my holiday party!
This goes over so well at parties 🙂
Oh man, this sounds like my kind of drink! What a festive but unique recipe to try out during the holiday season. Definitely going to bookmark this post!
I love that this one still has the creaminess of eggnog, but is a completely different flavor.
Coquito is one of the absolute best parts of Christmas!! My family starts making it for Thanksgiving and all the way through the new year. You can find some stored in a milk jug in every puerto rican’s fridge around this time of year!
I should start storing it in a milk jug. We started making it before Thanksgiving this year and plan to make at least a few more batches before the season is over.
I love egg nog and this sounds like something that would be right up my alley. Thank you so much for posting this.
Oh man, it’s so yummy. I like regular eggnog, but this is sooo much better!
This drink sounds so good! I will have to make it for our Christmas Eve gathering!
It would be perfect for a Christmas Eve gathering! My family always does one at my Grandma’s house but we won’t be there this year since we are staying home.
Ooo you have got me feeling all festive with this post! I am adding this to my Christmas makings for this year xx
You definitely should! It’s such a delicious recipe and gets you in the festive spirit for sure.
I’ve never had this and now I really can’t wait to try it! I live in a warm climate, too. This is a great way to be festive!
It’s the perfect combination of holiday spirit meets tropical feel. And since it’s cold it helps cool you off when it’s a warm Christmas season!
I am totally making this next game night. It sounds perfect. I am a huge eggnog person but I love trying unique versions of it and this would be a perfect addition!
This would be so great for a game night! I only like specific types of eggnog and this is easily my favorite.
This is great, we might consider it for Christmas dinner. Plus, I havent tried before which makes it interesting for me. Thank you for sharing.
Coquito would be great to add to a Christmas Dinner menu. Or, even better, for sipping after the meal.
Now this is an eggnog recipe I can get behind! All of the ingredients seem like they would be so good together!
You should definitely give it a try! It’s my favorite eggnog recipe without a doubt.
This sounds so delicious! I actually can’t have real eggnog because eggs make me sick, but this seems even a better option!
Yep, there are no eggs in this one. I think that’s why I like it so much. And I always enjoy tropical flavors, too, so it’s a perfect holiday drink.
This is a brand of Eggnog I am all over. I would love to try a Coquito. I can imagine it does have a little bit of a Carribean feel to it. But well worth trying out.
This is my favorite eggnog. I make it so many times during the holiday season. It’s very tropical which is what makes it so good to me. I hope you enjoy!
Wow, This looks a yummy dessert and perfect serving for holiday season I would love to make this oncoming Holidays thanks for this!!
I start making it in early November and don’t stop until after the New Year! It’s such an easy but delicious drink.
I am food lover and this blog is absolutely amazing! the Coquito aka Puerto Rican Eggnog is on cards this weekend. Nice meeting you STEPHANIE LYNCH. The chocolate chip cookies is next in the list. Keep them coming every week. Thanks so much for sharing this with me!!
Thank you so much Charline, nice to meet you, too! We are making more Coquito this weekend, too. I hope you enjoy it as well as the cookies 🙂
This sounds really good! I love sweetened condensed milk, and this certainly would be a great holiday drink. I’ll have to grab some rum so I can make this.