Caribbean · Puerto Rico

Coquito (Puerto Rican Christmas Drink)

Coquito — 'little coconut' in Spanish — is Puerto Rico's Christmas celebration drink: a creamy, rum-based coconut eggnog that is made in large batches from before Thanksgiving, improving with age in the refrigerator until Christmas. Unlike American eggnog (which is egg-forward), coquito can be made without eggs at all, relying on coconut cream, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and rum for its character. The spices — cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla — are the Christmas element, giving the drink the warming quality of the season. Coquito is shared as a gift — bottles are made and given to family and friends as a gesture of holiday generosity, and each family has its own recipe with subtle variations (more or less rum, with or without eggs, varying spice proportions) that are closely guarded and taken with family pride.

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Serves4 servings (130ml each)

Total25 min

Sourced0of 11 in BC

Cook

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The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

400ml

aged Puerto Rican rum (minimum 80 proof)

Not yet stocked in British Columbia

200ml

unsweetened evaporated milk

Your own market

150ml

sweetened condensed milk

Your own market

150ml

heavy cream

Your own market

egg yolks

pasteurised

Your own market

cinnamon stick

Mexican canela variety, 8cm length

Not yet stocked in British Columbia

whole cloves

Your own market

allspice berries

Not yet stocked in British Columbia

1/4 teaspoon

vanilla extract

Your own market

1/4 teaspoon

nutmeg

freshly grated

Your own market

Pinch

sea salt

Your own market

The Method

Combine evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream in heavy saucepan; warm over low heat to 65°C, whisking occasionally, until steaming but not boiling.

Toast cinnamon, cloves, and allspice in dry skillet over medium heat for 20 seconds; add to warm milk mixture and infuse for 5 minutes off heat.

Temper pasteurised egg yolks by slowly whisking 60ml of warm spiced milk into yolks, then add yolk mixture back to saucepan in thin stream while whisking constantly.

Strain through fine sieve into clean container, pressing spices gently; discard solids and cool mixture to room temperature, 15 minutes.

Stir in rum, vanilla extract, nutmeg, and salt; whisk thoroughly until fully emulsified and combined, approximately 1 minute.

Serve in chilled glasses over ice or at room temperature; stir before each serving as ingredients may settle during storage.

Sensory Tests

◇Where it lives or dies. Adding a tablespoon of toasted coconut extract gives a more intense coconut character For the egg-inclusive version: blend raw egg yolks with the condensed milk before adding the other ingredients — the alcohol from the rum provides some preservation, but treat this version more like fresh eggnog (consume within 3–4 days) Coquito can be infused with additional flavours — vanilla bean steeped in the rum for a week before making is a classic variation