Puerto Rican coquito is the holiday drink of choice in the Latin community. Coquito is a creamy, coconut, and spice adult beverage made with Puerto Rican rum.
For many Puerto Rican families, making Coquito is a cherished tradition passed down through generations. Today, I'm sharing my classic Coquito recipe, just like my mom used to make so that you can bring a taste of Puerto Rico to your holiday celebrations.
The Secret Ingredient
I have a confession to share.
The secret behind a fantastic coquito is the spiced tea for coquito. This tea, which can be made in advance, is ready in about 10 minutes!
Do not skip this process if you want an authentic Puerto Rican coquito that's full of flavor.
Adding this special spiced tea for coquito, which is infused with star anise, anise seeds, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, cloves, and more will add a warm and earthy aromatic flavor that balances the rich coconut flavors in coquito.
Coquito Ingredients
This coquito is how my mom makes it, not my abuela. My 99-year-old abuela has access to coconuts from a tree in Puerto Rico; I don't. Use what you have access to!
Here are the ingredients you will need:
- Coconut Milk: Fresh or canned, use what's available to you.
- Cream of Coconut: We Puerto Rican's love to use Coco Lopez. It's delicious.
- Condensed Milk: If you're sensitive to sweetness, you can start with a quarter or half a can and add more, if desired.
- Evaporated Milk: Here's a way to make homemade evaporated milk, you can even use dairy-free milk, too!
- Spices: I like to add extra flavor, so I add ground spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to the special tea.
- Vanilla Extract: I love vanilla extract, but you can use almond extract, anise extract, etc.
- Salt: A small pinch adds a smoothness to this coquito by balancing the flavors.
- Special Tea: Please add this spiced tea. It helps thin out the thickness of the coconut cream and truly adds a special flavor to your coquito.
- White Rum: I used to only use Bacardi (especially the coconut-flavored rum), but Don Q wins the choice of the Boricua's.
- Spiced Rum: Again, choose Don Q for their spiced rum. It adds SO MUCH FLAVOR. Be warned, it's strong!
Variations
This classic coquito recipe is what we grew up with, but remember, you can always change things to create new coquito flavors!
At the base of a coquito drink is coconut and rum. Outside of this, you have creative freedom. Here are some ideas for creating new coquito flavors:
- Pumpkin Coquito: Add pumpkin spice or pumpkin pie puree. Even pumpkin caramel coquito can be a hit!
- Gingerbread Coquito: Add finely crushed gingerbread cookies to your mixture.
- Liquors: Add a splash of unique holiday liquors or flavored liquors. (A splash of fireball may go well with its cinnamon profile.)
- Extracts: Sometimes, a simple extract can make a difference! Instead of vanilla, use almond extract, or your favorite one. (For a virgin coquito recipe, you can use rum extract to stay close to a true coquito flavor.)
Here are some variations I've created:
More Holiday Recipes To Enjoy
Puerto Rican Coquito with Spiced Tea
Equipment
- 1 blender You can use a large bowl and a whisk if preferred.
- 1 stove For the tea.
- 1 pot For the tea.
- 1 bowl and whisk for the excess for making in batches
- 1 pitcher Or bottles to store in refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 13 oz coconut cream
- 13 oz coconut milk
- 24 oz evaporated milk
- 1 14 oz condensed milk
- 1 cup coquito tea optional
- Pinch salt
- ¾ teaspoon cloves ground
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ground
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon ground
- 1 cup rum
- ¼-1/2 cup spiced rum optional, but it adds a nice flavor
Instructions
- Prepare the Tea: First, make the tea -the recipe link in the notes and the main blog post.
- Mix Ingredients: In a large blender, combine all the ingredients except for the rum. If your blender is small, work in batches. Alternatively, you can whisk the ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Adjust Flavor: Taste the mixture and adjust the spices, if needed, to suit your preference.
- Incorporate the Rum: Gradually add the rum while whisking, then taste and adjust the amount to achieve your desired strength.
