• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Everyday Latina
  • Recipes
  • Authentic Mexican Recipes
  • Mi Casa
    • Kid-Friendly Tips
    • Natural Home Remedies
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • Authentic Mexican Recipes
  • Mi Casa
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Vegan Coquito

    Published: Dec 24, 2022 · Modified: Jan 26, 2023 by Gemma · This post may contain affiliate links.

    This Vegan Coquito is a dairy-free version of the traditional Puerto Rican drink. This recipe is packed with amazing coconut flavor, plus its rich, creamy and as delicious as the original.

    Jump to Recipe
    Two small wine glasses with coquito with cinnamon sticks on the table

    {This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link.}

    My husband, Matt, is half Puerto Rican and has always loved coquito. I, on the other hand, only discovered its amazingness a few years ago.

    It was during a visit to New York to visit Matt's aunt and uncle, when his uncle cracked open a bottle of his special brew for us to try. I immediately fell in love with this luscious beverage.

    Since then, Matt and I have had so much fun trying out different recipes. In an attempt to pack as much coconut flavor as possible into our own recipe, we came up with a version of coquito that just happens to be completely dairy-free, but just as creamy and delicious as the original.

    Jump to:
    • What is Coquito?
    • Why You'll Love This Vegan Coquito Recipe
    • The Ingredients
    • How to Make Coquito Puertorriqueño
    • Recipe

    What is Coquito?

    Coquito (literally meaning little coconut in Spanish) is a Puerto Rican drink traditionally served during Christmas time and New Years. It's name comes from the fact that it is a coconut-based drink made with coconut milk, coconut cream, sweetened condensed milk, and rum among other ingredients.

    Puerto Rican coquito is sometimes compared to eggnog since they are both creamy, usually spiked with alcohol, and served during the holidays. However, while eggnog requires the use of eggs, coquito does not (although you can find recipes that do include eggs).

    The drink is served cold and considered a cocktail. However, it can certainly be served without alcohol making it a great sweet treat that even kids will enjoy.

    Why You'll Love This Vegan Coquito Recipe

    • Dairy-Free and Vegan: In our rendition, we use sweetened condensed coconut milk and evaporated coconut milk, therefore making the recipe dairy-free and vegan.
    • Easy to Make: Once you have all the ingredients, it's as easy as adding everything to the blender, mixing and chilling.
    • Rich and Creamy: The result is deliciously sweet, rich, and creamy.
    • Low Sugar: The products we use also keep the sugar amount much lower than other versions. If you prefer a sweeter coquito, you can sweeten it to your liking with simple syrup or agave syrup.

    The Ingredients

    Coconut cream, coconut milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, cinnamon stick, ground cinnamon and vanilla extract
    • Full-Fat Coconut Milk: Use a high-quality coconut milk for the best results. My favorite brands include Thai Kitchen, Native Forest, or the Trader Joe's brand.
    • Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk: You can buy sweetened condensed coconut milk and it is also so easy to make your own. Check out my post for Homemade Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk. This vegan variety tastes so much like the original and is truly delicious.
    • Evaporated Coconut Milk: This one can be a little harder to find but I usually buy it at Sprouts. You can also make it yourself, find out how here.
    • Unsweetened Coconut Cream: Most coquito recipes use brands of cream of coconut that are sweetened. In addition to having lots of sugar, they also contain way too many emulsifiers and other ingredients that are not very healthy. Therefore, we use unsweetened coconut cream from Thai Kitchen that has zero sugar and uses only one emulsifier. Although you can find brands of coconut cream that have no emulsifiers at all.
    • Ground Cinnamon
    • Vanilla Extract
    • Ground Nutmeg (optional): I like to use nutmeg as it gives the coquito a much more festive flavor and complements the other flavors. If you decide to use it, you can use either ground nutmeg or freshly grated.
    • Cinnamon Stick: Just a small piece of a cinnamon stick adds incredible flavor and truly takes this recipe to another level.
    • Agave Syrup or Simple Syrup (optional): If you prefer a sweeter taste, you can add a tablespoon or two of agave syrup or simple syrup. Learn how to make simple syrup here.
    • Rum (optional): White rum is what is typically served in coquito. You can also serve it without rum for a non-alcoholic version.

    How to Make Coquito Puertorriqueño

    ingredients for coquito in a blender
    Blender with coquito
    Piece of cinnamon stick being added to blender with coquito

    Add Ingredients to Blender

    • Add all the ingredients (expect for the rum) to a blender.
    • Blend for one minute or so until well combined.

    Check Consistency

    • If the consistency is too thick, add ⅓ cup of water and blend again. Keep in mind that the coquito will also be diluted once you add rum so do not add too much water.

    Add Cinnamon Stick

    • Add 1 inch piece of a cinnamon stick.
    • Place the covered blender in the refrigerator for an hour.

    Blend Cinnamon Stick

    • Blend the coquito one more time with the cinnamon stick until the cinnamon stick is blended completely. This is more effective with a high-powered blender but will still work with a regular blender.
    • If pieces of the cinnamon stick are still left over, you can use a mesh sieve to strain the coquito before serving.

    How to Serve

    Shake well and serve cold in small glasses.

    Garnish with either a sprinkle of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, or a cinnamon stick. You can also rim the glasses with agave syrup and dip in shredded coconut for a beautiful presentation.

    How to Store

    Store in an air-tight bottle in the refrigerator for up to one week.

    The coquito may thicken when stored and the milks could separate. If either one happens, blend again for 30 seconds or so before serving.

    Tips and Variations

    • If you choose to serve this without rum, then it may be too thick. You may need to blend with more water (you can also use unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk from a carton) to reach your desired consistency.
    • Serving it over ice will also help dilute it if needed.
    • If you cannot find evaporated coconut milk, substitute it with a can of light coconut milk.
    • Easily double or triple the ingredients for more servings.

    I hope you enjoy!

    PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW IF YOU MAKE THIS OR TAG ME ON INSTAGRAM @EVERYDAYLATINA.

    More Drink Recipes

    • Ponche Navideño
    • Peppermint Hot Chocolate (Vegan)
    • Pineapple Agua Fresca
    • Sparkling Watermelon Agua Fresca
    Two glasses of coquito with a Christmas tree in the background

    Recipe

    Two small wine glasses with coquito with cinnamon sticks on the table

    Vegan Coquito

    by Gemma Aguayo-Murphy
    This Vegan Coquito is a dairy-free version of the traditional Puerto Rican drink. This recipe is packed with amazing coconut flavor, plus its rich, creamy and as delicious as the original.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 10 minutes mins
    Course Drinks
    Cuisine Puerto Rican
    Servings 10 servings

    Equipment

    • Blender

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 (13.5 ounce) can of full-fat coconut milk
    • 1 (11.6 ounce) can of sweetened condensed coconut milk
    • 1 (12 ounce) can of evaporated coconut milk
    • 1 (13.5 ounce) can unsweetened coconut cream
    • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
    • 1 inch piece of a cinnamon stick
    • 1-2 cups white rum (optional)
    • 1-2 tablespoon agave syrup or simple syrup (optional)

    Instructions
     

    • Add all the ingredients (expect for the rum) to a blender.
    • Blend for one minute or so until well combined.
    • If the consistency is too thick, add ⅓ cup of water and blend again. Keep in mind that the coquito will also be diluted once you add rum so do not add too much water.
    • Add 1 inch piece of a cinnamon stick.
    • Place the covered blender in the refrigerator for an hour.
    • Blend the coquito one more time with the cinnamon stick until the cinnamon stick is blended completely. This is more effective with a high-powered blender but will still work with a regular blender.
    • If pieces of the cinnamon stick are still left over, you can use a mesh sieve to strain the coquito before serving.
    • You can either add 1-2 cups of rum (per your preference) to the whole batch or let each person add rum to their own glass.
    • Taste for sweetness and add 1-2 tablespoons of agave or simple syrup if desired.
    • Shake well and serve cold in small glasses. Garnish with either a sprinkle of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, or a cinnamon stick.

    Notes

    • If you choose to serve this without rum, then it may be too thick. You may need to blend with more water (you can also use unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk from a carton) to reach your desired consistency.
    • Serving it over ice will also help dilute it if needed.
    • If you cannot find evaporated coconut milk, substitute it with a can of light coconut milk.
    • Easily double or triple the ingredients for more servings.
    • Learn how to make simple syrup here.
    Did you try this recipe?Leave me a comment and star rating below or mention @everydaylatina on Instagram!

    More Drinks

    • Two glasses with ice and agua de platano garnished with a slice of banana
      Agua de Plátano (Banana Agua Fresca)
    • Glass with watermelon mojito mocktail and garnished with piece of watermelon
      Watermelon Mojito Mocktail
    • Two glasses of horchata agua fresca with a pitcher behind it
      Horchata Agua Fresca
    • Agua de Melon in a glass with a pitcher and flowers behind it
      Agua de Melon (Melon Water)

    About Gemma

    Gemma is the recipe developer, writer and food photographer behind Everyday Latina. Gemma was born in Mexico, but has spent the majority of her life in the United States. She has been sharing recipes since 2018 with an emphasis on her parents' traditional Mexican cuisine and a focus on clean, healthy ingredients. Her goal is to build a community of people who appreciate family, food and culture and, who like her, want to live a healthy, happy everyday life.

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Gemma! I am originally from Mexico and the recipe developer, writer, and food photographer behind Everyday Latina. Here you will find traditional Mexican cuisine and a focus on clean, healthy ingredients. 

    More About Me →

    Trending Recipes

    • Two gluten-free empanadas de sardina on a plate with cilantro and jalapeño slices beside them.
      Gluten-Free Empanadas de Sardina
    • Plate with refried beans, toast and huevos con jamon
      Huevos con Jamon (Scrambled Eggs with Ham)
    • Frijoles Refritos (Mexican Refried Beans)
    • Guajillo enchilada sauce in a saucepan
      Guajillo Enchilada Sauce

    Summer Recipes

    • Shrimp Ceviche in a brown bowl with a lime.
      Mexican Shrimp Ceviche
    • Three clear glasses of Agua De Sandia with water slices besides them.
      Agua De Sandia
    • Grilled Rajas con Papas #grilledrajasconpapas #rajasconpapas #papasconrajas #mexicanfood
      Grilled Rajas con Papas
    • Spicy pineapple-jalapeño salsa #pineapplesalsa
      Spicy Pineapple-Jalapeño Salsa

    Follow Me

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Disclosure and Privacy

    Newsletter

    Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • TikTok

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Everyday Latina