Vegan Coquito

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.

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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

• 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

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.

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Recipe