Served at every Christmas and New Years, I recall growing up, my family would make batches of our traditional holiday drink, which was our version of eggnog called Coquito (pronounced “Koh-kee-toh”) (aka Puerto Rican Eggnog). Of course as kids, we were served the non-alcholoic version and I remember loving the flavor of the creamy coconut that tasted better than a milk shake! As an adult, I got to try out the spiked version, and I enjoy it just as much! This creamy, tropical drink is a bit dangerous, it’s so good you hardly taste the alcohol, so be careful! This drink combines the smooth taste of coconut, vanilla and cinnamon, making it the perfect holiday drink!
-Photos by Rose Angel
RECIPE FOR COQUITO (The traditional version asks for egg yolk but this recipe, shared by my mother, is eggless)
*serves 16 cups
ingredients
- 2 cans of Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 2 cans of Coconut Milk (I used Goya brand)
- 2 cans of Cream of Coconut (I used Coco Lopez brand)
- 4 cans of Evaporated Milk
- 3-4 Cinnamon Sticks
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
- Rum – optional (I used white Bacardi Rum)
instructions
- Take 3-4 cinnamon sticks and boil it in 1/2 cup of water
- Boil until the water reaches a golden color, then take off heat to cool and remove/discard the cinnamon sticks from water
- Working in batches, combine sweetened condensed milk, coconut milk, cream of coconut evaporated milk, cinnamon water and vanilla extract; blend on high until mixture is well combined (Since most blenders are small, you will need to combine in batches and pour into a large bowl or pot as you go)
- Pour into a pitcher, add Rum to taste (optional)
- Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or until cold
- Leftover can be left in the refrigerator up to two weeks
- Before serving, stir to combine
- Serve over ice
Enjoy!
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