Coquito (Puerto Rican Coconut Eggnog)

No eggs required for this festive holiday drink!

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Chill: 60 mins
Total: 70 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Yield: 6 1/3 cups

Coquito is a traditional—and extremely delicious!—coconut and rum punch served at Christmas and New Year's celebrations in Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican communities around the world. The creamy, sweet drink is similar to eggnog with rum but with the tropical element of coconut—"coquito" means "little coconut" in Spanish.

In Puerto Rico, caroling groups stroll to visit friends and are happy to be greeted with glasses of coquito. And the good news is, this recipe is super-easy to make—in fact, you can whip it up in your blender, no heating required. This recipe makes enough to serve six to eight people about 3/4 of a cup to a cup each. If you want to make more, you can make it in batches.

The Ingredients You Need for Coquito

You only need a handful of ingredients for this delicious punch:

  • Cream of coconut—There's no need to crack open a fresh coconut for this drink. If you were using that as an excuse for a tropical holiday excursion, go right ahead, but this coquito is a very simple mixed drink you can make with canned cream of coconut. Sometimes labeled crème de coconut, sweetened, syrupy cream of coconut should not be confused with coconut cream or coconut milk, neither of which are typically sweetened.
  • Sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk: Sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk are both concentrated milk products, but the former has sugar added (as its name suggests). Using both gives this drink a wonderful thick consistency and a flavor that's sweet but not cloying.
  • White rum—Also called light rum. white rum has a clean, light flavor that complements the coconut flavors in this drink.
  • Coconut extract or vanilla extract—If you like your coquito extra coconuty, add a bit of coconut extract. If you like a hint of vanilla, swap the coconut extract for vanilla extract.
  • Ground cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg—A trio of warm spices completes the flavor profile of the perfect coquito.

No Eggs Means This Nog Is Easy to Make

You'll find many recipes for coquito with complicated instructions that require eggs to be simmered over a double boiler. Since this recipe does not call for raw eggs, you can whip it up in a blender and skip all of the heating and stirring.

How to Serve Coquito

Like eggnog, coquito is always served chilled. Serving it cold provides a better consistency and flavor. If you serve it warm, it will be decidedly less thick and may separate a bit. Chill it in the refrigerator for about an hour before serving—you can spend the chilling time singing carols in Spanish with your family and friends.

If the mixture is too thick after chilling, blend it again until it is pourable. Shake it well before serving, pour it into small glasses, and sprinkle the top with nutmeg or cinnamon and/or or garnish it with a cinnamon stick. To make it extra cold, you can serve it on the rocks. Share it with friends and enjoy!

Coquito Puerto Rican no-egg eggnog garnished with a cinnamon stick

The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

"Though coquito is served chilled, the warm flavors of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg really come through in this recipe. This drink would be a nice change from eggnog for holiday parties.” —Joan Velush

Coquito Puerto Rican No-Egg Eggnog With Rum
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 (15-ounce) can cream of coconut

  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

  • 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

  • 12 ounces white rum, or to taste

  • 1 teaspoon coconut extract, or vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • Ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, and/or or cinnamon sticks, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Coquito Puerto Rican no-egg eggnog with rum ingredients gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  2. Add 1 (15-ounce) can cream of coconut, 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk, 12 ounces white rum, 1 teaspoon coconut or vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg to a blender.

    Coquito ingredients in a blender

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  3. Process until it's well mixed and then pour into a glass pitcher or bottle and cover tightly. Alternatively, add the cover to the blender bowl and place it in the fridge.

    Coquito no-egg eggnog blended

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  4. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving, until well chilled. Coquito tastes best very cold.

    Coquito in two glass bottles

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  5. Shake to mix well right before serving. Pour into small glasses.

    Coquito poured into a glass

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  6. Sprinkle the top with nutmeg or cinnamon, and/or garnish with a cinnamon stick. Enjoy.

    Coquito garnished with a cinnamon stick and surrounded by star-shaped cookies

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

How to Store and Freeze

  • Since this coquito recipe doesn't contain eggs or dairy cream, it should keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
  • You can even mix up a batch and freeze it for up to two months, then thaw in the fridge to have on hand when needed.​​

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

  • Serve over ice—You can serve coquito on the rocks if you prefer, which might be necessary if you're enjoying it poolside in a warm climate.​
  • Add rum to taste—You can adjust the amount of rum to suit your taste or even leave it out for a virgin coquito.

How Strong Is a Serving of Coquito?

White rum has an ABV of 40 percent (80 proof). Combined with coconut cream, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk, the finished drink weighs in at about 9 percent ABV. It's a rich-tasting drink, but relatively light in terms of alcohol and is even lighter if served over ice. Be warned that this drink tastes so delicious, you can forget it contains alcohol, so sip and savor it slowly.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
615 Calories
33g Fat
48g Carbs
10g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 615
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 33g 42%
Saturated Fat 22g 108%
Cholesterol 100mg 33%
Sodium 181mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 48g 18%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 47g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 3mg 15%
Calcium 353mg 27%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 486mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)