Last Christmas I shared with you my recipe for the Puerto Rican flan de queso, and this Christmas, I want to share with you my recipe for the Puerto Rican Coquito. It’s Christmas week so some of you might be scrambling with what to prepare for your family dinners, and while Coquito is not necessarily food, drinks are just as important as food, right?
Coquito is a staple drink in every Puerto Rican household during the Christmas Season. It’s similar to eggnog, but much better. It can be made various ways as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Some people make both versions during get togethers and dinners or choose either/or. For this recipe, I decided to make a family friendly one so everyone, including the younger ones, can enjoy during gatherings. Please note that as mentioned, there are several ways to make a Coquito since everyone usually personalizes it to their liking, and since I don’t like eggs in mine, this specific recipe doesn’t include them. Another varying ingredient is the rum. Rum is usually added to the mix but if you don’t want to add it because you don’t drink alcohol or plan on sharing it with children, then you can just make the following recipe. If you decide to make it alcoholic, simply add rum to your liking.
Ingredients (serves 16-18 small servings):
1 can of evaporated milk
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 can of cream of coconut
1 can of coconut milk
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
4 cinnamon sticks (give or take depending on the size)
*You’ll also need a blender and a pitcher to store it in.*
Preparation:
Mix the cans of evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and coconut milk first. Then mix the cream of coconut, the vanilla extract, and the ground cinnamon. I usually mix it this way since the cream of coconut is thick by itself, but you can feel free to mix/blend all of the ingredients except the cinnamon sticks together.
And that’s literally it! The trick to the Coquito is that you can’t or at least shouldn’t drink it right away since it tastes better once it’s sat in the fridge for a few hours. It tastes better because it’s had a chance to set in as well as to thicken. The Coquito tends to be very liquidy at first and thickens as it gets cold. Trust me, drink it after it thickens. Also, since the drink is very sweet, it’s to be served in small cups or if using regular sized cups, you serve a small quantity inside. It’s not like a punch or juice where you drink a cup full of it, the serving size is relatively small because it’s so sweet.
When storing it in the fridge, add 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks to it so it acquires a more cinnamony flavor. This of course is optional. Once you’re ready to serve it, shake it and then serve it in small cups. Then garnish the cup with a cinnamon stick. If you have any left over, simply store again in the fridge until you’re ready to serve again.
The mixing of all the ingredients is relatively easy and fast so if you’re looking for something to serve after dinner, but don’t have too much time, prepare the Puerto Rican Coquito and I guarantee your guests will love it!
Have you tasted Coquito? Do you plan on making one this Christmas Season? Let me know in the comments below!
¡Feliz Navidad!
