Thick and creamy vegan coquito recipe! A vegan version of spiked Puerto Rican coconut eggnog with some added orange spice. An amazing holiday cocktail!
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Hi, Rhubarbarians! We are sharing a FAVE holiday cocktail with you today: Vegan coquito!
We strayed quite a bit from a traditional Puerto Rican coquito recipe with this one, making it completely vegan and adding some extra special orange spice. But, we think you'll love the flavors!
Have you tried this homemade bourbon eggnog recipe yet?
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Thick and creamy vegan eggnog
Homemade eggnog is so much better than store bought, in our opinion. We make a rich, thick and creamy vegan version with full fat coconut milk and sweetened condensed coconut milk.
Add in the traditional eggnog spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, and don't forget the spiced rum!
What does it taste like? It tastes like a creamy, coconutty, orange spice eggnog! Sort of like a tropical holiday-esque milkshake. So good!
What is coquito?
Coquito ("little coconut" in Spanish) is a traditional Puerto Rican Christmas drink! It's a coconut milk based cocktail that is somewhat similar to eggnog. Coquito is made with a base of coconut cream and condensed milk, usually mixed with rum and spices.
Source: Wikipedia
We stray from traditional coquito in this recipe by making it with sweetened condensed coconut milk to make it vegan and adding orange to brighten it up a bit.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this vegan coquito (full instructions are listed in the recipe card below):
- Full fat coconut milk
- Sweetened condensed coconut milk. We used Nature's Charm. If you can't find the canned, here's a recipe for homemade.
- Cinnamon
- Whole cloves
- Freshly ground nutmeg
- Orange zest
- Puerto Rican rum. Traditionally made with light rum, but we love the flavor of dark rum or spiced rum!
That's right! This recipe isn't made with any cashew milk or almond milk. It is nut free!
How to make it
We make our coquito on the stove top, so that all of the spices can be simmered in with the coconut cream. (Full instructions are listed in the recipe card below)
- Combine all of your ingredients, except the rum and garnishes, in a pot on the stove top.
- Gently simmer for about 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the mixture.
- Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Strain the mixture and then chill in the refrigerator until it is very cold.
- Stir the rum into the entire batch or use a mixer for individual cocktails.
How to serve
There are two different ways you can serve this as a cocktail: combining the rum with the entire batch of coconut mixture, or using the coconut mixture as a mixer for individual cocktails.
- Serve the entire batch with rum included: This is perfect if you are traveling or serving a large crowd! This would also be a wonderful way to give this vegan coquito as a gift.
- Serve as non-alcoholic or individual cocktails: This is perfect for allowing people to gauge how much rum they want in their cocktail. OR accommodating people who don't drink alchohol!
Make ahead, storing, and freezing
Make ahead: This is perfect for making ahead! In fact, we think that the flavors get better after about a day in the refrigerator.
Storing: Store the coquito in the refrigerator in a glass bottle or jar with tight fitting lid. With the rum mixed in, it will keep in the refrigerator for 4-6 months! Without alcohol, it will last for up to 10 days.
Freezing: Depending on how cold your freezer is, coquito can freeze well. The alcohol may keep it from fully freezing, however. You could try freezing the mixture without rum and then adding the rum after defrosting and ready to serve. Or, how about making some coquito popsicles?
FAQs
With alcohol, it will stay good in the refrigerator for 4-6 months. Without alcohol, it will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
YUM! Absolutely!
Here's a great recipe! Or here's our favorite recipe for classic eggnog!
Recipe
Orange spice vegan coquito (Puerto Rican coconut eggnog)
Ingredients
- 2 13.6 oz cans full fat coconut milk
- 1 11.25 oz can sweetened condensed coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 10 whole cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 16-24 ounces Spiced or aged dark rum (go for the good stuff)
- freshly ground nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, and orange slices for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the first 6 ingredients, through orange zest, in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a gentle simmer, do not boil. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning. Remove from heat and let cool for 20 minutes, stirring often to stir in coconut fat.
- When cool enough to handle, strain through a fine mesh strainer. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.
- At this point you can either add your desired amount of rum to a cocktail glass with ice and top with the coquito mix, or add your desired amount of rum to the whole batch of coquito mix. Keep refrigerated for up to 10 days.
- To serve, grate a bit of fresh nutmeg onto the top of your cocktail and garnish with cinnamon sticks and orange slices. Enjoy!
Nutrition
If you make this recipe, please let us know on social media or in the comments below! Leave a star rating in your comment or tag us on Instagram with #Rhubarbarians
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Wd
This is the same way we do it nothing vegan about it, it's just plain old coquito nothing new people except for the orange all is the same sorry to burst your bubble and no eggs.
Trish Bozeman
I thought it was traditionally made with condensed milk. I'd love to hear how you make it though!
Tavo
I came in love with this coquito recipe with the first sip! I am making it again for Christmas! Thank you for sharing such a great recipe! Happy holidays!
Jen
I may struggle with following recipes exactly (zested a whole orange and squeezed some juice in, prob added more cinnamon and nutmeg then needed and a drop of vanilla bean paste) but my house smells amazing. I’m supposed to bring this somewhere tomorrow but it may not make it. It’s just that good. I also might thicken it up a drop with a chia egg and some extra coconut milk.
Patricia Bozeman
Yay, so glad to hear! I bet it will still be amazing with as much or as little orange zest and nutmeg as you want. 🙂 Let me know how it goes with that chia egg! Happy New Year!
Quite Good Food
Oh wow, this looks a-mazing!
Patricia Bozeman
Thank you, Amber!