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Taking on Tomorrow
Holiday Goodies: Coquito – Puerto Rican Coconut Holiday Cheer
November 3, 2025
Photo of Coquito drink and Donalyn Dela Cruz

Photo courtesy Donalyn Dela Cruz

Contributed by: Donalyn Dela Cruz

If you like coconut and cold, frothy drinks spiked heavily with rum, you will like this.

I never make my Coquito exactly the same way—some days the rum pours generously, other days a little less, depending on the mood of the holiday season. Some versions of Coquito are made with raw eggs, but I leave them out. It keeps the drink lighter and lasts longer in the fridge.

Here is the base recipe below. I like to sprinkle more cinnamon, and you can also add a dash of almond or anise extract. ¡Salud!

Coquito (makes ~16–20 servings)

Ingredients

  • 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
  • 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
  • 1 can (15 oz) sweetened cream of coconut
  • 3 cups white (or gold) rum
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 cinnamon sticks (plus extras for garnish)
  • 1 vanilla bean, split (optional, for extra flavor)

Directions

  1. Blend the milks and cream of coconut until smooth.
  2. Add rum, vanilla, and cinnamon; blend again.
  3. Bottle it (add one cinnamon stick and half a vanilla bean per bottle).
  4. Chill for 2 hours.
  5. Serve straight or over ice, garnish with cinnamon.

Keep refrigerated, shake before serving. Keeps 1 week.

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