Best Coquito Recipe for the Holidays

There is no doubt that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but there are indeed times when we are tired of always preparing the same recipes, or eating the same thing every year.

For this reason, it is important to renew our personal cookbooks for these holidays and encourage us to try Christmas recipes from around the world. 

To make this twist on Christmas traditions easier for you, we bring you a Spanish drink recipe that will be a little familiar to you: the best coquito recipe.

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In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about this drink, from how to make coquito, to how to serve and store it.

Remember to encourage yourself to play and give your own touch to the recipe.

Background of the Dish

Many people when they hear the word coquito immediately think that it is a completely Puerto Rican recipe, but in reality, its origins have Spanish blood.

This recipe was created during the Spanish-American war that took place in what is known today as the capital city of Puerto Rico. 

There, the soldiers from the Spanish side prepared this drink, to get more energy when they made it with egg, and to cool off during the extreme heat.

Over time, different coquito recipes emerged, some with orange or lemon to give it a citrus taste, others with chocolate to make something similar to hot chocolate but cold, or others with eggs to make it more like eggnog. 

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Things You’ll Need for the Best Coquito Recipe

This is truly the best coquito recipe in the world as you only need a couple of ingredients and a blender to make it. 

Also, a clear bottle (glass or plastic) to store the coquito is ideal.

Ingredients

• 1 can (240ml) Condensed milk
• 1 can (240ml) Evaporated milk
• 1 can (240ml) Coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
• 1 cup (240ml) white rum

How to Make Best Coquito Recipe – Step by Step Guide

1. This is a super easy coquito recipe, so it will only take you a couple of minutes to have it ready. To start, grab a blender or large food processor, then pour the condensed milk, the evaporated milk, the coconut milk, the rum, the powdered cinnamon, and the vanilla essence. 

2. Then blend these ingredients well until there are no lumps.

3. Up next you have to pass the coquito drink through a strainer and pour it into a large glass bottle. Close the bottle and store it in the fridge for a week so that the aromas integrate. A plastic bottle will work as well, but a glass one is better.

4. You can serve this holiday beverage and drink it right away, though it tastes better if you keep it for a couple of days and serve it colder. 

5. Once you are ready to serve the Spanish coquito, sprinkle some powdered cinnamon over each glass.

Substitution of Ingredients

The coquito ingredients can be found at any store, but if you don’t feel like going home shopping and want to make this recipe, then there are a few changes you can make. 

Keep in mind that with these changes it will no longer be the traditional coquito recipe, but it will still be delicious.

You can substitute any of the milk for its vegan alternative, though keep in mind that it is likely that a bit of the creaminess will be lost and you will have a more liquid coquito as a result. 

Plus, you might need to add some sugar if you don’t use condensed milk.

You can also take inspiration from leche merengada or Spanish horchata and add other types of flavorings besides cinnamon. For example, you can use nutmeg, and citrus slices (orange, lemon, etc.).

If you want this recipe for a coquito drink to give you a result more similar to eggnog, you can transform it into a coquito recipe with eggs. 

You only have to use 3 egg yolks, make sure they are pasteurized, beat them, and include them with the rest of the ingredients.

Tips on Serving Best Coquito Recipe

The great advantage of this coquito recipe is that despite being a perfect drink for the Christmas season, you can take it at any time of the year. 

In fact, even though it has Christmas flavors, it is a refreshing drink for summer.

Unlike the popular Spanish coffee recipe, we recommend that if you make coquitos then you serve them as a dessert for lunch, dinner, or for a snack. 

This is because having alcohol is not ideal for breakfast.

A great idea would be to serve it with Spanish chocolate chip cookies, Alfajores, and the famous Roscos de vino, to have a super Andalusian snack.

Another tasty cookie you can serve with coquito is the mantecados from Spain that will melt in your mouth.

And if you’re hosting a party, serve the coquitos in small shot glasses. For a stronger cinnamon flavor decorate the glasses with cinnamon powder.

Your guests won’t be able to stop drinking them, so keep the coquitos coming.

Try the Spanish gin and tonic and the refreshing Agua de Valencia as well, especially if you have guests over for the holidays.

How to Store Best Coquito Recipe

The only disadvantage that this recipe for coquito has is that it cannot be frozen. 

Although some people may tell you that there is nothing wrong with freezing coquitos, the truth is that having alcohol in it crystallizes if you freeze the drink and will give it a strange texture.

You can store it in the fridge in a glass bottle (although a plastic one works too) and it can last up to 2 weeks there since this authentic coquito recipe does not have an egg. If it had an egg it could only last up to 5 days in the fridge.

We recommend using a clear bottle to store the Coquitos, so if the drink changes color (gets a yellow color), you can immediately discard the drink since it means that the coquito has gone bad.

Recipe Card: Best Coquito Recipe

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