Coquito - Puerto Rican Coconut Eggnog

By kayjayjohnson

This Puerto Rican version of eggnog is lighter than traditional eggnog, but still includes the rum! You can substitute coconut or whole milk to make it more family-friendly. This recipe is great to make-ahead, because it can be kept in the refrigerator for about one week.

Ingredients

• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (15-ounce) can coconut cream, such as Coco Lopez or Goya
• 3 cups rum of your choice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise, optional

Preparation

Step 1

Combine evaporated milk, condensed milk, and coconut cream in a large blender and blend until well combined. Add the rum, vanilla, and ground cinnamon, and blend in. If your blender is small, do this in batches and pour into a large bowl as you go.

Pour into a pitcher or glass bottles with sealed lids and drop in the cinnamon sticks and vanilla bean halves. Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or until very cold.

Serve straight in small glasses garnished or on the rocks in larger ones. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a cinnamon stick. Leftovers will keep tightly sealed in the refrigerator for about one week, just be sure to shake the jar vigorously each time before serving.

To cut the rum and make this beverage less strong, replace the desired amount of rum with equal parts ice cold coconut or whole milk.

For a non-alcoholic or virgin coquito, cut out the rum and replace it with one cup ice cold coconut or whole milk and one cup ice cold filtered water.