This vegan coquito is unapologetically coconuty and full of spices. Pour it over ice or serve cold from the fridge and hand it to whoever walks in - Nochebuena (Christmas Eve), cookie swaps, the whole stretch of holiday months. Active time for you is about 20 minutes.
Coquito means "little coconut" in Puerto Rico.
The traditional build leans on canned dairy - evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk - which is exactly the part I solve with plant-based sources that taste exactly the same.
The good news is that coquito is already a coconut drink at heart, so going dairy-free doesn't feel like a compromise AT ALL. Swap in canned coconut versions of those two milks, and you get something arguably more coconut-forward than the original.
I grew up with Crema de Vie, the Cuban cousin that I veganized. Both are so good, and both show up at Christmas at my house.
If you're building a Nochebuena table, this pours beautifully after Puerto Rican Yellow Rice and Beans, Moros y Cristianos, and next to a plate of Pastelitos de Guayaba.
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Why This One's on Repeat
- One saucepan, one blender, about 20 minutes of hands-on work. The fridge does the rest.
- It's creamy without being too thick.
- It's easy to make.
- It's make-ahead friendly - perfect for holiday parties and gatherings.
- It makes a great gift - bottle it up and share it with friends and family.
Shopping List
You can find all the cans at larger grocery chains like Publix or Safeway. I found the evaporated coconut milk at Whole Foods.
- Cream of coconut: Look for the sweetened kind in the cocktail aisle or international foods section. Most Puerto Rican families reach for Coco López, which you can usually find at Walmart or larger grocery stores. It's typically cheaper than Amazon, which I'm linking here for reference. Goya is another popular option.
- Sweetened condensed coconut milk: Condensed oat milk works too, but tastes a little more neutral.
- Evaporated coconut milk: This is close enough to a can of dairy evaporated milk that no math is required. Evaporated oat milk is a fine stand-in.
- Coconut milk: Canned, not the carton kind. Shake it hard before opening, since the fat separates on the shelf, and you want it to pour out in one smooth pour.
- White rum is the traditional choice, and light on purpose so the coconut still comes through. Don Q Cristal is a name worth knowing, but we reach for Bacardi.
Note: Pitorro - This is Puerto Rico's high-proof sugarcane moonshine. It's the original base for coquito. The homemade stuff regularly runs past 100 proof, so if someone offers you their tío's batch, sit down first.
See the printable recipe card for quantities and a full list of ingredients.
Whenever I'm not sure about a bottle of liquor's vegan status, I check it on Barnivore. It's a community-run database of beer, wine, and liquor that's been logging vegan status since 2008, mostly by emailing companies directly and posting what they say back.
Ways To Change It Up
- Coquito de chocolate: Blend in 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Coquito de pistacho: Blend in pistachio cream for a nutty, slightly savory variation.
- Coffee coquito: Add two shots of cooled espresso, or 2 tablespoons of instant coffee dissolved in a splash of hot water.
- No liquor: Skip the rum. If you want to keep the rum flavor, check the label on rum extract - many rum extracts contain alcohol. For a completely alcohol-free version, look specifically for a rum flavoring labeled alcohol-free or glycerin-based, like Happy Home.
- Add a one-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into coins when simmering the spices. It gives the tea a warm bite that plays well against all that coconut.
- If you don't have whole spices, you can use ground spices instead, though you'll lose some of the depth the simmered tea gives it. Skip the tea entirely and add ½ cup water to the blender in its place, along with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, and ¼ teaspoon ground allspice.
Let's Make Vegan Coquito
See the complete printable recipe card below for the details.
Step 1: Combine the water, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, and allspice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 2: Pour the spice tea through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing the spices, then let the strained tea cool to room temperature.
Step 3: Add the four canned products to the blender, followed by the cooled spice tea, rum, and vanilla. Blend on high for 60 to 90 seconds.
Step 4: Pour the blended coquito through a funnel into bottles. Seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Top Tips
- Cool the spice tea. Warm liquid hitting cold coconut fat can split the drink. Let the tea cool to room temperature before adding it to the blender. You can also make the tea the night before so it steeps even longer.
- Blend longer than you think - at least 60-90 seconds. This gives the coconut fat time to emulsify into the other ingredients, creating a smooth, glossy coquito instead of a layer of coconut fat floating on top.
- Make it a day ahead. Coquito made an hour before guests arrive is really good, but chilled overnight is even better.
- Adjust the spices to taste. Star anise is the loudest - one pod is plenty, and leave it out if you're not a fan. Cloves go strong fast, so drop to six or seven if you want the cinnamon to lead. Or add another cinnamon stick and a few more allspice berries. Just keep the water at ¾ cup, so you still end up with about ½ cup of tea, which is what the recipe is balanced around.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve in cordial glasses or espresso cups as an after-dinner treat - try after Puerto Rican Yellow Rice and Beans. You can also serve it over ice in a tumbler, or pour a smaller amount to fill just half the glass.
- Place a cinnamon stick in every glass. It keeps releasing flavor as people sip, and it looks pretty.
- Bottled as gifts. Buy eight-ounce swing-top bottles, a ribbon, a tag with the date, and a note that says 'Shake me and keep me cold.'
- Rim the glass if you want the extra step. Stir ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon brown sugar together on a small plate. Dip the rim in a splash of coquito, roll the outside edge through the mix, and let it set a few minutes before pouring or it slides straight off.
How to Store Coquito
Refrigerator: Keep it in an airtight bottle or jar in the fridge for about a week. The rum does some preservation work, but I don't keep it much longer than that.
Freezer: Don't freeze. The coconut fat can break, and it comes back grainy no matter how you thaw it. If you want it frozen, blend a cup of chilled coquito with ice for a coquito frappé and drink it right away.
Alcohol-free version: Keep it refrigerated and enjoy within 3 to 4 days for the best quality and food safety. Since this version contains no alcohol, it won't have the longer shelf life some people associate with traditional coquito.
Vegan Coquito FAQs
No. Eggnog is made with dairy and eggs and is often served warm; coquito is coconut-based and served cold. Some coquito recipes include eggs and others do not, so it varies by family. "Puerto Rican eggnog" is useful shorthand, but coquito has its own coconut-and-rum identity.
Use 1 cup of white rum or spiced rum. White rum keeps the coconut flavor cleaner, while spiced rum adds vanilla and baking-spice notes. Start with the measured cup, chill the coquito, and adjust only after tasting it cold.
No, they're different products, and they aren't interchangeable. Cream of coconut is sweetened and emulsified, sold in the cocktail aisle, and it's carrying a large share of both the sugar and the body in this recipe. Coconut cream is unsweetened and much plainer in flavor, so swapping it in leaves you with coquito that's thin and barely sweet.
Drop a comment and tell me how this coquito turned out! Was it love at first sip, surprisingly drinkable, or a full-on yuck? And if my directions helped (or didn't), please let me know so I can keep improving these recipes for you. Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for inspiration.
Recipe Card
Vegan Coquito (Puerto Rican Coconut Rum Cocktail)
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Funnel optional
- Swing Top Bottles (16 ounce) optional, for storing
- Small Swing Top Bottles (8.5 oz) optional, for gifting
Ingredients
For the spice tea
- ¾ cups water
- 10 whole cloves
- 6 whole allspice berries
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 whole star anise
For the coquito
- 15 ounces cream of coconut 1 can
- 13.5 ounces full-fat coconut milk 1 can
- 12.2 ounces evaporated coconut milk 1 can
- 11.25 ounces sweetened condensed coconut milk 1 can
- 1 cup white rum or spiced rum
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the spice tea
- Combine: Combine the water, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, and allspice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil.
- Simmer: Drop the heat to low, and simmer for 10-15 minutes. The liquid should turn amber and smell like the holidays.
- Drain & cool: Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing the spices to extract everything. It will have reduced, but you will still have about ½ cup. Set aside to cool.
Blend and chill
- Shake the cans: Shake all four cans vigorously before opening. Coconut fat separates on the shelf and you want each can pouring as one smooth liquid.
- Load the blender: Into the blender, add the cream of coconut, sweetened condensed coconut milk, evaporated coconut milk, and full-fat coconut milk. Then add the cooled spice tea, rum, and vanilla.
- Blend: Blend on high for 60 to 90 seconds. Don't cut this short - the long blend is what emulsifies the coconut fat and keeps the coquito from splitting as it chills.
- Bottle: Funnel into bottles or pour into a pitcher, leaving about an inch of headroom so you can shake it when needed. Seal tightly.
- Chill: Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Serve: To serve, shake hard for 20 seconds to loosen the set coconut fat. Pour into glasses with or without ice, dust with cinnamon, and add a cinnamon stick to each.
Regi Pearce says
I make this when I want the house to smell like Nochebuena. The spice tea is the step people want to skip, and the step that makes it. Bottle it a day ahead and it makes gifting easy. Make sure to shake before pouring.