Vegan Coquito Recipe

While many Americans think of eggnog when they think of Christmas drinks, I have to admit I've never even tried it! I have, however, enjoyed my fair share of coquito: the creamy Puerto Rican coconut drink flavored with cinnamon and vanilla, and spiked with white rum.

Since the traditional version contains condensed and evaporated milk, I haven't been able to partake in this Christmas goodness since going vegan. But with sweetened condensed and evaporated coconut milk both available (and even able to be made at home), I decided to make a vegan version.

Canned condensed and evaporated coconut milk make for easy preparation, but if you don't have access to these vegan alternatives where you live, don't worry! As long as you can get canned coconut milk, you can still make this recipe! See the section below called "How to make vegan coquito without evaporated or condensed coconut milk."

Steph's Tips

• The most important part of this recipe is refrigerating your coquito overnight before serving. This allows the flavors of the spices to infuse throughout the entire drink.

• Before you use your spiced water, make sure it's completely cooled and the solid spices have been strained out.

• Shake up your cans before opening to ensure there's no separation.

• I recommend checking that your rum is vegan before buying it. Barnivore.com has a pretty thorough list of vegan alcoholic beverages and brands; they've personally verified with each company whether or not animal products are used in the production process.

• Everyone's version of coquito is a little different. Check the section below on variations to make this recipe your own!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Full-fat coconut milk: This is the coconut milk that you'll find in a can, not in a box. Coconut flavor and creamy texture is the most important part of coquito, which literally means "little coconut." Make sure you shake up the can before opening it because canned coconut milk tends to separate.

• Sweetened condensed coconut milk: This is a replacement for the condensed dairy milk that's usually found in traditional coquito. It's basically coconut milk with sugar added and water boiled off. If you can't get this, you can also use sweetened condensed oat milk, or you can make it yourself. (See instructions below).

• Evaporated coconut milk: This is a replacement for the evaporated dairy milk that's in coquito. Like sweetened condensed coconut milk, it has had much of the water boiled off, but it has no sugar. You can also use evaporated oat milk here, or make it yourself. (See instructions below).

• Vanilla extract: Not strictly necessary, but adds more flavor. I recommend using real vanilla extract, as it has many more complex flavor notes than artificial vanilla.

• Salt: Even though it's a tiny amount, the salt makes a huge impact on the flavor. It adds depth and amplifies the flavor of the spices and coconut.

• White rum: This is the traditional alcohol used in coquito. It has a light, sweet flavor that pairs with coconut and spices beautifully. Dark rum or spiced rum can also be used, but it's more common to see those rums in the Dominican version, known as ron ponche. Since not all rum is vegan, be sure to check barnivore.com to find out whether the rum you want to buy contains or is made with animal products. I have seen some spiced rums containing honey.

• Cinnamon sticks: For a sweet, earthy flavor. Make sure you're using whole cinnamon sticks and not cinnamon powder.

• Cloves: For a warm, peppery flavor. Be sure you're adding whole cloves and not clove powder.

• Ginger: Adds a warm, spicy flavor to the coquito.

Vegan Coquito Variations

Coquito is a drink that people usually put their own spin on. Different families also have different traditional ways of making it. Here are some of the adjustments you can use to make this coquito your own:

• Adjust the sweetness: Add agave or maple syrup to taste to make your coquito sweeter.

• Alcohol-free: Replace the rum with plant milk to make a non-tipsy version. You can add the plant milk directly with the other ingredients instead of waiting until just before serving.

• Create your own blend of spices: While I've never seen a coquito without cinnamon, the other spices are all up to your taste. You can add other spices or leave out some of the spices listed in this recipe. In addition to cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, nutmeg and star anise are popular coquito spices as well.

• Adjust the thickness: If the recipe is too thick for your taste, add some plant milk until you reach a consistency that you like. If you're adding rum, keep in mind that the rum will also thin the coquito. For a thicker coquito, add more evaporated coconut milk.

• Ron ponche: Use dark rum instead of light rum to make coquito's Dominican cousin, ron ponche.

• Lime zest: Take some inspiration from the Venezuelan and Trini version of coquito (ponche crema), and boil some lemon or lime zest together with your other spices for a touch of citrus flavor.

How to make vegan coquito without evaporated or condensed coconut milk

If you can't get canned evaporated or condensed coconut milk where you live, don't worry! Evaporated coconut milk is just coconut milk with some of the water boiled off, while condensed coconut milk is similar, but with added sugar. Here's how to turn cans of coconut milk into the exact amount of evaporated and condensed coconut milk we need for this recipe:

You'll need 4 13.5-oz (400 mL) cans of coconut milk, plus 1/2 cup of sugar. (This only replaces the condensed and evaporated milk, so you'll still need one more can of coconut milk for this recipe; 5 total cans).

Combine 4 cans of coconut milk and 1/2 cup of sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat and whisk until well combined. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then turn down the heat to simmer. Allow the mixture to reduce down to about 3 1/4 cups (780 mL), stirring frequently. This could take more than 30 minutes (the exact time will vary depending on the size and type of saucepan you're using, and the type of stove you're using).

Once it's reduced, allow it to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes, then transfer to a glass container to chill in the refrigerator.

After the mixture has chilled, it's ready to use as a replacement for the evaporated and sweetened condensed coconut milk in the recipe.

How to Serve and Store Coquito

The most common way you'll see coquito presented is in a tall glass bottle with a slim neck that's convenient for pouring. These bottles usually have an attached stopper at the top which makes them easy to travel with when you're visiting friends and family.

After the coquito is poured into a glass or cup, you might want to sprinkle some ground cinnamon on top. If you have the time and occasion to get a little fancier, you can dress it up with some shredded coconut, cinnamon sticks, or star anise.

If you have any leftover coquito, it will last several days in the refrigerator in an airtight glass bottle. I don't recommend freezing.

More Vegan Christmas Recipes

If you're looking for more vegan recipes to try this Christmas, you can check out my complete vegan Christmas menu, my vegan Christmas dinner recipes collection, and my collection of vegan Christmas cookie recipes. Or, try one of these:

• Creamy Vegan Hot Chocolate

• Vegan French Toast

• Vegan Cannoli

• Vegan Crème Brûlée

• Vegan Sugar Cookies with Buttery Icing

• Vegan New York Cheesecake