Coquito is Spanish for “little coconut”. However, there is a big coconut flavor in this coquito mocktail. There is nothing little about it!
Our coquito mocktail is so packed with coconut and spiced that you are going to want to drink the whole batch. Enjoy it chilled in traditional fashion or try it warm. However you prefer your coquito, it is sure to be amazing.

What is Coquito?
Coquito is a traditional Puerto Rican drink that is usually served around Christmas. The holiday drink is made with rum, coconut, sweetened condensed milk and spices. It is usually served cold and with a touch of nutmeg sprinkled on top or with a cinnamon stick garnish.
Coquito is often compared to American eggnog. Both drinks are rich, spicy and creamy but coquito is not traditionally made with eggs. You can find recipes for coquito that are made with eggs but these are more modern versions. We like to stick to the classics!
Ingredients in Coquito Mocktail
There are a lot of different kinds of coconut that go into our coquito drink. The more coconut, the better!
Our coquito mocktail skips the rum in the drink and replaces it with even more coconut. Extra coconut sounds better than rum anyday! That also means you can drink as much of this delicious drink as you want. Is your mouth watering yet? Good! Then take a look at what we put in our coquito recipe so you can head to the store and buy everything immediately!
- Evaporated Milk- Evaporated milk is a creamy and slightly sweet milk. It is essentially milk that has some of the water removed by evaporation. It is wonderfully rich and perfect for making a decadent mocktail.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk- Sweetened condensed milk is cow's milk that has been sweetened with sugar and then cooked into a thick, syrupy mix. It comes in a small can and will help sweeten the coquito mocktail.
- Cream of Coconut- Cream of coconut is coconut that has been sweetened and processed to be a thick, sweet syrup. It is very sugary and heavy. Coconut cream adds tons of sweet flavor to our mocktail.
- Coconut Water- We use coconut water to replace the traditional rum in coquito. Coconut water helps thin the drink while still keeping it strong tasting and delicious.
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg- Cinnamon and nutmeg are the classic coquito spices. They are delicious, cold weather spices.
- Vanilla and Rum Extracts- Vanilla and rum both add flavor and depth to the drink. We like using rum extract to get the classic taste of coquito. However, if you want to skip the rum taste, just replace the rum extract with extra vanilla extract.
- Shredded coconut- Some classic coquitos have shredded coconut to give the drink a little texture. However, many people prefer to skip the shredded coconut and have a smoother drink. The choice is yours! We just like the extra bits of coconut in every sip.
As you can see, there’s a lot of coconut in this coquito recipe! All coconut lovers rejoice!
How to Make Coquito
One of the reasons we love coquito is because it is so easy to make. Our easy coquito recipe only requires you to measure all the ingredients into a blender and puree it together. How simple is that! It only takes a few minutes to make a nice big batch of this irresistible drink.
If you do not have a blender, you can simply add all the ingredients to a large bowl and whisk them together. You can also use a large food processor to pulse the coquito recipe into a smooth, delicious mocktail.
Store the coquito in a pitcher in the fridge or pour it into coquito bottles or mason jars to give as gifts. Handing out coquito bottles to all your friends will surely make everyone's holiday season amazing.
Vegan Coquito Recipe
Coquito is not usually a vegan drink. Both sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk are made from cow's milk which is not vegan. However, you can make our coquito mocktail into a vegan coquito with just a few minor alterations.
- Make vegan sweetened condensed milk by simmering 1 can of full fat coconut milk with ⅓ cup granulated sugar for 40 minutes. The mix will thicken and reduce to be about 1 cup of vegan sweetened condensed milk, perfect for this recipe!
- Replace the evaporated milk with and extra ½ cup cream of coconut and ½ cup coconut water.
- Mix all the ingredients together and enjoy your vegan coquito mocktail.
This is a fantastic gift to give anyone who is vegan in your life. It tastes just as good as the regular coquito drink so really anyone will love it! You won’t even taste the difference between a vegan coquito mocktail and a regular coquito recipe.
If you have never tried coquito, it is about time you gave this delicious drink a chance. It is so simple to make and so absolutely yummy that we know you will be hooked.
Don’t have hot cocoa on a cold winter's day, skip the boring old eggnog at Christmas and make a coquito mocktail instead. You will be very happy you did! Enjoy.
You Asked, We’re Answering
Do you have questions about coquito? Hopefully we answer some of those questions here. If you are still wondering something about this tasty drink, leave your question in the comments below!
Is eggnog and coquito the same thing?
No, coquito and eggnog are not the same. Eggnog is an American drink that has eggs in the mix. It also uses sugar to make it sweet and heavy cream to make the drink think.
Coquito is a Puerto Rican drink that is sweetened with condensed milk and has no eggs. Coquito is also strongly flavored with coconut.
How long does coquito without alcohol last?
Coquito without alcohol lasts about one month in the fridge. It has such a long shelf life enabling you to make it way in advance.
Is coquito better than eggnog?
If you are a coconut lover, then yes, coquito is much better than eggnog. It has a strong coconut taste that is both tropical and refreshing. Coquito is also not quite as thick and dense as eggnog. It is more drinkable and tasty.
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