Vegan Coquito
HOW TO MAKE A DAIRY-FREE COQUITO
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 30 2023 | by Melanie A. | NOURISH AND ABUNDANCE BLOG
MAKING VEGAN COQUITO
THE TRADITIONAL DRINK
Coquito is one of the most popular drinks for Puerto Ricans specially during the holidays. This creamy and indulgent concoction is often referred to as “Puerto Rican eggnog,” although it has its own unique and tropical twist.
Each family adds their distinctive touch and has their own method of crafting Coquito. However, in this blog, we will prepare our Coquito as a dairy-free version. Creating a dairy-free version is a straightforward process since most of the ingredients are already vegan-friendly. We only need to make substitutions for two components.
SUBSTITUTIONS
We have two choices, we can substitute the Condensed Milk and Evaporated Milk by buying those from a Vegan brand, or we can make it at home. The choice is all up to you!
It is more cost effective to make them at home but it does make the process more time consuming; but no hard work! We just need to keep an eye on the stove and stir occasionally.
In case if you want to buy the dairy-free condensed milk and evaporated milk I linked them below!
ADDING TEA TO COQUITO?
It may seem somewhat unusual to prepare an herbal tea and then incorporate it into a typically alcohol-infused beverage, but it can be crucial for a Coquito taste. The tea will be infused with earthy ingredients that will give your Coquito that traditional flavor you are looking for.
Side Note: Don’t be worried that your Coquito will be too runny/liquidy at the end. We will let all those ingredients sit for a couple hours and you will notice the difference!
WHAT TO DO FIRST
If you are making your dairy-free condensed and evaporated milk, we will begin with those two first. They can take 30 minutes to an hour.
If you have room on your stovetop for an additional pot, or if you have a kettle, we can steep the tea while the milks are gently simmering.
More Blogs!
- Ultimate Juicing Under $150? Ninja NeverClog Cold Press Juicer Review
- Ultimate Guide to Find the Best Christmas Tree Under $50
- How to Make the Best Vegan Coffee Coquito | You Need to Try This!
- How to Make Vegan Coquito | Dairy-Free Coquito
- Cremosa Sopa de Calabaza Vegana | Receta Estilo Puerto Rico
Some of the Products I Used
to make Vegan Coquito
My new Blender!
In case if you couldn’t find at your local store:
VEGAN COQUITO | DAIRY-FREE COQUITO
25-40
minutes3-5
minutes2
hoursINGREDIENTS
- TEA
8 oz. - Water
1 tsp ground ginger or about half inch of thin sliced ginger.
3 Star Anise Cloves
3 Cinnamon Sticks
15-20 Cloves
- CONDENSED MILK
1 Cup and Half of Dairy Free Milk (I used Oat Milk)
1/2 Cup of White Sugar or Light Brown Sugar
- EVAPORATED MILK
3 Cups of Dairy Free Milk
- COQUITO BLEND
1 Can - Coconut Milk
1 Can - Cream of Coconut
1 TSP - Ground Cinnamon
1/2 TSP - Nutmeg
6-8oz of White Rum Liquor (optional)
DIRECTIONS
- CONDENSED MILK
In a saucepan, combine 1 cup and half cups of dairy-free milk with 1/2 cup of sugar. Heat over low to medium heat and allow it to simmer until it thickens. Stir occasionally. Set aside to cool.
- EVAPORATED MILK
Pour 3 cups of Dairy-Free Milk into a saucepan and simmer over low to medium heat for 25-35 minutes, or until it has reduced by half in volume. Stir occasionally. Set aside to cool.
- TEA BLEND
Combine ginger, star anise, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and cloves with 8 ounces of hot water. Allow the mixture to steep for 5-10 minutes.
After steeping, strain the tea and set it aside to cool.
- BLEND EVERYTHING TOGETHER
In a blender, start by adding 4oz. of Condensed Milk and 8oz of Evaporated Milk.
Incorporate 1 can of Coconut Milk and 1 can of Coconut Cream into the mixture.
Add around 4oz. of the tea blend into mixture, we can always add more if it's needed.
Add 6-8 ounces of White Rum Liquor (optional), and adjust the amount according to your personal preference. For a non-alcoholic version, omit the liquor.
When incorporating liquor into your mixture, combine the Cinnamon and Nutmeg with the liquor to prevent clumping when blending.
If omiting liquor, combine cinnamon and nutmeg directly to mixture.
Note: Adjust Cinnamon to personal taste. I added around 1 teaspoon of Cinnamon.
Blend all the ingredients together for 1-3 minutes, ensuring that everything is thoroughly incorporated.
Serve your Coquito in glass bottle, refrigerate at least for 2 hours before consuming.
NOTES
- The presence of alcohol in coquito can act as a preservative, extending its shelf life. However, it's essential to keep it sealed and refrigerated for safety. Alcoholic Coquito can have a shelf life of approximately 4-6 weeks in the refrigerator. Non Alcoholic have a shorter shelf life.
- Once you blend all ingredients, it may look too runny; but when you let your Coquito sit in your refrigerator it will get thicker.
- Make sure to buy Coconut Cream that has added sugar. Buying Organic Coconut Cream will change the coquito's flavor. Coco Lopez and Goya brands are usually the go-to.
Enjoy your Vegan Coquito!
Amazon Affiliate Disclaimer:
Nourish and Abundance is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This post may contain affiliate links which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through links. This helps support our blog, thank you for the support!