Christmas isn’t a Puerto Rican Christmas without tons of coquito. My husband’s grandmother makes huge batches of coquito, bottles it up and gives it to friends and family for the holidays. This is her recipe, and if you know Mama OG, you know that she has very strong opinions on what is authentic. Some people add cinnamon- some don’t, some people add chocolate, while others turn their nose up at that idea. But one important thing to note is that traditional coquito is NOT made with eggs. Adding eggs turns it into ponche. You can make this Coquito recipe ahead and store it in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to a month. You can also pour it into large mason jars and wrap a nice ribbon around the top to make an amazing gift. You really can’t go wrong with this Coquito recipe — it’s THAT good! Make sure to post a photo and tag me so I know how it turns out for you!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 3 Quarts
INGREDIENTS
- 4 (12 oz)cans evaporated milk
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans coconut milk
- ¾ cup cream of coconut
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 3 tbsp grated coconut in syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Light rum, to taste
PROCEDURE
- Shake up all the cans well.
- Add the evaporated milk and coconut milk to a large pot. Heat on a medium flame and stir until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Next add the cream of coconut and sweetened condensed milk and stir until fully incorporated.
- Finally add the grated coconut and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated. Cook for 5 minutes more, stirring often to make sure the bottom doesn’t burn.
- Place the pot in your sink and surround with ice. Stir the coquito so it cools down faster.
- Once the coquito is cool, add the rum to taste. This is the best part!
- Store in the fridge.
