How to Make Best Puerto Rican Coquito Recipe with Pumpkin

Last Updated on October 3, 2024 by Chef Mireille

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What says fall more than pumpkin spice and holiday season more than the creamy alcohol infused drinks of the season? Both are combined in this luscious Puerto Rican Coquito Recipe.

This Puerto Rican Coquito Drink Recipe is one like you’ve never had and you are going to LOVE it. Take the classic Puerto Rican drink, which is basically an eggless eggnog and elevate it to the next level with both real pumpkin as well as pumpkin spice mix.

Do you not like the idea of drinking raw eggs in classic eggnog recipes? Then this Caribbean style holiday drink is for you! This creamy, boozy drink is perfect for the Christmas season, infused with coconut flavor and the warm spices included in pumpkin pie spice mix. So are you ready to try this Coconut Nog?

History Time 📖

Coquito literally means little coconut, so no matter which variation you might try, coconut milk, coconut cream and/or cream of coconut will always be included.

Like any history that goes back when the history of indigenous people and African people were little recorded it’s hard to know exactly how it started, so take it with a grain of salt. However, of all the different histories I read in researching this, I find this one the most plausible.

The native Taino people made an elixir with coconut milk and indigenous spices. During Spanish colonization, the people on the island learned about egg nog and the native elixir was enriched to make the thick creamy drink we now know as Coquito.

Rum, the locally produced spirit of choice in the Caribbean was added as the alcohol in it.  I imagine Haitian Kremas and other variations throughout the Caribbean evolved in much the same way as the Taino people inhabited many Caribbean islands from Hispaniola to Jamaica.

What is Coquito?

Coquito may not be new to you although it is quite popular here in the United States with it’s large Puerto Rican population. It is a creamy luscious holiday drink not just of Puerto Rico, but there is also Dominican Coquito and Cuban Coquito also as well as other variations throughout Latin America. 

It’s basically a coconut and warm spice infused creamy holiday drink traditionally made with rum.

What is in Coquito?

Recipes do vary, but usually it is made with evaporated milk, coconut milk, cream of coconut (or coconut cream), cinnamon and vanilla. Unlike eggnog, there are no raw eggs or raw egg yolks in it.

Are you ready to try this rich and luscious version of Puerto Rican Coquito made with both pumpkin and pumpkin spice? If there is Pumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa, I think there should also be a Pumpkin Spice Coquito.

So what’s the difference between eggnog and coquito?

Eggnog vs Coquito

Eggnog and Coquito are both festive holiday drinks, but they come from different traditions and have distinct flavors and ingredients. Eggnog, popular in the United States and parts of Europe, is usually made with milk, cream, sugar, and eggs, often spiked with rum or brandy and flavored with nutmeg or cinnamon. Its rich, custard-like texture is a hallmark of the classic holiday beverage of the Christmas season in many countries. This egg-based holiday drink does not have the coconut element essential in the Caribbean version of Coquito.

Coquito, on the other hand, sometimes called the Puerto Rican eggnog, although it’s traditionally made without eggs always includes coconut flavors. The base of Coquito is a luscious combination of coconut milk, coconut cream or cream of coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Like eggnog, it’s spiked but the Caribbean classic versions will always use rum.

The main difference lies in the texture and flavor: while eggnog is creamy and thick due to the use of eggs, Coquito is rich and silky with a distinctly coconut flavor. 

Variations

There are different variations of this festive drink throughout the Caribbean like Haitian Cremas and Ponche Creme, but Coquito has the most name recognizability in the US. However, you can make even more variations, if you’d like to try more of a twist:

• Dairy Free Coquito – Replace the evaporated milk with a can of evaporated coconut milk or just another can of coconut milk for a Vegan Coquito. Replace the sweetened condensed milk with coconut cream and simply syrup or sweetened condensed coconut milk.
• Coquito with Eggs – Although most versions of coquito are not made with eggs, some do include eggs to make it closer to a traditional egg nog recipe to add richness.
• Hennessy Coquito – Coquito is usually made with rum, however to make some varietal variations you can replace the rum with other liquors like Hennessy cognac or brandy.
• Chocolate Coquito – Add a little melted chocolate or unsweetened cocoa powder to make a chocolate variation.
• Virgin Coquito – Simply eliminate the rum. This rich and creamy drink is delicious even without the rum.

Specialty Ingredient Notes

• Coconut Milk – You can use fresh coconut milk or canned coconut milk. If using canned coconut milk, be sure to use unsweetened full-fat coconut milk. Full fat coconut milk has the coconut fat at the top of the can you will notice if you refrigerate the can. This is actually coconut cream, which adds richness and thickness.  Do not use tetra pack coconut milk in the carton. It is too thin and watery and will not yield the same results.
• Cream of Coconut – This recipe uses cream of coconut and NOT coconut cream. They are NOT the same. For more details about the difference, read about the difference between coconut cream and cream of coconut here or watch this short video. There is only two brands that I’ve come across – Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut and Iberia Coconut Cream (mislabeled as it is actually cream of coconut).

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• Rum – Some purists will say you have to make it with Puerto Rican rum, but any type of rum can be used so you can just use your favorite rum of choice. It is also a matter of preference whether you decide to use light rum or dark rum. However, especially with the warm smoky spices and the pumpkin in this version of the traditional Christmas drink, I think the warm caramel like notes in amber rum or dark rum is preferable.

Required Tools

• High Powered Blender
• Funnel
• Glass Bottles
• Nutmeg Grater

Now let’s take a look at all of the ingredients you will need.

INGREDIENTS

• cinnamon sticks
• evaporated milk
• canned coconut milk or fresh coconut milk
• cream of coconut
• sweetened condensed milk
• canned pumpkin puree (or homemade roasted pumpkin puree)
• pure vanilla extract (make your own with this homemade vanilla extract recipe)
• almond essence
• pumpkin spice (make it yourself with my pumpkin pie spice recipe here)
• rum
• freshly grated nutmeg

• lime (optional garnish)
• dessicated grated coconut (optional garnish)

How to Make Puerto Rican Coquito Recipe with Pumpkin

• In a saucepan, steep the cinnamon sticks in the evaporated milk and coconut milk.
• Let it rest for at least an hour or preferably overnight in the fridge. The cinnamon sticks will swell and open up and that’s how you know they’ve release all of their flavor.

• Discard the cinnamon sticks and in a blender combine the steeped milk, cream of coconut, sweetened condensed milk and pumpkin.
• Add the vanilla, almond essence and pumpkin spice.

• Blend until well combined.
• Add rum and blend again until thoroughly mixed.

• Transfer to glass bottles and chill in the refrigerator.

How to Serve Pumpkin Coquito

• You can simply pour into glasses and serve as is or over ice, but for a more festive presentation try this.
• Using a lime wedge, rim small serving glasses with the lime.
• Then dip the glass in dry grated coconut and rotate a few times to get the coconut on the perimeter of the glasses.

• Give the coquito a good shake.
• Pour your coquito into the glasses and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg on top.

This will yield about 2 large bottles, but you can also use smaller bottles as a bottle of coquito make great gifts for the holiday season.

In a lot of families, it’s an annual tradition to make large batches of coquito together so that there is enough to last throughout the holiday season from Christmas to Three Kings Day aka Dia De Los Reyes or the Day of the Epiphany on January 6th, which commemorates the day the three kings brought gifts to the newborn baby Jesus.

Leftover Coquito

Coquito will last in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks, however it can get quite thick and gloopy. Just thin in out with milk, as needed if it gets too thick.

If you have a lot of leftover Coquito, which I really don’t know how that’s possible but anyway, you can freeze it for later use.

You can also use it to make a glaze for holiday cakes like this Caribbean Style Butter Cake.

A departure from basic coquito recipes – this Coconut Eggnog infused with the tropical element of coconut will turn the eggnog lovers into coquito lovers.

Here are some more Caribbean Holiday Treats you will want to enjoy with your Pumpkin Coquito.

Caribbean Holiday Recipes

• White Rum Cake
• Black Cake
• Coconut Sugar Cakes
• Caribbean Spice Cake
• Caribbean Sweet Bread
• Cuban Coquito Acaramelados

More Cocktails

Now I know you want to try some more Caribbean food! Check out my collection with over 100 Caribbean Recipes from the Caribbean diaspora!