A step-by-step guide to making an almond coquito, a fun variation of the classic coquito made with freshly roasted almonds and dry roasted spices.

This recipe and blog are brought to you by the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, which provides Puerto Rican cultural programming at its Chicago museum and throughout the United States through partnerships and virtual programming.

You know we love coquito at Casa Dining Traveler! Although the classic coquito prevails as our favorite, many homes get creative with different flavors, and we’re no different. This year, we introduced the almond coquito, the creamy and decadent drink with a Puerto Rican twist on the classic coquito, incorporating the rich and nutty flavors of roasted almonds and a blend of aromatic spices.

What is Coquito?

Coquito, a creamy, coconut-based rum cocktail, is a traditional holiday drink that’s a staple in Puerto Rican homes during the Christmas season. Typically made with a blend of coconut milk, cream of coconut, condensed milk, rum, and spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, it’s a treat. The name “Coquito” translates to “little coconut” in Spanish, and it’s a true celebration of the tropical flavors of the island.

Why You’ll Love This Almond Coquito Recipe

This Almond Coquito recipe elevates the classic coquito by adding a layer of complexity and depth with roasted, unshelled almonds. The almonds are roasted to perfection, bringing out their natural oils and enhancing their nutty flavor, complementing the creamy coconut base beautifully. Adding spices like cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom further enhances the flavor profile, creating a warm and inviting aroma perfect for the holidays.

Tips for Making the Perfect Almond Coquito

• Use fresh, unpeeled almonds for the best flavor.
• Roast the almonds until they become fragrant and slightly browned.
• Dry roast the spices before adding them to the milk to intensify their flavor.
• Use almond barista milk for a vegan and creamy alternative to evaporated milk.
• Adjust the amount of rum to your liking, starting with one cup and adding more if desired.
• Soak the almonds in the coquito mix for 10-15 minutes if you don’t have a high-powered blender.
• Strain the coquito through a sieve to ensure a smooth and creamy texture.
• Store the coquito in bottles and let it sit overnight for optimum flavor.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Making Almond Coquito

1. Roast the almonds: Start by roasting fresh, unpeeled almonds in a frying pan until they become fragrant and slightly browned.
2. Dry roast the spices: In the same pan, dry roast the spices like cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom until fragrant.
3. Combine the ingredients: Combine the roasted almonds, spices, coconut milk, cream of coconut, condensed milk, and rum in a blender.
4. Blend until smooth: Blend the mixture until the almonds are completely broken down and the mixture is smooth.
5. Strain the mixture: Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove any grainy particles and ensure a smooth texture.
6. Bottle and store: Pour the coquito into bottles and store them in the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavors to meld together.
7. Serve and enjoy: Serve the Almond Coquito chilled and enjoy the festive flavors of the holiday season.

Cheers! ¡Salud!

Almond Coquito is a delightful and festive drink perfect for holiday parranda or enjoying a cozy night of Christmas movies. This Puerto Rican delight will become a new favorite in your home with its creamy texture, nutty flavor, and warm spices. Do you love coquito as much as we do? Check out our other recipes: Pistachio, Chocolate, and how to make coquito with coconut milk made from scratch.

Recommended items (we get a small commission that helps us run The Dining Traveler): Vitamix blender, cream of coconut, glass bottles for gifting, sieve, and a small saucepan. Check out our Amazon Storefront with all of our Puerto Rican holiday cooking essentials.

This Creamy Almond Coquito Recipe Brings the Flavor

Print Recipe

Learn how to make Almond Coquito, a creamy and delicious Puerto Rican drink with a unique twist. This recipe is perfect for the holiday season, incorporating the rich flavors of roasted almonds and spices for a festive treat that will impress your friends and family.

• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 2 liters

Ingredients

2 cinnamon sticks

3 clove sticks

1 star anise pod

2-3 cardamom pods, crushed

1 inch piece of ginger

1 13.5oz can of coconut milk

1 can of cream of coconut

1 14oz can of condensed milk (for a vegan coquito, use a vegan condensed milk)

1 1/2 cup of almond milk (I like to use an almond barista mix)

1 1/4 cup of rum (or to taste)

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Instructions

1. Toast the almonds on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes.
2. In a mortar and pestle, crush the ginger and cardamom pods.
3. Dry roast the spices for a minute, add the almond milk and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Let it steep for another 5 minutes until lightly cooled.
4. Remove the spices from the milk, add the milk to the blender, and add the rest of the ingredients. (I like to throw a little sliver of ginger into the blender.)
5. Pass through a fine sieve to remove the almond particles. Do this a second time if the almond coquito still feels grainy.
6. Serve cold and garnish with a sprinkle of powdered cinnamon, slivered almonds, or toasted shredded coconut. Store refrigerated. It will keep up to two weeks.

• Author: Jessica van Dop DeJesus
• Prep Time: 15 Minutes
• Cook Time: 5
• Category: Cocktails
• Cuisine: Puerto Rican

The post This Creamy Almond Coquito Recipe Brings the Flavor appeared first on The Dining Traveler.

Making Chocolate Coquito

Making a chocolate coquito is simple. We added one extra step to our coquito recipe: chocolate. Using bar chocolate is the best to make a smooth, creamy consistency. You can find Chocolate Cortés at most Latino supermarkets or in the Latino aisle at most supermarkets. Also, you can find it online. Tip: use a serrated bread knife to chop the chocolate bars into tiny pieces to melt into the coconut milk. You can always get block hot chocolate at any supermarket if you can’t find Chocolate Cortés.

Spice it up

I love adding some of the spices of my regular coquito to the chocolate coquito, like cinnamon and cloves, to give it a similar feel to Mexican hot chocolate. Contrary to my standard coquito recipe, I use powdered spices and blend them in the chocolate as it melts. I find that the spices dissolve into the chocolate, avoiding the spice buildup once it’s refrigerated. 

Dress it Up

A little shredded coconut and chocolate sprinkles can go a long way! Garnish your serving glasses (I love a champagne coupe) for a little twist. Moisten the rim of your glass with chocolate syrup or even simple syrup. Place shredded coconut on a shallow plate and place the glass rim with shredded coconut. Add chocolate sprinkles for a little extra effect! Salud and happy holidays!

How to Make Chocolate Coquito

Print Recipe

Try this twist on Puerto Rican coquito: chocolate coquito made with Chocolate Cortes and blended with warm spices.

• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 2 liters

Ingredients

• 1 7oz package of Chocolate Cortes or solid chocolate for hot chocolate 
• 1 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp of ground cloves 
• 1 13.5oz can of coconut milk
• 1 14oz can of condensed milk
• 1 12oz can of evaporated milk
• 1 1/4 cup of rum (or to taste)

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Instructions

1. With a serrated knife, chop the chocolate into small pieces
2. In a heavy saucepan, add the coconut milk and whisk in the chocolate and spices. Cook under medium heat until the chocolate is melted and dissolved. Let it cool.
3. Combine all the ingredients in a blender. 
4. I recommend refrigerating overnight for the flavors to come together. 

• Author: DiningTraveler
• Prep Time: 15 Minutes
• Cook Time: 5
• Category: Cocktails
• Cuisine: Puerto Rican

The post How to Make Chocolate Coquito appeared first on The Dining Traveler.

Coquito, a Puerto Rican coconut and rum cocktail, is a fixture in any Boricua home during the holidays. I remember how my mom made Coquito to gift to friends and family throughout my childhood. As an adult, I’ve taken my mom’s recipe to everywhere I’ve lived—from Japan to Belgium. A few years ago, I had a chance to share my family’s recipe and story for Eating Well magazine. I made a video in 2020 on how to make Coquito that garnered over 100k views on YouTube and Facebook. Like many home cooks who share family recipes on social media, I’ve been subjected to others nitpicking my recipes. One of the funniest comments was on Facebook from a woman named Pilar, who said I was a cheater because I used canned coconut milk. So, I decided to learn how to make Coquito with coconut milk from scratch as an experiment to see if it’s worth it. Here’s my takeaway:

How to Make Coconut Milk from Scratch for Your Coquito

I’ll be honest: as many times as I’ve made Coquito at home, I’ve always used canned coconut milk and cream of coconut. For this experiment of making Coquito with coconut milk from scratch, I experimented with different ways to make coconut milk. For me, cracking the coconut shell was the trickiest step. The easiest method I found was to freeze the coconut overnight, which causes the liquid to expand and create cracks in the shell. You can let the coconut thaw, or to make it less messy, I recommend hammering it until it opens. Then, use a sturdy spoon to pry the coconut meat out. Finally, peel the brown part of the coconut with a vegetable peeler. This process should take 5-10 minutes. You can find whole coconuts at African, Asian, or Latin supermarkets.

Once the coconut flesh is ready, coarsely chop and add it to the blender. Add two cups of water and a dash of salt. Start blending slowly, especially if your blender is less powerful. Mix until the coconut is liquified–it will have a smoothie-like texture. Grab a large bowl and place a cheesecloth over the bowl. Pour the coconut milk mixture over the cheesecloth in small batches and twist and squeeze until you get all the liquid out. One coconut will yield around 2 ½ cups of coconut milk. I recommend making the coconut milk a day ahead to save you some time.

Making Cream of Coconut from Scratch

Like most Puerto Ricans, I use Coco Lopez, a cream of coconut that’s a staple in many of our homes. I decided to make the cream of coconut from coconut milk made from scratch. It was simple to make: sugar, coconut milk, and a little patience. Mix the coconut milk and sugar over medium heat in a heavy saucepan until the sugar is dissolved and thickened. Remove from heat and let it completely cool. This can also be made a day ahead. Like canned coconut milk, it will bring all the fat to the top. Don’t worry about that–it will all go in the blender.

Preparing the Coquito

After you prepare the coconut milk and the cream of coconut from scratch, the following steps are the same as my classic coquito recipe or even my pistachio coquito recipe. I don’t use powdered spices, but I steep mine in the coconut milk and let it sit for five minutes to let the flavors come together. Everybody has a unique way to prepare their Coquito, and I love to use ginger in mine. My parents did, and I love the flavor profile that it brings to the Coquito.

Tips on How to Make Coquito with Coconut Milk from Scratch

If you’re short on time, make the coconut milk from scratch the day ahead and store it in a mason jar or another airtight container. I also suggest letting the Coquito sit overnight for the flavors to come together and have a creamier consistency. I love serving my Coquito in coupes (vintage champagne glasses) I bought at Goodwill over ten years ago for my wedding with a sprinkle of powdered cinnamon.

Is making Coquito with coconut milk from scratch worth it? I will be completely honest: I didn’t see a huge difference. The coconut flavor was a bit more pronounced, and it didn’t feel as sugary as the one with the processed coconut cream. However, if you only have time to open a few cans and put them in the blender, do it that way! The holiday season can be hectic, so do what you feel is best. I do have to say that banging a coconut with a hammer DID feel good!

How do you make Coquito at home?

How to Make Coquito with Coconut Milk from Scratch

Print Recipe

Do you want to make coquito the old-fashioned way? Learn how to make coquito with coconut milk made from scratch. This classic Puerto Rican holiday cocktail is the perfect way to get your holiday party started. 

• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 2 liters

Ingredients

For Coconut Milk:

1 whole coconut

2 cups water

For Cream of Coconut:

1 cup coconut milk

¾ cup of sugar

Coquito

Remainder of the coconut milk (around 1 ¼ – 1 ½ cups)

3 cinnamon stick

3 thin slices of peeled ginger

3 whole cloves

1 star anise seed pod (optional)

1 can of condensed milk

1 can of evaporated milk

Cream of coconut

3/4 – 1 1/4 cups of light rum 

Ground cinnamon for garnish

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Instructions

Make Coconut Milk

Peel coconut flesh (tips in the post), coarsely chop it and add it to a high-speed blender with 2 cups of water and a dash of salt.

Start blending slowly, especially if your blender is less powerful. Continue to blend until the coconut is liquified–it will have a smoothie-like texture. Grab a large bowl and place a cheesecloth over the bowl. Pour the coconut milk mixture over the cheesecloth in small batches and twist and squeeze until you get all the liquid out.

Make Cream of Coconut

Mix the coconut milk and sugar over medium heat in a heavy saucepan until the sugar is dissolved and thickened. Remove from heat and let it completely cool.

Note: if you refrigerate, the fat will solidify and separate. That’s no biggie; just add everything to the blender. 

Make Coquito

Mix spices with coconut milk over medium heat in a heavy saucepan for around five minutes. Let it steep for five minutes and let it cool. Strain the spices and set the cinnamon sticks aside. 

Add all the ingredients to the mix and blend well. Optional: add a tiny sliver of ginger to the blender. Keep refrigerated for up to 10 days. 

• Author: DiningTraveler
• Prep Time: 30
• Cook Time: 5
• Category: Cocktails
• Cuisine: Puerto Rican

The post How to Make Coquito with Coconut Milk from Scratch appeared first on The Dining Traveler.