Coconut Cream Is Your Go-To Ingredient For Coquito Without Eggs

Refreshingly sweet, crisp, and coconut-infused, coquito is a deeply beloved holiday drink with Puerto Rican roots. Made boozy with a few glugs of rum and served cold, the drink provides a stark contrast to your run-of-the-mill, seasonal hot cocoa. Similar to eggnog, some versions of coquito call for egg yolks, which act as a thickening agent and help bind the ingredients to form a harmonious and smooth cocktail. But if you're looking for an egg-free option, swap out the eggs for a similarly rich ingredient: coconut cream.

This plant-based substitute is custardy, fragrant, and contains a blessedly high fat content, which allows it to play a role similar to egg yolks as you concoct your next favorite cocktail. Simply add the coconut cream to a saucepan with coconut milk, condensed milk and evaporated milk — no eggs needed. Plop two cinnamon sticks and a sprinkle of nutmeg into the mixture to ensure the warm, spicy feel that makes coquito particularly comforting.

To avoid a watery, thin coquito, it's crucial to allow your ingredients to rest as they meld and infuse. After combining your ingredients in a saucepan, heat the mixture until it bubbles. Then, remove the pan from the heat and cover it, allowing the mixture to rest for 30 minutes. Add your preferred type of rum to the cooled mixture, and stir. Then, move your soon-to-be coquito into the fridge for one or two hours. The mixture will thicken somewhat as the coconut cream solidifies in the cold environment. Serve with a decorative cinnamon stick if you're feeling elegant.

As the drink continues to bloom with popularity, home cooks have tinkered with recipes to add infusions of pistachio, guava, and even Nutella. If you're looking to experiment as a beginner coquito-maker, try mixing in a dash of cocoa powder or a few drops of vanilla extract. The original, however, is pretty hard to beat. If you haven't sipped this holiday delicacy before, we recommend trying your hand at making it come Christmastime — or any time of year, we're not judging.