The Secret Ingredient You Need For A Totally Vegan Coquito

In Puerto Rico, the holidays are not complete until someone brings out the Coquito (pronounced koh-kee-toh), an eggnog-like cocktail that hails from the island. This may be the first time you've heard of the Coquito cocktail, but the drink has a serious fanbase. In New York City, there's even an annual Coquito Crawl put on by the Coquito Tasting Federation.

Coquito means "little coconut" in Spanish, and with good reason. The ingredients do vary, some recipes even contain actual eggs, but all Coquito recipes include coconut milk and cream of coconut. Unfortunately for vegans, Coquitos also contain dairy products.

Since the spirit of the holidays is to include everyone in the celebration, does this mean the vegans around your table don't get to partake in the tradition of Coquitos? Is it possible to make this milky concoction entirely plant-based, and if so, what is the secret ingredient for a totally vegan Coquito?

The tradition of serving Coquitos around the holidays started in Puerto Rico in the early 1900s (via Newsweek). This cold boozy beverage is similar to eggnog in its consistency, but unlike eggnog, a typical Coquito recipe calls for both evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk, making them off-limits for those who don't do dairy. Many stores stock vegan eggnog during the holidays, but even the pre-mixed Coquito made by Bacardi contains cream. That may sound like bad news for vegans and those with lactose intolerance, but no worries. The Coquito is a cocktail that's easy to veganize.

Thrillist shared a recipe for vegan Coquitos that includes a method for making sweetened condensed milk with only three ingredients: Coconut milk, vanilla, and honey. To make this completely vegan-friendly, feel free to swap out the honey for the same amount of another liquid sweetener, like agave nectar. Thrillist's recipe includes brandy in addition to the traditional rum giving the drink a potent one-two punch, but we're assured it tastes great made as a mocktail, too, so kids and teetotalers can be included in the tradition.

To make vegan Coquitos, it's important to understand the distinction between the different coconut products, as one cannot be substituted for another. The canned cream of coconut used to make Coquitos doesn't look like cream at all. A popular brand, Coco Lopéz, is often used for Coquitos and piña coladas, but you probably won't be happy if you try to use this in your coffee as a non-dairy creamer.

The coconut milk called for in Coquitos also comes in a can and is the type used in smoothies or coconut curry sauce (per MasterClass). This type of coconut product is perfect for making a coconut cream to be used as a delicious vegan alternative to heavy cream. Lastly, the coconut milk you can find near the dairy case near the milk may be an ideal substitute for the cream in your coffee, but it's too thin to be used in a Coquito.