Coquito de pistachio is a creamy holiday drink made with coconut milk, pistachio ice cream, and rum. It is served chilled and is absolutely delicious. Along with a plate of arroz con gandules, pernil and pasteles, Puerto Rican coquito is a staple during the holidays! If you love coquito and the taste of pistachios, save this recipe. This pistachio version does not disappoint!
Last year I got a little fancy and made the viral Christmas ornament cocktail (but with coquito) and they turned out FABULOUS! Check out my viral video to see how I made this festive holiday ornament cocktail! So many people have requested links to the items I used in the video! Here is the link to the cocktail glasses and ornaments.
This year I wanted to kick things up a notch and I made the viral Christmas ornament cocktail with four different flavors of coquito! Coconut, pistachio, Nutella, and strawberry.
What is coquito?
Coquito literally translates to “Little Coconut” in Spanish. It is a traditional holiday drink that originated in Puerto Rico. It is served from Thanksgiving through Christmas and sometimes up until Three Kings Day in January. This coconut cocktail is similar to eggnog and is often referred to as “Puerto Rican Eggnog” even though it doesn’t contain eggs.
Coquito de pistachio has all of the traditional flavors of coconut coquito with the nutty flavor of pistachios. It is absolutely delicious!
It is believed that coquito originated in the 19th century after condensed milk was introduced in Puerto Rico. It is not clear who made the first coquito but the first published coquito recipes were in the Puerto Rican cookbooks “Cocine a Gusto” and “The Puerto Rican Cookbook,” between the years 1950 and 1970. After this, coquito’s popularity took off.
Ingredients for making coquito de pistachio:
The ingredients for coquito may vary by recipe but the main components are coconut milk, spices and rum. Making coquito is quite similar to making limber de coco, another popular Puerto Rican treat! P.S. I’m convinced I have the BEST limber de coco recipe in the world, be sure to check it out. But let’s get back to this coquito de pistachio…
This pistachio version adds pistachio ice cream and almond extract for a burst of delicious pistachio flavor!
How to make pistachio coquito bright green?
This coquito de pistachio will be light green but if you want a more intense shade of green, feel free to add green food coloring.
- Coconut milk
- Cream of coconut
- Evaporated coconut milk
- Condensed coconut milk
- Almond extract
- Light or dark rum
- Pistachio ice cream
- Green food coloring, optional
- Crushed pistachios, for rimming glasses
How to make pistachio coquito?
Traditional coquito is infused with spices but for this recipe, you’ll want to skip the spices. I tried making pistachio coquito with spices and the taste overpowered the flavor of the pistachios. By omitting spices in this coquito, you can really let the nutty flavor of the pistachios really shine.
Add all of the coquito ingredients to a blender. Blend for about 30 seconds or until smooth.
Tip: If your blender is full to the brim, remove half of the coquito mixture and set aside. You can blend it with the rest later in a large bowl or pitcher.
Add all of the ingredients to a blender. Blend for about 30 seconds or until smooth. Strain the coquito with a nut milk bag and pour into a glass, airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
The coquito will thicken over time. Shake vigorously before serving. Serve coquito in a glass rimmed with condensed coconut milk and crushed pistachios. Alternatively, you could rim the glass with honey or coconut condensed milk, and coconut flakes.
What is the best rum for coquito?
You can use whichever type of rum you like. Some prefer light or dark. You can also try coconut or vanilla flavored rum. When choosing the right rum, it is really up to your preference!
You can also choose the quantity of rum to add to your coquito. If you like it light on the alcohol, start with 1/2 cup and build from there. Some people add 1-2 cups of rum. Again, it’s all up to you.
You could also omit the rum if you want to make virgin or non-alcoholic coquito. I always save a bottle of virgin coquito for my kids to enjoy. They feel happy when they can participate in the festivities too! Keep in mind, non-alcoholic coquito will not last as long because alcohol helps preserve it.
Can you make coquito vegan?
Yes, absolutely! In fact, my recipe is completely dairy-free and vegan. It does not contain eggs or milk products and it’s just as delicious as traditional coquito! If you are vegan or lactose intolerant, this recipe is for you.
I like to use Nature’s Charm brand evaporated and condensed coconut milk. Also, my favorite coconut milk is the Whole Foods 365 brand. It tastes delicious and has no weird aftertaste like Goya’s coconut milk. IYKYK. The best cream of coconut, in my opinion, is the Coco López brand. Using the best quality ingredients will result in the BEST tasting coquito, so it is worth spending a little extra!
If you want to make the traditional coquito recipe (non-vegan) just swap out the evaporated and condensed coconut milk for regular evaporated and condensed milk.
How to make homemade evaporated coconut milk?
If you can’t find evaporated coconut milk, you can make it at home with regular coconut milk! Just place coconut milk in a saucepan over low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Heat until it reduces by half. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
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Coquito de Pistachio (Pistachio Coquito Recipe)
Equipment
- 1 Blender Ninja Foodi Blender see notes
Ingredients
- 1 can coconut milk 13 oz
- 1 can cream of coconut 15 oz
- 2 cans evaporated coconut milk 12 oz each
- 1 can condensed coconut milk, sweetened 11 oz
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 1 cup light or dark rum or to taste
- 1 cup pistachio ice cream
- 2-3 drops green food coloring optional
- crushed pistachios for rimming glasses
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender. Blend for about 30 seconds or until smooth.
- Strain the coquito with a nut milk bag and pour into a glass, airtight container.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- The coquito will thicken over time. Shake vigorously before serving.
- Serve coquito in a glass rimmed with condensed coconut milk and crushed pistachios. ¡Buen provecho!
Notes
Substitutions:
If you can’t find condensed coconut milk, you can use condensed oat milk instead. If you can’t find evaporated coconut milk, you can make it at home with regular coconut milk! Just heat coconut milk for 45 minutes to 1 hour until it reduces by half. One ingredient you cannot substitute is the cream of coconut, not to be confused with coconut cream. Cream of coconut is sweetened and its texture is like syrup. I like Goya or Coco Lopez brand.Garnish:
Make your coquito cocktail extra fancy by rimming your glass with honey or coconut condensed milk, and crushed pistachios.Rum:
You can use whichever type of rum you like. Some prefer light or dark. You can also add vanilla or coconut rum!Store:
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Shake vigorously each time before serving!Shop my Amazon Favorites for this recipe:
I love using my Ninja Foodi Power Blender for making coquito, juice, smoothies, dough, even masa for pasteles and alcapurrias! It’s my favorite kitchen appliance ever! Shop my other favorite amazon items that I used for this recipe.Check out more holiday recipes!
Coquito (Vegan Coconut Eggnog)
Pastelón de Maduro (Plantain Lasagna)
Aceite de Achiote (Annatto Oil)
Jamón con Piña (Pineapple Glazed Ham)
Ensalada de Coditos (Macaroni Salad)
Ensalada de Papa (Potato Salad)
Pastel al Horno (Easy Pasteles)
Arroz con Gandules (Rice and Pigeon Peas)
Pavochón (Puerto Rican Style Turkey)
Pollo al Horno (Baked Chicken)
English 
Spanish 
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