Coquito de Calabaza (Pumpkin Spice Coquito)
Coquito de calabaza or pumpkin spice coquito is a creamy holiday drink made with coconut milk, pumpkin puree, and rum. It is served chilled and is absolutely delicious. If you love coquito and the taste of pumpkin pie, save this recipe!
Equipment
- 1 Blender see notes for links
Ingredients
Spiced Tea
- 1 cup water
- 3 whole cinnamon sticks
- 8 whole cloves
- 2 whole star anise
- 1/4 tsp allspice, whole
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg grated or ground
- 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger optional
Coquito
- 2 cans coconut milk 13 oz each
- 1 can cream of coconut 15 oz
- 1 can evaporated coconut milk 12 oz
- 1 can condensed coconut milk, sweetened 11 oz
- 1/2 cup spiced tea
- 1 cup light or dark rum or to taste
Pumpkin Spice Mixture
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, ground ginger
Instructions
- Fill the glass bottles with very hot water and allow them to sterilize for about 10-15 minutes. Empty the bottles and add a cinnamon stick to each bottle. Set aside.
- Place a small pot over high heat. Add 1 cup of water and the cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, allspice, nutmeg. A small piece of fresh ginger is optional. Bring this to a boil and steep for about 10 minutes. If you prefer a strong spice taste, steep for longer.
- To a blender, add the coconut milk, cream of coconut, evaporated milk, condensed milk, 1/2 cup of the spiced tea, and rum. Blend for 1 minute on low speed until smooth.
- Add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice. Blend again until smooth.
- Pour the coquito into the glass bottles using a funnel. You can also use a strainer if you prefer, for a smoother texture. Leave a 1-inch space at the top of each bottle to allow room for shaking later.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. The coquito will thicken over time. Shake vigorously before serving.
- Serve chilled coquito in a glass rimmed with ground cinnamon, a cinnamon stick and a sprinkle of nutmeg or cinnamon on top. Enjoy! ¡Buen provecho!
Video
Notes
Substitutions:
If you can’t find whole spices, you can use ground spices instead. If you can’t find star anise, cloves or allspice, you can omit from the recipe. Cinnamon and nutmeg will do the trick. 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 condensed coconut milk and ground cinnamon or coconut flakes. Garnish with cinnamon sticks and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon on top. ¡Buen provecho!Rum:
You can use whichever type of rum you like. Some prefer light or dark. Others enjoy spiced rum, because it enhances the flavors of the spices in the coquito. You can also add vanilla or coconut rum!Store:
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 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.Here is the link to the cocktail glasses and ornaments I used in the photos and video! Plus, you’ll also find all the other tools I used along with glass bottles.