If there’s one thing that can make our traditional holiday coquito recipe even more delicious, it’s adding a dash of pistachio. In case you’re unfamiliar with coquito, it’s a traditional Puerto Rican holiday drink that is similar to eggnog, but with coconut.
My mom used to make coquito when I was growing up. She never added eggs to her recipe since she wanted to keep it more shelf stable to bring it to parties and to give bottles of coquito as gifts. It became a holiday tradition at our house, and it is one that I continue.
Pistachio Coquito Recipe
But the first time I sipped pistachio coquito was actually at a friend’s baby shower. I was instantly hooked! Looking online, I found a lot of recipes for pistachio coquito called for pudding mix and green food coloring. And adding food coloring would definitely give it a festive green look.
But, I prefer to keep a more subtle, natural pistachio flavor. So I simply added real ground pistachios and a bit of pistachio ice cream to modify our own coquito recipe.
Tips For Making Pistachio Coquito
You can pulse the shelled pistachios in a food processor, or grind them in a mortar and pestle too.
And if you would like a non-alcoholic version of this pistachio coconut holiday drink, just exclude the rum.
When serving, you can drink it plain, or top with a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg. I sometimes like to add a cinnamon stick for garnish too.
The recipe below makes a pitcher (about a liter), which is quite a lot and perfect for a party. But if you’re giving them as gifts, you can use smaller bottles, such as a 16 ounce flip top. Add a little note to let them know that pistachio coquito also makes an excellent coffee creamer with kick.
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Here are a few of our other favorite holiday recipes, such as the original (plain) coquito, a creamy pumpkin flan, and a hot gin drink that’s perfect for winter. Enjoy!
Pistachio Coquito
Ingredients
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can coconut milk
- 3/4 cup shelled pistachios
- 1 cup pistachio ice cream
- 1 cup rum
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Pour the pistachios into a food processor or high-speed blender and pulse until it becomes the consistency of a paste.
- Add the pistachios and all other ingredients together in a blender and mix well.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Serve in small glasses and garnish with a dash of cinnamon.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 173Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 59mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 0gSugar: 7gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information provided is only an estimate.
Hello there. I’m loving the fact this recipe uses actual pistachios. With that being said are you using raw, roasted unsalted or roasted salted? Also I can’t have ice cream so what do you suggest I replace it with?
Great question! I just use roasted/salted pistachios. I try and find them already unshelled to save some time. As for ice cream … are you looking for dairy free? That’s a bit tougher to substitute. I’ve seen others make their pistachio coquito with pistachio pudding mix. You can make the pudding dairy free by using a plant based milk. I hope that helps! Let me know how it turns out.
I am very excited to try this, but I was wondering if you can tell me what size can of evaporated milk. Is it the 5 oz can or the 12 oz can? Thanks!
Hi Sarah! The 12 ounce can. Enjoy!
What kind of rum and what brand of pistachio ice cream did you use?
It depends on what grocery store I go to for the ice cream brand. Häagen-Dazs is usually good. For the rum I typically use Don Q. Hope you enjoy it!