Get ready for the holiday season and learn how to make the best Coquito Tea. You’ll use it to make many of the most popular Puerto Rican recipes during the Navidad season.
Once fall comes, and September rolls by, all I can think about is the Coquito Tea. Why? The coquito spice tea is the base for almost every Puerto Rican dessert made during the holidays, like the traditional coquito.
What Is The Coquito Tea?
The Te de Coquito, as we call it in Spanish, is used in the most traditional desserts like the tembleque, majerete, arroz con dulce, and the best of all, the coquito drinks. It is made with a combination of cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and ginger.
I will never forget the smell in my house when my grandma made her arroz con dulce. The first thing that you smelled was the tea. Now I make it at home and remember the good days with her.
Now, even though it is not typical, this tea is perfect to drink, especially in the colder months. It doesn’t even need sugar!
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Why This Recipe Works
This tea is the base for all the coquito flavors.
Recipe Ingredients
- Cinnamon sticks- We use 2 cinnamon sticks. If you use only 1, it won’t be as potent, and more than two will be too strong.
- Star anise- We use 3 star anise. From all the spices that the tea has, I think the anise is the strongest. So we have to be cautious not to use too much and overpower the tea.
- Cloves- We use 6, but nothing wrong with adding a little bit more.
- Ginger- This is where my recipe varies. I like to use fresh ginger. This is how I have always seen this recipe made, but this depends on the family recipe.
- Water- The water is the base for the coquito tea. But you can make this is any type of milk you like. But for a deeper coconut flavor, you can use coconut water.
Coquito Tea Variations
There are a few things you can change in the coquito tea, even though it is made with only a few ingredients. This is because many families can make different versions.
- The ingredients added- Some people like to leave out the ginger and add the rest of the ingredients. Not common, but some people add allspice or nutmeg.
- Make it sweet. You can add honey or brown sugar. You can even use coconut sugar, and it tastes amazing!
- Make it creamy: You can add any type of milk, half and half, or a little bit of heavy cream!
- Make it an American-style hot spice tea. Add pineapple juice, orange juice, cranberry juice, and fresh lemons. With just a touch of sugar and you’ll get the ultimate spiced tea!
How to Make Coquito Tea
- Photo 1: Add all your ingredients to a large pot and cook for 10 minutes over high heat. Do not cover your pot.
- Photo 2: Strain the tea and cool it down. You can do this at room temperature or in your fridge if you want to cool it faster.
Recipe Tips
- Different ways of making- You can make this in a regular pot. But for smaller portions, you can make this in a greca.
- Enjoy it cold– You can serve it over ice if you want a refreshing drink.
- Uses- Besides being the base for most of my holiday recipes, I use this in my kitchen ALL the time. Every time I fry food, I make a small batch of this tea so it can infuse the area with the aroma.
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Coquito Tea
Ingredients
- 4 ¼ cups water
- 1 ounce fresh ginger (about 4 inches)
- 8 cinnamon sticks
- 12 star anise
- 24 cloves
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over high heat, add the water, ginger, cinnamon, anise, and cloves. Cook for 10 minutes uncovered. To make smaller portions, you can use a greca.
- Strain the tea. Chill before adding it to a cold recipe. Or enjoy it hot.
Recipe Notes
- Don’t use ground spices. It is best to use the whole spice.
- Variations. Use coconut water or milk as the base of your tea.
- Uses. Besides using it in your recipes, you can use it to mask food odors in your kitchne. Just make a small batch and let it simmer. Your kitchen will almost instantly be filled with the smell of the tea.
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