{"id":19517,"date":"2021-12-16T01:30:21","date_gmt":"2021-12-16T01:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/familiakitchen.com\/?p=19517"},"modified":"2023-11-26T17:49:56","modified_gmt":"2023-11-26T17:49:56","slug":"vegan-coquito-less-sugar-all-the-flavor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/familiakitchen.com\/es\/vegan-coquito-less-sugar-all-the-flavor\/","title":{"rendered":"Un Coquito Vegano: Menos Az\u00facar, Todo el Sabor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The words “healthy,\u201d \u201cvegan\u201d and \u201dcoquito\u201d don\u2019t tend to live in the same sentence, but our coquito-loving crew at Familia Kitchen decided to do something about it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coquito, of course, is Puerto Rico\u2019s legendary, coconut-y take on egg nog. We love this traditional holiday drink\u2014demasiado, if we are being honest\u2014but we don\u2019t love the thousands of calories in every batch of this chilled classic we crave every December. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So we asked our favorite Latina food flipper Naihomy Jerez<\/a> to see if she could give it one of her famous Healthy & Delicioso makeovers. Naihomy is the founder <\/a>of <\/a>her <\/a>own wellness consultancy, which <\/a>helps women lose weight without dieting and keep all the sabor, by making nutritious tweaks to favorite dishes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is such a thing even possible for super-sugary, crazy-creamy coquito? Sure is, said Naihomy. That’s her specialty: taking rich family recipes that reflect her Latinx heritage and making them over into Healthy & Delicioso dishes we can say yes to, guilt-free. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to a childhood spent in both New York and the D.R., Naihomy grew up loving criollo cooking. But several years ago, when she found herself in a dressing room after having two kids and not loving what she saw in the mirror, she decided it was time to change her eating habits. She wanted to cook more healthily, but she didn\u2019t want to say adios to her family\u2019s favorite Dominican recipes. Possible? Turns out: yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She worked at it, approaching eating in a new way, without sacrificing flavor. Naihomy set out to reimagine comida Latina dish by dish. She switched white rice with brown, replaced processed sugar with natural sweeteners like dates, and ditched dairy for cashew butter. She lost 50 pounds and, many years later, has kept them off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Naihomy Flipped This Coquito to Vegan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Naihomy was excited to give one of her go-to holiday concoctions a Healthy & Delicioso makeover. \u201dI do enjoy a little coquito,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s the drink that marks the start of the holiday season and family gatherings. Usually any home you visit will have their special version of coquito to offer their guests. I love to have some as dessert!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naihomy went into her kitchen and pulled out her blender, determined to find a way to veganize it, keep all the authentic sabores and lose the dairy, unnecessary additives and sugar. After a week or two of ingredient tinkering, she is proud to present this \u201dlighter, chemical- and additive-free and fiber-filled coquito.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how Naihomy did it:

\u2022 \u201dFor starters, I decided to make this coquito vegan and swap out all of the dairy milk<\/strong>. Coquito is shared with many during the holidays and I wanted my version to be inclusive of those who are lactose intolerant and vegan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 \u201dIn choosing coconut milk substitutes, I swapped out the original coconut cream for full-fat coconut milk. The crema de coco has emulsifiers and additives that can harm our health<\/strong>. Using organic full-fat coconut milk eliminates those ingredients.\u201d

\u2022 \u201dI was also careful to choose a condensed coconut milk (a substitute for the condensed milk) that was carrageenan free, since this ingredient can really disturb gut health<\/strong>. Condensed coconut milk may be an ingredient that is not easily found everywhere locally, but it can be ordered online.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 \u201dFinally, I chose to sweeten this coquito with unsweetened shredded coconut flakes, coconut sugar and dates <\/strong>instead of sugar. Blending shredded coconut and dates into the drink adds nutrients and fiber to help lessen sugar spikes for those who are managing diabetes or have a family history of diabetes. It also aids with digestion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gracias, Naihomy. Your rethink of this holiday drink is a gift to us all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Herself, too, it turns out. \u201dI think this coquito is a great addition to the Healthy & Delicioso way of life,\u201d says Naihomy, \u201dBecause it\u2019s keeping our tradition alive without compromising our health. It is a clean and lighter version for all to enjoy (you can even make it alcohol-free, and guests can choose if and how much to rum add). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo often, we think that it\u2019s all or nothing,\u201d when it comes to how we eat and drink, says Naihomy. \u201cI want to remind everyone that we CAN keep our traditions around food and drink alive and thriving\u2014AND take care of our wellbeing with just a little education and mindfulness.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll raise our glass to that. Feliz coquito a todos!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more of Naihomy\u2019s delicious flips on traditional dishes, check out her healthy <\/a>takes <\/a>on arepitas<\/strong> de<\/strong> yuca<\/strong>,<\/a> arroz<\/strong><\/a> con<\/strong><\/a> pollo<\/strong><\/a>, Dominican moro de guandules<\/a> and this light margarita<\/a><\/strong> drink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready to Make a Healthy & Delicioso Version of Coquito?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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A Vegan Coquito: Less Sugar, All the Flavor<\/h2>\n\n
\n \t\t \t\t\tRecipe by Naihomy Jerez<\/span>\n \t\t\n
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  • <\/li><\/ul>4.3<\/small> from<\/small> 33<\/small> votes<\/small><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/em>\n\t\t\t<\/div> <\/div>\n\t\t
    \n Cuisine: Puerto Rican<\/mark><\/span> <\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t
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    <\/span>Servings<\/span>

    20<\/p>servings<\/span><\/div>

    <\/span>Prep time<\/span>

    10<\/p>minutes<\/span><\/div>

    <\/span>Cooking time<\/span>

    10<\/p>minutes<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n \n\t\t\n\t\t\t

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    Ingredients<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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      3<\/span> cups<\/span> unsweetened coconut milk<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      27<\/span> oz<\/span> whole coconut milk (1 can)<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      14.8<\/span> oz<\/span> conceded coconut milk (2 cans)<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      2<\/span> Tbsp<\/span> coconut sugar<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      1\/3<\/span> cup<\/span> unsweetened shredded coconut<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      1<\/span> tsp<\/span> vanilla extract<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      1<\/span> tsp<\/span> nutmeg<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      1 1\/2<\/span> tsp<\/span> cinnamon<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      3<\/span> dates<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      3<\/span> cinnamon sticks<\/span><\/p><\/li>

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      5<\/span> cloves<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      1 1\/2<\/span> cup<\/span> dark rum<\/span><\/p><\/li><\/ul>\n \t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t

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      Directions<\/h3>\n\t\t\t
      • Chop the dates into pieces and add them to a jar with the cinnamon sticks and cloves. Then pour 1\/2 cup of dark rum into the jar over them, and let sit for about 1 hour. (They can be left overnight, as well.)<\/li>
      • In a blender add: unsweetened coconut milk, whole coconut milk, condensed coconut milks, coconut sugar, shredded coconut, vanilla extract, nutmeg, cinnamon, rum, and dates with the rum that was soaking. (DO NOT add the cinnamon sticks or the cloves)<\/li>
      • Blend mixture until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.<\/li>
      • Your mixture might look a bit clumpy because the milks we are using are pure coconut with no emulsifiers in them. <\/li>
      • This means they do not have any chemicals to keep the coconut milk from separating. We now have to gently bring the coconut milk back together<\/li>
      • Pour the mixture into a pot and place on a stove over very low heat. Gently heat up the mixture and stir with a whisk or spoon to bring the mixture to a super creamy liquid. As soon as the mixture is nice and smooth, remove it from the heat.<\/li>
      • Bottle your coquito in glass bottles or jars and store in the refrigerator. Happy Healthy & Delicioso holidays!<\/li><\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t
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        Notes<\/h3>\n\t\t\t
        • Feel free to adjust the amount of rum in this recipe to your liking, says Naihomy.<\/li><\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n \n\t\n\t\t\t