Coconut Ponche De Creme
This creamy milk-based alcohol drink is wonderfully flavored with delicious coconut and spices. Coconut ponche de creme, also called ponche crema, is another great variation of the popular Caribbean Christmas drink that your guests will enjoy.
It’s almost that season again called Christmas. And you know we have some staples in the Caribbean for this time of the year.
And though we love to always stick to tradition with most things, we have started to venture away and create some intriguing flavors for some of our favorites.
Ponche de creme (punch ah creme) has come a long way from just the traditional plain original flavor. We now have a plethora of Caribbean flavors. There are delicious flavors like pumpkin, peanut, chocolate, sorrel, and ginger. And now I bring to you another festive drink version.
Ingredients for coconut ponche de creme
What is ponche de creme made of you ask? Well, the original flavor is milk, eggs, spices, and rum.
Now as we have gotten fancier, flavored ponche de cremes are prevalent, which then means we have additional ingredients.
For this coconut flavor, you need:
The Creamy Base
- Coconut Milk: The star of the recipe! Use fresh coconut milk by blending grated coconut with water, or opt for canned coconut milk—just ensure it’s not overly thick. Coconut milk powder can also be used for convenience.
- Condensed Milk: Adds the right level of sweetness and smooth texture. Use plain condensed milk or try coconut-flavored condensed milk for an extra layer of coconut flavor. (Check the “Substitutes” section for tips.)
The Flavor Enhancers
- Grated Nutmeg: Freshly grated nutmeg gives the best flavor, but nutmeg powder is a suitable alternative.
- Cinnamon: Adds a warm and earthy undertone to complement the nutmeg.
- Green Lime: Use lime peel or grated zest for a bright and tangy hint that balances the richness.
- Vanilla Essence: Infuses a sweet and aromatic touch.
- Coconut Essence: Intensifies the coconut profile for an ultra-tropical taste.
The Boozy Twist
- Coconut Rum: The quintessential Caribbean spirit that adds warmth and a bold flavor.
- Aromatic Bitters: A few dashes of Angostura bitters round out the drink with subtle depth.
The Rich Thickener
- Eggs: Essential for achieving the luxurious, creamy texture of traditional ponche de creme.
Optional Extras
- Coconut Flakes: Use as a garnish for added texture and visual appeal.
- Hot Water: Helps adjust the drink to your desired consistency while blending flavors.
Preparation
- Add your lime peel to the hot water and set aside. We want it to seep in the water for at least 10 minutes.
- Add your eggs, one by one, to your blender. Make sure to crack each egg separately just in case you open a bad one.
- Beat or mix your eggs till about doubled in amountt. I use my blender for this recipe. It’s much easier for me and everything fits nicely. But if you have an electric hand mixer, that is also fine.
- You also need to scald your coconut milk, especially if you make coconut milk from fresh coconut. This removes any bacteria from the milk. Do not bring milk to a boil. We are just warming the milk right through. So do so on medium-low heat.
- While the coconut milk is cooling down, add your condensed milk and coconut cream to the eggs and beat them together.
- Then to your milk mixture, add your rum (start with two cups), liquid from the lime rind, and your spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, your essences and your bitters
- Taste and add more rum for your preference.
- Best served over ice.
Tip: If you want to be a little fancy with your serving of the drink. Toast up about some coconut flakes till it gets a little dark, not burnt. Add that to the top layer of your drink with crushed ice, then you can also add a dusting of nutmeg or a drizzle of caramel sauce.
The best rum to use
- For this recipe, I use Malibu Coconut Rum black which has 70% alcohol. You can use any coconut-flavored rum.
- I prefer to use white rum for this. Other good ones would be Puncheon and Wray and Nephew.
- If you prefer a dark rum, make sure it is a good quality one.
Substitutions
- Milk: Instead of plain, you can use coconut condensed milk. If you do this then replace the coconut milk with evaporated milk. Just so that you don’t have too much overwhelming coconut flavor.
- Rum: You can use plain white rum instead of the coconut but you may need to add a little more coconut essence to make sure you get that coconut flavor. Or if you use coconut condensed milk you might not need extra essence. Just taste at the end and see if more essence is needed.
- Cream of coconut: I originally used crème of coconut in this recipe. It gave it a great coconut flavor, but over time the consistency of the drink got thicker and thicker. I have since removed it and using coconut milk only instead.
If you would like to continue to use coco Lopez in your mixture I would suggest using a half cup of coconut creme and the remaining amount in coconut milk.
Storage
- This debate comes up all the time with ponche de creme. The only one I put in my fridge is my pump de creme (pumpkin version). All the others stay out on the counter. Sometimes up to a year later. The amount of alcohol really offsets the eggs in the mixture.
- If you do want to refrigerate it, know that it will get thicker over time.
- Shake well prior to serving, and depending on how thick it has become you can use a little evaporated milk to thin it out.
- It is especially important that where you choose to store it, you place the drink into clean bottles that have been sterilized. Make sure your covers are also clean.
If you want to gift a bottle you can use cute little mason jars and add labels to them. You can also use leftover liquor bottles you have laying around. Just clean them
More holiday drinks to enjoy:
Recipe
Coconut Ponche de Creme
Ingredients
Method
- Add the lime peel to the hot water and set aside to steep.
- In a blender (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the eggs until light and frothy—almost doubled in volume.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, scald the coconut milk until warmed through (about 5 minutes). Do not boil.
- Remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes.
- Stir the condensed milk into the beaten eggs and mix thoroughly.
- Add the scalded coconut milk, 2 cups of coconut rum, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla essence, coconut essence, and the lime peel water.
- Mix well, taste, and add more rum if preferred.
- Pour into sterilized glass bottles.
- Chill and serve over ice.
