Coconut Ponche de Crème
Creamy, coconutty, and spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon, this coconut ponche de crème is a festive twist on Trinidad’s classic Christmas drink. Made with coconut milk, condensed milk, eggs, and rum, it’s rich, smooth, and perfect served over ice.
It’s almost that season again called Christmas, and you know we have some staples in the Caribbean that have to make an appearance around this time of year.
Ponche de crème, or punch ah creme as we call it in Trinidad, is definitely one of them. Traditionally, it’s a creamy Christmas drink made with eggs, condensed milk, spices, and plenty rum.
And while I love the original ponche de crème, we’ve gotten a little creative with the flavors over the years. You’ll now find versions made with pumpkin, peanut, chocolate, sorrel, ginger, and more.
This coconut ponche de crème is one of those variations. Coconut milk and coconut essence give it that extra coconut flavor while keeping the creamy, spiced base that makes ponche de crème what it is.
If you’re looking for something a little different to add to your Christmas drinks this year, this is a good one.
Ingredients you’ll need
Traditional ponche de crème starts with eggs, condensed milk, spices, and rum. For this coconut version, coconut milk and coconut essence bring in that extra coconut flavor.
The creamy base
- Coconut milk: This is the main source of coconut flavor. You can use canned coconut milk or make your own from fresh coconut. Coconut milk powder prepared according to the package directions can also work.
- Condensed milk: Sweetens the ponche de crème and gives it that rich, creamy texture.
Spices and flavorings
- Nutmeg and cinnamon: These give the drink its warm, spiced flavor. I prefer freshly grated nutmeg when I have it, but ground nutmeg works too.
- Lime peel: Steeping the peel in hot water gives the ponche de crème a little citrus flavor without adding lime juice directly to the creamy mixture.
- Vanilla and coconut essence: Vanilla rounds out the other flavors, while coconut essence gives the coconut a little extra boost.
- Angostura bitters: A few dashes add that familiar aromatic flavor to the drink.
Eggs and rum
- Eggs: An important part of traditional ponche de crème, giving the drink its rich, creamy consistency.
- White rum: Use your preferred white rum. I’ve also made this with coconut rum when I want to lean even more into the coconut flavor.
How to make coconut ponche de crème
- Warm the coconut milk. Add the coconut milk to a saucepan and warm it over medium-low heat until heated through, but do not let it boil. Remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool substantially.
- Steep the lime peel. Add the lime peel to the hot water and let it steep while you prepare the rest of the ponche de crème.
- Beat the eggs. Add the eggs to a blender and blend until light and frothy, almost doubled in volume. I use a blender because it’s easy and everything fits nicely, but an electric hand mixer also works.
- Add the condensed milk. Pour the condensed milk into the beaten eggs and blend until well combined.
- Bring everything together. Once the coconut milk has cooled substantially, add it to the egg mixture along with the rum, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla essence, coconut essence, Angostura bitters, and the lime-infused water. Discard the lime peel.
- Blend and adjust. Blend everything until smooth. Start with 2 cups of rum, then taste and add more if you prefer it stronger.
- Bottle and serve. Pour into clean, sterilized glass bottles. Shake well before serving and pour over ice.
What rum can I use?
I usually use white rum for coconut ponche de crème, and you can use whichever white rum you prefer. I’ve also made it with coconut rum, which gives the drink an extra boost of coconut flavor.
If you’re using regular white rum and want a stronger coconut flavor, you can adjust the coconut essence to taste.
You can also use a good-quality dark rum if that’s what you prefer, but keep in mind that it will change the flavor of the finished drink.
Substitutions and variations
- Coconut condensed milk: You can use coconut-flavored condensed milk in place of regular condensed milk. If you do, you may want to use evaporated milk instead of coconut milk so the coconut flavor isn’t overwhelming.
- Cream of coconut: I originally made this recipe with cream of coconut, but I found that the ponche de crème became thicker and thicker as it sat. I now make it with coconut milk only, which gives me the consistency I prefer.
How to store coconut ponche de crème
Traditionally, I store my ponche de crème in clean, sterilized glass bottles in a cool cupboard rather than in the refrigerator. This is how I store my regular ponche de crème as well.
Because this coconut version contains raw eggs and coconut milk, keep in mind that storing it at room temperature is a traditional practice and not the same as current food-safety guidance. If you are concerned about raw eggs or room-temperature storage, use pasteurized eggs and refrigerate the finished drink.
If refrigerated, the ponche de crème will thicken as it sits. Shake the bottle well before serving, and if it becomes thicker than you like, you can blend in a little evaporated milk until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Whichever storage method you choose, start with thoroughly cleaned and sterilized bottles and lids.
Tips for the best coconut ponche de crème
- Let the coconut milk cool substantially. Don’t add it to the egg mixture while it’s still hot.
- Start with 2 cups of rum. Taste the finished mixture before adding more so you can make it as strong as you like.
- Dress it up for serving. Pour it over ice and top with freshly grated nutmeg or a little toasted coconut if you want to get fancy.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Ponche de crème is a great make-ahead Christmas drink, and allowing it to sit gives the flavors time to come together. Bottle it in clean, sterilized bottles and follow the storage guidance above.
Yes. Pasteurized eggs are a good option if you’re concerned about using raw eggs in ponche de crème. They won’t change the basic method of the recipe.
More Caribbean Christmas drinks
Keep the Christmas drinks flowing with my traditional ponche de crème, homemade ginger beer, sorrel, and Caribbean chocolate tea.
And if you make this coconut ponche de crème, let me know how you like it and whether you went with white rum or coconut rum!
Recipe
Coconut Ponche de Creme
Ingredients
Method
- Add the coconut milk to a saucepan and warm over medium-low heat until heated through. Do not let it boil. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool substantially.
- Add the lime peel to the hot water and set aside to steep while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Add the eggs to a blender and blend until light and frothy, almost doubled in volume. You can also use a large bowl and an electric hand mixer.
- Add the condensed milk to the beaten eggs and blend until well combined.
- Once the coconut milk has cooled substantially, add it to the egg mixture along with 2 cups of rum, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla essence, coconut essence, Angostura bitters, and the lime-infused water. Discard the lime peel.
- Blend until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Taste and add up to another ½ cup of rum, depending on your preference.
- Pour the coconut ponche de crème into clean, sterilized glass bottles.
- Shake well before serving and serve over ice.
Nutrition
Recipe Printed From ThisBagoGirl.com
