Rompope is popular Latin American drink that is consumed during the Christmas season. This milky cocktail is very similar to eggnog and has many different variations; the original was called rompon and originated in Spain. Rompope is very popular in Mexico, especially in Puebla, where the Mexican version of this drink was created.
The Mexican version is sometimes made with almonds and other nuts. In some parts of Central America it is also known as rompopo. In Venezuela, it is known as ponche crema. In Peru, they call it caspiroleta and make it with pisco. The Puerto Rican version is called coquito and is made with coconut milk. In Chile, it is made with coffee and known as cola de mono or monkey’s tail. In Brazil, it is called licor de ovos or egg liqueur. Rompope is also known as ponche de leche or simply ponche in some countries.
Rompope
Ingredients
- 2 liters milk about 8 cups
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 orange peel
- 8-12 egg yolks adjust based on the level of thickness and richness that your prefer
- 2 cups cream or half and half
- 1 cup condensed milk
- Aguardiente to taste – I use about 1 cup per each liter of rompope for a lighter version and 2 cups for the mega-strong version
Garnishes:
- Condensed milk and sugar for decorating glass rims and ground cinnamon to sprinkle
Instructions
- Combine the milk with the sugar, vanilla and orange peel in a pot and bring to a boil, cook on low for about 30 minutes, stir occasionally to prevent it from boiling over.
- Blend the egg yolks with the condensed milk until well mixed. You can also use a whisk and mix them in a bowl until creamy. Add the cream at the end and blend gently to keep it from getting too thick, or use a whisk to mix in the cream or half and half.
- Add a cup of the milk into the egg yolk mix and stir it well, then slowly add the egg yolk mix to the milk and stir well. Cook over low medium heat, stirring consistently, until the mix starts to thicken, and do not let it boil.
- Cool down completely and then stir in the aguardiente. If you want it less thick add additional milk, cream or half and half.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be served warm or cold based on your preference.
- Decorate glass rims with condensed milk and sugar. You can also sprinkle some ground cinnamon over the drinks when serving.
In Ecuador we also call it rompope or ponche de leche and we make it with milk, sugar, vanilla, orange peel, egg yolks, condensed milk, cream and aguardiente. Aguardiente is a type of sugar cane liquor, similar to rum and cachaca; it is the main domestic alcohol in Ecuador. I usually make a large batch of rompope to have on hand during the holiday get-togethers.
I make half of it non-alcoholic for the kids and the other half is for the adults. Rompope can be served warm or cold, my kids prefer it warm and I also prefer the kid friendly version warm, but I like the adult version cold. The egg yolks help thicken the rompope and give it that richness, you can use between 8-12 based on your preference. Also, the rompope with aguardiente gets diluted and therefore less thick, so keep this in mind when making it. If you ever want to thin it out you can add additional milk, cream or half and half to the rompope, just mix it well. Salud!
Step by step preparation photos for rompope or Latin style eggnog
Have you ever frozen it in paletas? Not sure if i can since i used half and half amd on the box it says not to freeze…..
Hi Jessi – I don’t think they would freeze as a popsicle or paleta – mainly because of the alcohol. However, you could omit the alcohol (or add a small amount of rum essence instead) if you wanted to try making paletas. A better option might be to make a soft ice cream (pour the rompope into an ice cream machine – or freeze then blend) – but even then I would reduce the amount of alcohol by using 1/4 cup per 4 cups of rompope.
Thank you sooo much for your reply!!! Btw omg your rompope recapie is PERFECT!!!! I used half and half and it was so rich and delicious!!!!
I added a cinnamon stick and a couple clovers and used rum instead of aguardiente, really good!
Hi Laylita!
My daughter’s middle name is Leila also :) I love that you posted the Ecuadorian version…I am going to make it for the first time, hopefully it’ll come out as good as my Mamita’s (my dear, sweet grandmother)….I will let you know!
Merry Christmas!
I had already added your page to my favorites while looking how to make flan on Google, and then since I didn’t have all the ingredients I decided to Google for rompope, I opened a lot of tabs and I ended up deciding on this recipe because it was the easiest to follow only to find out it was from the same page I had already liked, thanks, I just learned how to turn a stove on like 2 months ago.
Laylita,
I made the rompope for Christmas, everybody loved it.
I am from Ecuador Living in California for 9 years and your recipes are my inspiration.
Thank you again for all your recipes.
Me encanta el rompope y me hace recordar a mi abuela, a quien le gustaba hacerlo siempre por Navidad. Aprovecharé para prepararlo nuevamente.
I am fascinated by all the Latin Christmas drinks that are so similar .. in the Dominican Republic we have a drink just like this that we call Ponche the same drink with some variations is called Cola de Mono in Chile, Ponche Crema in Venezuela and Coquito in Puerto Rico
Dear Laylita,
Merry Christmas and happy new year-!!
Thank you soooooooo much for sharing your
cultural cuisine with us all. As a 1st-generation-US born
daughter of Philipine Immigrants, I find so many similarities
in the recipes you share–as found in Philippine cuisine.
Those Spaniards went EVERYwhere-!!!!!! Ha!
Even the “palabras” of Spanish are found dotting the
Philippine culture—everywhere-!
Please continue with your generous insight into
your exquisite love of food preparation and cultural beauty.
Warm regards,
Evelyn Avinante, ASID CID
Avinante & Associates, Inc., Interior Design/Architectural Color
San Diego, CA 92103
The recipe calls for “one orange peel”, is that the peel of one whole orange OR just one piece of an orange?
Just one small piece of orange peel (just like in the photo with the milk in the pot).
I love eggnog! This is a recipe I will definitely try. It is not as complicated as I thought it would be. It is very easy to follow. I hope I do it justice. Thanks!!!