Piña Coladas
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If you like piña coladas, whip up this frosty cocktail with frozen pineapple, cream of coconut, and rum. It’s paradise in a glass!
Whenever I think of piña coladas—especially when that catchy song comes on the radio—I’m instantly transported back to a Caribbean vacation with my kids, who were 9 and 10 at the time. Every day, they swam up to the pool bar and ordered virgin piña coladas. Surrounded by a swarm of partying college kids, they sat there sipping their mocktails like seasoned vacationers. It was quite the scene (and, yes, borderline inappropriate), but it was pretty darn cute.
Most piña colada recipes you’ll find are made from an overly sweet mix, but this one is made from scratch and perfectly balanced. If you have kids or non-drinkers around who want to join in, just leave out the rum and whip up some virgin piña coladas for them.
“Good grief, these are just outstanding…We’ve made it twice this week. Oh my!”
What You’ll Need to Make Piña Coladas
- Frozen Pineapple Chunks: Give the drink its fruity base and help create a thick, frosty texture. No need to thaw—use them straight from the freezer.
- Ice Cubes: Blend with the pineapple to make the drink cold, slushy, and refreshing.
- Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut: Adds the signature sweet, creamy coconut flavor that defines a piña colada. Don’t confuse it with unsweetened coconut cream—this product is thick, syrupy, and sweetened. Coco Lopez® Cream of Coconut is the gold standard for piña coladas and can be found at most large supermarkets in the cocktail mixer or Latin/Caribbean section.
- Full-Fat Unsweetened Coconut Milk or Heavy Cream: Adds richness and helps balance the sweetness of the cream of coconut. Either one works—use what you have.
- White Rum: It’s not a piña colada without the rum! Some recipes use dark or golden rum; I opt for light rum as it helps to highlight the coconut and pineapple flavors.
- Lime Juice: Brightens the drink with a hit of acidity and keeps it from being too sweet.
- Pineapple Slices and/or Maraschino Cherries: Optional, but make for a fun and colorful garnish.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Add everything to the blender. Put the pineapple chunks and ice into the blender, then add the coconut milk, cream of coconut, lime juice, and rum. Pro tip: Using frozen pineapple instead of fresh keeps the drink thick and frosty without watering it down like extra ice would.
Step 2: Blend until smooth. Blend on high speed until the mixture is smooth, frosty, and creamy. A high-powered blender works best here to break down the frozen fruit and ice. If your blender struggles, pulse a few times first, then blend continuously until smooth.
Step 3: Garnish and serve. Pour into glasses and top with pineapple slices and Maraschino cherries, if you like. Serve right away.
More Summer Cocktail Recipes You’ll Love
Piña Coladas
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen pineapple chunks
- 2 cups ice cubes
- 6 oz (¾ cup) Coco Lopez® Cream of Coconut (see note)
- 2 oz (¼ cup) full-fat unsweetened coconut milk or heavy cream
- 6 oz (¾ cup) white rum
- Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
- Pineapple slices and/or Maraschino cherries, for garnish
Instructions
- Put the pineapple, ice, cream of coconut, coconut milk (or heavy cream), rum, and lime juice into a blender. Blend until smooth and frosty. Pour into glasses and garnish with pineapple slices and Maraschino cherries, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Love them …. Been long time since tasted one!
Wow. This recipe is so spot-on. I tried to wing making pound coladas once and they were awful. I’m so glad to have found this. The flavor and texture is amazing. As is, it’s a little too sweet for me but that’s an easy fix: just use a little less coconut cream. It still has all the flavor. Also, I used dark rum because, for me, it has more flavor. And lastly, I wanted that beautiful yellow hue that Jennifer’s got, so I added a drop of yellow food coloring gel. It sounds like a waste of time, but I wanted the whole experience while I relaxed on the patio with this fantastic drink. Fun.
I’d love to bring this to a summer party. Any suggestions for what is the best way to store and transfer? Thank you!!
Can’t wait to try it
Hi Selina, I think these are really best served immediately after they’re made – I’m concerned that they’ll melt and thin out in transport. Sorry!
What do you suggest instead of Rum for those of us who don’t drink alcohol? Rum flavoring and how much??
Hi Diana, you can just skip the rum. They’ll still taste great!
My husband and I were just discussing Pina coladas last night and today this recipe showed up in my inbox! Clearly the universe had spoken and we needed to make some. Just blended them up and, yum, they are delicious! The perfect drink for a hot summer night!