Do you like Pina Coladas? Try this easy pina colada recipe with frozen pineapple and coconut milk. There's no need to buy pina colada mix when you can make it yourself with just a couple of ingredients you dump in the blender. Add rum for the classic frozen drink, or skip the alcohol for a virgin pina colada!
Nothing says tropical vacation like a frozen pina colada! I've been drinking them – and making them at home – for years. And I have to say I'm a pina colada purist. I hate the taste of the premade pina colada mix that you get in a lot of bars and restaurants. They just taste fake.
If you've ever been to the Caribbean, you know what a good pina colada made from real tropical fruit tastes like. And because the drink is so simple, it takes just three ingredients to make a homemade pina colada that tastes fantastic.
Luckily you don't need to crack open a coconut or peel and core a whole pineapple. All you need is coconut milk, frozen pineapple chunks and rum. That's it!
How to make it
The combination of the frozen pineapple chunks and the creamy coconut milk gives it the perfect texture. Here's what you'll need to make it:
- Coconut milk - look for unsweetened canned coconut milk. The main ingredients should be water and coconut, the fewer other ingredients the better.
- Frozen pineapple - this is easy to find already peeled, cored, and cut into chunks in the frozen fruit section of your grocery store. It's frozen at the peak of freshness so it will have the closest to just-picked flavor. (Of course, you can always freeze your own fresh pineapple if you prefer.)
- Rum - use white rum for a classic cocktail, dark rum for more rum flavor, or a coconut rum, like Malibu, to amp up the coconut flavor. My favorite is a combination of dark rum and the toasted coconut rum I got in Hilton Head.
The best thing about frozen drinks is everything gets dumped in the blender. Just be sure to use a good quality blender that can blend ice so you get a perfectly smooth frozen drink. I have this one that has a button for frozen drinks so it's super easy. A quick blitz and you've got a vacation in a glass!
Variations
Starting with these basic ingredients, you can adjust the ingredients to your taste.
Prefer a non-alcoholic pina colada? Skip the rum and add a little water if needed to help blend everything together. This makes a perfect virgin pina colada!
Want to more rum? Try adding a little more rum and some ice to the blender to keep it nice and frosty. Or top off your drink with a rum floater.
Want to make a lava flow? Blend up some strawberries and ice (with or without rum) and layer the strawberry mixture into the glass with the pina colada.
How to serve
Serve your frozen concoction in a traditional pina colada or hurricane glass and garnish with a fresh pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry. And don't forget the paper umbrella to really make it feel like you're on vacation!
Of course, if you want to serve your pina colada in a coconut shell, that just adds to the island vibe 😉
More easy cocktail recipes:
- 20 Frozen Drinks That Make You Feel Like You're In the Islands
- Easy Pineapple Martini For When You Need A Vacation
- The Best Coconut Margarita Recipe
- 20 Easy To Make Boozy Popsicles Perfect For Summer
- Strawberry Rosé Wine Popsicles
Easy Pina Colada Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen pineapple chunks
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 ounces dark or light rum
- 2 ounces coconut rum (can sub plain rum)
- ½ cup ice
- pineapple wedges and cherries for garnish optional
Instructions
- Add coconut milk, frozen pineapple, rum and ice to high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour into pina colada glasses and garnish with pineapple slices, cherries and paper umbrellas if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Justin says
Not bad. A little chalky tasting and lacks sweetness. Gonna try more pineapple, less coconut milk. If that doesn’t do the trick, might add simple syrup.
Lisa says
Hi Justin, you may also want to try a different brand of coconut milk to find one you like better. They all taste a little different. Adding more pineapple should make it a little sweeter as well.
Thomas berner says
Hello I made this recipe but I also modified it a bit to even make it more healthy. I've made my recipe about five times and it never fails it's better than any restaurant I've had. I start with about 1/3 of a can Thai coconut milk, six drops of coconut stevia, about 5 oz. coconut water, two shots coconut rum, one shot of meier's dark rum, a handful of Frozen pineapple chunks and a handful of crushed ice. You can adjust the coconut flavor with adding a couple more drops of coconut stevia.
Lisa says
That sounds like a great lighter option - thanks for sharing!