Finish Summer Strong with the Absolute Best Piña Colada Recipe – Only 4 Ingredients!
A delicious blend of frozen pineapple, coconut, and rum for the perfect tropical pina colada recipe.
Sip the summer away with a frozen cocktail that makes time stand still.
What better way to beat the heat than sipping on a fresh tropical drink? Only four ingredients (ice doesn’t count, lol!) stand between you and pure relaxation while enjoying a fresh, not-from-a-premade-mixer piña colada.
You can whip this frozen drink up in no time and instantly transport yourself to the beach… in your mind at least! 🏝
You’ll never go back to using a packaged mix again!
We’re not joking when we say that this is the absolute best piña colada recipe! You can’t go wrong with fresh or frozen pineapple, sweet cream of coconut, unsweetened coconut milk, and your favorite white rum!
To make this the best piña colada recipe, we used the Bon Appétit method of blending, freezing, and then re-blending the piña colada to create the perfect slushy blended texture. Don’t skip the freezing and re-blending. It really does make a difference in the consistency.
Tips for making the best piña colada recipe:
- Fresh pineapple definitely enhances the flavor of the piña colada. If fresh pineapple isn’t available, you could use frozen instead. A 16 oz. bag of frozen pineapple is the perfect amount for this recipe! Note you’ll need to freeze fresh pineapple for at least 3 hours before blending up your cocktails, so plan ahead if you get this route.
- Don’t skip the freezing and re-blending steps as this creates the perfect slushy texture! If you’re making piña coladas for a crowd, all you have to do is re-blend when your guests arrive.
- If you don’t like sweet cocktail drinks, a big squeeze of lime wedge and a lime wedge garnish can help cut the sweetness and make it tangier. It cuts back on the coconut-iness of it as well, for those who aren’t the biggest fans of coconut.
- Really love the taste of rum? Try adding a 1/4 ounce of a dark rum “float” to the top of the piña colada in the glass.
- Want a low-sugar version? Substitute the cream of coconut with more of the unsweetened coconut milk and skip the actual pineapple. Instead of fresh pineapple, use 10 to 15 drops of a pineapple or piña colada flavored stevia or 1 tablespoon pineapple extract with 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup of a keto powdered sweetener.
- Not a drinker? Nix the rum and increase the amount of unsweetened coconut milk!
Best Piña Colada Recipe
yield: 4 SERVINGS
prep time: 30 MINUTES
total time: 30 MINUTES
A delicious blend of frozen pineapple, coconut, and rum for the perfect tropical drink.
Ingredients
- 1 fresh pineapple
- 3 cups of ice
- 8 oz. white rum of choice
- 5 oz. cream of coconut
- 3 oz. unsweetened coconut milk
- Maraschino cherries to garnish, optional
Directions
1
To cut the pineapple:
Start by slicing off the top and bottom of the pineapple and then cutting off the outside edges. Slice one or two thin rounds across the center of the pineapple, cut those rounds into wedges, and set aside to use as a garnish.
Cut the remainder of the pineapple into one-inch cubes, discarding the center core. Freeze the pineapple cubes for at least 3 to 4 hours. Once the pineapple is frozen, you're ready to make piña coladas, so get your blender ready!
2
Place 3 cups of the frozen pineapple cubes in the blender followed by the ice, rum, cream of coconut, and unsweetened coconut milk. Purée until smooth, about a minute.
3
Place the piña colada mixture in the freezer (still in the blender) for at least 20 to 25 minutes to let the piña colada start to freeze. Then remove from the freezer and blend again for another 30 seconds or so to create the perfect slushy texture. You can actually make the piña coladas up to three days in advance and then re-blend prior to serving. If freezing longer than 20 to 25 minutes, you might need to let the mixture sit on the counter for 20 minutes or so before reblending or try breaking it up with a spoon if needed.
4
Divide the piña colada into four glasses and garnish with pineapple wedges, maraschino cherries, and a fresh squeeze of lime, if desired. Enjoy!
Say so long to summer with this sweet satisfying cocktail 🍍
Who knew piña coladas were so easy to make at home without using a store-bought premade mixer? Try it out before the sunny days are a distant memory.
We hope you think this is the best piña colada recipe too!
My Hip sidekick Emily made this recipe and here’s what she had to say:
“I promise you, after one sip of this pina colada, you’ll wonder how you could have ever enjoyed a premade concentrated mix before. Only 4 ingredients and it’s the freshest tasting frozen cocktail ever! This is the same recipe my mom uses and it’s truly foolproof. I went lazy and used a bag of frozen pineapple and the result was still delish. And then with a big squeeze of lime, it really just set off the tropicalness (is tropicalness a word? 😂) of the cocktail.
I know summer is almost over but I could easily see myself whipping one of these up mid-winter to pretend I’m not buried in snow in the Northeast ☃️ “
Need more easy summer drink ideas? Check out these White Claw Slushies!
Going to have to try this recipe 🍸
Yummy & so simple, I can’t wait to give it a try🍹 Thank you!
Just made these and omg! So much better than any of the pre-made mixes!
How about substituting a 16 oz can of drained pineapple chunks that were placed in the freezer? Would that work?