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This easy piña colada recipe will make you feel like you’re right by the beach! Thick, creamy, and simple to make. A homemade blended co*cktail that is full of juicy tropical flavors and 100% naturally sweetened! Made with coconut milk instead of coconut cream for a healthy twist. Makes 2 large co*cktails or 4 small co*cktails. Vegan & dairy free.
I love my blender. And after creating this recipe for a homemade piña colada I love my blender even more 😂
I don’t think I realized until recently how easy it was to create a healthy versions of our favorite “vacation” co*cktails at home and now we’re hooked! SO simple and so dang good.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that this recipe is the best piña colada I’ve ever made. Maybe even the best I’ve ever had? Although we’ve had some pretty epic frozen drinks on trips to Hawaii / Jamaica so I won’t go quite that far.
But all that to say – IT IS REALLY GOOD!
Everything you’d want in a tropical frozen / blended drink made at home – without any of the junk or sugary mixes.
I even include instructions below for how to make it without alcohol if you’re looking for a virgin piña colada option!
Why you’ll love this easy piña colada
This frozen co*cktail is:
- Creamy
- Thick
- Juicy
- Refreshing
- Tropical
- Naturally sweetened
- Simple and easy to make
- Perfect for a hot summer day
- SO yummy!
What is a piña colada?
A piña colada is a tropical rum co*cktail that is often blended, although sometimes served on the rocks.
Made with a mix of coconut, pineapple, rum, and lime juice. It is fruity, refreshing, and the perfect drink for a sunny day at the pool or beach!
History of the piña colada
While there is some controversy over the origin of the piña colada, many agree it was created in Puerto Rico by the bartender Ramón “Monchito” Marrero at the Caribe Hilton in 1954.
And in 1978, the drink was even proclaimed the official drink of Puerto Rico.
And because anyone can appreciate a delicious piña colada (whether you’re visiting Puerto Rico or not) there’s even a piña colada day! This year (2021) it lands on July 10th.
What’s in a piña colada
Now let’s chat piña colada ingredients.
This drink recipe is made with just a handful of easy-to-find ingredients, and is vegan / dairy free!
This is what you’ll need:
- Dark or light rum – The options for choosing a the best rum for your piña colada are abundant. We prefer a medium to dark rum which adds additional character, fruitiness, and a slightly tannic quality to the co*cktail (offsetting the sweetness). But white rum is also delicious if that’s what you have or prefer. This is a good list of rum options for piña coladas!
- Pineapple juice – Pineapple juice adds a signature pineapple flavor and sweetness.
- Full fat coconut milk – To avoid added sugar and other additives I replace the traditionally used coconut cream for full fat coconut milk.
- Lime juice – Always fresh lime juice for the best flavor!
- Maple syrup – We typically opt formaple syrupinstead of simple syrup in co*cktails, so that is how I’ve written the recipe. It also adds a nice round undertone and more complex flavor!
- Frozen Pineapple – Frozen pineapple helps build the creamy frozen body of this drink recipe. You could make it with fresh pineapple and freeze it in advance (if you have the time), or simply add a little extra ice until desired frozen consistency is reached. If you use fresh (not frozen) pineapple the texture will likely be less thick and “creamy”.
- Ice
How to make a homemade piña colada
This homemade piña colada is so easy to make! As long as you have a blender and the necessary ingredients, you’ll be sipping this tropical drink before you can say “which way to the beach” 😎
Here’s the step-by-step
- Combine rum, pineapple juice, coconut milk, lime juice, maple syrup, frozen pineapple, and ice to the blender.
- Blend on high until smooth and creamy – for 30 seconds to a minute. Use the blender tamper to get things moving if needed, or add a tiny bit more pineapple juice until it moves freely through the blender blades.
- Divide between two glasses, add some garnishes if desired and enjoy!
How to make a virgin piña colada
To make this piña colada without alcohol (as a mocktail) all you need to do is leave out the rum!
It’s equally delicious, refreshing, and full of tropical vibes. Perfect for kiddos, pregnant mamas, or anyone who is looking to enjoy a tasty beverage on a hot day without the addition of alcohol.
How to garnish a piña colada
You can garnish a piña colada as elaborately or simply as you like.
Here’s what I used for the drinks pictured in this blog post
- A few “leaves” from the crown of the pineapple – plucked and washed
- Lime rounds
- Pineapple wedges
How to make a piña colada for 1
This recipe is super easy to make for for one. All you have to do is cut the measurements in half and proceed with the recipe as written!
Here are the exact measurements you would use to make this recipe for one person:
- 2 ounces (1/4 cup) rum
- 2 ounces (1/4 cup) pineapple juice
- 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) coconut milk
- 1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) lime juice
- 3/4 ounce (1 1/2 tablespoons) maple syrup
- 1 cup frozen pineapple
- 3/4 cup ice
How to make this piña colada for a crowd
Most blenders could likely fit a double batch of this recipe, which would be enough co*cktail for 4-6 people.
As written this recipe makes 2 fairly large drinks, so it could also always be divided into smaller glasses for 4 or 5 people.
Here are the exact measurements you would use to make a double batch of this recipe:
- 8 ounces (1 cup) rum
- 8 ounces (1 cup) pineapple juice
- 12 ounces (about 1 can) coconut milk
- 2 ounces (1/4 cup) lime juice
- 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) maple syrup
- 4 cups frozen pineapple
- 3 cups ice
When to serve this tropical rum drink
This frozen co*cktail would be perfect as a:
- Pool day drink
- Happy hour beverage
- Summer drink
- co*cktail hour drink
- Birthday party drink
- A tiki themed party drink!
Love this frozen co*cktail? Try these other NK co*cktail recipes!
- Jungle Bird co*cktail
- Frozen Pineapple Margaritas
- Orange Campari Vodka Sour
- Spiced Apple and Tangerine Spritz
- Spiced Hibiscus Vodka Sour
- Dark Cherry Kombucha Rum Punch
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Easy Piña Colada Recipe {vegan + naturally sweetened}
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- Author: Nyssa Tanner
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 co*cktails 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This easy piña colada recipe will make you feel like you’re laying on the beach! Full of juicy tropical flavors – it is thick, creamy, and totally simple to make. A homemade blended co*cktail that is 100% naturally sweetened! Made with coconut milk instead of coconut cream for a healthy twist! Makes 2 large co*cktails or 4 small co*cktails. Vegan & dairy free.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup) rum – dark or light (see notes in the blog post about why you might choose one or the other!)
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup) pineapple juice
- 6 ounces (3/4 cup) full fat coconut milk
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) fresh lime juice
- 1 ½ ounces (3 tablespoons) maple syrup, honey, or simple syrup – or to taste
- 2 cups frozen pineapple
- 1 ½ cups ice
Instructions
- Combine rum, pineapple juice, coconut milk, lime juice, maple syrup, frozen pineapple, and ice to the blender.
- Blend on high until smooth and creamy – for 30 seconds to a minute. Use the blender tamper to get things moving if needed, or add a tiny bit more pineapple juice until it moves freely through the blender blades.
- Divide between two glasses, add some garnishes if desired and enjoy!
Notes
This recipe makes 2 large co*cktails or 4 small co*cktails
Measurements to make this co*cktail for 1 person and for a crowd are listed above in the blog post
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: co*cktail
- Method: blender
- Cuisine: tropical
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