Piña Colada

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Piña Coladas are a summer staple when it comes to relaxing the day away! Our version is made with frozen pineapple chunks, white and dark rum, sweet cream of coconut, fruity pineapple juice, and of course a garnish of fresh pineapple and maraschino cherries. Blend up a batch for your next poolside soiree, ladies night, or tiki themed birthday bash!

Side view of a pineapple coconut cocktail.

Piña Colada Recipe

Piña Colada is Spanish for “strained pineapple,” which refers to the pineapple juice within the drink. There are tons of variations on the history of the Piña Colada, some saying it was invented by a Puerto Rican pirate to help boost his crew’s morale in the early 1800s.

However, a hotel in Puerto Rico claims they were the ones who invented the now famous cocktail in 1954. Whatever the origin, this classic cocktail has become a staple of tiki bars, restaurants, and beachside bars for decades. Now you can make a batch right at home!

How to Make Piña Coladas

  1. Place the frozen pineapple chunks, ice, white and dark rum, cream of coconut, and pineapple juice into a high powered blender. Process until smooth.
  2. Pour the cocktail into several glasses and garnish with pineapple wedges, maraschino cherries, and straws.
  3. Serve immediately as this cocktail melts quickly. Cheers!
Collage showing how to make a piña colada.

Tips and Variations:

  • The dark rum adds a different flavor variation to the traditional Piña Colada and packs a punch. It can be omitted completely or swapped out for coconut or white rum. If you choose to leave out the dark rum, start with 3-4 cups of ice and add more as needed.
  • Some bartenders like to add a splash of lime juice to add a bit of tangy flavor to the drink. 
  • You can use fresh pineapple and cut it into chunks yourself, however you’ll still want to freeze it before making this cocktail. Lay the pineapple in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. While not all recipes use frozen pineapple, we found it enhances the flavor and texture of the drink. 
  • Make sure to use cream of coconut and not coconut cream. Cream of coconut has added sugar that makes the drink taste sweet. Coconut cream does not. If you happen to end up with the wrong ingredient you can try adding simple syrup to sweeten the piña colada instead. 
  • If your blender isn’t high powered, start with half the amount of ice, blend, then add the rest and blend again. 
Top down view of a pineapple wedge on a cocktail.

Storage

Storage: This cocktail is best served and enjoyed as soon as it’s made. It will not store well.

Cocktail with straws and a pineapple.

Piña Colada

5 from 2 votes
Print Pin
Author: Kimberly
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 7 Servings

Ingredients

  • 5-6 cups ice
  • 1 cup pineapple chunks, frozen
  • 6 ounces rum, coconut or white
  • 6 ounces cream of coconut
  • 6 ounces pineapple juice
  • 3 ounces dark rum
  • Pineapple wedges or leaves, for garnish
  • maraschino cherries, for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Place the ingredients into a high powered blender, and process until smooth.
    5-6 cups ice
    1 cup pineapple chunks
    6 ounces rum
    6 ounces cream of coconut
    6 ounces pineapple juice
    3 ounces dark rum
  • Pour into several glasses, and garnish with pineapple wedges, maraschino cherries, and straws. 
  • Serve immediately. This cocktail melts quickly.

Suggested Equipment

Notes

*The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients in the recipe card and a serving size of 1 (8 ounce) drink. Actual calories will vary.
 
*For more information, tips, and answers to frequently asked questions, please refer to the post.
 
*This variation of the piña colada was inspired by the piña colada recipe from Simply Recipes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1drink | Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 22mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 18IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.2mg
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5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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