Pina Colada Recipe

Here are the ingredients for the BEST classic piña colada! It’s the sophisticated, grown up version of this frozen tropical drink.

When it comes to frozen cocktails, the piña colada is iconic. It’s got those 1990’s chain restaurant vibes, and it’s hard to find a resort that doesn’t have on on the menu. But did you know it’s actually a classic cocktail invented in the 1950’s? Unfortunately many restaurant versions and bottled mixes stray from the essence of the real thing. What ingredients are really in this tropical frozen mixed drink? Here’s how to make a piña colada…the classic way!

The piña colada is a popular classic cocktail invented in Puerto Rico made with pineapple juice, rum, and coconut, served blended or with crushed ice. The name means “strained pineapple” in Spanish. The original drink was invented in San Juan in 1954 by a bartender named Ramón “Monchito” Marrero. It became an instant favorite and was declared the official drink of Puerto Rico in 1978.

This drink is on the list of International Bartender Association’s IBA official cocktails, which means it has an official definition. Our spin on the classic has two additional ingredients. The piña colada ingredients are:

The IBA definition of a piña colada is the first three ingredients. Lime juice is traditionally added by many bartenders to add even more tangy flavor. We added frozen pineapple here to enhance the frozen texture and heighten the pineapple flavor.

Here’s an important note about the piña colada ingredients: buy cream of coconut, not coconut cream. What’s the difference between these similar sounding products? A lot. Here’s what to know about cream of coconut vs coconut cream:

What happens if you buy coconut cream for this drink? Well, it won’t taste sweet at all. If you make this misstep and want to save your drink, you can add simple syrup to taste.

Don’t want to bother with cream of coconut? Don’t worry: we’ve got a simplified version for you! Gather these ingredients and go to the Frozen Pina Colada recipe:

Pina Colada

Break out the blender for this classic pina colada recipe. Mix up coconut cream, white and dark rum, frozen pineapple and pineapple juice for a taste of the tropics.

Yield: 2 drinks

Serving Size: 1 of 2 servings

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 of 2 servings, calories 253, Fat 10g, Saturated Fat 9g, Carbohydrate 22g, Fiber 2g, Sugar 15g, Protein 2g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 10mg

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup ice
• 1/2 cup diced pineapple, frozen
• 2 ounces pineapple juice
• 2 ounces Coco Lopez coconut cream
• 1 1/2 ounces white rum
• 1 ounce dark rum
• Pineapple slices

Instruction:

1. Put the ice, frozen pineapple, juice, coconut cream, and the white and dark rums into a blender. Blend until smooth and frosty. Pour the drink into 2 glasses and garnish the rim with pineapple slices.

BA’s Best Piña Colada

This piña colada recipe is made with fresh pineapple and two rums. A touch of coconut milk balances the sweetness and lime juice amps up the refreshment factor.

Yield: Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:

• ½ fresh pineapple, peeled, cut into 1½” pieces
• 6 oz. sweetened cream of coconut (preferably Coco López)
• 2 oz. unsweetened coconut milk
• 8 oz. white rum
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 oz. dark rum (optional)
• Maraschino cherries and lime wedges (for serving)

Instruction:

1. Place pineapple pieces in a resealable plastic bag, laying them flat. Freeze until solid, at least 3 hours.
2. Shake cream of coconut and coconut milk in their cans before measuring. Purée pineapple, cream of coconut, coconut milk, white rum, lime juice, and 3 cups ice (about 15 oz.) in a blender until smooth. Transfer blender cup to freezer and freeze until mixture is thickened (it should be the consistency of a milkshake), 25–35 minutes.
3. Blend again until mixture is the perfect slushy frozen drink consistency. Divide among glasses. Top off each with ½ oz. dark rum, if using, and garnish each with a cherry and lime wedge. Do Ahead: Pineapple can be chopped 3 months ahead. Keep frozen.

Pina Colada Recipe

Just three ingredients makes the best tropical cocktail – and you can easily make this without rum to make it a virgin piña colada.

Prep: 5min

Total: 5min

Yield: 1

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 serving, calories 469 kcal, Carbohydrate 28 g, Protein 4 g, Fat 30 g, Saturated Fat 26 g, Sodium 19 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 17 g

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces (178ml) pineapple juice
• 3 ounces (89ml) coconut cream (coco real cream of coconut)
• 1 ½ ounces (45ml) light rum
• 1-2 cups crushed ice

Instruction:

1. Mix all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glass and serve garnished with pineapple slice and cherry.

Classic Piña Colada

Here’s how to make a classic piña colada: the sophisticated, grown up version of this tropical drink! For a simplified spin with a smoothie-like texture, go to Frozen Piña Colada.

Prep: 5min

Total: 5min

Yield: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple
• 1 1/2 cups ice
• 5 ounces (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) aged rum
• 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) cream of coconut (not coconut cream; see notes*)
• 4 ounces (1/2 cup) pineapple juice
• 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) lime juice
• For the garnish: cocktail cherry

Instruction:

1. Blend pineapple and ice until chunky. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Serve garnished with a cocktail cherry and drink umbrellas.

How to Make a Piña Colada – The Basics on QVC