Pina Colada

A tallboy pina colada with cherry and pineapple garnish.

There’s no substitute for a classic.  No tweak or enhancement that will improve it.  That’s why they’re heralded as classics… You know what you’re going to get.  You can practically taste it before it reaches your mouth.  So if you like Pina Coladas… you’re gonna love this classic!

pineapple juice and spears of fresh pineapple for the pina colada recipe.

What you’ll need for classic pina coladas

It’s easy to achieve sweet-boozy brain-freeze nirvana and it only takes a few ingredients and about 3 minutes!  All you need is pineapple juice, rum and cream of coconut.   Side note:  cream of coconut and coconut milk are not the same thing.  Cream of coconut is so lusciously sweet, you can eat it with a spoon.  Coconut milk — not.

  • Pineapple Juice
  • Cream of Coconut
  • Rum (we prefer dark or golden rum)
  • Ice
  • Fresh Pineapple Chunks (optional)
  • Maraschino Cherries (optional)
a can of coco lopez and golden rum.

If you have it, a good blender is a plus.  A VitaMix or Ninja will easily turn your drink into the perfect slushy consistency.  Other blenders might need a few more minutes of blending and a several turns with a spatula.  

How to make homemade pina coladas:

  1. Add the cream of coconut, pineapple juice and rum to a blender.
  2. Add the ice and secure the blender with the lid.
  3. Blend the mixture until it’s very smooth and creamy. Depending on your blender, you may need to stop and stir the pina colada to dislodge chunks of ice so that it blends easier.
  4. Pour into glasses and garnish with pineapple chunks and cherries (optional).
adding ice to the cream of coconut, rum and pineapple juice and blending to a frozen creamy pina colada.

A cautionary tale

True story:  Before I got the VitaMix, I had a standard blender.  Scott had assumed bar tending responsibilities for a party we were having and was in charge of the frozen drinks.  Well, the ice cubes somehow became trapped at the bottom while the motor was running and we noticed a faint electrical-fire odor.  Eeek!

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Unfazed, he stuck a wooden spoon into the blender while it was running to loosen the mixture.  When he pulled it out, a quarter of the spoon had been shaved off and the mixture was freckled with splinters and shards of wood.  Seriously. I married this man.

Pro Tip:

Before you try to dislodge an ice jam, turn off the blender first, and use a sturdy rubber spatula instead of a wooden spoon.

a creamy, icy blender drink in a glass with garnish,

Variations:

  • Make virgin coladas by skipping the rum.
  • Make them extra potent, by adding a rum floater (after blending the pina colada, top the drink with an extra shot of rum, then garnish).

Anyway, this pina colada recipe is the unadorned classic.  No embellishment.  No special twist.  No kale.  Just the real deal.

So, if you like creamy, sweet, icy piña coladas… now is the time! And if you’re having a summer patio party, serve them with these awesome bites!

a frozen pina colada with pineapple and cherry garnish.

More frozen blender drinks you’ll love:

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pina colada in a glass with a pineapple garnish.
Print Pin
4.50 from 16 votes

Pina Coladas

The original classic.  Some people like a bit more rum.  I won’t judge if you do.
Author: Lisa Lotts
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Keyword cream of coconut, pineapple
Dietary Restrictions Dairy-Free, Egg Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 4

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 ½ cup pineapple juice
  • ½ cup cream of coconut not coconut milk
  • ½ cup rum
  • 3 cups ice
  • fresh pineapple chunks for garnish, optional
  • maraschino cherries for garnish, optional

DIRECTIONS:

  • Add pineapple juice, cream of coconut and rum to a blender. Add the ice and blend until smooth and creamy. If you like it thicker you can add more rum.
  • Pour the pina colada into glasses, garnish with a skewer of pineapple chunks and cherries. Serve.

NUTRITION:

Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 184mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin C: 9.4mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1.1mg

Don’t Forget To “Pin It” For Later!

If You Like Pina Coladas... and who doesn't? This classic pina colada recipe is everything you want in an icy tropical drink! Don't forget the garnish!

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11 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    YES…I LOVE Pina Coladas. We went to Hawaii for our honeymoon (41 years ago)….and I don’t even want to think of how many I consumed while we were there. SOOOO delicious. Brings back memories every time.

  2. I tried this recipe before, and I got excited when I saw this one again. This will be on my to-do list tonight.. busy mom gotta have to chillax. Thanks for the recipe.

  3. 5 stars
    Yum! There is not better drink to sit by the pool with (in my opinion). All you need is a little umbrella 😉

  4. 5 stars
    I just posted a pina colada smoothie recipe – it must be the season for it! It’s only 3pm and I already need a cocktail.

  5. Finally a Pina Colada recipe that has cream of coconut! Those bottle mixers are terrible! This has summer written all over it!

  6. 5 stars
    Cannot believe the blender ate up the wooden spoon and spoiled your batch of drinks! I love pina coladas, but actually make mine with coconut milk instead of cream of coconut – I’m not big on sweet so for me the pineapple adds enough sweetness to the drinks!

    1. Well, the coconut milk is probably better for you — personally, I could eat cream of coconut from a spoon.

  7. Robyn Lindars says:

    This looks phenomenal! I’m also glad no kale lol. 🙂