Frozen Pina Colada

Enjoy a cool refreshing tropical drink on a hot summer night… or any night for that matter! There’s a good reason this frozen pina colada recipe is one of mom’s favorite recipes, and mine too!

History of the Piña Colada

The piña colada is a refreshing tropical cocktail that originates from Puerto Rico. This classic drink is made with light rum, pineapple juice, and coconut milk, and is often garnished with a piece of pineapple or a cherry. The name piña colada literally means “strained pineapple”, referring to the freshly squeezed pineapple juice that is used as one of the main ingredients.

The pina colada is believed to have been created in the mid 19th century by Ramon “Monchito” Marrero Perez, who was a bartender at the Caribe Hilton hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. According to Marrero Perez, he was trying to create a new drink that would capture the flavor of the Puerto Rican rum and the fresh pineapple and coconut that were abundant on the island. After experimenting with different combinations, he finally settled on the recipe that is now known around the world.

The pina colada quickly became a popular drink at the Caribe Hilton, and word of this delicious cocktail began to spread. It wasn’t long before the pina colada was being enjoyed by tourists and locals alike, and it has since become one of the most iconic drinks of Puerto Rico.

If you find yourself enjoying a tropical vacation in Puerto Rico, be sure to try a pina colada! And if you can’t make it to Puerto Rico, no worries – this delicious cocktail delicious frozen piña colada recipe will bring the flavors of paradise to you.

Piña Colada Ingredients + Variations

2 cup frozen pineapple chunks (see note above)

8 oz. pineapple juice

1/3 cup cream of coconut

4 oz. white rum

6-8 ice cubes

{Photo}

Substitutions

• Dark rum or spiced rum will do in a pinch if no white rum is available at your local liquor store.
• A little too sweet? Add some lime juice for more tang.
• The original recipe is a shaken piña colada rather than this blended frozen version.

Virgin pina colada version

Omit the rum and replace with 1 oz. coconut cream and 3 oz. pineapple juice before blending.  

Equipment

Blender

Knife

Paper umbrella cocktail picks

Instructions

1. Prepare the simple syrup by combining the powdered monkfruit sweetener and water in a small skillet. Stir to combine and heat until the sweetener dissolves completely, approximately 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2. Place the frozen pineapple, pineapple juice, coconut cream, rum, and one-quarter cup simple syrup into a blender and blend until smooth.
3. While the blender is still running, add the ice a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
4. Turn blender off and remove lid. Taste and add additional simple syrup, if desired, and blend for another 30 seconds to combine.
5. To serve, pour into glasses and serve immediately garnished with fresh pineapple slices. Enjoy!

Cooking Tips

• Use an aged rum, preferably from Puerto Rico!
• You can get additional coconut flavor without diluting the alcohol content by using a coconut rum.

Serving

Use a poco grande serving glass with a cocktail pick of maraschino cherries or slice of pineapple. Our favorite pick for tropical flavors is the bright and colorful drink umbrella!

Storage Instructions

This drink is best mixed fresh. Store leftovers by pouring into an ice cube tray, then putting the pina colada cubes into a freezer storage bag for easy blending when ready to reuse!

Bragging Rights

We would love to see what you did with this recipe!

Comment below or share your photo @flavorportal / #flavorportal