Are you craving the taste of the Caribbean? Try our virgin piña colada recipe, it's so easy, you'll want to make it all the time!
Love tropical drinks? Try our virgin versions of Cinderella Mocktail, virgin strawberry daiquiri, and Mango Daiquiri. You'll also want to check out our Cocktail Lover's Gift Guide and our 11 Mocktails for New Year's Eve.
About
This popular drink was invented in Puerto Rico and is the country's national drink. It can be shaken with ice or blended.
Traditionally, it is made with rum, cream of coconut, and freshly strained pineapple juice and garnished with a pineapple wedge, a cherry or both. For this virgin piña colada recipe, we omit the rum so anyone can enjoy this drink on a hot summer's day.
Why This Recipe Works
- We like to use fresh pineapple chunks for the best flavor along with pineapple juice.
- We use cream of coconut instead of coconut cream because it achieves a creamy, thicker virgin piña colada that has a more dominant coconut taste.
- We use crushed ice in this blended drink to get the right texture and temperature.
Ingredients
Let's talk about some of the key ingredients for this virgin piña colada. The cream of coconut can be found in the drink mix area of most large grocery stores or order online.
- Fresh Pineapple: This is what makes this drink taste amazing, so don't use canned. This is also what we use for garnishing the drink.
- Cream of Coconut: This is a key ingredient; don't substitute. We like the Coco Real brand the best.
- Pineapple Juice: This gives the drink its tropical taste.
- Crushed Ice: This is what makes the drink have a nice texture.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Use frozen pineapple chunks to save time and omit the ice.
- Skip the pineapple chunks and just add pineapple juice and crushed ice.
How to Make
Gather all the ingredients to make our virgin piña colada recipe.
- For our virgin piña colada, start with a fresh pineapple. Chop it into small chunks, keeping some of the fronds and peel to use as a garnish if desired.
- Place the fresh fruit, juice, and the cream of coconut in a blender. Make sure the cream of coconut is shaken or stirred well before adding to the blender.
3. Add the crushed ice last.
4. Put the lid on and blend until smooth.
5. Pour into a hurricane glass and add your garnish of choice. We used pineapple fronds, fruit, umbrellas, and bamboo picks.
6. Enjoy our virgin piña colada recipe with a loved one tonight. Since this drink has no alcohol, it is sure to be a family favorite! Bring in the kids, and let the taste testing begin!
Recipe FAQs
Translated into English from Spanish, the words literally mean "strained pineapple." Traditionally, fresh pineapple is used and is pressed then strained to get the juice for this drink.
The dominant taste in a virgin piña colada is pineapple, followed by coconut. This drink uses crushed ice, so it tastes very cold, which is perfect for a hot day. When it is blended, it tastes more like a smoothie.
Coconut cream is similar to cow's milk in consistency, while cream of coconut is like sweetened condensed milk. Coconut milk is used in Asian cooking, and cream of coconut is used for mixed drinks and desserts. Both require a thorough shaking before using because the liquid and fat separate during storage. The latter will give more body to your mixed drinks and desserts because it is richer, sweeter, and thicker.
Decide on your consistency: slushy, thick, or creamy. Add the fresh fruit first and the ice last. Use more crushed ice that's cold and not half melted. Another option is to use frozen pineapple and very little ice.
Serve
To make this virgin piña colada look more tropical, spend a little extra time getting your garnishes ready. Cut up a pineapple to get some wedges. Pull off the fronds, and if desired, cut the outer skin to make strips.
Find some pretty maraschino cherries with stems to give your glass some color. You can also use some shaved coconut. To make the drink look more tropical, pierce a wedge of this fruit with a cocktail umbrella, or use a bamboo pick to show off a cube of pineapple with some cherries.
Searching for additional options to accompany your virgin piña colada? Delight in these recipe ideas. Interested in serving fresh fruit, try our copycat Chick-fil-A fruit cup? If dainty finger sandwiches are more your thing, try our crab salad sandwiches.
If serving seafood is what you're craving, try our Southern shrimp and grits recipe or our how to peel and devein shrimp. For dessert, try our delectable truffles, white chocolate lemon truffles.
Store
Make Ahead: You can prep all the ingredients ahead of time for our virgin piña colada, including the garnishes, but it tastes best when served soon after it as been blended.
Freeze: Pour any leftover virgin piña colada into a freezer friendly container. Cover and freeze for up to one week. Freeze any leftover pineapple chunks to use for more pina coladas in the future.
Expert Tips
- Use Coco Real cream of coconut drink mix for a creamy, thicker virgin piña colada that has a more dominant coconut taste.
- Use Coco Lopez for a thinner virgin piña colada that allows the pineapple taste to shine through more than the coconut.
- Want to reduce the fat content? Lower the amount of coconut cream or use coconut milk and add superfine white sugar right after the pineapple chunks.
- Health conscious? Use coconut milk, pineapple chunks, extra fine sugar, freshly squeezed lime juice, and tons of shaved ice.
- Want your drink to stay cold longer? Serve it in a chilled glass.
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Recipe
Virgin Piña Colada
Ingredients
For the Piña Colada
- ¼ cup fresh pineapple chunks
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup cream of coconut
- 1 cup crushed ice
For the Garnish
- pineapple wedge
- maraschino cherry with stem
- pineapple leaves
Equipment
Instructions
Preparing the Garnishes (Optional)
- Traditionally, piña coladas use hurricane glasses, but any tall, 16-ounce glassware will work. Place it in the fridge or freezer.
- Cut off the top of the pineapple. Take the nicest, smaller fronds out to use as a garnish.
- If desired, cut the outer skin off. Rinse, then cut into ¼-inch strips.
- Cut the peeled pineapple in quarters lengthwise. Cut triangular wedges from one of the quarters, then round out the top edge with a knife if needed. Make a small slit with a knife near the point so it can rest on the rim of a glass.
- Select some pretty cherries with stems. Make a small slit at the base, so the cherry can sit securely on the edge of the glass.
Making the Piña Colada
- Core three quarters of a pineapple and cut into 1-inch chunks. If you like, you can freeze the leftovers.
- Be sure to shake the pineapple juice and the cream of coconut well before you start.
- Put the fresh pineapple chunks, pineapple juice, cream of coconut, and crushed ice in a blender. Pulse until smooth.
- Pour into a glass and garnish with a wedge of fruit, maraschino cherry, pineapple fronds or pineapple skin strips. Insert a straw and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Use Coco Real cream of coconut drink mix for a creamy, thicker virgin piña colada that has a more dominant coconut taste.
- Use Coco Lopez for a thinner virgin piña colada that allows the pineapple taste to shine through more than the coconut.
- Want to reduce the fat content? Lower the amount of coconut cream or use coconut milk and add superfine white sugar right after the pineapple chunks.
- Health conscious? Use coconut milk, pineapple chunks, extra fine sugar, freshly squeezed lime juice, and tons of shaved ice.
- Want your drink to stay cold longer? Serve it in a chilled glass.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Beth
The creaminess of the pineapple 🍍 goes with the coolness of the drink overall. Super tropical and summery!
Emma
Coconut and pineapple are such a refreshing tropical combination. Thanks for leaving a review!