How to Make a Piña Colada

Co-authored by Tom Blake and Amber Crain

Last Updated: August 6, 2020 Approved

The piña colada is a sweet and tasty cocktail made with rum, cream of coconut, and pineapple juice. It can be blended, frozen, or mixed with ice, depending on your preference. If you want to try a variation on the traditional recipe, make creamy piña coladas by adding heavy whipping cream. You can also make a strawberry version!

Ingredients

Basic Piña Colada^{[1]
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1 1/2 oz. (45 ml) of white rum
1 oz. (30 ml) of dark rum
2 oz. (60 ml) of coconut cream
2 oz. (60 ml) of pineapple juice
1/2 cup (75 g) of diced pineapple, frozen
1 1/2 cups (270 g) of crushed ice
Pineapple slices
Maraschino cherries

Makes 2 servings

Creamy Piña Colada^{[2]
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2 oz. (60 ml) of white rum
2 oz. (60 ml) of coconut cream
1 oz. (30 ml) of heavy cream
4 oz. (120 ml) of unsweetened pineapple juice
1/2 cup (75 g) of crushed ice
Slice of pineapple
Maraschino cherry

Makes 1 serving

Virgin Strawberry Piña Colada^{[3]
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1 cup (150 g) of ripe strawberries, stemmed and chopped
1 cup (237 ml) of pineapple juice
1/4 cup (60 ml) of coconut cream
Crushed ice
Whole strawberries
Pineapple wedges
Fresh mint leaves

Makes 2 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Basic Piña Colada

1
Add the pineapple, juice, coconut cream, and both rums to the blender. Measure out 1/2 cup (75 g) of diced pineapple, 2 oz. (60 ml) of pineapple juice, and 2 oz. (60 ml) of coconut cream. Dump each ingredient into the blender over the ice.
- Make sure you're using coconut cream, not coconut milk! They aren't the same thing.
- The coconut cream will add a hint of coconut to your drink without overwhelming it.
2
Pour in the white and dark rum. Measure out 1 1/2 oz. (45 ml) of white rum and 1 oz. (30 ml) of dark rum. Pour both rums over the other ingredients in the blender. If you only have 1 type of rum, use 2 1/2 oz. (75 ml).
- If you want to make virgin piña coladas, skip this step.
3
Place 1 1/2 cups (270 g) of crushed ice into a blender. Crushed ice is the easiest type to blend, but you can use cubes if that’s what you have on hand. Measure out the ice and pour it into the bottom of the blender.
- If you prefer thick, icy coladas, you can use more crushed ice.
4
Blend the ingredients until they’re smooth and frosty. Replace the lid on the blender, set it to medium speed, and blend the ingredients together until they're fully incorporated. The final consistency should be smooth, icy, and thick.
- You can thicken it up by adding more crushed ice and blending again, if desired.
Remove the blender’s lid and pour the piña colada into 2 cocktail glasses. If you like, garnish the rims with pineapple slices and put a maraschino cherry on top right before you serve the drinks. Enjoy!

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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Creamy Piña Colada

1
Put the rum, coconut cream, heavy cream, and pineapple juice in a blender. Measure out 2 oz. (60 ml) of white rum, 2 oz. (60 ml) of coconut cream, 1 oz. (30 ml) of heavy cream, and 4 oz. (120 ml) of unsweetened pineapple juice and pour them into your blender.
- For a slightly stronger flavor, use a mix of white and dark rum.
- For a thicker, pulpier beverage, substitute 2 oz. (60 g) of crushed pineapple for 2 oz. (60 ml) of pineapple juice.
- Omit the rum if you want to make virgin coladas.
Place the lid on the blender and blend the ingredients until they are fully incorporated. The consistency of the mixture should be thick and creamy.
3
Add 1/2 cup (75 g) of crushed ice and blend the mixture for 15 seconds. Measure out the ice and add it into the mixture in the blender. Replace the lid and blend the colada mixture on high for about 15 seconds until the consistency is smooth and thick.
- If you want to make a banana colada, substitute 3 frozen bananas for the ice.
Any kind of glass will work, though a hurricane glass or another exotic cocktail glass will make for a better presentation! Garnish the rim of the glass with a pineapple slice, top the drink with a maraschino cherry, and enjoy!

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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Virgin Strawberry Piña Colada

1
Add the strawberries, pineapple juice, and coconut cream to a blender. Rinse off the fresh strawberries, cut off the stems, and chop them up. Put 1 cup (150 g) of the chopped strawberries in the blender. Add 1 cup (237 ml) of pineapple juice and 1/4 cup (60 ml) of coconut cream.
- If you want to add alcohol, go with approximately 1 1/2 oz. (45 ml) of white rum and 1 oz. (30 ml) of dark rum. You can adjust the amount up or down, depending on your preference.
You can use as much crushed ice as you want for this recipe, depending on how frosty you like your piña coladas. If you aren’t sure how much to add, 1 ½ cups (270 g) of crushed ice will give you a nice medium consistency.
Replace the blender’s lid and blend the ingredients together until they’re fully incorporated. If you want to thicken the mixture up, add a little more crushed ice and blend again.
Take off the blender’s lid and pour the piña colada mixture into 2 margarita, cocktail, or hurricane glasses. Garnish each rim with a whole strawberry, a pineapple wedge, and a sprig of fresh mint. Enjoy!

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Can I add orange juice?

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Yes, you may add orange juice before you blend the ingredients.

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What is coconut cream?

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It is the fattiest and thickest part of coconut milk. It comes in cans and is the consistency of heavy cream.

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Could I make a banana pina colada?

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Yes. Either add half a banana, or use banana syrup. You can make the syrup by boiling equal parts sugar and water, and adding a teaspoon of banana extract.

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Tips

If you don't want to blend your drink with ice, you can simply shake the blended mixture over ice and strain it into a hurricane glass, instead.

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If you don't have coconut cream, use heavy cream mixed with a dash of coconut syrup, instead.

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You can make more than one at a time by doubling or tripling the ingredients.

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