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    TaraTeaspoon » Recipes » Drinks and Smoothies

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    The Perfect Pina Colada

    Published: Jun 13, 2021 · Updated: Mar 16, 2025 by Tara Teaspoon

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Pin Recipe
    perfect pina colada recipe image
    Perfect Piña Colada pin image

    Sitting outside drinking a piña colada sounds amazing, doesn't it? Find out how a secret ingredient makes this the best piña colada recipe ever! Make it a cocktail or a mocktail.


    If you like piña coladas, and getting caught in the rain... okay so I may have just stuck that song in your head for the rest of the day. But once you try my yummy piña colada it will all be worth it, I promise.

    You will already impress your friends if you bring this recipe to your next summer party, but why not try and up your game even more and douse them with fun facts?

    Three homemade pina coladas in tall glasses, garnished with straws, coconut strips, and pineapple chunks.

    Piña is Spanish for pineapple, which you may have known. But did you know colada means "to wash/strain"?

    So the translation for piña colada is just strained pineapple! Test out that newfound knowledge at your next summer party. And of course, let's keep adding coconut to our strained pineapple!

    What's in a Piña Colada?

    A straight-up piña colada will typically have pineapple juice, coconut milk or cream of coconut, and rum. Most of the time we like to get them "frozen" on a beach somewhere or at a Mexican restaurant on Friday night.

    My secret ingredient is not typical. I add orange juice to my piña coladas. A little trick I learned from a guy in college!

    The secret ingredient to a perfect piña colada brings out the tangy and sweet flavor of all the ingredients to make a super tasty sip.

    You don't actually taste the orange juice. It acts as a flavor enhancer! Truth be told, when you mix coconut milk and tangy-sweet pineapple juice, sometimes it can result in a flat, creamy flavor.

    That's where your rum comes in to make you too happy to care. I actually leave the rum out of mine (non-drinker here!) and make it a mocktail. So I want a flavor punch since I'm not getting the extra happy!

    Two creamy pina coladas in tall glasses, garnished with straws and pineapple wedges.

    What is Cream of Coconut?

    I like to use canned cream of coconut instead of coconut milk. Cream of coconut is a bit like the sweetened condensed milk of coconut milks.

    It's thick, sweet, but very coconutty! Mixed with orange and pineapple juices, rum and ice, I get the best frozen drink.

    How to make a piña colada

    I usually mix up a batch, or double batch, of this homemade piña colada recipe in a few pitchers and keep it ready to blend with ice.

    In the recipe, I have you mixing it all in the blender with the ice, and that is great too, if you're sure to serve 4 people all at once. My drink mix is meant to be blended, but you can definitely stir it into a glass of ice and serve it on the rocks as well.

    It's pretty concentrated so whether you're blending or serving on the rocks, use plenty of ice.

    Can of cream of coconut

    What's the Best Rum for Piña Coladas?

    You'll want to use a white rum for this easy piña colada recipe. Any brand will work, so use your favorite!

    How Do I Make a Virgin Piña Colada?

    Instead of using white rum, add ½ teaspoon of rum extract to the blender. The rum extract will impart that classic rum flavor, minus the alcohol!

    I prefer using rum extract when making piña coladas from scratch since I don't drink alcohol, plus it means I can share the batch with my kids.

    Can I Make a Piña Colada with Coconut Milk?

    Technically, yes. However, I've found that cream of coconut makes for the best piña coladas.

    The cream of coconut makes the drink super rich and creamy, whereas coconut milk is much less sweet and not as intense in flavor.

    Three homemade pina coladas in tall glasses, garnished with straws and coconut strips.

    Tips for Making the Best Piña Colada

    • Any blender will work for this creamy piña colada recipe (I sure like my Vitamix), but just make sure to let the mixture blend until all the ice is pulverized. You don't need to make a thick, shake-like drink, just something frosty and icy.
    • You can stir together a batch of homemade piña coladas in a large pitcher before a party and keep it chilled until you're ready to blend it with some ice.
    • Don't save this perfect piña colada just for the pool parties. I love it as a fun summer snack for the kids (go for the rum extract there!) or alongside grilled burgers in the backyard.

    More Pineapple Recipes:

    Pineapple is one of my favorite fruits! It can be delicious in a sweet snack Ginger Pineapple Snack Cake or even savory with Sausage and Peppers with Pineapple and Avocado Cream.

    Don't get me started with how much I dig grilled pineapple, especially for dessert: Grilled Pineapple with Praline Caramel.

    📖 Recipe

    perfect pina colada recipe image

    The Best Pina Colada

    Tara Teaspoon
    My secret is orange juice! You wouldn't think that should be in a pineapple and coconut drink, but the tangy taste brings out the flavors of all the ingredients.
    4.62 from 78 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Work Time 5 minutes mins
    Total Time 5 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast, Drinks
    Servings 4 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • ¾ cup orange juice
    • 2 ¼ cups (18 oz) pineapple juice
    • ¾ cup cream of coconut
    • ½ cup heavy cream
    • 8 oz white rum ((or ½ teaspoon rum extract))
    • 2 cups ice
    • 4 slices pineapples ((optional))
    • ½ cup toasted coconut ((optional))

    Instructions
     

    • Fill blender half full of ice. Add orange juice, pineapple juice, cream of coconut, heavy cream, and rum (or rum extract). Blend until very smooth.
    • Garnish with a pineapple slice and toasted coconut. Drink immediately. 

    Video

    Notes

    How to make a frozen piña colada:
    I usually mix up a batch, or double batch of this drink in a few pitchers and keep it ready to blend with ice. In the recipe I have you mixing it all in the blender with the ice, and that is great too, if you're sure to serve 4 people all at once.
    My drink mix is meant to be blended, but you can definitely stir it into a glass of ice and serve it on the rocks as well. It's pretty concentrated so whether you're blending or serving on the rocks, use plenty of ice.
    How to make a virgin piña colada: 
    Leave out the rum and swap for some extract if you'd like. Simple as that. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 677kcalCarbohydrates: 75gProtein: 2gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 47mgPotassium: 437mgFiber: 5gSugar: 63gVitamin A: 580IUVitamin C: 76.6mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 1.1mg
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    Tara Teaspoon

    I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!

    More about Tara

    Recipe Tara. Photography Ty Mecham. Prop Styling Veronica Olson.

    Comments

      4.62 from 78 votes (76 ratings without comment)

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    1. Petrina says

      June 21, 2018 at 2:43 pm

      Love the Orange Juice tip! Probably adds just the right amount of tangy to it. Will have to try it out. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 22, 2018 at 11:11 am

        It really boosts the pineapple and coconut flavors!

        Reply
      • Rj says

        November 30, 2020 at 4:12 pm

        The store bought ( with alcohol) pina , isn’t bad, but i’m thinkin, the OJ is gonna do it.

        Reply
        • Tara says

          November 30, 2020 at 6:14 pm

          Rj, I just love how the homemade version is balanced. And yes! I agree, the OJ seems to help enhance the pineapple and coconut flavors perfectly!

          Reply
    2. Marcie says

      June 21, 2018 at 6:48 pm

      This sounds fantastic! I don't drink much anymore, but I LOVE pina coladas! Thanks for sharing your tip about adding orange juice 🙂

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 22, 2018 at 11:11 am

        I make mine without alcohol! They are simply delicious!

        Reply
    3. Kris says

      June 21, 2018 at 9:14 pm

      Always one of my favorite summer drinks. My dad made the best. I will consider using orange juice too.

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 22, 2018 at 11:10 am

        Oh awesome. Always good to know a skilled Pina Colada maker!

        Reply
    4. Trina says

      June 21, 2018 at 10:40 pm

      I love pina colada's so much, I need to try this one!

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 22, 2018 at 11:10 am

        They are my fave! Such a treat!

        Reply
    5. jill conyers says

      June 22, 2018 at 4:22 am

      I've never tried a Pina Colada. Maybe I need to try it this summer.

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 22, 2018 at 11:10 am

        Oh my goodness yes! Get on that Jill! Enjoy

        Reply
    6. marisa says

      June 23, 2018 at 11:52 am

      I lovvve Pina Coladas and this does sound PERFECT, I like to add a little strawberry while blending too! So Delish!

      Reply
      • Tara says

        July 05, 2018 at 6:35 pm

        Strawberry is a great addition!

        Reply
    7. Mary Bench says

      July 18, 2018 at 12:03 pm

      I've tried these and they are divine! Love the OJ addition.

      Reply
    8. Cat says

      July 17, 2024 at 12:41 am

      Just thought you might want to know that when using the slider to change serving sizes, not everything revises. Also, be careful about the rum extract and your kids. McCormick rum extract has almost the same alcohol percentage(35) as Bacardi rum(40). I learned this the hard way. Actually got very sick/drunk from drinking 3 virgin piña coladas with rum extract.

      Reply
      • Tara T. says

        July 17, 2024 at 10:46 am

        Oh thanks for letting me know, I'll check with the technology of the recipe card! And just so you know McCormick and other rum extracts are a flavoring and very potent and strong. While many are alcohol based, if you put enough in a drink to get tipsy or drunk the drink would be horrific to drink because of the concentrated taste. I'm afraid you may have had actual rum in those virgin pina coladas! Tara

        Reply
    perfect pina colada recipe image
    Perfect Piña Colada pin image

    Hi, I'm Tara Teaspoon!

    I’ve been sharing my original ideas for years. What began as a passion, turned into a publishing career as Food Editor at Martha Stewart Living and Ladies’ Home Journal magazines.

    Now I write cookbooks, and share delicious recipes and expert cooking tips with you here! Thanks for stopping by Tara Teaspoon!

    More about me →

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