Make this refreshing Puerto Rican Piña Colada Mocktail in less than 10 minutes and only 3 ingredients!
What is a Piña Colada?
A Piña Colada is a traditional Puerto Rican drink. A heavenly mix of pineapple juice, coconut, and ice blended until you get a delicious creamy drink. It was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and it has been the island’s national drink since 1968.
In Puerto Rico, where I am from you can find a Piña Colada almost anywhere with or without rum.
Served along popular Puerto Rican street sides foods like yuca fritters, codfish fritters, sorullitos, or Puerto Rican chicken skewers.
This is a very popular summer drink like the mojito made with passion fruit or the popular summer favorite lemonade with mint.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Fast- This is a recipe that can be made in 5 minutes! Because it only takes a couple of minutes to gather ingredients and 1 to blend.
- Easy to make- It is as easy as pour, blend, and enjoy!
- Practical- It is made with ingredients that you can find in all big chain supermarkets.
- Customizable- You can customize this recipe to fit your needs. No rum so it can be family friendly. Or add some rum for a super easy cocktail.
Recipe Ingredients
- Pineapple Juice- I used 8 ounces of 100% pineapple juice. I have used Dole, Goya, and great value juice brands but any brand will do as long as it is 100% juice.
- Cream of Coconut- I used 4 ounces of cream of coconut. You must read the label carefully so you won’t confuse the cream of coconut with coconut cream. The 2 are not the same. Coconut cream lacks the sugar that the cream of coconut has. The cream of coconut or Coco Lopez is usually found in the cocktail sections of these stores.
- Ice- Use ice cubes as big or as small as your blender can handle. But I find that the best ice is the one that you buy in bags at the supermarket because it breaks down quickly.
Substitutes & Variations
- Juice- You can substitute the pineapple juice for the same quantity of fresh pineapple or a good-quality canned pineapple. You can also use frozen pineapple juice or chunks if you want to avoid using ice.
- Cream of coconut- Substitute for the same amount of coconut milk. But keep in mind that coconut milk lacks the sugar the cream of coconut has.
- Toppings- The most popular ones are whipped cream, maraschino cherries, pineapple wedges, and coconut flakes.
- Make it like the original Caribe Hilton recipe which includes 1 ounce of heavy cream.
- Make the mix and serve it over ice like a pina colada on the rocks!
How To Make Puerto Rican Pina Colada
- Photo 1: Add all the ingredients to the blender. You can use a regular blender or one of those single-portion ones.
- Photo 2: Blend for 1 minute or until you have no big ice chunks left. Pour into your preferred cup and garnish. I like to sprinkle it with cinnamon.
Recipe Tips
- The perfect ratio for making a pina colada is 2 parts pineapple juice, 1 part cream of coconut, and 1 part rum if using. Of course, you can always modify this to your liking.
- On very hot summer days, chill your pina colada mix so it won’t water down quickly. Or freeze it like a coconut helado.
- The preferred serving glass is a Poco grande glass or tall glass. This is just for presentation reasons. I like to serve in any glass cup or jar I have at the time.
- I always like using an empty gallon to make the mix when making a big batch.
Recipe FAQs
There’s a debate around this. According to the bar Barrachina, their cocktailer Ramon Portas Mignot created the piña colada in 1963. But the Caribe Hilton Hotel also claims the title according to the Puerto Ricos Discover website. They say their bartender Ramon “Monchito” Marrero created it in 1954. One thing is certain, it was invented in Puerto Rico!
The most popular one used is Bacardi white. Bacardi gold is also popular but any rum will do. Some favorites to use are the brands Bacardi, Palo Viejo, and Don Q Rums.
In Puerto Rico, Lotus pineapple juice and Coco Lopez cream of coconut are the brands used to make it. It is made by using 2 parts pineapple juice and 1 part cream of coconut along with some ice. Rum is added when making it a cocktail
You can make the piña colada mix ahead of time. Store it in your fridge for no more than 3 days. This is without the ice, only the juice, cream of coconut, or rum if using. Your mix will separate but that’s normal because of the fat in the cream of coconut. Just give it a nice shake and you’re good to go.
Recipes to Pair with Your Colada
Don’t forget to celebrate on July 10, National Piña Colada Day!
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Puerto Rican Piña Colada
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Ingredients
- 8 ounce pineapple juice
- 4 ounce cream of coconut
- 4 cups ice
Instructions
- In a blender, add the ice, pineapple juice, cream of coconut, and rum. Blend for about 1 minute or until you no longer see big ice chunks. Serve and garnish as desired. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- The perfect ratio for making a piña colada is 2 part juice, 1 part cream of coconut, and 1 part rum. You can modify this to your taste.
- Is always a good idea to chill your liquids before using them if is a really hot day.
- Pineapple– You can use any 100% pineapple juice or fresh pineapple.
- Cocktail- Add 4 ounces of white rum to make this a cocktail.
- Recipe yields– 2 (16-ounce) drinks. If you portion this in an 8-ounce cup, you will have 4 drinks.
- Toppings– You don’t need any toppings for a piña colada but many things go great with this drink. You can use fresh pineapples, whipped cream, and maraschino cherries.
- No blender– If you don’t have a blender you can drink this over ice and even add some club soda to make this a bubbly drink.
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