Easy Pina Colada Recipe

I’ve taken several trips to Maui over the years, so I’ve had my share of pina colada cocktails. They’ve all been different — some are made with pineapple juice instead of fresh pineapple, light rum, and cream of coconut or even ice cream.

I happen to prefer them with dark rum for more flavor, and unfortunately most are far too sweet for me.

This Easy Pina Colada Recipe is just the way I like them! It’s made with plenty of fresh pineapple, coconut cream for creaminess, and dark rum for nice depth of flavor.

I don’t add additional sweetener as fresh pineapple adds plenty of sweetness for me. Of course this is personal preference, but you can always add sweetener to suit your tastes.

The ingredients are simply popped into a blender with some ice, then blended until smooth.

Making your own homemade pina colada will save you money, and you can customize it to suit your tastes.

It’s also easily scaled for a crowd, so it’s perfect for summer entertaining. 🙂

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Fresh pineapple pina coladas are so quick and easy to prepare using just 3 basic ingredients.
• Cream of coconut or full fat coconut milk creates just as rich and creamy a texture as traditional cream of coconut, without the added sugar.
• The flavors of coconut, rum, and pineapple blend together seamlessly to create a perfectly balanced piña colada.
• This recipe is easily scaled to serve a crowd, so it’s perfect for summer entertaining.

Recipe ingredients

Just 3 simple ingredients stand between you and a frozen pina colada cocktail just like the ones you drink on a tropical vacation!

• Pineapple chunks. I prefer fresh pineapple for these frozen pina coladas, but you can certainly use canned or frozen pineapple. If canned, be sure to choose the kind that’s packed in its own juices and not in syrup, and feel free to add some of the pineapple juice to your cocktail for added sweetness if you desire. If using frozen pineapple, you won’t need to add ice. You may need to add additional liquid (such as coconut cream, coconut milk or pineapple juice) to help the ingredients blend properly. Leftover pineapple? Freeze it or use it in tropical fruit salad or jerk shrimp pineapple skewers.
• Coconut cream. This is thick, rich and adds plenty of tropical flavor. Full-fat canned coconut milk is a great substitute. Avoid using refrigerated coconut milk for this tropical cocktail as it is thinner and doesn’t have a strong coconut flavor. Cream of coconut is another option, however this product is sweetened and may result in an overly sweet pina colada.
• Rum. I make pina coladas with dark rum for warm depth of flavor, but feel free to use light rum for a cleaner flavor. Want the best of both worlds? Use light rum in the pina colada and pour 1 ounce of dark rum over the top for a dark rum topper.
• Ice. You’ll need about 1 cup of ice for a nice frosty drink. If using frozen pineapple, you will not need ice.

See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.

How to make piña coladas with fresh pineapple

Making piña coladas with fresh pineapple is so easy that you may never buy one out again. Simply cut your pineapple, pop everything into the blender, and blend it until smooth!

It’s much more cost effective to cut your own fresh pineapple, and it’s very easy to do following the simple steps below.

Pro tip: Cut your pineapple up to a few days in advance. Use pre-cut fresh pineapple as a time saver!

See the recipe card below for full instructions.

Recipe FAQs

Recipe variations

There are a number of ways to customize this fresh pineapple pina colada to suit your tastes or based on what you have.

• Fresh pineapple is my first choice, but you can certainly used frozen pineapple or even canned pineapple packed in its juices (not syrup). If using frozen, don’t add extra ice. If using canned, you may use some of the juices in the cocktail for added sweetness.
• Like a sweeter cocktail? Add pineapple juice, honey, simple syrup or your favorite sweetener to taste.
• Use silver rum for a cleaner flavor, or dark rum for deeper flavor. Want the best of both worlds? Use silver rum in the pina colada and pour 1 ounce of dark rum over the top for a dark rum topper.
• Prepare a virgin pina colada mocktail by omitting the rum.

Recipe notes

• Pro tip: Purchase pre-cut fresh pineapple chunks at the grocery store to save time!
• If you use frozen pineapple, you will not need to add ice. You may also need to add a bit more liquid to help blend the frozen pina coladas.
• I used coconut cream in this piña colada recipe, but it can be substituted with canned full fat coconut milk or cream of coconut. Keep in mind that cream of coconut is sweetened, so if you use it you’ll have a sweeter cocktail.
• The amount of sweetness is a personal preference. If you like a sweeter cocktail, add simple syrup, honey or your favorite sweetener to taste.