Ultra-Tropical Piña Colada Recipe
Taste the tropics, not ice water.
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Why It Works
- Freezing the ingredients first means you can use less ice, leading to a more flavorful, less diluted drink.
- Ripe fresh pineapple or canned pineapple chunks are more flavorful than pineapple juice, plus their fiber helps thicken the drink.
- Coconut cream has a more natural flavor than Coco Lopez.
- Measuring solids by weight gives you better control over the ingredient ratios.
A good piña colada should instantly transport you to warm sandy beaches and turquoise waters. What we don't want is a drink that tastes weak and watery, nor artificially tropical, as if someone dumped a bottle of tanning oil into the blender. This version produces a slushy frozen cocktail full of ripe pineapple and rich coconut flavor. Plus a good, strong hit of rum.
Recipe Facts
Ingredients
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5 ounces (140g) very ripe peeled and cored fresh pineapple, frozen pineapple, or drained canned pineapple chunks (see notes)
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1 3/4 ounces (50ml) unsweetened coconut cream, shaken or stirred well to incorporate fat
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1 ounce (30ml) simple syrup (see notes)
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3/4 to 1 ounce (20 to 30ml) fresh juice from 1 lime
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2 1/2 ounces (75ml) white or gold rum, kept in freezer until freezer-cold
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4 ounces (115g) ice cubes
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Pineapple slice and/or maraschino cherry, for garnish
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Paper umbrella and straw, for serving (optional)
Directions
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In an airtight plastic container, combine pineapple, coconut cream, simple syrup, and 3/4 ounce lime juice, and transfer to freezer until frozen, at least one hour (the sugar in the mixture may prevent it from freezing solid; this is okay).
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In a blender, combine frozen pineapple mixture with ice-cold rum and ice and blend until thick and slushy. Taste, then blend in the remaining 1/4 ounce lime juice, if desired. Pour into a large glass, garnish with pineapple and/or a cherry, and serve, with or without an paper umbrella and straw.
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If you want to make multiple drinks, you can pre-batch up to a double recipe (a blender may not hold much more than that easily) in a single container, then divide after blending; for more than two drinks, use separate containers to hold more servings.
Special Equipment
Blender
Notes
Only use fresh pineapple if you can find a truly ripe and sweet fruit; otherwise frozen or canned will be better. To make simple syrup, combine equal volumes of granulated sugar and water, then stir until sugar is completely dissolved; extra simple syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Make-Ahead and Storage
The pre-batched frozen ingredients can be assembled and kept in the freezer up to 12 hours before serving.
This Recipe Appears In
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
299 | Calories |
1g | Fat |
43g | Carbs |
1g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 1 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 299 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 1g | 2% |
Saturated Fat 1g | 5% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 10mg | 0% |
Total Carbohydrate 43g | 15% |
Dietary Fiber 2g | 8% |
Total Sugars 36g | |
Protein 1g | |
Vitamin C 73mg | 366% |
Calcium 31mg | 2% |
Iron 1mg | 4% |
Potassium 206mg | 4% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |