5 from 10 votes
Home » Recipes » Beverages » Summer-Ready Frozen Pina Coladas

Summer-Ready Frozen Pina Coladas

This post may contain affiliate links, please see the disclosure policy for details.

Pina coladas are the perfect summer drink. They’re creamy, sweet, and refreshing on a hot summer day! Did you know that it’s actually super easy to make frozen pina coladas at home? 

Two tall glasses of Frozen Pina Colada with coconut and pineapple on the side.

That’s right! These drinks seem fancy, but they’re simple to DIY in your kitchen. With a blender and a few simple ingredients, you’ll have a delicious (and pretty healthy) beverage in no time. 

What Are Frozen Pina Coladas? 

The pina colada, which translates to “strained pineapple” in English, has been a super popular cocktail for years. A bartender created the drink in 1954 in Puerto Rico. This drink is made with a combination of pineapple, coconut, and rum. 

The original pina colada recipe was nonalcoholic and shaken, not frozen. A few years later, Ramón “Monchito” Marrero, the Hilton hotel bartender who created the drink, added rum and started blending the drink with ice. 

Thus, frozen pina coladas were born! Now, lots of people enjoy this tropical drink, especially in the warm summer months.

Are They Easy To Make?

Pina Coladas are thick, flavorful, and truly luscious to sip on. You can use any rum that you like in your pina coladas! 

Being able to choose any rum means this drink can be an affordable option in your repertoire. 

Making frozen pina coladas is actually very simple. It only requires a few ingredients! You’ll make sugar-free simple syrup and then add all of your other ingredients with it to the blender. Really, the blender does all of the work for you!

You’re going to be so surprised at the difference between store-bought pina colada mix and at-home frozen pina coladas. The fresh ingredients are so delicious, and add so much incredible flavor to these drinks. 

How To Make Frozen Pina Coladas At Home

See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.

Step one is to prepare your simple syrup. Normally, simple syrup is made with sugar and water. But we’re making a healthier, sugar-free version with powdered monkfruit sweetener and water! This simple syrup provides the perfect touch of sweetness to balance out the other flavors in this drink. 

To make the simple syrup, use 1 part powdered monkfruit sweetener to 2 parts water and heat in a saucepan until fully dissolved. 

The drink itself is made with pineapple chunks, pineapple juice, coconut cream, light rum, and a few handfuls of ice cubes. You can use fresh, frozen, or canned pineapple for this recipe. But for the best results, cut fresh pineapple into chunks and freeze for a few hours prior to blending. 

Many pina colada recipes call for cream of coconut, which is a sweetened version of coconut cream. But this recipe uses the rich coconut cream found on the top of a can of unsweetened coconut milk. 

Once you blend all of your ingredients together, serve in some fun glasses. I recommend these 15.5oz hurricane glasses

You can sip these drinks as is. But my favorite way to serve them is with slices of fresh pineapple and fun, colorful straws

Frozen Pina Coladas with red straw and pineapple wedge on the rim.

How Strong Are Frozen Pina Coladas?

Frozen pina coladas are refreshing, but they’re also low-proof. Because they are frozen, the ice brings the alcohol content down. These drinks are delicious but fall somewhere between beer and wine in terms of alcohol content. 

Are you ready for a summer filled with delicious cocktails? These amazing, easy-to-make frozen pina coladas are the perfect beverage

You’re going to love the refreshing flavor, silky texture, and sweet taste! 

Recipes including or referencing alcohol are intended for adult consumption only (21+). Drink responsibly!

Frozen Pina Coladas in a tall glass with red straws.

Recipe FAQs

What alcohol is in pina coladas?

Light rum is the traditional alcohol used in a pina colada. Now if you are out and at a restaurant, you might find some places make them a bit different. But in general, a light rum is the go-to alcohol.

How to make this a mocktail?

If you want a mocktail to serve up, leave the booze out of the recipe. If you feel it is too thick once blended, add a splash more pineapple juice to thin up the frozen drink.

Is coconut cream the same as coconut milk?

Coconut cream and coconut milk are different. You will find the cream is a lot thicker than coconut milk. You will find the cream in the ethnic or natural/organic area at most supermarkets. Or you can shop online and ship to your home.

Does this cocktail recipe double well?

Looking to make a larger batch of cocktails? Go right ahead and whip up as many as you would like. Just make sure all the ingredients fit in your blender, then blend away.

Can I make this pina colada in advance?

Since this is a frozen drink, the ice will melt and water down the cocktail. You will want to blend and serve quickly after it is made for best quality.

Alternative to rum for cocktail?

Tequila is a great alternative to the light rum in this frozen pina colada recipe. Just use the same amount of alcohol, and mix and sip away.

Did you make this recipe? Rate it!

Or any other delicious recipes on my site? If so, please leave a ★★★★★ star rating below and a 📝 comment sharing your thoughts!

To ensure you’re not missing a thing. Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along below!

Tall glasses of Frozen Pina Colada.
5 from 10 votes

Summer-Ready Frozen Pina Coladas


Author: Kim Schob
Course: Beverages
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yields 2 Pina Coladas
Pina coladas are the perfect summer drink—they’re creamy, sweet, and refreshing. It’s actually super easy to make frozen pina coladas at home!

Ingredients 

  • Sugar-Free Simple Syrup
  • ¼ c (32 g) powdered monkfruit sweetener
  • ½ c (118 2/7 g) water

Ingredients:

  • 2 c (473 ⅙ g) frozen pineapple chunks see the note above
  • 8 oz (226 ⅘ g) pineapple juice
  • c (80 g) coconut cream
  • 4 oz (113 ⅖ g) light rum
  • 6-8 ice cubes
  • Garnish Fresh pineapple slices

Instructions

  • Prepare the simple syrup by combining the powdered monkfruit sweetener and water in a small skillet. Stir to combine and heat until the sweetener dissolves completely, approximately 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
    Sugar-Free Simple Syrup,¼ c powdered monkfruit sweetener,½ c water
  • Place the frozen pineapple, pineapple juice, coconut cream, rum, and one-quarter cup simple syrup into a blender and blend until smooth.
    2 c frozen pineapple chunks,8 oz pineapple juice,1/3 c coconut cream
  • While the blender is still running, add the ice a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
    4 oz light rum,6-8 ice cubes
  • Turn blender off and remove lid. Taste and add additional simple syrup, if desired, and blend for another 30 seconds to combine.
  • To serve, pour into glasses and serve immediately garnished with fresh pineapple slices. Enjoy! 
    Garnish
  • Mocktail version: Omit the rum or tequila and replace it with 1 oz. coconut cream and 3 oz. pineapple juice before blending. 

Notes

Adding little Chinese five spice adds a little savory curiosity. 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 465kcal (23%) Carbohydrates: 69g (23%) Protein: 3g (6%) Fat: 14g (22%) Saturated Fat: 12g (75%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g Monounsaturated Fat: 1g Sodium: 12mg (1%) Potassium: 572mg (16%) Fiber: 4g (17%) Sugar: 45g (50%) Vitamin A: 124IU (2%) Vitamin C: 35mg (42%) Calcium: 60mg (6%) Iron: 2mg (11%)

Hungry for more?

Follow me on Pinterest and make sure to comment below!

Like It? Share It!

5 from 10 votes (2 ratings without comment)

Rate + Review

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




12 Comments

    1. 5 stars
      Hey Amber, Absolutely, it’s the perfect summer drink. You can have this tasty drink all year long. Thank you for stopping by!