Frozen Piña Colada Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/15/24
Tested by
Tom Macy
Photo of Tom Macy
Tested by Tom Macy
Tom wears many cocktail hats. He is a professional bartender, bar owner, recipe creator, and drink writer, though he prefers the title "obsessive cocktail nerd."
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 5 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

A very popular cocktail, the piña colada ("strained pineapple") was created in 1954 in Puerto Rico by Ramón "Monchito" Marrero, a local bartender at a popular Hilton hotel. Whether blended or shaken, it's a great summertime drink with the delicious flavor combination of pineapple and coconut backed by your favorite rum.

This drink is thick, luscious, and filled with flavor, so the choice of rum is not as critical here as it is in other cocktails. For the best piña colada, choose a decent white rum that you enjoy straight. With many reasonably priced options available, you don't have to spend a fortune to find a new favorite.

The frozen piña colada recipe is incredibly simple and requires just a few common ingredients. Toss it all in the blender, give it a good whirl, and you will have the freshest piña colada possible. Once you discover the wonder of a frozen piña colada, there are more coladas to try, including the ultra-easy shaken version.

In the world of tropical cocktails, it's one of the best, and even better when you make it from scratch. After the first taste, you'll regret the times you bought a piña colada mix. Many bottled piña colada mixes you find at the liquor store are filled with artificial ingredients, but our recipe tastes as fresh as can be, preservative-free. Plus, you get to make a less expensive drink tailored to your personal taste, choosing the proportions and having more control over the flavor. Besides, if you buy cream of coconut and pineapple juice separately, a whole new list of cocktails is at your disposal.

Frozen piña colada with pineapple wedge and maraschino cherries in a hurricane glass

The Spruce Eats / Mateja Kobescak
what you'll need to make this Frozen Piña Colada Cocktail recipe
A Good Jigger
A Handy Dandy Citrus Juicer
A Great Blender

"Piña Coladas are a slushy Caribbean vacation in a glass. They’re sweet, but in a totally delicious way because they’re frozen. Measure the ice along with everything else, otherwise it'll over or under dilute the drink. The splash of fresh lime juice is very helpful in taking the edge off the sugar. Don't skip it!" —Tom Macy

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces light rum

  • 1 ounce pineapple juice

  • 1 ounce ​​cream of coconut

  • 1/4 ounce freshly squeezed ​​lime juice

  • 1 1/2 cups ice

  • Pineapple wedge, for garnish

  • Maraschino cherry, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for frozen piña colada recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Mateja Kobescak

  2. Add all of the ingredients to a blender, including 1 1/2 cups of ice. Blend until smooth.

    Piña colada ingredients blended smooth and foamy in a blender

    The Spruce Eats / Mateja Kobescak

  3. Pour into a chilled hurricane glass.

    Pouring piña colada into a chilled hurricane glass

    The Spruce Eats / Mateja Kobescak

  4. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and pineapple wedge, or pin the cherry to the pineapple with a cocktail skewer to create a "flag" garnish. Serve and enjoy.

    Frozen piña colada with a pineapple wedge and maraschino cherries in a hurricane glass

    The Spruce Eats / Mateja Kobescak

Who Created the Piña Colada?

The Piña Colada's origin is one of the few cocktail histories that is well documented. The cocktail was created in 1954 by Ramón "Monchito" Marrero, bartender at the Beachcomber Bar in the Caribe Hilton of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The original recipe was nonalcoholic and shaken. His intent was to welcome guests with a taste of the tropics captured in a glass. Monchito added a local rum a number of years later, and the drink found a second home in the blender. In 1978, the Piña Colada became Puerto Rico's official drink.


Over the following decades, the cocktail was enjoyed by Caribbean travelers who brought tales of it home. It was not until the release of Rupert Holmes' 1979 hit song "Escape" that the drink skyrocketed in popularity. Don't recognize the title? It is also called—quite appropriately—"The Piña Colada Song." If you need a reminder of it, just stop by someplace hosting a karaoke night, and you're almost sure to hear it.

Flavorful Additions and Substitutions

  • The Caribe Hilton's original Piña colada recipe is heavy on the pineapple and uses Bacardi rum and Coco Lopez: Mix 2 ounces of light rum, 1 ounce each of coconut cream and heavy cream, and 6 ounces of pineapple juice in a blender. Add 1/2 cup crushed ice and mix for 15 seconds, then pour into a 12-ounce glass and garnish with a pineapple and cherry.
  • Use 5-6 ripe pineapple chunks instead of juice, cut them about 1 inch x 1 inch. It'll make for a fresher, brighter cocktail.
  • Add ¼-½ ounces of overproof Jamaican rum, such as Smith and Cross, to add an extra kick and an a layer of complexity.
  • Add a hint of background flavor with a flavored rum. Apricot, banana, grapefruit, kiwi, kumquat, orange, passion fruit, and vanilla pair great with both coconut and pineapple. If you can't find a particular rum flavor at the store, make your own rum infusions.
  • Switch the rum out for brandy and enjoy a kappa colada.
  • Make a mocktail with the coco colada or a big-batch virgin piña colada recipe.
  • Add more ice for a thicker drink, or more pineapple juice (or less ice) for a thinner version.
  • Replace the cream of coconut with full-fat or low-fat coconut milk for a lighter version.

How Strong Is a Frozen Piña Colada?

Not only is the piña colada refreshing, but it's also low-proof. All that ice adds volume and brings the alcohol content down significantly, so this recipe averages out at just 8 percent ABV (16 proof). That's right between beer and wine, only this drink is far more delicious.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
691 Calories
35g Fat
64g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 691
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 35g 45%
Saturated Fat 29g 147%
Cholesterol 34mg 11%
Sodium 266mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 64g 23%
Dietary Fiber 10g 36%
Total Sugars 46g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 56mg 281%
Calcium 59mg 5%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 495mg 11%
*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.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)