Piña Colada

I love piña coladas as much as the next person, especially when I’m on vacation. Something about the beach combined with the sand and surf is just made for this frozen drink. These days, I don’t necessarily need to be in a tropical locale to enjoy a delicious piña colada. Why? Because I’ve just cracked the code to make them taste just as good at home. 

After some rigorous testing (which honestly was pretty enjoyable on my end), I’m ready to share my ultimate piña colada recipe, a cocktail that has been extremely beloved since the 50’s. Here, the blender does all of the heavy lifting. All you need to do is toss in some frozen pineapple along with coconut cream, simple syrup, white rum, and freshly squeezed lime juice. In less than 5 minutes, you’ll have a fruity cocktail worth sipping on all summer long. 

• It’s perfectly frosty, but not too thick. Thanks to a combo of frozen pineapple and coconut cream, this cocktail is icy and thick, but won’t leave you struggling to drink it through a straw. 
• It has real, delicious coconut flavor. I often find that cream of coconut tastes a bit like tanning oil. Instead, my recipe relies on coconut cream for a more natural coconut flavor. 

• Frozen pineapple: I tested versions with pineapple juice, fresh pineapple, and frozen pineapple. Here, I went with frozen pineapple, which contributes to a thicker consistency. It also adds sweetness, is more flavorful, and is always readily available in your grocer’s freezer section. Plus, you don’t have to chop up any pineapple.
• Coconut cream: No shade to cream of coconut, but I call for coconut cream in this recipe for a more natural coconut flavor without all the sugar. Because it has a higher concentration of shredded coconut blended into it, it also lends the drink a creamy texture. Coconut cream comes in cans, and make sure to stir it really well before adding it to the blender. 
• Simple syrup: Adds sweetness, along with the frozen pineapple.
• White rum: This liquor, also known as light or silver rum, is the classic choice for a piña colada.
• Lime juice: Adds brightness while balancing the sweetness. 

1. Blend your ingredients. Add lime juice, frozen pineapple chunks, coconut cream, white rum, simple syrup, and ice to a blender and blend until smooth. 
2. Garnish and enjoy. Pour into a tall glass, and garnish with your choice of a pineapple wedge, frozen pineapple chunks on a skewer, or a maraschino cherry. An umbrella and colorful straw make for fun additions. 

• For a just-as-delicious non-alcoholic version, leave out the rum and up the coconut cream to 4 ounces. 
• Try swapping out the frozen pineapple for another frozen fruit, such as strawberries or mango.   
• If you have cream of coconut on hand, you can use that in place of the coconut cream and simple syrup. Start with 2 ounces of cream of coconut, thinned with a little bit of water. Add more cream of coconut to taste, or more water to achieve the desired consistency. 

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