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BA’s Best Piña Colada

4.6

(88)

A piña colada in a plastic cup on the beach garnished with a maraschino cherry and a cocktail umbrella.
Photo by Alex Lau

Forget hurricane glasses overflowing with a sticky-sweet concoction of sugary mixers and subpar booze. This frozen piña colada recipe is more dignified—but no less fun. When made with care, the preeminent summer drink balances sweetness and tang, has a creamy coconut edge, and packs a punch.

You’ll need a good blender to achieve this rum cocktail’s slushie-like texture, but you’ll also need room in the freezer, so clear some space on an easy-to-access shelf before you get started. Using fresh pineapple slices adds extra brightness to the drink; if you can’t find a good one, an 8-oz. bag of frozen pineapple chunks will work. This version owes its richness to both cream of coconut and coconut milk, which get blitzed along with the other piña colada ingredients. Freeze the mixture (yes, in its blender jar!), then blitz again to reach that coveted texture. No matter where (or when) you’re serving this frozen cocktail, a little umbrella and a cocktail cherry (or a fresh pineapple wedge) is a nice finishing touch.

If you’re short on time or freezer space but still hoping for a tropical drink at home, this Bird of Paradise with rum, pineapple juice, and Aperol comes together quickly, as does a mai tai or a mojito.

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    3 hours 45 minutes

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

½

fresh pineapple, peeled, cut into 1½" pieces

6

oz. sweetened cream of coconut (preferably Coco López; well shaken before measuring)

2

oz. unsweetened coconut milk (well shaken before measuring)

8

oz. white rum

1

oz. fresh lime juice

2

oz. dark rum (optional)

Maraschino cherries and lime wedges (for serving)

3

cups ice (about 15 oz.)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place ½ fresh pineapple, peeled, cut into 1½" pieces in a resealable plastic bag, laying them flat. Freeze until solid, at least 3 hours.

    Step 2

    Purée frozen pineapple, 6 oz. sweetened cream of coconut, 2 oz. unsweetened coconut milk, 8 oz. white rum, 1 oz. fresh lime juice, and 3 cups ice in a blender until smooth. Transfer blender jar to freezer; freeze until mixture is thickened (it should be the consistency of a milkshake), 25–35 minutes.

    Step 3

    Blend again until mixture is the perfect slushy frozen drink consistency. Divide among 4 glasses. Top off each with ½ oz. dark rum (if using) and garnish each with a maraschino cherry and a lime wedge.

    Do Ahead: Pineapple can be chopped 3 months ahead; keep frozen. Piña colada can stay in freezer up to 4 hours after first blend.

    Editor’s note: This piña colada cocktail recipe was first printed in February 2016. Head this way for more of our best summer cocktails

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  • This was good. If you don't have room in your freezer for the blender, I transferred the blender mixture to a ziploc freezer bag and then back to the blender, and it worked perfectly. The review below notes it was 68 on this date in Illinois. For me in a city near Los Angeles it was 111.

    • Kristine

    • 9/6/2022

  • It is now September 5 and it is a high of 68 degrees, other than that the Pina's are great. We followed the recipe as written and it came out very close to those we have enjoyed in Aruba and all over the Caribbean. Enjoy and thanks

    • Johnthebanker

    • Illinois

    • 9/5/2022

  • Simply the best, my fiance and I have made most of our friends serving this at parties.

    • Prescott Balch

    • Atlanta, GA

    • 11/10/2021

  • The best pina colada I’ve ever tasted. I added the contents of one passion fruit seeds and all. What a great drink.

    • JOE SELIG

    • 8/16/2021

  • Very good, but here's a shortcut: use Hagan Daz pineapple coconut ice cream in addition to or in lieu of the coco lopez......there's your creaminess!!!!!

    • Anonymous

    • New York Metropolitan

    • 8/5/2021

  • As is the case with all bon appétit “best“ recipes, this piña colada suggestion did not disappoint. I wish to share one caveat, however. When one freezes a whole prepared (peeled and cored) pineapple, instead of the suggested cubed pineapple, one WILL require a Milwaukee Hackzall to reduce said whole prepared pineapple to appropriate portions such that they are amenable to processing in a Vitamix. Please do consider enjoying this excellently curated recipe with Old Lahaina light and dark rum. Cheers.

    • Choppy Livingston

    • Naperville, IL

    • 6/5/2021

  • Love it!

    • Jorge R

    • Mexico

    • 3/21/2021