Frozen Pina Colada Cocktail

If there’s a drink that says summer sunshine better than the classic Pina Colada, I have no idea what it is. Those tropical flavours, the sunny yellow colour, it is a whole package. But wait, we went one better! With the Frozen Pina Colada, you get all the flavour you love but an even colder drink that is perfect for those hot summer evenings.

What’s a Pina Colada cocktail made with?

The classic pina colada rum cocktail is either made with a blender or just shaken with ice. Typically, a Poco Grande glass is used but also the hurricane glass that we used here with the frozen version. There are three ingredients:

• 1 part white rum (such as Bacardi)
• 1 part coconut cream
• 3 parts fresh pineapple juice

Everything goes into the blender or shaker with ice then served in the glass with a straw and piece of pineapple. It is a classic drink, super easy to make and has been around since the 19th century at least.

What is coconut cream?

Many pina colada recipes call for cream of coconut, which is a sweetened version of coconut cream. It ends up looking something like condensed milk and is very sweet.

This refined sugar-free version uses the rich coconut cream found on the top of a can of unsweetened coconut milk. A simple syrup made with powdered monkfruit provides the perfect touch of sweetness to balance out the other flavours.

But you could easily substitute the classic coconut cream into the recipe if you prefer and ignore the monkfruit syrup.

What you need to make a Frozen Pina Colada

Sugar-Free Simple Syrup:

• ¼ c. powdered monkfruit sweetener
• ½ c. water

Ingredients:

• 2 c. frozen pineapple chunks (see note below)
• pineapple juice
• 1/3 c. coconut cream
• 4 oz. light rum
• 6-8 ice cubes

Garnish: Fresh pineapple slices

How to make the recipe

STEP 1: 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.

Tip: This would work the same to make normal sugar syrup replacing granulated white sugar in place of the monkfruit powder.

STEP 2: Place the frozen pineapple, pineapple juice, coconut cream, rum, and one-quarter cup simple syrup into a blender and blend until smooth.

Recipe tips

You can use fresh, frozen, or canned pineapple for this recipe. For best results, use fresh pineapple that has been cut into chunks and frozen before blending.

Simple syrup is normally prepared using a 1:1 ratio of refined white sugar to water. In general, monkfruit sweetener is considered a 1:1 replacement for sugar, but in this case, a 1:2 ratio (one-part sweetener to two-parts water) works well because the pineapple is inherently sweet.

Mocktail version: Omit the rum and replace it with 1 oz. coconut cream and 3 oz. pineapple juice before blending.