Classic Piña Coladas (Plus A Lower Calorie Recipe)

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The Piña Colada is a classic, frozen summer cocktail that blends white rum with the tropical flavors of pineapple and coconut. It's an indulgent summer cocktail and probably the most iconic vacation drink of all time.

These two easy Piña Colada recipes are simple but perfectly balanced and offer you a choice, whether you want the classic or a slightly lighter option.

Piña Coladas are creamy and decadent and have developed a reputation for leaning a bit too sweet, but they don’t have to be! Below is a traditional, but well-balanced recipe, as well as a lighter version for those days when you want something with the classic flavors but fewer calories and a little less sugar.

History of the Piña Colada

The Piña Colada was invented in the early 1950s in Puerto Rico by bartender Ramon Marrero. His delicious blend of rum with coconut and pineapple took off and has only grown in popularity, eventually becoming the official cocktail of Puerto Rico in 1978.

What does Piña Colada mean?

Piña colada translates to “strained pineapple,” which refers to the freshly pressed pineapple juice used in the original creation. Pressing and straining your own pineapple juice takes a bit of work, but it gives the best, freshest flavor, so I highly recommend trying it at least once!

Classic Piña Colada ingredients

The original Piña Colada was made with only white rum, pineapple juice, and cream of coconut, but modern recipes add freshly squeezed lime juice to balance the sweetness of the drink.

If you've ever had a Piña Colada that was too sweet, it was probably made with a mix. Making it with fresh pineapple and lime juices will add the acidity needed to balance the heaviness of the fat and the sweetness of the sugar in the cream of coconut.

White rum

While you can use any rum you have on hand, white rum is the first choice for this recipe. I usually opt for Plantation 3 Stars, which is a blend of three rums from Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad. Some other great rums for a Pina Colada are Flor de Caña Extra Dry 4 Year, Brugal Especial Extra Dry, or El Dorado 3 Year. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even try making your Piña Colada with rum's cousin, cachaca!

Cream of coconut

Cream of coconut is sweetened coconut cream that usually comes canned. There are many recipes on the internet for making your own, if you prefer. Keep in mind that cream of coconut is not the same as coconut cream. You can also pick up a can of a common brand like Coco Lopez at your local grocery store.

Pineapple juice

Pineapple juice is a primary ingredient here, so using freshly pressed juice is ideal. Fresh juice has a more vibrant flavor and is usually more tart, which helps the drink taste fresher. That being said, I always keep mini cans of pineapple juice in my fridge for cocktails. It's so convenient and pretty consistent in quality. If using canned or bottled pineapple juice instead of fresh, just be sure to use unsweetened.

Lime juice

While you can sub canned or bottled pineapple juice, freshly squeezed lime juice is a must! The difference between bottled and fresh citrus juice can make or break your cocktails. For one Piña Colada, you'll need a half ounce of lime juice, which is about half of a lime.

Here's the recipe specs for a classic Piña Colada:

• 2 oz white rum
• 3 oz pineapple juice
• 1 cream of coconut
• ½ oz lime juice

To make a frozen Piña Colada, add all ingredients with about a half cup of crushed ice to a blender and blend on high until smooth. Pour the cocktail into a tall glass and garnish with a wedge of pineapple and a cocktail cherry.

What glass should it be served in?

I always thought it was served in a Hurricane glass, but it turns out that the Piña Colada is actually meant to be served in a Poco Grande glass, which looks similar but is somewhat smaller and has a longer stem.

Of course, if you don’t have a Poco Grande glass hanging around, or even a Hurricane glass, you can use any glass you have on hand! Some great substitutes are a highball glass or even a wine glass.

How to make a lighter Piña Colada

If you want a lighter version, the first step is to cut back on the rum a little bit. My Light Piña Colada uses 1 ½ ounces of white rum instead of a full 2 ounce pour, shaving off about 30 calories.

You could even reduce the rum to 1 ounce, but I don’t recommend this because then you won’t be able to taste the liquor. And I enjoy tasting my rum!

Next, we’ve reduced the pineapple juice and the cream of coconut by half, and then added a splash of coconut milk. The result is a deliciously creamy cocktail that doesn’t feel quite as heavy, and has nearly half the calories.

How many calories are in a lighter Piña Colada?

The total number of calories will depend on things like freshly pressed pineapple juice vs. canned or the brand of prepared coconut milk you use, but generally speaking this Light Piña Colada has about 180 calories. The full fledged version clocks in closer to 300.

How to make a virgin Piña Colada

Making a non-alcoholic Piña Colada couldn't be easier. Simply omit the rum and you'll have a perfect Piña Colada mocktail!

You may also enjoy these other rum cocktails:

• The Original Hurricane Recipe
• Coconut Daiquiri
• Classic Daiquiri
• Saffron Honey Rum Old Fashioned

Classic Pina Coladas (Plus a Lighter Version!)

Amy Traynor Make a classic Pina Colada (that's not too sweet!) with just four simple ingredients. 5 from 2 votes Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 3 minutes minsTotal Time 3 minutes mins Course DrinksCuisine American Servings 1 cocktailCalories 288 kcal

Ingredients 1x2x3x

• 2 oz white rum
• 3 oz pineapple juice
• 1 oz cream of coconut
• ½ oz freshly squeezed lime juice

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a blender with 1 cup of ice.
• Blend on high until smooth, then pour into a Hurricane glass (or Poco Grande glass, if you have one).
• Garnish with pineapple leaves, a pineapple wedge, and a cocktail cherry.

Notes

Lighter Pina Colada

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz white rum
• 1.5 oz pineapple juice
• ½ oz cream of coconut
• ½ oz lime juice
• ½ oz coconut milk

Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a blender with 1 cup of ice. Blend on high until smooth, then pour into a Hurricane glass (or a Poco Grande glass, if you have one). Garnish with pineapple leaves, a pineapple wedge, and a cocktail cherry. Serving: 1 cocktail Calories: 180

Nutrition

Calories: 288kcal Keyword cream of coconut, pina colada, pineapple, rum,, tropical cocktails Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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