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
Blender
$40 At Amazon
Reusable Storage Bags
$48 At Amazon
Coco Lopez Coconut Cream
$23 At Amazon
Luxardo Maraschino Cherries
$24 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
3 hours 45 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
½
6
2
8
1
2
3
Preparation
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 →