4 Ingredient Piña Coladas

If you like piña coladas…you’re going to love such a simple preparation! This piña colada recipe with coconut milk, lime juice, pineapple and rum evokes classic beach-y flavors that are SO refreshing. Ready in just 10 minutes with four ingredients!

History of the Pina Colada

Originally hailing from San Juan, the pina colada is a classic summertime drink full of refreshing pineapple flavor. Bartender Ramon Marrero invented it at the Caribe Hilton in 1954. In 1978, it was officially declared the national drink of Puerto Rico.

It’s never been my personal favorite (margaritas or mojitos are normally my summer drinks of choice), but this year creating cocktails has been a fun pastime for us with sheltering in place. With just four ingredients, it’s extremely customizable and easily nonalcoholic, too. The traditional drink does not contain lime, but in this version I like the brightness it brings (especially when the drink is frozen).

What’s in a pina colada?

• Frozen pineapple – either frozen from a can or out of a freezer bag
• Coconut milk/cream – for the creamy liquid base and tropical flavor
• 2 oz light rum– like Bacardi Silver (If you’d like a non-alcoholic version, I recommend substituting pineapple juice).
• Lime juice – for added tang

For serving I like to garnish with lime zest, fresh mint, and a pinch of salt.

How to Make a 4-Ingredient Pina Colada

1. In a high speed blender, combine pineapple, coconut milk, lime juice, rum, and salt.
2. Serve in cold glasses with garnishes of choice. Best consumed fresh.

When I took these photos I realized this looked like an alcoholic smoothie…which is basically is! Preparation is very minimal: you’ll add the ingredients to a blend, mix on high, and serve with some garnishes.

Cream of coconut adds a nice amount of body to this drink, so I recommend refrigerating the can for a couple hours before using. This way, some cream will form above the milk itself and you can scoop that out. Honestly, it does not make a huge difference either way, so no worries if you forget!

While I was trying to keep things minimal, there are a number of variations I think would be delicious. Feel free to try adding:

• Fresh ginger, for spice
• Basil in place of mint for a garnish
• A splash of sparkling water for fizz
• A “float” of dark rum (an added splash of rum on the top of the drink
• Mango for even more tropical flavor

I hope you enjoy this frozen pina colada recipe! Please let me know in the comments if you give it a shot.

If you’re looking for more summer drink ideas, try one of these next:

• Cucumber Melon Gin Fizz
• Salted Watermelon Margaritas
• Spiked Strawberry Limeade

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