This article was co-authored by Ollie George Cigliano. Ollie George Cigliano is a Private Chef, Food Educator, and Owner of Ollie George Cooks, based in Long Beach, California. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in utilizing fresh, fun ingredients and mixing traditional and innovative cooking techniques. Ollie George holds a BA in Comparative Literature from The University of California, Berkeley, and a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from eCornell University.
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Cool, refreshing, and a breeze to make, the piña colada is the official drink of Puerto Rico. Made with coconut cream and pineapple juice, the virgin version is just as delicious as the original. If you want to know how to make an alcohol-free version of this fruity beverage, see Step 1.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream of coconut
- 4 ounces pineapple juice
- 2 cups ice
- 2 slices pineapple and maraschino cherries for garnish
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
- 8 ounces pineapple juice
- 4 ounces coconut milk
- 2 cups ice
- 2 slices pineapple, for garnish
- 4 ounces cream of coconut
- 4 ounces pineapple juice
- 1 cup berries, chopped
- 2 cups ice
- Sliced berries, for garnish
Steps
Classic Piña Colada
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1Put the cream of coconut, ice, and pineapple juice in a blender. This drink comes together quickly when you add all the ingredients at once. Reserve the pineapple slices, though - those are for the garnish.
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2Blend until the ice is crushed. It might take several pulses to get the creamy texture of a classic piña colada.Advertisement
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3Pour it into two glasses. You can use hurricane glasses for a festive feel.
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4Garnish with a pineapple slice and a maraschino cherry.[1] Float the pineapple rings on top of the drinks and put the cherries in the middle of the rings.
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5Finished.
Banana Piña Colada
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1Blend the ice, pineapple juice and coconut milk. Pulse the blender until the mixture is nice and smooth. Keep going until it's rich and creamy.
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2Add the bananas and pineapple chunks. Pulse again to blend the mixture together until it has a smoothie-like texture.[2]
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3Pour it into two glasses. Since this banana piña colada is almost like a smoothie, you could pour it into two tall glasses. Add a couple of straws to make it easier to drink.
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4Garnish with sliced pineapple. The drink will look more festive if you place a few pineapple rings on the edge of the glasses.
Berry Piña Colada
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1Blend the ice, coconut cream and pineapple juice. Keep pulsing until it's completely smooth and creamy.
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2Add the berries. You can use strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or a combination of all three! Blend the berries with the creamy base to create a colorful drink.
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3Pour it into two glasses. Use clear glasses so you can appreciate the pretty color of your fruity piña colada.
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4Garnish with a few sliced berries on top. Enjoy your drink with a straw.
Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow do you stop pina coladas from separating?
Ollie George CiglianoOllie George Cigliano is a Private Chef, Food Educator, and Owner of Ollie George Cooks, based in Long Beach, California. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in utilizing fresh, fun ingredients and mixing traditional and innovative cooking techniques. Ollie George holds a BA in Comparative Literature from The University of California, Berkeley, and a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from eCornell University.
Private Chef & Food EducatorCombine pineapple, coconut cream, syrup and the juice of 1/2 a lime. Transfer it to an airtight container and leave it in the freezer for at least one hour. Combine the mixture with 3 shots of coconut water and add ice. Blend until thick and slushy. Done! -
QuestionHow do I stop the drink from curdling?
Community AnswerIf you use a slow setting on your blender, the drink should not curdle. -
QuestionCan I use coconut milk to make a Pina Colada?
Community AnswerYes, coconut cream is just thicker and sweeter, but it will taste basically the same.
Things You'll Need
- Blender
- Can opener
References
- ↑ Ollie George Cigliano. Private Chef & Food Educator. Expert Interview. 31 January 2022.
- ↑ http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/virgin_banana_pina_colada.html
- ↑ Ollie George Cigliano. Private Chef & Food Educator. Expert Interview. 31 January 2022.
- ↑ Ollie George Cigliano. Private Chef & Food Educator. Expert Interview. 31 January 2022.
- Mom's Best Recipes Volume III by Shirley McNevich at the Internet Archive
About This Article
To make a virgin piña colada, add 4 ounces cream of coconut, 4 ounces pineapple juice, and 2 cups of ice to your blender. Blend this mixture until it is creamy and then garnish with a pineapple slice and maraschino cherry. For a banana piña colada, blend 4 ounces of coconut cream, 8 ounces of pineapple juice, and 2 cups of ice until it smooth. Then, add 8 ounces of freshly chopped pineapple chunks and 2 bananas and blend again. This recipe makes 2 portions and should be about the texture of a smoothie. Serve and enjoy! If you want to learn how to incorporate berries in your pina colada, keep reading!
