Piña Colada Mocktail

This Virgin Piña Colada Mocktail is an easy non-alcohol cocktail recipe. It’s creamy, sweet, and tropical with a coconut and pineapple flavor. In less than 5 minutes, this tropical drink is ready to be enjoyed.

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Meet your new best friend for summer: pina colada mocktail, also known as a virgin pina colada. A delicious treat you can share with everyone, including kids. This recipe is alcohol-free but still very delicious, tropical, refreshing, and inviting.

WHAT IS A VIRGIN PINA COLADA MOCKTAIL?

A virgin pina colada is the same as a virgin pina colada mocktail – the non-alcohol version of pina colada. This recipe is as delicious as the classic pina colada but without alcohol. Yup, even kids can enjoy this drink. This cocktail recipe is the easiest to make alcohol-free because all you have to do is skip the rum. You don’t need to replace the rum with any other liquid.

But the opposite is also true. If you want to make the classic pina colada version with alcohol, you can simply add alcohol to this recipe without having to change the recipe. You can read more on that in the recipe card.

A delicious frosty cold and sweet drink with coconut and pineapple makes this a perfect recipe for parties or special occasions.

Piña Colada Mocktail in a tall hurricane glass decorated with a green paper umbrella, a pineapple chunk, lime, a cherry and a green paper straw on a marble cutting board on a white backdrop with slices of lime, and cherries next to the glass

INGREDIENTS FOR PINA COLADA MOCKTAIL

To make a pina colada mocktail, you will only need 5 ingredients and ice cubes.

Ice Cubes
This drink becomes thick and irresistibly frothy due to the number of ice cubes. For medium-sized ice cubes, use 32 ice cubes. This amount always hits the spot for this recipe.

Pineapple Chunks
For this recipe, I recommend fresh and very ripe pineapple chunks. Pineapple will give this mocktail that tropical flavor and sweetness.

Cream of Coconut
Cream of coconut is generally speaking not the same as coconut cream. This will add flavor (again, that tropical flavor) and sweetness, and it will give this drink a thick consistency.

Coconut Milk and Pineapple Juice
A delicious addition to this drink is coconut milk and pineapple juice. These are the liquid versions of the ingredients added before. It will flavor the mocktail and help the blender process the ice cubes.
If you can’t find pineapple juice in a carton box, try to look for the pineapple chunk in a can. The liquid in pineapple cans is a good pineapple juice to use.

Lime Juice
A bit of lime juice brightens all flavors and adds an irresistible zingy nuance to all the sweet flavors.

Ingredients for Piña Colada Mocktail on a white backdrop in several small bowls with text of the ingredients next to it

HOW TO MAKE PINA COLADA (step-by-step with photos)

Step 1.
Set out all ingredients you will use so you can easily place them one by one in a high-speed blender. Keep the ice cubes in the freezer until the last moment. I recommend a high-speed blender for this recipe as the ice can be tricky to blend. See the section about substations if you don’t have a high-speed blender.

Step 2.
Add the liquids and then the pineapple chunks to the blender. Finally, add the ice cubes..

Step 3.
Blend (on medium) for about 20 seconds until most of the ice is blended. Then pulse a few times or use a tamper. If you don’t have a tamper for your blender, use a spoon to stir the mocktail (ensure the container is off the base to avoid accidents!). Blend again.

It’s important that you don’t over-blend this. Blending this too much will create a substance like a smoothie, and the goal is to create an ice-cold frothy drink. Also, when blending this for too long or too powerful this drink will slowly but surely heat up. The texture should be between a thick smoothie and a slushy.

Blender view from the top with blended Piña Colada Mocktail
Blender view from the top with a black scoop showing the blended Piña Colada Mocktail

Step 4.
Traditionally a pina cola is served in a hurricane glass, but feel free to use any other tall glass or small glass you have. Garnish your drink with pineapple, lime wedges, a maraschino cherry, and a paper umbrella to keep your drink in the shade.

A tall hurricane glass with Piña Colada Mocktail with a container from a blender pouring in more Piña Colada on a marble cutting board on a white backdrop
Piña Colada Mocktail in a tall hurricane glass on a marble cutting board on a white backdrop with cherries, slices of lime and pineapple next to it
Piña Colada Mocktail in a tall hurricane glass on a marble cutting board on a white backdrop with a green paper umbrella and a cherry in the mocktail
For all quantities, see the recipe card below.

SUBSTITUTIONS

Pineapple
For this recipe, you can use fresh or frozen pineapple chunks. My preference is fresh pineapple chunks because they can ripe a bit longer. I recommend very ripe pineapple chunks for this recipe. If you use frozen pineapple chunks, use fewer ice cubes than the recipe calls for.

Coconut Milk
If you can’t find coconut milk, you can use coconut water instead, but the mocktail might be a bit less creamy.

High-Speed Blender
If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you can make the mocktail in a regular blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and let it sit in the freezer for about an hour. Then serve it with two tablespoons of finely crushed ice.

Pineapple Juice
It would be best to use pineapple juice in this recipe to bring out the pineapple flavor, but if you can’t find pineapple juice, you could try orange juice, passion fruit juice, or grapefruit juice instead.

And finally, if you want to turn this non-alcohol pina colada into a classic pina colada with alcohol, add ¼ cup (60 ml) of white rum.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COCONUT CREAM AND CREAM OF COCONUT?

Cream of coconut is not the same as the coconut cream you use for a curry. Cream of coconut is sweetened coconut cream with the consistency of a very thick syrup. It looks like sweetened condensed milk, and it’s often used in cocktails.

If you can’t find cream of coconut in your grocery store, you can use coconut cream and mix in maple syrup. The mocktail will taste just as delicious.

And if you are not vegan, you can try to replace this with condensed milk if you can’t find coconut cream or cream of coconut. But as a vegan, I don’t have any experience with this.

Tip: cream of coconut is often used in cocktail recipes, so try to search for this in the wine/cocktail/drinks aisle.

TIPS FOR MAKING A PINA COLADA MOCKTAIL

This recipe is all about the texture. It should be cold and frothy and thick but almost melting.

Tip 1.
To create a thick texture, it’s essential to use the right amount of ice. The more ice, the thicker the pina colada will be.

You can also create a thicker consistency by blending the mocktail and then placing it in the freezer for about 20 minutes. After that, take it out and blend it again for 3 seconds in a high-speed blender.

Another tip is to add half a frozen banana to create a smooth, thick, and frothy texture.

And finally, if this recipe is not creamy enough for you or you would like an even more stronger coconut flavor, swap the ratio of coconut milk and cream of coconut.

Tip 2.
Keep the ingredients in the fridge. If the ingredients are warm, you might need more ice cubes.

Tip 3.
This drink should be served immediately.

But when preparing for (or throwing) a party, it can be tricky to prepare this drink on the spot to serve it cold. You can solve this by making this mocktail recipe ahead. Pour the mocktail into a freezer bag and freeze until you are ready to make the mocktail.

To serve it, let it thaw for about 5 minutes and give it a quick spin in the blender.

If you have super fresh pineapple on your kitchen counter but are not ready to make this mocktail recipe, slice it into chunks and place it in a bag to freeze. This will stop the ripening, and you will have the perfect pineapple chunks for your mocktail recipe later. Freshly frozen pineapple can be kept in the freezer for about 3 months.

Piña Colada Mocktail in a tall hurricane glass decorated with a green paper umbrella, a pineapple chunk, a cherry and a green paper straw on a marble cutting board on a white backdrop with slices of lime, pineapple and cherries next to the glass

OPTIONAL PINA COLADA FLAVORS

If you tried the recipe below and want to experiment a bit with the flavor, try out the following flavor options:

A few mint leaves will give this pina colada a refreshing spin on the tropical flavors.

Spices are quite often used in many cocktail recipes. While nutmeg is often used in eggnog recipes or as a garnish for cocktails, it adds a delicious variation to the nutty flavor of coconut.

More summer recipes:

Let me know if you love this pina colada mocktail recipe as much as I do! Leave a comment, a star rating below, and tag me on Instagram @thegreencreator with your recreations.

Piña Colada Mocktail in a tall hurricane glass decorated with a green paper umbrella, a pineapple chunk, a cherry and a green paper straw on a marble cutting board on a white backdrop with text over it for Pinterest
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Piña Colada Mocktail in a tall hurricane glass decorated with a green paper umbrella, a pineapple chunk, a cherry and a green paper straw on a marble cutting board on a white backdrop

Piña Colada Mocktail

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  • Author: Bianca
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 5
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 1 tall hurricane glass or 34 smaller servings 1x
  • Category: drinks
  • Method: blender
  • Cuisine: Puerto Rico
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This Virgin Piña Colada Mocktail is an easy non-alcohol cocktail recipe. It’s creamy, sweet, and tropical with a coconut and pineapple flavor. In less than 5 minutes, this tropical drink is ready to be enjoyed.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups ice (equals 32 ice cubes)
  • 90 grams or ~ ½ cup super ripe pineapple chunks
  • 1/3 cup or 80 grams cream of coconut, chilled*
  • 1/3 cup and 2 tablespoons or 100 ml coconut milk, chilled
  • 2 tablespoons or 30 ml pineapple juice, chilled
  • 1 tablespoon or 14 ml lime juice, chilled

For serving:
Maraschino cherries
Lime wedges
Pineapple slices


Instructions

Set out all ingredients so you can easily place them one by one in a high-speed blender. Keep the ice cubes in the freezer until the last moment.

Add the liquids and then the pineapple chunks to the blender. Finish with the ice cubes.

Blend (on medium) for about 20 seconds until most of the ice is blended. Then pulse a few times or use a tamper. If you don’t have a tamper for your blender, stop the blender and use a spoon (safely!) to stir the mocktail. Then blend again.

You have to be careful not to blend this mocktail too much. Blending this for too long or too powerful will create a mocktail with a less frothed texture, and the drink will also slowly but surely heat up in the blender. The texture should be between a thick smoothie and a slushy.

A pina cola should be served in a hurricane glass, but feel free to use any other tall glass or small glass you have.

Garnish your drink with pineapple, lime wedges, a maraschino cherry, and a paper umbrella.



Notes

Cream of coconut is often used in cocktail recipes, so try to search for this in the wine/cocktail/drink aisle.

If you can’t find sweetened cream of coconut, use coconut cream with 1 1/3 tablespoons or 20 ml maple syrup.

To make this mocktail ahead, freeze the entire batch in a freezer bag for later. To serve it, let it thaw for about 5 minutes and give it a quick spin in the blender.

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