‘If you like pina colada…and getting caught in the rain.’
If you’re like me, then you can NOT even think about a pina colada without that song immediately playing in your head. Likely on repeat.
I wanted to do a cocktail recipe to celebrate this wonderful time of year, as one year is about to end and we have all that excitement and anticipation for the one ahead.
A vegan pina colada was the first drink to come to mind.
Okay, pina coladas are usually vegan, so maybe it’s redundant that I’m calling this a ‘vegan’ pina colada. But you know, sometimes dairy cream is also used in these drinks so I’m sticking to it. 
This vegan pina colada is a mix of malibu coconut rum, pineapple juice, coconut cream and ice, all blended up and then poured into cocktail glasses and served.
With a slice of pineapple at a jaunty angle on the side of the glass, of course. You’ve gotta have that.
Making the best vegan pina coladas
Fresh pineapple juice is the best to use. The type that has little pieces of pineapple in it! Nice and sweet and delicious.
If you can’t find it though (and don’t want to squeeze it yourself) then pineapple juice in a carton will work in a pinch and you can always blend in a couple of pieces of pineapple (optional) to create some texture.
Add coconut sugar if your end result isn’t sweet enough.
Once you’ve blended your ingredients, taste test and see if it’s sweet enough, if not, add in some coconut sugar and blend it again. It’s supposed to be sweet.
The sweetness should come from the pineapple juice but if your batch is a bit tart then add in the coconut sugar to balance it out.
You’ll love this vegan pina colada, it is:
- Creamy
- Refreshing
- Coconutty
- Super quick and easy
For more deliciously boozy vegan drinks, check out our vegan dom pedro, vegan kahlua coffee, vegan white russian, and vegan jello shots!
Enjoy! xx
Vegan Pina Colada
Ingredients
- ½ cup Malibu Coconut Rum (120ml)
- 2 cups Fresh Pineapple Juice (480ml)
- 1 cup Coconut Cream (240ml) Canned, Unsweetened
- 1 cup Ice
- 1-2 Tbsp Coconut Sugar Optional
Instructions
- Add the rum, pineapple juice, coconut cream and ice to the blender jug and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Taste test and add coconut sugar if needed.
- Pour into glasses, decorate with slices of fresh pineapple and serve.
Notes
- Ideally you want to use fresh pineapple juice that has little bits of pineapple in it. Really sweet and fresh pineapple juice. If you can't find any fresh pineapple juice then you can use any pineapple juice, and just add in a couple of slices of fresh pineapple for texture (optional).
- Coconut sugar is only needed if your pineapple juice isn't sweet enough. If your pineapple juice is a little on the tart side, then adding some coconut sugar will bring it to the perfect level of sweetness. Just taste test and see if you need it or not.
Can I use coconut milk instead of coconut cream? ????
Sure!
So, I usually like to not make any substitutions when trying a recipe… But believe it or not, I didn’t have ice and added frozen banana pieces.. It’s good! I love banana mind you. Thanks for the recipe, using ice as soon as it freezes lol
Oh awesome! So glad that was good too, thanks for sharing Beth!
Hi Alison,
Can’t thank you enough for all the delicious vegan recipes. It has made my transition so much easier.
I would like to try making a piña colada cake, any recommendations or tips? How can I make sure the batter and frosting have the piña colada taste without it being too liquidy due to pineapple juice and coconut cream?
Thanks in advance!
Val.
Hi Val, I would honestly just adapt a vegan vanilla cake and use a mix of coconut cream and pineapple juice instead of the non-dairy milk. Maybe serve it with pineapple slices and whipped coconut cream instead of frosting or make a pineapple/coconut frosting by adding pineapple juice instead of non-dairy milk to the frosting and maybe some coconut extract! All the best! 🙂
What type of coconut cream does this recipe calls for?
Full fat coconut cream from the can. 🙂
Super YUMMY !! 🙂 🙂 🙂
So yum! I love pina coladas!
ohh very nice Vegan Pina Colada looks and sounds delicious!!
I usually have regular rum on hand, but not coconut rum. Given the coconut cream in the recipe, do you think it would make much difference to use regular rum?
And is coconut rum usually based on white rum, amber or dark?
Hi, yes the malibu coconut rum is a white rum so using a different white rum would be fine. If you used a dark rum I think it would also be fine in terms of taste but would affect the color.