Virgin Pina Colada Recipe

This virgin pina colada recipe is a non-alcoholic version of the popular tropical smoothie. With only 3-ingredients and some ice, you’ll be sipping on this refreshing pina colada mocktail in no time!

Want more summer drinks? Try my Brazilian Lemonade, Orange Julius Recipe, Frosted Lemonade, Caribbean Slush, or Coconut Limeade.

Recipe Features

This family-friendly virgin pina colada recipe is a favorite for kids and adults a like. Why?

• Easy to Make: Simply blend the ingredients together in a blender and your pina colada mocktail is ready to be enjoyed in less than 5 minutes!
• Nonalcoholic: These are virgin pina coladas because there is no alcohol in them, so anyone can enjoy them!
• Tropical Vibes: Sipping on this pineapple and coconut smoothie makes you feel like you’re on a tropical beach vacation.
• Customizable: Switch out the frozen fruit to make other flavor variations of this popular drink.

Virgin Pina Colada Ingredients

What is a Piña Colada? The traditional pina colada cocktail is made with rum, cream of coconut, and freshly strained pineapple juice. Piña coladas can be made either blended or shaken with ice.

We prefer the blended smoothie version, without alcohol, because we don’t drink.

For this virgin pina colada recipe you’ll need four ingredients total:

• Pineapple Juice – For pineapple flavor. Also helps blend the drink together with the frozen ingredients.
• Cream of Coconut – For coconut flavor and sweetness. This nonalcoholic cocktail syrup is sweet, creamy, and big on coconut flavor.
• Frozen Pineapple – For extra fruit flavor and a frozen texture.
• Ice – Balances the sweetness of the other ingredients, and blends the drink into a frozen, smoothie-like texture.

Cream of Coconut

While some pina colada recipes may use coconut milk or coconut cream — and may or may not have added sweeteners, cream of coconut is pre-sweetened and ready to use as-is.

What is cream of coconut? Cream of coconut is a sweet coconut syrup made with sugar and coconut milk. It’s NOT the same as coconut cream, which is just the fat from coconut milk.

It’s a lot like a sweetened condensed milk, but coconut flavored. Cream of coconut is what makes this pina colada recipe a mocktail, instead of just a smoothie.

There are two brands of cream of coconut that I see consistently in the store:

• Coco Real
• Coco Lopez

You can find cream of coconut in the aisle with the alcoholic mixers, but the syrup itself is nonalcoholic.

NOTE: While either of these brands work well, be aware that the Coco Lopez cream of coconut in a can may look separated — solid on top with syrup underneath. That’s totally normal! Just empty it out of the can and whisk it back together with a fork. Be sure to refrigerate what you don’t use.

How to make a Pina Colada Mocktail

1. Add the pineapple juice, cream of coconut, frozen pineapple chunks, and ice to a blender.
2. Process on high until smooth. About 40-60 seconds. Serve immediately.

This recipe makes two 14-oz drinks. If making more drinks for a crowd, just repeat the process. Don’t overfill your blender.

Recipe Tips and Information

• Add the liquids to the blender first and the frozen ingredients last. This just helps the mixture blend more quickly. The liquids and solids should be at about the same level inside the blender.
• Use a high powered blender like a Blendtec or Vitamix to get the smoothest drink.
• Chill the glasses in the fridge or freezer for 5-10 minutes beforehand to prevent the virgin pina coladas from melting too quickly.
• Prep the garnishes before making the drink so they’re ready to go. I used pineapple wedges and maraschino cherries, but you can also use little cocktail umbrellas.
• Leftovers don’t store well because the mixture will melt and possibly split. If you have leftovers, store them in the fridge for 1-2 days and re-blend the mixture with some ice before enjoying them.

Pina Colada Variations

I originally posted this recipe as a virgin blackberry pina colada. You can see how far my photography has come since then.

To make fruity variations like this, simply swap the frozen pineapple for another frozen fruit like:

• Frozen Blackberries
• Frozen Raspberries
• Frozen Strawberries

You could even make a mango colada mocktail. Think of all the fun flavor combinations!

If You Make This Recipe, Please Rate and Review it in the Comments Below. THANKS!

*Originally published 4/19/2012. Post updated May 2023.