The recipe
for your table
Put all ingredients in the blender.
Blend for 20 to 30 seconds until smooth and thick.
Pour into a pineapple glass or hurricane glass.
Garnish generously: pineapple, cherry, little umbrella - with a virgin, anything goes.
The story
The 'Piña Colada' - literally 'strained pineapple' - already existed in Cuba and Puerto Rico as a non-alcoholic drink made with fresh pineapple juice before rum was ever added. The virgin version is therefore actually the original form. With the worldwide rise of mindful drinking - premium 0.0 options are one of the fastest-growing beverage categories - the Virgin Colada is back after essentially never having gone away: it is now a standard on children's menus and cocktail lists alike. Same blender, same glass, everyone happy.
The right glass
With a mocktail in particular, the glass does the work: serve the Virgin Colada in a pineapple-shaped glass or a tall tropical glass of around 50 cl and no one will ask where the rum is. The thick, creamy texture calls for a wide straw and a sturdy glass. For children's parties and pregnant guests, this is the most appreciated serve on the menu. If you would like a classic tropical shape alongside the pineapple glass, take a look at our hurricane glasses.
Pineapple Cocktail Glass 40 cl
Onis Tiki Long Drink Glass 53 cl Pineapple (6 pieces)
Together € 56,90.
The right tools
For a Virgin Piña Colada, besides the glass you use a jigger for precise measuring and glass straws. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools — together € 55,85.
Variations & twists
Adding frozen banana turns it into a tropical smoothie, while a splash of lime juice makes it fresher and less sweet. Using coconut water instead of some of the milk makes it lighter. Toasted coconut flakes as a garnish add the finishing touch to the holiday feeling. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Use frozen pineapple chunks instead of some of the ice: this makes it extra full-flavored, and it will never be watery. A little lime juice keeps all that sweetness in balance.
The difference between this and the Pina Colada with rum
The original contains 5 cl white rum, and that is the only difference: the 8 cl pineapple juice, 4 cl cream of coconut, and 2 cl coconut milk remain exactly the same, as does the blending time of twenty to thirty seconds. What you miss is the slight sharpness that rum brings to balance all that sweetness. A centiliter of fresh lime juice does largely the same job. Historically, the alcohol-free version is actually the oldest: strained pineapple with coconut was already being drunk in Puerto Rico and Cuba before rum was added.
Cream of coconut or coconut milk: which should you choose?
The two are not interchangeable. Cream of coconut from a bottle is sweetened and contains around 20 grams of sugar per 100 grams; it provides the thickness and sweetness this mocktail relies on. Canned coconut milk is unsweetened and much thinner, with about 17 percent fat in the full-fat version. The recipe uses both: 4 cl cream of coconut for body and 2 cl coconut milk or cream to keep it drinkable. Using only coconut milk makes it watery, while using only cream of coconut makes it cloyingly sweet. Always shake the bottle well, as the coconut fat settles.
No blender: here's how to make it anyway
No blender at home? No problem. Shake 8 cl pineapple juice, 4 cl cream of coconut, and 2 cl coconut milk vigorously with a handful of ice cubes for fifteen seconds, then strain into a glass filled with crushed ice. It will be slightly less thick than the blended version, but fresher. Even better: use frozen pineapple chunks instead of some of the ice and mash them first with a fork. An immersion blender in a tall container works great too, as long as you break up the ice roughly beforehand.
Make it less sweet
This mocktail can easily reach thirty grams of sugar per glass, mainly because of the coconut cream and pineapple juice. To reduce that, replace 2 cl of the coconut cream with full-fat coconut milk and add 1 cl of fresh lime juice; the acidity immediately reduces the perceived sweetness. Also choose pineapple juice with no added sugar, or juice a fresh pineapple. A pinch of sea salt on the foam works surprisingly well: salt suppresses sweetness and brings out the coconut flavor.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a Virgin Pina Colada?
A Virgin Pina Colada contains 8 cl pineapple juice, 4 cl coconut cream, 2 cl coconut milk or cream and a cup of crushed ice, blended for twenty to thirty seconds until smooth and thick. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and a cocktail cherry. Nothing else: rum is the only thing missing.
What is the difference from a regular Pina Colada?
Only the rum. The proportions of pineapple juice and coconut cream remain the same, as do the blending time and garnish. The alcohol-free version is also the original form: in Cuba and Puerto Rico, strained pineapple already existed before rum was added, see Pina Colada.
Can you make a Virgin Pina Colada without a blender?
Yes: shake the pineapple juice, coconut cream and coconut milk vigorously with a handful of ice, then strain it over fresh crushed ice. It will be slightly less thick than the blended version, but the flavor remains. Frozen pineapple chunks in place of some of the ice make it fuller after all.
Which glass do you use for a Virgin Pina Colada?
A pineapple-shaped glass or a tall tropical glass of about 50 cl, with a wide straw: especially with a mocktail, the glass does half the work. Children feel grown-up drinking from it, and pregnant guests can join in fully, drinking from the same glass as everyone else at the table.
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