Pina colada ice cream

This pina colada ice cream takes your favorite summer cocktail and turns it into an amazing ice cream. With the flavors you love of pineapple and coconut and just enough rum to give it an authentic pina colada taste and keep it scoopable straight from the freezer.

Who doesn't love a refreshing and creamy pina colada cocktail on a hot summers day? It is such a perfect combination of pineapple and coconut and just sings of sunshine and summer days. Whenever I have some left over pineapple juice after cooking with pineapple I always whip myself up a pina colada to have with dinner. And I always have the pina colada song going through my head! So it just made sense to turn this tasty drink into a delicious ice cream.

And there's really a not of lot of extra ingredients needed to go from cocktail to ice cream. Some extra sugar for sweetness, a little tapioca starch to help keep everything where it should be and some toasted coconut on top for texture. The run already helps keep this ice cream scoopable straight from the freezer but you can make it virgin pina colada style instead with out the alcohol if you prefer.

Ingredients

Crushed pineapple: this recipe uses a tin of crushed pineapple. This helps add texture and flavor to the ice cream. You could use the same amount of tinned pineapple pieces or slices if you can't get crushed pineapple. At a pinch you could try using the same amount of pineapple juice. I don't recommend using fresh pineapple as it will be a lot more fibrous and the pineapple would have to be very ripe. If you try it out let me know!

Coconut milk: full fat coconut milk helps give that characteristic coconut taste to this ice cream. I don't recommend using low fat coconut milk, it will make your ice cream more icy.

Coconut rum: gives flavor to this ice cream and helps keep it scoopable straight from the freezer. I use Malibu in this recipe but you could use any coconut rum you like with alcohol volume of about 21%. Don't add more than about three tablespoons (45mls) or your ice cream may not freeze at all. You could also use a stronger 40% alcohol and reduce the volume to two tablespoons (30mls) but this will reduce the flavor of the alcohol in the ice cream.

You can also leave out the alcohol all together if you prefer but your ice cream may freeze rather firm unless you replace it with a a little glucoses syrup (about 1 teaspoon (7.5gms).

Cream: this recipe uses thickened cream. You could also use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. Whatever you use needs to have a fat contact of about 35%. For a vegan option you could try replacing the cream with coconut cream, however your ice cream is likely to be more icy with less body due to the lower solids and fat content.

White sugar: this recipe uses white sugar which keeps the flavors nice and clean and allows the pineapple and coconut to shine.

Tapioca starch: is a natural and accessible way of both thickening and stabalsing the ice cream. If you can't get tapioca starch you can use arrow root powder or corn flour in the same volume.

Shredded coconut (optional): some toasted shredded coconut sprinkled over the top really adds to the flavor of this ice cream but you can leave it off if you prefer.

How to make pina colada ice cream

Open the tin of crushed pineapple and empty into a deep bowl or jug you can use a stick/immersion blender in. Blend well until the pineapple is smooth. Put the blended pineapple into a small pot on the stove. Simmer on a low heat, stirring often until the pineapple has reduced to about one cup (250ml). Remove from heat and allow to cool, then transfer to a heatproof jug or container that will hold about four cups (1 liter) of liquid.

Add the tapioca starch to a small bowl. Measure out your coconut milk and add about two table spoons of the coconut milk to the tapioca starch. Mix well to form a slurry.

Put the white sugar and coconut milk to a small pot on the stove (this is separate to the pot with the pineapple in it reducing). Put on a medium heat until is just starts to bubble, stirring well to dissolve all the sugar. Reduce the heat to low and add the tapioca starch slurry. Mix well and continue to cook for a couple of minutes. Remove from head and allow to cool. Add to the jug with the cooled, reduced pineapple.

Add the cream to the ice cream mix. Cut the lime in half and juice. Measure the lime juice and add to jug with ice cream mix. Measure and add the coconut rum to the mix. Stir well and put in the fridge for about four hours or until well chilled.

Put your storage container in the freezer to chill. If using a self refrigerating ice cream machine turn it on about ten minutes before churning, other wise take your bowl out of the freezer just before churning.

Churn the ice cream. It will be the consistency of soft serve when done. Working quickly transfer churned ice cream to chill container. Cover and return to freezer for about four hours or until firm.

How to serve the ice cream

To sever the ice cream remove from the freezer, scoop and enjoy. Fabulous on its own, with some toasted shredded coconut sprinkled on top, or over some of my grilled pineapple. Delicious!

How to store the ice cream

This ice cream will store well in and air tight container in the freezer for up to two weeks. After this the ice cream may start to become a little icy, but will still taste delicious.

Have you made this recipe? Tell me how it went in the comments below and tag me on instagram so I can see your delicious creations! @keep_calm_and_eat_icecream

Looking for more yummy dessert recipies?

Why not try making

• Pina colada popsicles
• Grilled pineapple
• Pineapple, orange and ginger popsicles
• Banana ice cream
• Pandan ice cream

📋 Recipe

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Pina colada ice cream

This pina colada ice cream takes your favorite tropical summer cocktail and turns it into an amazing ice cream. With the flavors you love of pineapple and coconut and just enough coconut rum to give it an authentic pina colada taste and keep it scoopable straight from the freezer.

Prep Time30 mins

Freezing time4 hrs

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Austalian

Keyword: cocktail dessert, pina colada, pineapple coconut dessert, pineapple coconut ice cream

Equipment

• ice cream maker
• immersion/stick blender or food processor

Ingredients

Pina colada ice cream

• 1 tin (15oz/ 432gms) crushed pineapple in juice
• 1 cup (250mls) full fat coconut milk
• 1 cup (250mls) thickened cream *or heavey cream or heavy whipping cream
• ½ cup (120gms) white or castor sugar
• 2 tablespoons (30mls) freshly squeeze lime juice
• 3 tablespoons (45mls) coconut rum such as Malibu (21%)
• 2 teaspoons (5gms) tapioca starch

Optional coconut topping

• ½ cup shredded coconut

Instructions

• Open the tin of crushed pineapple and put into a jug or deep bowl you can use an immersion/stick blender into and blitz crushed pineapple until smooth. Alternatively you can blend the pineapple in a food processor.
• Put the blended pineapple into a small pot on the stove. Simmer on a low heat, stirring often until the pineapple has reduced to about one cup (250ml). Remove from heat and allow to cool, then transfer to a heatproof jug or container that will hold about four cups (1 ltr) of liquid.
• Put the tapioca starch into a small bowl. Measure out the coconut milk and add about two tablespoons to the tapioca starch. Mix well to form a slurry.
• Add the sugar and coconut milk to another small pot. Stir well and heat until mix just starts to bubble.
• Reduce heat to low, add tapioca starch slurry and stir well. Continue to cook for another minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
• Cut and juice the limes and measure out the lime juice
• Add the cooled coconut milk mix to blitzed pineapple. Add cream, lime juice and coconut rum. Mix well and chill in fridge for four hours or until well chilled.
• Put your ice cream storage container into the freezer to chill.
• If using a self refrigerating ice cream machine, turn it on for about ten minutes to chill be churning your ice cream.
• Remove ice cream from fridge and give it a stir.
• Churn your ice cream. It will be the consistency of soft serve when done.
• Transfer to churned ice cream to chilled storage container. Cover and freeze for about four hours or until firm.
• To make the coconut topping head a frying pan on medium heat. Dry cook the coconut until golden brown and toasted, then remove from heat and allow to cool.
• To serve remove from the freezer, scoop and enjoy. Fabulous on its own or with some toasted shredded coconut sprinkled over the top. Delicious!

Notes

This recipe uses coconut rum to help give the Pina Colada taste.  You can leave it out but your ice cream may freeze and little firm unless you replace it with some glucoses syrup (about 1 teaspoon (7.5gms).

You can use a different alcohol but don't all more than three tablespoons (45mls) of 21% alcohol or two table spoons (30mls) of 40% alcohol.

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