Virgin Pina Colada

Michael Eisenwasser

Print Recipe

A blender pina colada without the rum, made with fresh pineapple and canned light coconut milk instead of a commercial mix.

Prep 5 min

Cook 1 min

Serves 1

Gluten-freeDairy-freeVegan

Ingredients

• 1 cup (140 g) fresh pineapple chunks, chilled
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) canned light coconut milk, well shaken
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup, to taste
• 1 cup ice cubes
• Pineapple wedge and a lime wheel, for garnish

Instructions

Blend

1. Add the pineapple, light coconut milk, lime juice, maple syrup, and ice to a blender.
2. Blend on high for 20 to 30 seconds until completely smooth and slushy. Scrape down the sides once if any pineapple chunks stick.

Taste

1. Taste and adjust. Add another teaspoon of maple syrup if the pineapple is tart, or an extra squeeze of lime if the coconut tastes too rich.

Serve

1. Pour into a chilled tall glass or hurricane glass.
2. Notch a pineapple wedge and a lime wheel onto the rim. Serve with a straw.

Tips & Substitutions

• Use light coconut milk, not coconut cream. Monash lists canned light coconut milk as low-FODMAP at 1/2 cup per serve, while regular coconut cream caps out at a much smaller portion. Product formulations vary by brand, so if you're in elimination phase or particularly sensitive, start with 1/4 cup coconut milk plus 1/4 cup cold water and adjust from there.
• Skip "cream of coconut" entirely. Bar-style cream of coconut products like Coco Lopez are loaded with added sugar and often list high-fructose corn syrup or inulin. The light coconut milk plus maple syrup combo recreates the same sweet-creamy profile without the extra FODMAP load.
• No commercial pina colada mix. Bottled mixes often contain high-FODMAP sweeteners and additives (inulin, apple or pear juice concentrate, large pours of fruit juice) and make it easy to exceed a low-FODMAP serve without realizing it. Starting from fresh pineapple keeps the per-serve load predictable.
• Fresh or frozen pineapple is simplest. Fresh chunks or unsweetened frozen pineapple are the easiest way to stay within a Monash-tested serve. If you're using canned pineapple, drain it well (rinse if possible), skip the packing juice, and stick to a 1 cup (140 g) portion.
• Maple syrup, not honey or agave. Pure maple syrup is low-FODMAP in the amount this drink uses. Honey and agave are fructose-dominant at any meaningful pour and will push the drink high-FODMAP before you blend.
• If some people want rum. Add 1.5 ounces of white rum to the blender with everything else and you have the full cocktail. One recipe, one blender, two drink options for the table.
• Batch for a party. Multiply every ingredient by the number of guests and blend in batches that fit your pitcher. Hold the ice back until the final blend so the drinks don't water down while waiting.

Why This Works

Pineapple is low-FODMAP at 1 cup fresh. Monash lists fresh pineapple as low-FODMAP at 140 grams, which is right around 1 cup of chunks. That's a full serve of fruit flavor without tipping into the excess-fructose range that larger portions hit.

Canned light coconut milk gives body without the coconut cream problem. Monash lists canned light coconut milk as low-FODMAP at 1/2 cup per serve. Regular coconut cream caps out much lower, and cream of coconut products stack added sugars on top. Light coconut milk at a half cup delivers the creamy texture a pina colada needs while staying well within gut tolerance.

Maple syrup handles the sweetener role. Pure maple syrup is sucrose-dominant and low-FODMAP at the teaspoon or two this drink uses. Honey and agave are both fructose-heavy and would push the drink high-FODMAP on their own.

No bar mix, no juice concentrate. Commercial pina colada mixes often stack high-fructose corn syrup, apple or pear juice concentrate, inulin, and large pours of fruit juice, which makes it easy to exceed a low-FODMAP serve. Building the drink from whole pineapple and plain coconut milk keeps the per-serve FODMAP load predictable.

Storage

Best made to order so the drink stays cold and slushy. If you're prepping ahead, you can blend the pineapple, coconut milk, lime, and maple syrup without the ice and hold the base in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 24 hours at 40°F (4°C) or below. Shake or re-blend with the ice just before serving so the texture comes back. Leftover canned light coconut milk keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Not sure about an ingredient? FODMAP Tracker includes a database of 1,000+ foods with FODMAP ratings to help you cook with confidence.