Virgin Pina Colada Smoothie

When you are thinking about virgin pina colada smoothie, you probably think about beaches, palm trees, and beautiful vacations in warm climates. It makes sense as we all relate pina colada with the sea beach. Even the ingredients of pina colada are prepared with tropical fruits. 

Pina colada is a Spanish word that means strained pineapple. However, we all think it’s difficult to create such a drink, and the drink is alcoholic. That is why I prepared a fantastic non-alcoholic version of pina colada, which can be a necessary holiday treat! Everyone will love to enjoy this incredible drink in the summertime!  

This excellent summertime special drink is prepared with fresh tropical fruit pineapple juice, creamy coconut milk, and shaken well with ice. A perfect creamy, cool, frosty, sweet, and refreshing mocktail you can have in your summer BBQ party that everyone can enjoy! 

Check out the other smoothie recipes:

• Day 1 Green Smoothie Detox
• Day 2 Orange Creamsicle Smoothie
• Day 3 Apple Pie Smoothie
• Day 4 Peach Mango Smoothie

Why is Virgin Pina Colada Smoothie Is The Best Homemade Drink?

• It is naturally vegan-friendly, gluten-free, non-alcoholic, and Paleo.
• It is free from allergic foods like dairy, soy, egg, peanut, wheat, sesame, corn, nut, etc.
• No extra added sugar or sweetener is required to prepare it. 
• You can enjoy this summer drink with everyone, and even kids can have it. 
• It takes less than 5 minutes to prepare this yummy drink. 
• It needs only three ingredients, although sugar and ice are optional. 

Pineapple Health Benefits

Pineapple is a tropical fruit that is very delicious and also nutritious. It is originated from South America, and later they were named pineapple by European explorers. 

Pineapple is filled with vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, B6, fiber, manganese, copper, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, magnesium, etc. Those compounds found in pineapple are linked to many health-beneficial sides. 

They Are Full of Antioxidants

Pineapple is a great source of antioxidants, decreasing the risks of many chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases, and some cancers. Rich antioxidants like flavonoids and phenolic acids are found in pineapples too! And antioxidants work as bounds, making them last longer and give longer effects.

Can Improve Digestion

Pineapples have bromelain, a group of digestive enzymes. Those enzymes can break down protein molecules into amino acids and small peptides. These can aid our digestion and also solve pancreatic insufficiency. 

Decreases Cancer Risk

Again the digestive enzymes called bromelain from pineapples might have the ability to reduce the risk of cancers along with its antioxidants. Those compounds decrease oxidative stress and inflammation, which are linked to cancer. 

Boosts Immunity System and Suppresses Inflammation

The anti-inflammatory properties of pineapples can boost our immune system and suppress inflammation. All vitamins, enzymes, and minerals are responsible for boosting our immunity.

Ease Symptoms of Arthritis

People with common arthritis can get short-term symptom relief because of pineapples’ anti-inflammatory properties. Many studies have proof of bromelain’s effects on treating arthritis symptoms, so pineapple can easily do that.

Helps To Recover Faster After Surgery

Anti-inflammatory effects are also known to help us recover faster after surgery. Bromelain again has a great part in faster recovery after surgery, which is why many doctors suggest eating pineapple who went through surgery recently.

Coconut Milk Health Benefits

Coconut milk is actually the white stuff extracted from fresh, mature, and brown-colored coconuts. Coconut milk is heavily used in many dishes such as soups, desserts, and sauces. This item is very popular in Indian, Hawaiian, Thai, and South American cuisines. People also use coconut milk to sweeten and thicken savory sauces or add creaminess to desserts. 

Overall, coconut milk is a great vegan-friendly alternative to dairy milk, which does not contain lactose. Coconut milk is mostly water, as 94% of it is water, and it has very little fat. Still, it provides a good variety of health benefits because of its nutrients. Here are some health benefits that you should know,

• When we eat coconut milk, it can improve our cholesterol levels by decreasing LDL cholesterol and increasing HDL cholesterol. 
• Healthy fats called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs of coconut milk can promote weight loss by reducing appetite and boosting energy. 
• Coconut milk is pretty rich in vitamin C and E, and they are well known for their antioxidant properties. They can fight and kill free radicals as they are harmful to our cells, and also they have a role in fast-aging and in tumor growth.
• Potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium, also known as electrolytes, are present in coconut milk. They are linked to maintaining our normal heart rhythm and healthy muscle functioning. 
• Lauric acid is very well known for its antiseptic properties, and that is in coconut milk. Lauric acid can fight off infections caused by viruses, bacteria, and fungi.
• The significant amount of iron in coconut milk can help to form healthy red blood cells with balanced and normal hemoglobin levels.

History of Pina Colada

The pina colada drink first originated in 1954 from San Juan, Puerto Rico where it was prepared by a bartender named Ramón “Monchito” Marrero at the Caribe Hilton. After that, Puerto Rico made it their official drink in 1978. He prepared the combination of a fruity blend of rum, fresh pineapple juice, coconut cream, and boom, everyone’s favorite summer drink is born like that! 

A traditional pina colada is a blend of alcoholic cocktails where 3 parts of pineapple juice, 1 part of white rum, 1 part of the cream is coconut milk with sugar added and shaken well with ice. Typically you will see this in a hurricane glass topped with a maraschino cherry and pineapple wedge.

Ingredients for Virgin Pina Colada Smoothie

• Frozen or fresh pineapple: To prepare a thick frozen pina colada without ice, you need to use frozen pineapple. If you have fresh pineapple, you can prepare the drink with ice or cut it and freeze it before preparing the recipe. How To Peel A Pineapple?
• Pineapple juice: To achieve a thick frozen drink, then a touch of fresh 100% real pineapple juice will do the job of replacing the rum! Is Pineapple Juice Good For You?
• Coconut Milk: The recipe will work with any type of coconut milk, but I especially used unsweetened coconut milk. You don’t need to have sweetened ones as the natural sweetness from pineapple is enough. In case, you can add a sweetener of your choice and preference to your drink.  

Is Pina Colada Healthy?

The non-alcohol variant of pina colada is known to provide nutritional benefits. You can enjoy this cocktail without any alcohol and still have a great time. 

The main ingredient of this cocktail is pineapple, and it has a variety of health benefits, as mentioned above. Pineapple has high levels of vitamin C, vitamin B6, thiamin, and dietary fiber, all great for our body. 

Virgin pina colada is very healthy, and also it has a refreshing and sweet taste even though it does not contain any alcohol or additional sweetener. Additionally, the healthy fatty acids from coconut milk can meet our body’s necessary needs. 

Coconut is a great source of manganese and fiber, even though it is low in cholesterol. So when you are sipping a pina colada, you are having one of the freshest and most soothing drinks and having a great healthy drink.

‘

Can I Prepare Virgin Pina Colada Smoothies Ahead of Time? 

Yes! If you are on a busy schedule, you can prepare this drink in your free time. Simply blend all the ingredients and store them in the refrigerator. 

However, you will get a more liquidy drink when you are serving the drink, but the flavors will be there, so don’t worry. Pour the drink over some crushed ice if you are preparing them this way. 

Why Don’t I Prefer Ice in Virgin Pina Colada Smoothies?

You do not need to add ice to the virgin pina colada smoothie as the frozen pineapple cubes can act like ice, which is much better than ice. They add a texture of creaminess and natural sweetness to your drink. 

As there is no ice, you do not need to think about watery colada! Of course, you want to have a liquidy cocktail; that is why I added some fresh pineapple juice to this recipe. 

How to Make Coconut Milk at Home? 

Fresh coconut milk is always best to enjoy. It is packed with medium-chain fatty acids and lauric acid with many health benefits, which is why it has become so popular. My kids love to have coconut milk, and I love it because they are good for growing bodies. 

The best part is you only need two ingredients to prepare coconut milk, and one of them is that you already know coconut and hot water. Another point of preparing this recipe is you need minimal clean-up and preparations. Also, you will not need a nut milk bag strainer, and I only use a cheesecloth or a towel to strain the milk. To make coconut milk at home, follow these simple steps. 

• In a pot, heat water until hot but not boiling. 
• Pour the shredded coconut into a blender and add the prepared warm water. If you can not fit all the water in the blender, do it in batches. 
• Start blending on high for some minute until you get a creamy and thick texture. 
• Pour the prepared milk through a mesh strainer to extract all the coconut solids. 
• Then pour the rest of the milk through a towel or thick cheesecloth to take out the remaining bits of coconut. 
• If you need to prepare the coconut milk into batches, put the rest of the coconut chunks you strained back with the water in the blender and repeat. 
• Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for at least 3 to 4 days. Since there are no added preservatives with the coconut milk, The cream of the milk may separate to the top if you keep it in the fridge. A simple shake or stir before you use the coconut milk. 

Additional Tips and Tricks

• If you want to add ice and sugar, you can shake the drink well before serving. 
• Since you want to enjoy this yummy healthy pina colada right away, pour the drink in chilled glasses so they will stay in shape. You can keep the glasses in the refrigerator before serving the drink. 
• Garnish the drink with cherry and fresh pineapple wedge on top. You can add a straw and an umbrella that will give you the feeling that you are on a beach! 
• If you want more tanginess to your drink, you can squeeze some lime juice. 
• If you want to enjoy a thicker drink, mix frozen pineapple more. If you want to have a liquid drink, mix more pineapple juice.
• After you prepare the drink, make sure you taste it to adjust the level of thickness and sweetness you desire. 
• If you are not serving the drink with kids, go ahead and add some rum!  
• Prepare the garnishes at first so that the drinks don’t melt when you are assembling them. You can find the small cocktail umbrellas in any party store. 

Other Pineapple Recipes

1. Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake
2. Teriyaki Soycurls With Pineapple
3. Vegan Pineapple Tart
4. Jicama Pineapple Salad
5. Pineapple Mango Juice

If you enjoyed this post about Pina Colada Smoothie Recipe and would love to see more, join me on Youtube, Instagram, Facebook & Twitter!

Get discounted copies of my cookbook here.

Fortunately, because of the Ads on our website, readers and subscribers of Healthier Steps are sponsoring many underprivileged families