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Piña Colada: Recipe Makeover

Updated June 09, 2014
You'll like our way of losing almost all the sat fat while keeping the delicious coconutty goodness. By Sidney Fry, MS, RD
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Lighter Piña Coladas

Photo: Randy Mayor
Nothing says "escape" like a creamy, ice-cold piña colada: cocktail in hand, feet in the sand, music in the background (hopefully not that dreadful piña colada song, the last #1 hit of the 1970s, unless it's a guilty pleasure). Unfortunately, nothing says "better head to the gym" like a piña colada, too: 425 calories, 8 grams of saturated fat, most of which comes from the mysterious goo known as cream of coconut. We'll show you how we kept the vacation-worthy flavor while slashing fat and calories. At just 158 calories, it's all pleasure, no guilt.

Classic
• 425 calories per drink
• 9.4 grams total fat
• 8.8 grams saturated fat

Makeover
• 158 calories per drink
• 1.2 grams total fat
• 1 gram saturated fat

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Tip #1: Homemade Coconut Milk

Photo: Randy Mayor
We make our own infused coconut milk to replace heavy, sugary cream of coconut. This cuts 176 calories and 8 grams of sat fat per drink. Save day-of prep time by doing this step (step 1) the night before.

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Tip #2: Fresh Pineapple

Photo: Randy Mayor
Pineapple peaks in summer; it's sweet, slightly tart, and juicy. Sub fresh fruit for some of the canned juice and save 44 calories per drink. A splash of juice adds more acidity.
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Tip #3: Gold Rum

Photo: Randy Mayor
We opted for the darker variety, with its hints of caramel and molasses, which better complement the creamy coconut and tart pineapple.

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Piña Colada Recipe for Success

Photo: Randy Mayor
Freezing the pineapple adds a velvety texture and keeps the cocktail frozen longer. The riper the pineapple, the more concentrated the flavor will be.

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