A Chocolate Pina Colada is a unexpected twist on a classic straight out of a Willy Wonka movie.
This cocktail comes to us from Puerto Rico by way of… the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory?
The first part is undoubtedly true. The original pina colada was invented on the island of Puerto Rico by bartender Ramón ‘Monchito’ Marrero in 1954. It has since become the nation’s official drink. The addition of chocolate, however, is decidedly not something Monchito thought up and more than likely came into existence in a bar closer to home. And while we can’t say one way or the other who made that delicious contribution, we’re sure glad they did.
I’ve always thought of the pina colada as more of a dessert drink than an alcoholic beverage (an interpretation that has gotten me into trouble in the past!) and adding chocolate settles it! We take the original cocktail—two types of rum, pineapple juice, and cream of coconut—and add melted milk chocolate chips. Then we blend it up to make it a frozen treat on a hot day. Careful! These go down VERY easy.
What is the Best Chocolate to Use?
For this recipe, I melt milk-chocolate chips in the microwave then add them in with the rest of the ingredients in the blender. But there are more ways to add chocolate to your drink.
- Chocolate syrup is perhaps the simplest way is to add chocolate. You can add some into the blender or line the inside of your glass with it.
- You can also just buy a bar of dark or semi sweet chocolate shavings and grate it as you would a hunk of cheese. Then add the shavings to the blender.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder is a good option to avoid messing up your kitchen but given it is unsweetened it may taste a bit too strong. Add a bit of sugar syrup to balance the taste.
- Chocolate liqueur is the best choice if the two types of rum aren’t doing it for you and you want to increase the alcoholic level of the drink.
One last tip: you can mix your chocolate with the cream of coconut instead of adding them separately to the blender. I find this makes for a more consistent flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce dark rum
- 1 ounce white rum
- 1 ounce pineapple juice
- 2 ounces coconut cream
- ¼ cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup crushed ice
Instructions
- Put the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second intervals until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth. Stir a bit at each pause,
- In a blender, combine the coconut cream, pineapple juice, both types of rum, the melted chocolate and crushed ice. Blend until is smooth.
- Pour into a chilled glass. Add an umbrella, slice of pineapple and maraschino cherry for garnish.
Nutrition
Tips & Tricks to Making a Perfect Chocolate Pina Colada
- Use fresh pineapple juice. In fact, if you have fresh pineapple you can simply add chunks to the blender and use that instead of juice.
- This is meant to be a tropical cocktail, you don’t want the chocolate to overwhelm the coconut and pineapple. Start off with a little bit of chocolate then add more after sampling.
- I highly recommend the cream of coconut BUT you could cut out the calories by using coconut milk or even coconut water.
- Scrape down the sides of the blender to make sure you end up with a smooth beverage.
- No one likes to have their frozen drink melted before they’re even halfway through it. Chill your glasses ahead of time.
FAQs
Use a pina colada glass (it is sometimes called a Poco Grande glass). You can also use a hurricane glass. For garnishes we recommend a maraschino cherry, a wedge of pineapple and an umbrella.
Frozen drinks aren’t easy to store. Your best bet is to put it in the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge for a few hours when you want to have it.
This is a rich drink. Our recipe has 558 calories. That’s down to the rums and the cream of coconut. You can replace coconut milk for cream of coconut or coconut water if you want to lower the calories count.
Sure. Double-boiling takes a bit longer (and will likely make a small mess in your kitchen!) but it will reduce the risk of burning your chocolate.
Yes. The chocolate and coconut cream tend to overpower the rum taste anyways so most likely won’t notice the difference.
No. You can also shake all the ingredients and serve with ice cubes. Start by mixing the coconut cream and chocolate then add the other ingredients. Serve with ice cubes.
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