Summer Mocktails: Banana Piña Colada (With A Genius Twist!)

The third post in our Summer Mocktail Series from Beth of Tasty Yummies!

Who doesn’t love a refreshing and creamy piña colada in the summertime? I tend to rarely enjoy them since I usually let me guilt talk me out of ordering it. There is so much sugar, calories and other junk in most of the mixes and it’s rare that you can find a decent fresh one made from scratch. This recipe is a delicious light version of the classic tropical cocktail. There is no refined sugar added and it is delicious even without the rum. The creamy sweetness from the bananas and the coconut milk provides more than enough sweet, so you don’t have to add any sugar or sweetener at all. And even if you go with the full-fat coconut milk, it is still lighter than the standard coconut cream that is used. If you want it to be even lighter and lower in fat and calories, feel free to use light coconut milk. I personally like the creaminess of full fat coconut milk and since it is a healthy fat, I can totally justify indulging! Plus, the other bonus of this creamy summertime mocktail is that it could also be enjoyed as a delicious and sinful breakfast smoothie. That would be the perfect way to start any day, if you ask me.

(Here’s the genius part) Do yourself a favor and make sure to freeze your bananas and coconut milk ahead of time – this makes this cool and icy drink so much better than adding ice cubes that will water it down as they melt. Add in your favorite rum to make this an alcoholic drink.

Banana Piña Colada

Serves 4

2 frozen organic ripe bananas

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks  (frozen will work if you cannot find fresh)

1 cup no sugar added organic pineapple juice

1/2 can organic coconut milk (full fat or light) – frozen into cubes

Coconut flakes for garnish

Fresh pineapple wedges for garnish

*Optional – add 4 ounces of your favorite rum to make this an alcoholic cocktail

Add all of the ingredients except the coconut flakes and pineapple wedges to your blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. If you are adding rum, add it after it is creamy and blended, and blend again quickly to mix it in. Pour into 4 glasses, serve each topped with coconut flakes and garnish with a fresh pineapple wedge.

For more of Beth’s delicious recipes visit her blog Tasty Yummies!

More healthy recipes from the BLDG 25 Blog!