Man oh man, do I love me a good Piña Colada.

Sadly, I can count the number of times I’ve actually had a Piña Colada on two hands.  For all their refreshing, tropical awesomeness, these grown up smoothies are also loaded with calories.  Because I’m not a fan of skipping meals to make up for my liquid consumption, I’ve been determined to create a lightened up version of this classic island cocktail. 

Step one, subbing frozen pineapple for pineapple juice.  Why use juice and ice when frozen pineapple does double duty?  Step two, subbing out coconut milk for coconut cream.  Because losing some of the richness and fat from coconut cream inevitably means sacrificing flavor, I wanted to make sure to find the best coconut milk available. I bought seven brands and tasted them all to determine the most coconutty, Piña Colada worthy can.  For simplicity’s sake, I only tested brands with three or less ingredients: coconut, water, and guar gum. Lesson learned during this experiment?  All coconut milk is not created equal.  Also, taste testing that much coconut milk might make you hate coconut milk. Forever. Or at least for a day or two.

Below you’ll find my ratings of the best and worst of the bunch. Three stars equals awesome, 0 stars equals very, very bad.   All of the brands rated are readily available in Southern California at Ralph’s (Kroger for all you East Coast veggies), Whole Foods, and Sprouts Farmers Market, which unfortunately is not a nationwide chain. 

First up, the winners in this epic battle for coconut dominance.
 
SPROUTS FARMERS MARKET PREMIUM COCONUT MILK – 3 STARS
Ingredients: coconut, water, guar gum | 110 calories, 11g fat per 1/4 cup
The clear winner and also my usual go to brand. A great creamy consistency and strong coconut smell and taste, with a natural sweetness perfect for both sweet and savory cooking.

WHOLE FOODS 365 EVERYDAY VALUE ORGANIC COCONUT MILK – 2 STARS
Ingredients: organic coconut, purified water, organic guar gum | 120 calories, 12g fat per 1/3 cup
The Whole Foods can had a creamy consistency equal to the Sprouts can but the coconut flavor was milder and therefore might not shine through as well in a Piña Colada. It would be perfect for adding richness to a sauce or Coconut Curry Red Lentil Soup.

THAI KITCHEN COCONUT MILK – 2 STARS
Ingredients: coconut, water, guar gum | 140 calories, 14g fat per 1/3 cup
The Thai can tasted and smelled on par with the Sprouts winner but I knocked off a point for texture. There was clear separation of the coconut bits from the water instead of the smooth, milkiness I was expecting. I’ll admit this is personal preference and I’d definitely buy it again despite the texture issue.

Moving on to the losers.
 
NATIVE FOREST ORGANIC COCONUT MILK – 1 STAR
Ingredients: organic coconut, purified water, organic guar gum | 140 calories, 15g fat per 1/3 cup
Ugh. So bad. The coconut flavor was nowhere to be found and although it was creamy it was also kind of gloppy. My notes read “snotty.” I suppose it would work in some dishes in a pinch but definitely not in a Piña Colada.

SO DELICIOUS CULINARY COCONUT MILK – 1 STAR
Ingredients: water, organic coconut cream, organic guar gum | 140 calories, 14g fat per 1/3 cup
This one was so confusing to me. It had a chalky, somewhat gritty texture and reminded me more of almond milk (bad almond milk) than coconut milk. I’m guessing it was the paper packaging, but it also had a strange smell straight out of the container that was not at all reminiscent of coconut.

GOLDEN STAR COCONUT MILK – 0 STARS
Ingredients: coconut milk, water | 140 calories, 15g fat per 1/3 cup
The second worst of the bunch. It had a distinct sour taste like it had gone bad although it was a good year away from the expiration date. It also smelled off and remained lumpy even after shaking.

A TASTE OF THAI COCONUT MILK – 0 STARS
Ingredients: coconut, water, guar gum | 110 calories, 11g fat per 1/4 cup
The hands down worst of the bunch. I took one sip and had to run to the sink to spit it out. I’m not even being dramatic. It also smelled nothing like coconut.

Now that we’ve crowned a winner, it’s Piña Colada time. This recipe could not be easier. Frozen pineapple, coconut milk, and rum blended into a thick and boozy dream. Oh so decadent, but you know, lightened up. Now all we need are lounge chairs and an ocean view.

Lightened Up Piña Coladas

 

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Makes 3 drinks.

Author: The Mostly Vegan

Ingredients

• 16 ounces frozen pineapple chunks
• 1 can coconut milk
• ¾ cup white rum
• Pineapple chunks and maraschino cherries for garnish

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and mix until creamy. Divide between three glasses. Garnish with skewers of coconut chunks and cherries.

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