We set out to make a sugar free piña colada recipe with REAL pineapple! Look, in our opinion, it's just not the same thing without it. Many recipes call for sugar free pineapple syrups and/or flavorings, as many consider pineapple "not keto". While we understand the sentiment, we sort of hate that verbiage, and we've been successful with this lifestyle by enjoying our favorite fruits in moderation!
While pineapple is a higher carb/sugar fruit, using a small amount is not going to break the carb bank. This frothy delicious sip will transport you to a tropical beach some where. We've actually taken it to go on our beach adventures, and it was the perfect companion! 😎
Like many of the low carb drinks you'll find on this site, we use real fruit and simple, everyday low carb and keto pantry staples so anyone can recreate this at home. We've tried numerous combinations to make this pineapple coconut classic fit into a low carb diet, and now feel pretty confident that we've done just that!
Keep reading to learn more about substitutions you can make. If you're not as concerned with carbs we made a few suggestions for you as well to sweeten this drink. You can also skip straight to the recipe card to get right to it! This post is also available as a Google Web Story here!
Ingredients:
- Pineapple juice - This adds sweetness, and pineapple flavor to this yummy drink! Tip - if you're not very concerned with extra carbs, add extra fresh pineapple juice to sweeten this drink even more.
- Lime juice - Freshly squeezed is going to be your best bet here. Technically optional but we love a little bit of citrus in this drink.
- Full fat coconut milk: The stuff that comes in the can, not the drinkable stuff you find in the refrigerated section! It should be chilled in the fridge for a few hours beforehand for best results.
- Sugar free simple syrup - We'll outline how to make sugar free simple in the body of the post below. It's so easy to make and totally shelf stable for months. Sweeten things without all the extra carbs, sugar and calories!
- Light rum - Makes an obvious choice for this rum cocktail, and it's sugar free. Be aware of flavored rums as they likely have added sugar.
- Ice cubes - For keeping this drink icy cold. We add it to the shaker, as well as to the glass.
- Garnish with - Maraschino cherry (optional, adds 2 carbs per cherry!), pineapple wedge, pineapple leaf.
How to Make This Low Carb Piña Colada:
Add freshly squeezed lime juice into an ice filled cocktail shaker.
Add in chilled full fat coconut milk, and pineapple juice to the shaker.
Add in the rum, and sugar free simple syrup to taste. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds to chill, then double strain into an ice filled glass.
Garnish with an optional maraschino cherry, pineapple wedge, and pineapple flower.
How To Make Sugar Free Keto Simple Syrup:
Making sugar free simple syrup is incredibly easy to do, and you can make man variations of it quite easily. For best results, use allulose sweetener, which is shelf stable, and won't crystallize upon refrigeration if you want to keep it in the fridge.
- Allulose is slightly less sweet than sugar, so the ratio isn't 1:1. Use about 1 and ⅓ cups allulose for every one cup of water.
- Bring the water to a boil, and stir in the allulose. Remove from the heat and continuing stirring to dissolve. Allow to cool before using. That's it! Store in an airtight container indefinitely if kept in a cool, dry place.
- If you choose a different sweetener to make your simple syrup with, but please note that many (non-sugar) sweeteners will crystallize after being refrigerated.
If you're looking for a few fun (and flavored) sugar free simple syrups, check these out!
A Small Warning About Allulose:
Allulose can cause GI distress in some people (including myself) if consumed in large quantities. We're not authorized to give advice about what that magic number is in terms of consumption. Different people have different tolerance levels to allulose. You can read more about possible side effects here.
In my personal experience, I'm fine if I enjoy between 1-2 ounces of this simple syrup at any given time. Any more than that and my stomach isn't happy for a couple of hours.
Keto Substitutions:
- For full fat coconut milk: Honestly, we don't have a good substitute for full fat coconut milk, unless you want to go even heavier, and get coconut cream. This will add more calories but it will also be super creamy. Make sure you're always reading the labels! Creme de coco is not the same thing as canned coconut cream. (Confusing, we know). In fact, that's what we are trying to avoid. It's packed with sugar! You could also probably take coconut cream and thin it just a bit with unsweetened coconut water. (It's just a thought, we haven't actually tried it ourselves!)
- For keto simple syrup - You could use any sweetener you want here. Something liquid would probably be best, but you could also use granular since this drink gets blended.
- Pineapple - We would not recommend fully substituting the frozen pineapple, even if you're trying to cut carbs. It just won't be the same! However, you could use a little bit less frozen pineapple, and replace it with some pineapple extract, and a little bit of extra liquid.
More Recipes To Try:
- Watermelon Wine Spritzer with Strawberries
- Cranberry Coconut Mojito
- Mango Mojito
- Keto Hot Buttered Rum
- Pineapple Watermelon Daiquiri
Need more ideas? Be sure to check out this massive list of over 85+ low carb and keto friendly recipes on our site!
Shop This Keto Piña Colada Recipe:
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Until Next Time,
Briana & Chamere
📖 Recipe
Keto Piña Colada
Ingredients
- 1.5 ounces light rum
- 1.5 ounces full fat coconut milk
- 1 ounce pineapple juice
- 1 ounce sugar free simple syrup (see details below)
- ½ ounce lime juice
- Ice for shaker & for glass
- Garnish with: pineapple wedge, pineapple flower, maraschino cherry (optional) (please note that these extras add extra carbs)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to an ice filled cocktail shaker. Taste, and adjust flavors. Shake for 30 seconds to chill.
- Double strain into an ice filled glass. Garnish with a wedge of pineapple, pineapple leaf, and an optional maraschino cherry. Enjoy right away!
Notes
How To Make Sugar Free Keto Simple Syrup:
Making sugar free simple syrup is incredibly easy to do, and you can make man variations of it quite easily. For best results, use allulose sweetener, which is shelf stable, and won't crystallize upon refrigeration if you want to keep it in the fridge.- Allulose is slightly less sweet than sugar, so the ratio isn't 1:1. Use about 1 and ⅓ cups allulose for every one cup of water.
- Bring the water to a boil, and stir in the allulose. Remove from the heat and continuing stirring to dissolve. Allow to cool before using. That's it! Store in an airtight container indefinitely if kept in a cool, dry place.
- If you choose a different sweetener to make your simple syrup with, but please note that many (non-sugar) sweeteners will crystallize after being refrigerated.
Keto Substitutions:
- For full fat coconut milk: Honestly, we don’t have a good substitute for full fat coconut milk, unless you want to go even heavier, and get coconut cream. This will add more calories but it will also be super creamy. Make sure you’re always reading the labels! Creme de coco is not the same thing as canned coconut cream. (Confusing, we know). In fact, that’s what we are trying to avoid. It’s packed with sugar! You could also probably take coconut cream and thin it just a bit with unsweetened coconut water. (It’s just a thought, we haven’t actually tried it ourselves!)
- For keto simple syrup – You could use any sweetener you want here. Something liquid would probably be best, but you could also use granular since this drink gets blended.
- Pineapple – We would not recommend fully substituting the frozen pineapple, even if you’re trying to cut carbs. It just won’t be the same! However, you could use a little bit less frozen pineapple, and replace it with some pineapple extract, and a little bit of extra liquid.
Nutrition
These nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy and are only estimates. We cannot guarantee the accuracy.
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