Alcoholic Piña Colada Snow Cone Recipe
Make a refreshing alcoholic Pina Colada Snow Cone with pineapple, coconut, and rum. The perfect boozy summer treat for parties and hot days.
Summer is peppered with nostalgia for me. Trips to the shore, tubing on the river, long days soaking up the sun, and of course, chasing the ice cream truck.
I, Ashley, love ice cream sandwiches and those bright pink strawberry shortcake bars. But nothing beats a snow cone for me! So I decided to give the snow cone an adult twist and add a little booze.
Naturally, we combined a snow cone with our other summer time favorite, the Piña Colada to make one delicious cocktail and alcoholic dessert to sip on. The Piña Colada Snow Cone cocktail!
Piña Coladas have come back in fashion with the resurgence of Tiki drinks and culture (only our favorite drinks), as have snow cones. If you’ve ever been to Gracias Madre in L.A., you know about the boozy snow cones they have! After visiting recently, we got inspired to make my own.
What Kind of Ice Do You Need to Make Snow Cones?
You don’t need a fancy ice machine to make perfect snow cone ice at home. A high-powered blender, like a Vitamix blender, works just as well. Just blend ice until it’s light, fluffy, and snow-like in texture. The key is getting the ice as fine as possible so it absorbs the syrup evenly and gives you that classic snow cone feel.
If you’re craving a fun, refreshing treat with a hint of nostalgia, this tropical snow cone recipe is the perfect way to cool off on a hot summer day.
Ingredients Needed
- Finely shaved ice or crushed ice: Use shaved ice instead of chunky ice for better flavor absorption and to achieve that snow cone texture.
- White rum
- Piña Colada simple syrup: A combination of pineapple puree, unsweetened coconut milk, and sugar to give theses snow cone its pina colada flavor. We’ve included an pina colada syrup recipe to make at home.
- Angostura bitters
Optional Garnishes
- Fresh pineapple wedges
- Mint sprigs
How to Make Piña Colada Simple Syrup
1 — Cook the syrup: Pour the pineapple puree into a saucepan with sugar. Heat on high until it just begins to boil. Then, remove from heat and let it cool.
2 — Strain for a smooth texture: Once cooled, strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove pulp.
3 — Add coconut milk: Stir in the coconut milk until fully combined.
3 — Chill before using: Refrigerate the piña colada syrup until cold. A slightly thick snow cone syrup works best so it sticks to the ice and doesn’t melt your snow cones too quickly.
How to Make a Boozy Piña Colada Snow Cone
1 — Mix the Pina Colada Syrup
Cook the pineapple puree with sugar until just boiling. Then let cool and strain the pulp. Stir in the coconut milk, and refrigerate until chilled and slightly thickened before using.
2 — Prepare the Ice
Fill a glass with 1 1/2 cups of shaved ice, Pack it down slightly so it holds its shape.
3 — Pour the Syrup
Slowly drizzle the 3 ounces pina colada mixture over the ice.
4 — Add the Alcohol
Pour the white rum over the top.
5 — Top with More Ice
Pack an additional scoop of shaved ice (about 1/2-3/4 cups) into a ball and place it on top.
6 — Finish with Syrup and Bitters
Drizzle with 2 more ounces of piña colada syrup and add a 10 dashes of bitters. (Adding the syrup in layers between ice creates an even flavor throughout.)
7 — Garnish and Serve
Top with a fresh pineapple wedge and mint sprig. Serve immediately.
Topping Ideas for Piña Colada Snow Cones
To add a complex flavor to a Pina Colada and many other cocktails, we often top our Piña Coladas snow cones with:
- Flavored bitters: This tutorial shows you how to easy make your own.
- Angostura bitters: Angostura bitters (which I used) are a classic and work best for tiki style drinks like a Bicardi Rum Punch or Classic Rum drink.
- Herb and spice infusions
- Cocktail cherries and toasted coconut flakes for garnishing
All this optional additions help balance the sweetness here from the pineapple coconut syrup.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- How to serve: Serve in a glass for more room. Or use classic paper cones for a nostalgic touch (just make smaller portions).
- Don’t overpack the Ice: Lightly pack the ice so the syrup can soak through evenly.
- For even coating: Pour syrup slowly to avoid pooling at the bottom.
- Layer for more Flavor: Add syrup in layers between ice for more even flavor throughout.
- Customize the alcohol: Swap white rum for coconut rum or dark rum for a deeper flavor.
- Dairy-free vegan option: Use coconut cream instead of cream of coconut with added sweetener.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time?
You can prepare the syrup in advance, but assemble the snow cones right before serving for the best texture.
What’s the difference between shaved ice and crushed ice?
Shaved ice is finer and absorbs syrup better, making it ideal for snow cones.
More Fun and Easy Summer Cocktails to Make
If you love this alcoholic snow cones, you might also enjoy some of our favorite recipes below:
- Spicy Paloma
- Elderflower Aperol Spritz
- Frozen Alcohol Pops
- Sparkling Strawberry Hibiscus Cooler
- Sparkling Ice Cream
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Mesh strainer
Ingredients
For the piña colada syrup:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup pineapple puree blend chopped pineapple pieces until smooth.
- ⅓ cup unsweetened coconut milk
For the snow cone:
- 2 cup shaved ice or crushed ice
- 5 oz Piña colada syrup
- 2 oz white rum
- 10 dash Angostura bitters
- 5 pineapple wedge optional for garnish
- 5 mint sprig optional for garnish
Instructions
For the piña Colada syrup:
- Pour the pineapple puree into a saucepan with sugar. Heat on high until it just begins to boil. Then, remove from heat and let it cool.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove pulp.
- Stir in the coconut milk until fully combined.
- Refrigerate the piña colada syrup until cold. A slightly thick snow cone syrup works best so it sticks to the ice and doesn’t melt your snow cones too quickly.
For the snow cone:
- Add 1 1/2 cups of shaved ice to a glass.
- Pour the rum over the ice.
- Pour 3 ounces of piña colada syrup over the ice.
- Pack an additional scoop of remaining shaved ice (about 1/2-3/4 cups) into a ball and place it on top.
- Drizzle with 2 more ounces of piña colada syrup, and add a 10 of bitters.
- Garnish and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Don’t forget to share your Piña Colada Snow Cone with us on Instagram using the hashtag #sugarandclothloves. We always love seeing all of your creations! Looking for more quick and delicious recipes? Find them all right here!
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You should change the order of instructions so it follows a logical sequnce of preperation. I.e., start with making of syrup, then once ready, do the ice steps. Otherwise, its not instructions. Also, the picture shows a red color in the ice. What ingredient is that?
Hi Bob! Those are the Angostura bitters that we reference in the “Topping Ideas for Piña Colada Snow Cone” section. The bitters are also mentioned in the ingredients section in the post and in the recipe card. There’s a step in the recipe card that states “Pour 2 more ounces of Piña Colada syrup followed by 10 dashes of bitters.” So that is one of the final steps right before you garnish the snow cone. Hope that helps!
Do you use canned coconut milk?
Hi Kinsey! That’s a great question. We used canned coconut milk. You can use either. Carton coconut milk is typically more diluted with water. XOXO
really like it and i hope you will keep us updated on this topic in future
Panasonic Facial Steamer
gr8 post
This recipe looks different, using coconut. this one is a new snow cone for me to try. Lets see how tastes.
Hope you enjoy it!
Hmmmmm…..tasty!! Want one now:-)
Kali
http://www.idimin.berlin/
So delicious!
I know I’d be tempted to have one too many of these…So fun and flavorful!
They were so delicious! You have to try them..
yummy! this looks so delicious and refreshing, I could totally go for one right now (it’s 5 o’clock somewhere, right?) great recipe!
-Blythe
http://www.eleanorandemilio.com
That’s what we always say!
Looks good! And I LOVE <3 <3 <3 those strawberry shortcake bars, too!!
They are the best! One of our favorite summer treats!