Pineapple coconut ice cream recipe with bright pineapple and creamy coconut flavor. Made using the Master Ice Cream Recipe for a smooth tropical dessert that tastes like Hawaii. A great way to get a taste of the islands when you can’t actually visit.
This pineapple coconut ice cream recipe brings together two classic tropical flavors in a smooth, creamy dessert. Sweet pineapple adds bright, juicy flavor while coconut contributes a rich, velvety texture that makes the ice cream feel both refreshing and indulgent. The combination is naturally balanced—lightly sweet, fragrant, and wonderfully tropical.
Like many of the ice cream variations on this site, this recipe builds on the Master Ice Cream Recipe, a reliable foundation that makes it easy to create many different flavors while maintaining a perfectly smooth texture. By using that master technique and combining pineapple with coconut, the result is a homemade ice cream that feels like a small trip to Hawaii in every spoonful.
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Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Table of contents
What it is
A recipe for the best pineapple coconut ice cream that is smooth and creamy. Tastes like a Piña Colada only better. Easy and foolproof.
What is a Piña Colada
A Piña Colada is a sweet cocktail made with of rum, coconut cream, and pineapple juice.
Ingredients
We wanted to make the best pineapple coconut ice cream, so we started with all the best ingredients. First, we made the ice cream using our master ice cream method, but changed the vodka to rum, since that’s what is in a piña colada. Then we substituted coconut cream for some of the cream in the recipe, keeping the ratios the same. Coconut milk would have made the ice cream too icy, because of the added water.
Together, pineapple and coconut create a flavor that instantly evokes warm beaches and ocean breezes. The pairing is famous in tropical desserts because the sweet acidity of pineapple perfectly complements the mellow richness of coconut. In ice cream, the two flavors blend into a dessert that tastes almost like a frozen version of a tropical drink.
Rum
We use alcohol in our ice cream recipes to lower the freezing point and keep it smooth. The alcohol in this ice cream is rum, to create a piña colada flavor for this pineapple coconut ice cream recipe. We used an aged rum instead of a white rum, just to add flavor.
Pineapple and Coconut
We used canned pineapple and canned coconut milk. Using fresh pineapple makes the ice cream icy and grainy. The canned pineapple is more ripe and sweet than fresh pineapple, and it makes a smoother ice cream. It needs to be crushed and not chunks, because chunks of pineapple will freeze solid and be hard to eat once the ice cream has cured. Coconut cream is available in a can, but we just skimmed it off the top of the can of coconut milk that had separated from the coconut water.
Cream
Horizon Organics Cream is a high quality product – Organic and produced sustainably from pasture raised cows. It has a rich, sweet, and fresh dairy flavor.
Sugar
Wholesome Regenerative Organic Certified Cane Sugar – produced from organic sugar cane fields that are green cut and are not burned or treated with herbicides or synthetic fertilizers.
Vanilla
Heilala Vanilla – Ethically sourced and harvested, produced using environmentally sustainably methods.
Crème Fraîche
We use crème fraîche in the recipe to keep the ice cream from freezing solid. And to make sure it’s the best, we made it ourselves from Horizon cream and a real crème fraîche starter. It’s actually very easy. See the link to our recipe below.
No Affiliates Statement
We call this our “no affiliates” statement because we accept no advertising, have no affiliates and accept no payment. We are not paid to mention brands – we just love buying the best, sharing that information and saving the planet at the same time. The effort put into writing and photographing the blog is solely based on our dedication to the cause.
Method
This recipe uses an easy, foolproof method that requires only a few minutes of active time. Check out our Master Ice Cream Method for a more detailed explanation on how this works.
- Measure the ingredients by weight
- Simmer the syrup mixture while whipping the sugar and egg mixture
- Slowly add the syrup mixture to the egg mixture, then add the rest of the ingredients
- Chill the mixture
- Freeze in an Ice Cream Maker
- Chill in the Freezer
This recipe uses our Master Ice Cream Method. An easy, foolproof, updated way of making ice cream.
Why this Works
The cream and syrup are heated while the eggs and sugar are whipped. Then the cream mixture is added to the egg mixture, which brings the eggs to a high enough temperature that they are safe to use in ice cream without having to temper the mixture, which can be more difficult to do. The flavors are added afterward so they are not cooked, which might reduce the flavor.
The highest quality ingredients are used, and flavor is added at every opportunity – Horizon cream, rum, Wholesome Organic sugar, and coconut cream.
This recipe is made with ingredients that help keep the ice crystals small while the ice cream is churning and afterwards while it is hardening. This keeps it smooth and creamy. The ingredients that are key to keeping the ice crystals small are:
- cultured cream – the beneficial bacterial culture in Crème fraîche
- eggs – the fat and protein in the eggs, and cooking the eggs denatures the protein
- invert sugar – the concentration of sugar in relation to water lowers the freezing point
- alcohol – the alcohol lowers the freezing point
- canned pineapple – the fruit has been cooked with sugar and has less water so will not freeze solid like fresh fruit does.
- coconut cream – the fat in the coconut cream will keep the ice cream from developing large ice crystals.
Sustainability
The ingredients in this recipe were chosen not only for how they taste, but for how they are grown and produced. My background in agriculture—working with soils, water systems, and sustainable farming practices—shaped the way I think about food long before I began writing recipes.
Over time, I’ve come to see that the best cooking starts long before the kitchen, in the decisions made in the field. The ingredients section explains those choices, offering a closer look at the ingredients and the role they play in supporting a more thoughtful and sustainable food system.
Traveling to Maui
We love visiting Maui, and pineapple coconut ice cream is the dessert we associate with our vacations there. Sunsets, tropical flowers and ice cream that tastes like a piña colada. A piña colada is a tropical, creamy and delicious cocktail made with a blend of sweet pineapple, coconut cream, and rum. This classic summer drink tastes like the islands, as the sweet pineapple and coconut cream blend together perfectly to create a sweet, creamy and refreshing beverage. Available throughout Maui, it is a tropical delight that is perfect for sipping on a hot summer day while lounging in the sun. The creamy taste of the drink makes it easy to create an ice cream flavor from it.
RECIPE
Equipment
CHOOSING BRANDS:
For certain products, the choice of brand will make a big difference in the outcome of the recipe and in your carbon footprint. So, for those products, we have listed the brand. We are not paid to mention a brand and have no affiliates.
Ingredients
- 450 grams Horizon cream
- 100 grams corn syrup
- 2 Eggs one egg and one egg yolk
- 70 grams Wholesome regenerative organic sugar
- 1/8 Teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 50 grams Crème fraîche homemade from Horizon cream
- 140 grams pineapple canned, crushed, drained
- 140 grams coconut cream
- 1 Tablespoon rum
Instructions
PREPARE THE STORAGE CONTAINER
- Select a quart size, glass container for storing the ice cream and put it in the freezer to chill.
MEASURE THE INGREDIENTS
- Use a scale to measure the ingredients – zeroing the scale between measurements. Into a small saucepan, measure the cream and corn syrup. Into a mixing bowl for a stand mixer, measure the egg, egg yolk, sugar and salt. Into a small bowl, measure the crème fraîche, pineapple, coconut cream and rum.
MIX THE INGREDIENTS
- Using the stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk the sugar and egg mixture, first on low and then on high for 2 minutes.
- While whisking the sugar and egg mixture, bring the cream and corn syrup mixture to a simmer and allow it to simmer for two minutes, stirring to combine and to keep it from scalding.
- Lower the speed on the mixer to low and continue whisking while very slowly adding the cream and corn syrup mixture. Continue whisking and add the crème fraîche mixture, just until mixed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
FREEZE THE MIXTURE
- Pre-chill the ice cream maker by letting it run for 5 minutes before adding the mixture.
- Pour the ice cream mixture into the ice cream maker and make ice cream according to the directions.
- When the ice cream maker has finished, quickly transfer the ice cream into the glass container, cover, and put the container back in the freezer overnight to harden.
- Store in the freezer for up to a week.
Nutrition
WHY THIS RECIPE IS A GAME CHANGER:
This recipe is a total game-changer — crafted with the finest [brand name] ingredients, simplified using a master recipe with pro-tested techniques from top chefs and bakers, and designed for deliciously sustainable cooking made easy.”
More Flavors from our Master Ice Cream Method
These recipes use our Master Ice Cream Method. An easy, foolproof, updated way of making ice cream.
True to The Master Pantry philosophy, this recipe combines the best seasonal ingredients and quality brands with homemade methods to maximize both flavor and sustainability. It was inspired by our travels and works well as a holiday recipe.
Photos by Tony Fitzgerald Photography
Recipes created by Lisa LeCoump — Food Photographer, Agricultural Expert, and Home Baker. Sharing master recipes, chef secrets, and sustainable baking for every kitchen. Featured on various publications.