14 Store-Bought Piña Colada Mixes, Ranked
If you've ever seen a piña colada getting made, you can appreciate the work that goes into it. Pineapple chunks, coconut flesh, and rum dance to the music of the blender to unlock a burst of sweet, creamy flavors. On a tropical vacation, a cold glass of piña colada is the perfect way to cool off, but did you know you can enjoy it at home?
Without traveling to Puerto Rico, the home of piña coladas, you can make this tropical delight not even breaking a sweat or making a mess. That's right, piña colada mixes are a delightful way to enjoy this beverage whenever you're pressed for time or want to relax at the end of the work week.
All piña colada mixes aren't the same. They may come in bags, bottles, or even powder sachets, but they differ in more than their packaging. While some have real fruit juices, others use a mix of flavors to get that island taste. Factors like price and ease of preparation also play a role in deciding what brand of this cocktail mix to get. Take a closer look at some of the most common piña colada brands in stores as we review and rank them below to help you find the right one.
14. Master of Mixes Piña Colada
"An ultra-creamy blend" is how Master of Mixes describes this piña colada mix. It's 31% natural coconut milk and premium pineapple juice in addition to natural flavors. Seeing this on the brand's website indeed raises consumers' expectations, as anyone would look forward to enjoying a glass of the tastiest blend of fruity and creamy flavors from this mix. Unfortunately, you might be severely disappointed with your first sip.
One Amazon consumer says it's "literally sugar, water, and artificial pineapple flavor." If you've looked at the product label, this review is hardly a surprise because the first ingredient is sugar, with each serving containing 50 grams. This is roughly twice as much sugar as the American Heart Association recommends a person should consume as a daily limit and already excludes people on special diets.
On the other hand, even if you're a lover of sugary drinks on some occasions, you'll probably hate the aftertaste the Master of Mixes Piña Colada mix leaves in your mouth. And worst of all, it still won't give you the classic piña colada flavor you desire.
13. Collins Piña Colada Mix
For a premade piña colada mix, Collins starts strong with a base of pineapple juice and real cane sugar. The addition of natural coconut flavor adds some creaminess to balance the fruit. And most importantly, this product doesn't have high fructose corn syrup or artificial flavoring.
The absence of chemical additives doesn't always translate to great taste; unfortunately, the Collins Piña Colada Mix is an example. First, it has so much sugar that it's hard to enjoy. In addition to that, getting 90% of your recommended sugar intake from one drink probably isn't a great idea.
As the drink's sweetness goes away, an unpleasant taste may linger on your tongue. This brand claims not to contain chemical sweeteners, so we're unsure what's causing the aftertaste. Nevertheless, it's bad enough that some consumers tossed out the drink after the first sip. One Amazon buyer shared, "I bought this because of the natural ingredients (no high fructose corn syrup), but the taste was so nasty, I threw it down the sink. [It's] such a shame ... I guess I will have to make my piña colada from scratch."
12. Mr. & Mrs. T Piña Colada Mix
This brand makes it so easy to enjoy a chill, relaxing beverage. Start by adding some ice to the mix, blend it, and it's ready to drink. In three simple steps, Mr. & Mrs. T Piña Colada Mix promises a "made-from-scratch taste" on its label. Frankly, it's not the worst thing you can get from the store at such an affordable price. One surprised Influenster reviewer said it has an "unexpected flavor for a cheaper product ... It makes me feel that I [am] eating a real pineapple." Consequently, this brand satisfies the needs of consumers that love their drinks with a rich, fruity pineapple flavor.
On the other hand, people who hate sugary drinks are less likely to be impressed with this product. For one, it has 40 grams of added sugars in one serving. Secondly, it contains high fructose corn syrup, a common source of added sugar in food items that many consumers like to avoid. Beyond the sweetness, this brand ranks so low because buyers complain about its odd taste. According to one person on Influenster, Mr. & Mrs. T Piña Colada Mix "is probably the most disgusting piña colada mix I've ever tried. It's got such an artificial flavor and is incredibly thick."
11. Margaritaville Singles to Go Piña Colada Drink Mix
Margaritaville Singles to Go Piña Colada Drink Mix transforms a sugar-loaded beverage into a sugar-free treat. Since it has negligible sugar and calories, this product is an excellent keto-friendly beverage, unlike many alternatives. But sadly, this is where all the good things that can be said about this product ends.
A quick look at the ingredients list on the label of Margaritaville Singles to Go Piña Colada Drink Mix reveals that it lacks natural fruit juices. It's little more than a blend of natural and artificial flavors, sweetened with aspartame, a sugar substitute. This product lacks the tart and sweet taste of pineapples, and as one Amazon customer explains, it tastes like "watered down coconut milk with a slight aftertaste."
Using aspartame in place of sugar gives this drink a sickening sweetness and a bad taste that clings to your tongue after swallowing. An Amazon shopper complained that the fake chemical flavor of the artificial sweeteners in the Margaritaville Piña Colada Drink Mix was all their taste buds could sense.
10. Daily's Piña Colada Mix
Daily's Piña Colada Mix isn't too sugary, placing it slightly higher in the ranks. It has about 34 grams of sugar per serving for a balanced but not overpowering sweetness. One buyer commented that this is "One of the best piña colada mixes I have tried. It isn't too sweet or overpowering like some." But it's still lagging behind many other products because it doesn't have a robust flavor profile.
According to reviews, the coconut flavor doesn't shine through, so this product might leave you with a rather bland beverage if you don't tweak it to taste. Some buyers like adding canned coconut milk for extra creaminess or more pineapple flavor to unlock the tropical fruity taste. Eventually, getting this product to taste right might require as much work as making your piña colada from scratch.
Another problem with Daily's Piña Colada Mix is that although the total sugar content is moderate, it has high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). One study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism shows the link between consuming HFCS and health risks like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
9. Tropicana Piña Colada
Tropicana Piña Colada lets you create your vacation drink with ease. This product contains a blend of real coconut and pineapple juice and may be great as a stand-alone beverage or with your favorite rum brand. As a bonus, it provides less than 100 calories per serving and is a great choice if you follow a strict diet. It also has no high fructose corn syrup and only a moderate amount of sugar (19 grams), which is a great feature that helps it rank higher among consumers.
Like many low-sugar beverages, Tropicana Piña Colada doesn't have a solid flavor. According to one disappointed person who left a review on Walmart's website, it "Only faintly tastes like piña colada. If you can imagine a real piña colada, water it down to the point where you get a hint of the original flavor, then add a dash of grape juice, [and] then you get the idea." Adding extra coconut milk and pineapple juice to this product may help add a burst of flavor, but at this point, you're already making it from scratch anyways. Although this brand has no artificial flavoring, some Target customers say it has an unpleasant "artificial taste."
8. Baja Bob's Sugar Free Piña Colada Cocktail Mix
Low-calorie drinks like skinny piña coladas are either hits or misses, and the latter is far more common because the taste of artificial sweeteners is hard to ignore. Sadly, Baja Bob's Sugar Free Piña Colada Cocktail Mix may be leaning more toward the misses, as many consumers can't get over the sucralose taste. One Amazon customer who was disappointed with this product said, "I wanted these to be great so badly! They're 'passable' in a pinch, but the artificial sweetener flavor is too overpowering, especially the aftertaste."
Don't expect Baja Bob's Sugar Free Piña Colada Cocktail Mix to give you the richness of blended pineapples and coconut. It has no real pineapple juice nor coconut milk, so its flavor is weak. While this product gets all its taste from added natural flavors, you can always pour some juice into your piña colada mix to improve it. Overall, you're probably better off trying a different brand with a better flavor.
7. Naked Piña Colada Chilled Juice
The Naked brand is known for making some of the best fresh-tasting fruit juices, and its piña colada mix isn't any different. It's a mix of coconut milk blended with pineapple, lemon, orange, and apple juice — all you need to do is add your favorite rum. The addition of some banana purée and chicory root fiber gives this product more fiber than others. This brand starts losing points once you find out that it has 50 grams of sugar, but it's from natural fruit juices and not added sugars or sweeteners. Regardless, this may still be too much, especially for people on the keto diet or managing certain health conditions.
The common consensus among shoppers is that Naked Piña Colada juice tastes good. One happy Walmart shopper shared, "I absolutely love this drink! It's like a refreshing piña colada with a side of orange — absolutely delicious. I wish it came in a slightly larger container." But if you've ever had an authentic glass of piña colada, you'll know that this drink tastes nothing like it. The heavy orange flavor completely overshadows the coconut and pineapple. Hence, this brand may not be the right choice unless you simply want to try a nice fruity tropical drink and not a real piña colada.
6. Jordan's Skinny Mixes
Jordan's Skinny Mixes cuts down the sugar in your piña colada to only 5 grams of sugar per serving and 30 calories. Nonetheless, some buyers consider this brand to be excellent and say it's so good that you'll forget it's low in sugar. The best part for one Amazon consumer is that "Anyone who is doing keto, or just trying to consume low sugar/ low carb" can enjoy it. Another plus to having this product on hand is that it's so versatile. Happy consumers share, "I love this syrup! We use it in so many things. I've made fillings with it, drinks, as a water enhancer and in smoothies!"
If you have diabetes and intend to try this brand for its low sugar content, be warned that some reviewers have noted that it may cause a blood glucose spike. This piña colada mix also has a sugar substitute, sucralose, and some people don't like how it tastes. Another issue with this brand is that the coconut flavor doesn't shine through, but you can quickly sort this out by pouring in some coconut milk.
5. Torani Piña Colada Real Fruit Smoothie Mix
On the Torani website, it says that their smoothie mixes, including the piña colada flavor, are "made with real fruit" to give consumers the taste of a freshly made holiday drink. One Amazon reviewer said, "If you have been to an all inclusive resort in Cancun, you know that this stuff is Cancun in a bottle. I love that I can reminisce a few memories in my kitchen whenever I feel like it." No doubt, this brand is a delicious trip to your favorite tropical vacation destination in a bottle, which is why it's in the top five.
One serving contains 36 grams of sugar, which is relatively moderate compared to other drinks in this category. The only complaint some buyers had for this product is that the pineapple flavor is a little too strong, overshadowing the creamy coconut. This means getting your perfect piña colada may need more than a single step, especially if you're not a huge fan of pineapples.
4. Island Oasis Piña Colada Mix
If you're tired of piña colada mixes with a long list of ingredients you can't pronounce, Island Oasis may be an option. The FDA requires food ingredients to be listed by their quantities; those with the highest proportions appear first, and the rest follow in descending order. The first four ingredients in Island Oasis piña colada mix are water, coconut milk, sugar, and pineapple juice concentrate, the same as if you were making it at home. This gives the taste of a homemade beverage and is one reason some consumers claim it's one of the best piña colada mixes money can buy.
A happy Amazon shopper commented, "I have made countless homemade piña colada mixers trying to nail that classic taste! This mix is by far the best. Don't waste your time and buy!" It's rich, thick, creamy, and tastes like you're relaxing on a cruise ship. One problem some buyers have with this brand is that it doesn't come cheap. Therefore, if your budget isn't the most flexible, you may consider trying others on the list.
3. Zing Zang Piña Colada Mix
Some piña colada mixes pack a heavy pineapple punch with barely any creamy coconut flavor, while others have things the other way around. Others, like Zing Zang Piña Colada Mix, manage to balance both elements of this drink with pineapple juice, natural flavors, and only 28 grams of sugar. For the most part, consumers are pleasantly surprised by how tasty this product is. One person said, "I was shocked when [my] hubby handed me a drink that tasted exactly like a piña colada ought to taste, but it had vodka in it! [It was] so good! We will buy this again!"
This Zing Zang mix isn't bland despite containing less sugar than other products. One consumer even commented that although this brand makes a fresh, tasty piña colada, it's also "a little too sugary." This may be because it contains the natural sweetener stevia. Healthline explains that stevia has virtually no calories and while it's so sweet, it may help maintain blood glucose levels in people with diabetes.
2. Coco Lopez Piña Colada Mix
The Coco Lopez brand is no stranger to handling coconuts, as its coconut milk, water, and cream products speak for themselves. This success is also seen in the Piña Colada mix, which the Walmart product page describes as being made from "fresh sun-ripened Caribbean coconuts and pineapple juice." This combination gives consumers quality flavor that's almost as good as making it at home by hand.
Of course, Coco Lopez Piña Colada Mix has some sugar, but it's only 24 grams per serving, well within manageable limits. It's an excellent balance for people who love sweet drinks, but not so sweet that it makes them sick. A thrilled Influenster consumer shared that this mix is "the absolute best stuff to make piña coladas with!" Since it doesn't have any of the chemical sweetness that some brands have, the Coco Lopez Piña Colada mix may be a crowd-pleaser whenever you're hosting. In addition to making some of the tastiest beverages, you may use this product in the kitchen for delicious piña colada muffins, cakes, and other coconut-flavored desserts.
1. Lt. Blender's Piña Colada in a Bag
Put your blender aside and explore the creamy deliciousness packed in Lt. Blender's Piña Colada in a Bag. All you need to do is pour in some water and any alcoholic beverage of your choice, shake the bag to mix the contents, and serve chilled. This easy routine is why it's a favorite among consumers. One person said, "These are the best to make a perfect piña colada every time. They are always ready in the freezer! No big mess with a blender. Fill, freeze, [and] enjoy!"
The creamy flavor you taste in Lt. Blender's Piña Colada in a Bag comes from the company using real fruits with no chemical flavoring. The natural flavors in this drink take you on a trip to tropical bliss, but it is not too sugary, so you can also use it in rice, shrimp, cheesecake, and many other dishes. One characteristic feature of this brand that sets it apart from other low-sugar piña colada mixes is that it doesn't have any artificial sweeteners. Therefore you won't have to worry about a chemical taste, which is why it's at the top of this ranking.