This pineapple coconut margarita will transport you on a tropical vacation with every sip! It is similar in taste to a piña colada made with tequila instead of rum! This summer drink is easy to make and comes together quickly with only a few ingredients!
This tropical margarita is popular for Cinco de Mayo and during the spring and summer months! Enjoy it on the rocks (over ice) garnished with a pineapple slice and a toasted coconut rim.
This sweet and refreshing cocktail pairs especially well with BBQ cauliflower tacos or jackfruit nachos! If you love this pineapple coconut margarita make sure to check out my watermelon basil margarita!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's DELICIOUS! Coconut pineapple margaritas are sweet yet refreshing! They are truly the best summer cocktail.
- Don't like tequila? You can swap in vodka, rum, gin or mezcal for different variations!
- It will transport you to a tropical get-away with every sip! This is the ultimate way to elevate your stay-cation!
Equipment Notes
I recommend using a cocktail shaker or jar with a lid, a citrus juicer and a jigger for measuring ounces. You can also use a liquid measuring glass if you don't have a jigger.
Ingredient Notes
- Tequila - you can use your favorite kind of tequila. 1800 Coconut tequila is a great choice for this recipe!
- Orange liqueur - I used Cointreau, but you can use Triple Sec or Grand Mariner as well.
- Cream of coconut - you can find this in the "bar" isle of grocery stores where they keep drink mixes. I used Coco Real because I like the squeeze bottle, but Coco Lopez is also a popular brand.
- Lime juice - make sure to use freshly squeezed limes rather than the juice you buy in a bottle. This is key to the bright, fresh taste in a margarita!
- Agave - this is used to coat the rim of the glasses so the shredded coconut sticks!
- Coconut flakes - I pan toasted sweetened, shredded coconut. This is for the rim of the glass. You can find sweetened shredded coconut in the baking aisle of grocery stores.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Without tequila - you can substitute in vodka, rum or even gin for a fun twist. Try using a coconut flavored spirit for maximum coconut flavor!
- Without orange liqueur - you can use fresh squeezed orange juice instead! Or you can choose to omit this if it is not available. It will still taste yummy, I promise.
- Without cream of coconut - if you simply can not find cream of coconut, you can use 1.5 oz of full fat coconut milk + ½ oz of agave syrup or simple sugar. If doing this I recommend blending all of the ingredients together rather than shaking. Coconut milk tends to be clumpy and blending it will ensure a smoother cocktail.
- Spicy - muddle a few jalapeño slices at the bottom of the cocktail shaker!
- Smokey - swap in mezcal for tequila for a smokey variation!
- Frozen - you can add approximately 1 cup of ice along with the rest of the ingredients into a blender. Blend and enjoy!
- Pitcher - Multiply the recipe by the number of people you need to serve. If not serving immediately, keep in the fridge without ice. Add ice to the pitcher before serving.
Step by Step Instructions
Dip the rim of each glass in agave, making sure it is coated around the rim.
Dip the agave coated glass into a plate of toasted coconut. Roll it around until the rim is covered with coconut flakes.
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice. Add the remaining ingredients to the shaker.
Shake well for 20-30 seconds until chilled. Strain into glasses over ice and enjoy!
Hint: roll the limes before juicing them! This make the juicing process easier and helps you get more juice out of them!
Storage
You can make pineapple coconut margaritas up to 24 hours in advance. Mix them up without ice as the ice will dilute the cocktail if not served immediately. Store them in the fridge until ready to serve. Before serving, make sure to stir well and pour into a glass over ice.
Top tip
The toasted coconut rim is completely optional but I highly recommend it! To toast the coconut flakes, simply heat them in a pan over medium head until they begin to brown.
Frequently Asked Questions
The coconut pineapple margarita will start to separate over time. Simple stir it with a spoon and it will come back together.
Heat a pan over medium heat. Add the coconut flakes. Stir occasionally for about 5 minutes until they being to brown. Turn off the heat.
While I recommend using cream of coconut for this recipe, yes you can use full fat coconut milk in place with the addition of ½ oz of agave or simple syrup.
More Summer Cocktails You'll Love
Pineapple Coconut Margarita
Ingredients
- 2 oz tequila
- ½ oz cointreau
- 1 oz lime juice
- 2 oz pineapple juice
- 1 ½ oz cream of coconut
Optional Garnishes:
- ¼ cup shredded sweetened coconut toasted
- 1 tablespoon agave syrup
- pineapple slices
Instructions
- Dip the rim of your glass into agave syrup, making sure to coat the rim.
- Dip the glass into a plate of toasted coconut flakes, turning the glass to coat the rim.
- Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add the tequila, cointreau, lime juice, pineapple juice and cream of coconut.
- Shake well for 20-30 seconds until chilled.
- Pour into the garnished glasses over ice. Add a slice of pineapple and enjoy!
Notes
- Roll the limes on a flat surface before juicing them. Fresh squeezed lime juice is always better than bottled.
Dortie Shultis says
We made the pineapple coconut margaritas for our Memorial Day BBQ. Everyone loved them. Will definitely make them again soon.
Emily Toshiko says
Dortie, thank you so much for the kind review! I'm so happy to hear everyone enjoyed the pineapple coconut margaritas. Thanks for giving my recipe a try! 🙂
Em says
This is absolutely delicious!!