Blue Colada
A frozen piña colada turned ocean-blue with blue curaçao: rum, cream of coconut and pineapple juice for Margaritaville machines.
Jump to recipe ↓
A piña colada with a curaçao twist — the blue mixes with the white coconut into a pale aqua that looks like a Caribbean lagoon. It’s 13 ounces of liquid, a perfect three-drink batch for 36-ounce jars.
Blue curaçao adds a light orange note that cuts the richness of coconut.
Blue Colada recipe
Ingredients (3 drinks)
- 3 oz light rum
- 1½ oz blue curaçao (liqueur or syrup) (paid link)
- 4½ oz cream of coconut (paid link)
- 4 oz pineapple juice
Plus: a full ice reservoir. Garnish: Pineapple slice. Glass: Colada or hurricane glass.
Instructions
- Fill the ice reservoir.
- Add all ingredients to the jar.
- Run the cycle (Coladas program if available).
- Garnish with a pineapple slice.
How much to make in your machine
Every Margaritaville frozen concoction maker is designed around a particular volume of liquid — the shaver portions ice for it. The table scales this recipe to the margarita liquid volume printed in each model’s manual (Key West DM1000 / DM1946 3 × 12 oz drinks: 9.75 fl oz; Bahamas DM0500 / Fiji DM2000 3 × 12 oz drinks: 13 fl oz; Tahiti DM3000 per 24 oz jar: 8.67 fl oz; Bali DM3500 half chamber: 11 fl oz; Bali DM3500 full chamber: 22 fl oz). Amounts are rounded to the nearest ¼ or ⅓ oz.
| Ingredient | Key West DM1000 / DM19463 × 12 oz drinks | Bahamas DM0500 / Fiji DM20003 × 12 oz drinks | Tahiti DM3000per 24 oz jar | Bali DM3500half chamber | Bali DM3500full chamber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| light rum | 2¼ oz | 3 oz | 2 oz | 2½ oz | 5 oz |
| blue curaçao (liqueur or syrup) | 1 oz | 1½ oz | 1 oz | 1¼ oz | 2½ oz |
| cream of coconut | 3⅓ oz | 4½ oz | 3 oz | 3¾ oz | 7⅔ oz |
| pineapple juice | 3 oz | 4 oz | 2⅔ oz | 3⅓ oz | 6¾ oz |
Scaling is our calculation, not a manufacturer recipe. Fruit- and ice-cream-heavy drinks vary more; adjust with the Shave Only / Blend Only controls. The Key West DM1900 isn’t listed because we haven’t verified its manual yet.
Machine notes for this drink
- Cream of coconut separates in the bottle; shake or stir it until smooth before measuring, or the batch will be unevenly sweet.
- This batch uses about 13 fl oz of liquid for 3 drinks. If your drink comes out watery, the manuals’ first fix is to follow the recipe volumes or manually shave more ice; if it’s too stiff, add liquid and Blend Only.
Why this recipe works
Cream of coconut makes the body; pineapple adds acid; curaçao contributes color plus orange aromatics, so it tastes brighter than a regular colada.
About coladas, tiki & rum drinks
Tropical rum drinks lean on pineapple, coconut, passion fruit and citrus. Cream of coconut is the secret to a smooth colada; it adds fat that keeps shaved ice silky. Most of these recipes include two or more juices, which makes them lower in alcohol per ounce than they taste — but the rum still adds up across a batch.
Tips for the best texture
- Shake cream of coconut well.
- For a vivid blue, use slightly more curaçao and pineapple juice, less coconut.
- Serve with a straw — coladas are thick.
- Chill the glasses for a slower melt.
- Never put anything but ice in the ice reservoir, and don’t fill the jar past its maximum line — both are warnings in every manual.
- Too thin? Hold the toggle in Shave Only for a few seconds, then Blend Only to mix it in. Too thick? Add an ounce of liquid and Blend Only.
Serving & make-ahead
Garnish with pineapple slice and serve in a colada or hurricane glass. Tropical drinks shine with big garnishes — pineapple wedges, orange wheels, cherries on a pick and a paper umbrella. Hurricane glasses or tiki mugs hold the larger pours. For a crowd, a Tahiti lets you run a colada, a rum punch-style drink and a virgin version side by side.
Variations
- Blue Hawaiian: Increase pineapple and reduce coconut — see our Blue Hawaiian.
- Coconut rum: Use coconut rum for an extra-tropical version.
- Layered: Pour a regular colada, then a blue one on top.
Mocktail swap
Replace rum with pineapple juice and use non-alcoholic curaçao syrup.
Shop the ingredients
- Monin Blue Curaçao Syrup (non-alcoholic) (paid link)
- Coco Real Cream of Coconut (paid link)
- Libbey Cool Cocktails Island Hurricane Glasses, 15 oz, set of 6 (paid link)
We link to mixers, syrups and juices only — alcohol isn’t sold through these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Frequently asked questions
Does blue curaçao have alcohol?
The liqueur does (usually 20–30% ABV); syrups like Monin are non-alcoholic.
Why is it green?
Yellow pineapple juice plus blue can tint green — use less juice or more curaçao.
Can I make it in the Bali?
Yes — use the full or half chamber columns of the batch table.
How much ice should I put in the machine?
Fill the ice reservoir with ice cubes — the machine shaves the amount it needs for the cycle (dial models size it to the 1, 2 or 3-drink setting). The manuals recommend ice that has been out of the freezer for 10–15 minutes.
Will this work in a regular blender?
Yes — add about 1½–2 cups of ice per 12 oz drink and blend until smooth. The texture will be coarser than shaved ice.
What we changed
Corrected product links (the old page’s labels were swapped), added batch sizes.
Please drink responsibly. Alcoholic recipes are for adults of legal drinking age (21+ in the US). Never drink and drive.
