Frozen Lava Flow
The Hawaiian Lava Flow: a piña colada with strawberry purée swirled up the glass. Batch sizes and machine tips for Margaritaville frozen concoction makers.
Jump to recipe ↓The Lava Flow is a Hawaiian resort favorite: a piña colada poured over strawberry purée so red streaks rise like lava.
It takes one extra step — make the purée first — but the effect is worth it.
Lava Flow recipe
Ingredients (3 drinks)
- 4½ oz light rum
- 4 oz pineapple juice
- 4 oz cream of coconut (paid link)
- 1 ripe banana
- 1½ cups frozen strawberries (for the purée)
- 1 Tbsp sugar (for the purée)
Plus: a full ice reservoir. Garnish: Pineapple wedge, orchid or umbrella. Glass: Hurricane glass.
Instructions
- Purée strawberries with sugar in the jar using Blend Only (no ice); pour into a cup and rinse the jar.
- Fill the ice reservoir.
- Add rum, pineapple juice, cream of coconut and banana to the jar; run the cycle.
- Spoon strawberry purée into each glass, then slowly pour the colada over it so the red ‘lava’ streaks up the sides.
- Garnish with pineapple.
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 | 3½ oz | 4⅔ oz | 3 oz | 4 oz | 8 oz |
| pineapple juice | 3 oz | 4¼ oz | 2¾ oz | 3½ oz | 7 oz |
| cream of coconut | 3 oz | 4¼ oz | 2¾ oz | 3½ oz | 7 oz |
| ripe banana | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| frozen strawberries (for the purée) | 1¼ cups | 1½ cups | 1 cups | 1⅓ cups | 2⅔ cups |
| sugar (for the purée) | ¾ Tbsp | 1 Tbsp | ⅔ Tbsp | 1 Tbsp | 1¾ Tbsp |
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
- This recipe includes fruit. On the Fiji, Tahiti and Bali, choose the Daiquiris (or Smoothies) program so the cycle blends longer; on the Bahamas and Key West, hold Blend Only for a few extra seconds after the automatic cycle if you see chunks. Fruit adds volume, so keep an eye on the jar’s maximum line.
- 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 12.5 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
Banana and coconut make the colada thick enough to hold the purée in streaks.
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
- Make the purée first so the jar is clean for the colada.
- Pour the colada slowly down the side.
- Keep purée thick — don’t add liquid.
- Shake cream of coconut well.
- 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 wedge, orchid or umbrella and serve in a 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
- Mango lava: Use mango purée.
- Coconut rum: Use coconut rum.
- Raspberry: Raspberry purée.
Mocktail swap
Skip rum; add 3 oz extra pineapple juice.
Shop the ingredients
- 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
Why didn’t it streak?
Colada too thin — shave more ice.
Banana required?
It adds body; optional.
Origin?
Popular in Hawaii; exact origin unclear.
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.
Please drink responsibly. Alcoholic recipes are for adults of legal drinking age (21+ in the US). Never drink and drive.
