What if I told you that you can still enjoy that summertime taste of a Pina Colada WITHOUT all that extra sugar, carbs and calories? You’d probably wonder how on Earth I pulled something like that off. Well I didn’t do it alone, while I was surfing the world of Pinterest I came across this recipe on LowCarb-ology and knew I had to just try it. You can find it by clicking the link here: (https://www.lowcarb-ology.com/pina-colada-cocktail-thats-low-carb/#lowcarb_pina_colada_cocktail) OR you can continue reading this and find out how I tweaked the original and made it even better as well as made a dessert type drink out of it to try on the weekend.

Pina coladas are special to me, I remember I enjoyed my first pina colada at 15 years old when I went to a summer luau with my Aunt, Uncle and Cousin. My cousin and I were amazed that the bartender catering the event even “served” us. Despite the fact that there wasn’t a drop of alcohol in it, I was immediately hooked on the taste of it. As the years went on booze was eventually (legally) added in and if I was out on the town drinking alcohol it was a frozen Pina Colada cocktail. I fell in love with the creaminess and the flavor at that luau at 15 years old.

Growing up on the Jersey shore it was the perfect drink to sip at the outdoor bars while listening to the sounds of loud music echoing from inside the bar, people loudly chatting, seagulls squawking and boats racing up and down the Barnegat Bay. On my honeymoon I spent a lot of time at this local bar and grill called LuLu’s Bait Shack in Fort Lauderdale. They had this amazing Pina Colada that were served in a souvenir glass, which you got to keep. They were DELICIOUS! I was happy to reuse and be able to take home with me the tall glass shaped like a bikini body for the longest time — I don’t know what happened to it.

Since starting my low carb lifestyle I don’t really drink, besides even without the rum a genuine pina colada alone can range from 65 to 7 grams of carbs and that alone is enough to take a step back from something I once loved.

It was then I knew I needed to find a way to have my pina colada and drink it too. Enter Pinterest and the lovely link I provided you with above for the original. I learned from Low Carb-ology just how valuable water enhancers are and while I initially scoffed at the author’s claim that it changed the way she looked at cocktails, I am now very inclined to agree. While I’ll freely admit, I was weary of a water enhancer that would supposedly taste like the real thing I have got to say Dasani REALLY delivers in my book . Margaritaville (as in the wonderful company which gives you alcoholic mixers and fancy blenders) also has several frozen drink inspired water enhancers all only 1 gram of carb but I love Dasani because their water enhancers are 0 carbs and soooo delicious. Whenever I am in Shop Rite or my local super Walmart I check out the water enhancers and am super careful to read the label on each one to see what flavors are available.

Much like the author of the original recipe, I have totally replaced fruit juice in my cocktails with water enhancers and you can’t tell the difference.

When I came across this recipe and realized I basically had everything I needed in my house already just imagine my excitement. When I set out to follow the recipe I tried to keep in the back of my mind to keep my standards kind of low because there of been plenty of things that I’ve tried to make low-carb (some of which I am still trying to find mimic some of the tastes I miss so much) but don’t deliver.

That said, I never share with you guys what I feel like doesn’t deliver, so that fact that I’m writing it gives it away as gold. I actually did a Facebook live video the first time I made this drink and looking back and re-watching it I can see the trepidation I had in taking my first sip. I expected to be let down, however, I was not as this cocktail is nearly identical in flavor and texture to my favorite Pina Colada! I haven’t exactly tried it with the alcohol yet, however, the original author has and claims that it packs a powerful punch very much like the original and I take her word for it.

Now while I tried this recipe and thought it was fantastic, it got my wheels turning. I wanted to make it my own and so I tweaked it in a way that made it totally Brittany and I think you’ll all agree mine is better (no offense low-carb-ology).

Now what I love most about this recipe is I can dress it up and make it a low-carb dessert shake or dress it down to essentially NO carbs and have it taste nearly identical to the original pina colada. The choice is yours and that’s the beauty of it. My husband has a ritual of chocolate chip cookies and milk each night and my new ritual is this gem of a recipe where I truly feel like I’m treating myself minus all the sugar, carbs and-Oh yeah, guilt!

Anyway, if you like Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain…(now I’m singing this song in my head, just great!) you are going to love this low carb Pina Colada cocktail! Hey make sure drink responsibly — don’t drink and drive. There’s too much at stake and lives that can be destroyed!

Grocery Check List

1. Rum

2. Heavy Cream

3. Water

4. Ice Cubes

5. Breyer’s Carb Smart Vanilla Ice Cream (optional)

6. Whipped Cream (optional)

7. Dasani pineapple coconut water enhancer

What Else You’ll Need:

A blender or magic bullet (I have the latter and genuinely recommend it)

Okay, great, now how do I make it?!

1. Combine 2 oz of heavy cream, 4 oz of water, 2 tablespoons of Dasani pineapple coconut water enhancer, and 4 ice cubes.

(Dessert Style: If you want to dress it up, combine the 2 oz of heavy cream, 4 oz of water, 2 tablespoons of Dasani pineapple coconut water enhancer, with 3 oz of rum (optional), 2 tablespoons of Breyer’s low carb vanilla ice cream and a splash of whipped cream. Top it off with the 4 ice cubes.)

2. Blend on high until smooth and creamy.

3. Pour in a fancy glass and garish with a maraschino cherry.

Nutrition Facts

1. Original version: 0 grams carbs, 0 sugar

2. Dessert Version: 2 grams Of carbs, 4 grams of sugar.

What’s your favorite island style drink? Leave a comment below and tell me what you’d like to see me make low carb!

Love you. Mean it.

Brittany

Xoxo