Pina colada dessert shots are easy and fun summer treats! Made with pineapple, coconut, and coconut rum, these dessert shots are creamy and delicious with a tropical vibe! These dessert shots are perfect for summer parties!
Ingredients for Pina Colada Dessert Shots
- Instant vanilla pudding mix – Be sure it is instant pudding mix rather than cook and serve. For this recipe, I used a 3.4 ounce package. You can also use instant coconut cream pie pudding mix in place of the vanilla pudding mix.
- Milk – Use whatever cold milk you prefer.
- Coconut rum – I mean, it is pina colada right? We have to add booze! To make these boozy, we are going to add some coconut rum. Feel free to use a different alcohol. Some great ideas include white or dark rum or rumchata. Use any type of alcohol you want! If you want to make these alcohol-free, simply replace the rum with more milk.
- Heavy cream – Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream work equally as well!
- Crushed pineapple – Drain the pineapple and save the juice to make a pineapple ginger margarita (seriously delicious).
- Coconut – Shredded sweetened coconut. To make these dessert cups easier to eat and easier to pipe in the cups, I usually pulse the shredded coconut in the food processor to give it a finer texture. We are also going to be toasting up some coconut for a garnish. (See: FAQ)
- Maraschino cherries – Top each cup with a cherry because it’s cute and I love it when a pina colada comes with a slice of pineapple and cherry…and an umbrella (obviously).
Tools & Supplies for Making Pina Colada Dessert Shots
How to Make Pina Colada Dessert Shots
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together instant vanilla pudding mix, milk, and coconut rum. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for five minutes.
- Pour heavy cream into the pudding mixture. Whip on medium-high speed with an electric hand mixer until the mixture is thick and fluffy.
- Fold in drained crushed pineapple and finely shredded coconut.
- Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and pipe the pina colada mixture into 28 2-ounce plastic cups, about 3/4 full. You can also spoon the mixture into the cups if you do not have a piping bag.
- Sprinkle each dessert shot with toasted shredded coconut and a maraschino cherry.
Pina Colada Dessert Shots Recipe Tips
Plastic cups
The plastic cups with lids can be found on Amazon or at your local party supply store. You can also use cupcake liners if you wish but they are not very sturdy. The cups are 2-ounces, but feel free to make them any size you would like! The recipe makes approximately 28 2-ounce cups give or take depending on how much pina colada mixture you pipe into the cups.
Non-alcohol version
To make these pina colada cups alcohol-free, simply replace the alcohol in the recipe with additional milk.
Toasting coconut
To toast the coconut, spread the shredded sweetened coconut on a baking pan in one thin layer. Bake at 350 degrees F, stirring every few minutes to ensure the coconut does not burn. Toasting the coconut typically takes about 5 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on it and don’t walk away because it can burn easily.
Maraschino cherries
To prevent the maraschino cherries from leaking all over the pina colada mousse, be sure to drain the cherries. I find it helpful to first drain them with a fine mesh strainer and then pat them dry with a paper towel to soak up the excess liquid.
Storing and serving
The dessert shots can be stored in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days. A great way to serve these dessert shots at a party is straight out of a cooler so they remain chilled. When serving, do not leave the cups out for more than 30 minutes.
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Pina Colada Dessert Shots
Equipment
- Electric hand mixer
- 28 2 ounce plastic cups with lids
Ingredients
Pina Colada Dessert Shots
- 3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup coconut rum
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 cup drained crushed pineapple
- ¾ cup shredded sweetened coconut
Garnish
- ¼ cup shredded sweetened coconut toasted (see: tips)
- 28 mini pineapple slices
- 14 maraschino cherries drained and halved
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together instant vanilla pudding mix, milk, and coconut rum until combined. Chill for 5 minutes.
- Pour heavy whipping cream into the pudding and whip on medium-high speed with an electric hand mixer until thickened.
- Fold in drained canned pineapple and shredded sweetened coconut until well dispersed throughout the pudding mixture.
- Fill a piping bag with the pina colada mixture. Pipe the pina colada mixture into 28 2-ounce plastic cups about ¾ full.
- Top the pina colada cups with toasted coconut, a thin pineapple slice, and a maraschino cherry.
- Seal the cups with a lid and chill. The cups can be served immediately or stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
Notes
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Comments & Reviews
Can I make them boozier by adding more regular rum?
You can! I’m not sure how the flavor would be, but they would certainly pack a punch!