Before we get started, this article is kindly contributed by Bontea Cafe. This local tea shop in LA (Melrose Avenue) offers delicious drinks and memorable service for anyone’s boba craving.
Everyone has heard of Pina Colada. Everyone had tasted the Pina Colada, especially when it gained worldwide fame through Rupert Holmes’ 1979 song “Escape.” And also not forgetting National Pina Colada Day (which is on July 10th)!
But have you tasted Pina Colada with tapioca pearls before?
That frost icy drink with coconut and pineapple and rum and tapioca pearls is so delicious. It’s extremely refreshing on the hot summer days on the beach.
The Pina Colada is easy to make; you only need four ingredients. Read more below to learn how to make pina colada with tapioca pearls.

Prep Time
5 Minutes

Cook Time
20 Minutes

Total Time
25 Minutes

Yield
1-2 Servings
Ingredients you'll need
for making
pina colada with tapioca pearls
- 2 oz white rum
- 3 oz cream of coconut
- 4 oz pineapple juice
- 2 cups ice
- 1/4 cup cooked tapioca pearls
How to Make Pina Colada with Tapioca Pearls
Step 1
Before you make the Pina Colada with tapioca pearls, we recommend that you have the tapioca pearls made already. We can show you how you can make your tapioca pearls from scratch. You can find the post here.
Once you have successfully made the boba pearls, you may proceed to the next step.
Step 2
The second step is to ice down your blender. We don’t recommend commercial blenders because it cools down faster. And that will cause your Pina Coladas to become warm and melt.
You can use a glass or heavy plastic blender instead, and fill it with ice water for 15-20 minutes. You should do this before you start making your drink (You can use this time to prepare the tapioca pearls). That way, the blender becomes cold enough to prevent the drink from becoming warm.
Also, when you pour the drink in a glass, it won’t get to the bottom right away.
Step 3
Pour 2 ounces of white rum into the blender. You can use golden rum or even spiced rum. But we recommend the white rum because it’s pure, clean, and brings out the coconut and pineapple flavor in your boba tea.
Step 4
Add 3 ounces of cream of coconut to the blender. However, you have to know that there are coconut cream and cream of coconut. They are two different things.
The coconut cream is the white substance found on top of a coconut milk can. It’s solid, particularly if stored in a refrigerator or a cupboard with a low temperature. You’ll find the actual coconut milk down below the can.
But what you need is the cream of coconut, which is just sweetened coconut cream. It’s easy to find at any supermarket. Remember to shake it well before you pour the 3 ounces in the blender.
Step 5
Add 4 ounces of pineapple into the blender. You can use freshly squeezed pineapples. But if you’re making it for more people, you may want to buy jugs or cans of pineapple juice. Because, let’s face it, squeezing the juice out of the pineapple isn’t that much of a fun.
Step 6
Lastly, add 2 cups of ice. If you want, you can replace some of the ice with frozen pineapple cubes. It will give the drink the freshness it needs, without diluting it. Blend until it’s smooth and remember that what you’re looking for is frothy consistency.
Step 7
The last step is to get your glass and add your cooked tapioca pearls. After adding it, pour the fresh, delicious, and smooth pina colada into the glass. That’s it. You’re done! Oh, don’t forget to add a fat straw.
Alternative Method
Instead of the fresh ingredients listed above, you can use the powdered version such as:
- Coconut powder
- Creamer or sugar mix
- Pineapple powder
What you do next is to follow the same steps outlined above. Here’s how:
- Add the coconut powder, pineapple powder, creamer and sugar mix, ice, and water into a blender.
- Blend until you achieve a smooth consistency.
- Add the cooked tapioca pearls into your glass.
- Add the blended Pina Colada.
We hope you enjoyed the recipe for Pina Colada with tapioca pearls. So go ahead and experiment with it, and let us know how it turned out!
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1 thought on “How to Make Pina Colada with Tapioca Pearls”
This sounds bomb. Gonna give it a shot tonight. Have your guys been seeing the trend go more towards alcoholic boba? Haven’t been to one in OC yet but experimented on my own with some Bailey’s and milk tea which was pretty good since the alcohol was a milky base as well