If you like piña coladas
And getting caught in the rain
If you’re not into yoga
If you have half a brain
If you’d like making love at midnight
In the dunes on the Cape
Then I’m the love that you’ve looked for
Write to me and escape.

– Escape, more commonly known as The Piña Colada Song.

The piña colada, traditionally made with pineapple, coconut cream, and light rum, was created in 1954 by a bartender at the Caribe Hilton’s Beachcomber Bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The cocktail has been popular there ever since and has been Puerto Rico’s official beverage since 1978. This cool tropical concoction became more widely popular after singer Rupert Holmes released the annoyingly catchy little song called Escape, more commonly known as The Piña Colada Song.

I wanted to make these last night and searched for the recipe on the blog, and I realized that I had neglected to include the post on the piña colada when I published the series on  Boozy Ice Pops earlier in the summer.  Ooopsy!  However, it is still appropriate to share as Southern California is in the midst of a record-setting heat wave right now. These ice pops are creamy, fruity, and so refreshing and a great way to beat the heat.

Here’s to staying cool this weekend!

Piña Colada Ice Pops
Yields approximately 8 three-ounce pops

Ingredients:
4 cups pineapple, preferably fresh, diced
1 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons rum
Simple syrup, as needed, depending on sweetness of fruit

For the Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Method:
To make the simple syrup, bring sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Simmer until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes.  Let cool completely.  Syrup can be refrigerated in a glass jar for up to 2 weeks.

If desired, put a layer of diced pineapple on the bottom of each mold. Put the remaining pineapple in a blender.  Add the coconut milk and rum, and blend until smooth. Taste and add simple syrup, to taste.

Strain the pineapple/coconut mixture, pressing down to extract as much of the juice as possible. Pour the pineapple/coconut mixture into 3-ounce cup molds.  Freeze until mixture is slushy, about one hour, before inserting wooden sticks.  Partially freezing the mixture will make it easier for the sticks to stay upright and in place.  Freeze until completely firm, about 8-10 hours, or preferably for 12 hours.

To unmold the ice pops, dip the frozen molds into warm water for a few seconds.  Gently pull the stick to release the pops from the mold.

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