The past few days have been hot! Out of nowhere we got smacked in the face with summer. The humidity was dialed up to 100, too, so I had just the recipe to make this week. Last week I bought a pineapple to make pina colada ice cream, but it wasn’t ready. Thankfully, the timing worked out well, and I made homemade ice cream Monday, just in time for the two hottest days of the year. I can’t tell you how many bites I snuck out of the freezer and how quickly it melted!

Pina Colada Ice Cream

I’m not a drinker, or a cocktail lover, but I love a good fruit smoothie. I feel like pina coladas are more of a smoothie than a cocktail anyway, and I have always loved coconut and pineapple. I’ve been dreaming of this recipe for a little bit, and planned to buy a whole pineapple, carve it out, and use it as a bowl. It reminds me of the pineapples we saw on the streets in Portugal last year that they served cocktails out of. I never got one!

So I picked up a pineapple last week. And admittedly, I almost never cook with whole pineapple. I had to look up advice for when to cut it. When it was ripe. I waited for the pineapple to smell sweet and for the leaves to pull out of the top easily. But day after day nothing was happening. According to some sites, pineapples never ripen once picked. So after about a week I decided it was time to just dig in.

Grilled Pineapple

I cleared my schedule on Tuesday to spend nearly the whole day making pina colada ice cream. I started by researching pina colada recipes, which typically have rum, pineapple, coconut cream, and sometimes lime. So, because I don’t really drink, I decided to omit the alcohol and make a creamy pineapple and coconut ice cream. With a touch of lime and salt. To elevate the flavor, I decided to grill the pineapple so it would caramelize. And I infused toasted coconut into my coconut milk creme anglaise base. 

I started the day by watering my vegetables and plants. My basil is nearly ready to pick! I can’t believe it. Growing your own food is so rewarding and exciting. I forgot to water my sunflowers for a few days, but nobody’s perfect. I attached the propane tank to the griddle, sweating profusely in the intense heat, and flipped on the heat. While I waited, I went inside and sliced my whole pineapple into discs. I saved the spiky green head and carried my pineapple discs outside to grill.

Sketching Ideas

The grill was ripping hot, from both the new bottle of propane and the intense, humid day. I oiled the grill lightly and started to cook my pineapple, listening to the delightful sizzle of the fruit. I could smell the pineapple caramelize quickly, which took on a rich sweet scent. Once each side was sufficiently deep brown with caramelization, I turned off the grill and brought my pineapple back inside. I took a water break and relaxed a bit while I let it cool.

Next I spent a few good minutes cutting the cores out of the middle of the pineapple discs and trimming the skin off the pineapple. I cut up the grilled, juicy pineapple and placed it on a plate in the freezer for a few minutes to cool it down further. Immediately it hit me that my plan was to carve a pineapple bowl with the bottom of the fruit, and I missed my chance. It was already butchered to pieces. So, I went back to the drawing board and decided to draw new ideas for plating my pina colada ice cream.

Toasted Coconut Flakes

After tossing some ideas through my head, I got out some coconut flakes and a can of coconut milk. Which I shook as hard as I could, pretending to be a bartender, to mix the coconut cream and milk together. Then, I got out my new stainless steel pan and melted down some butter with coconut oil. Next I added a heap of coconut flakes and tossed them through the mixture to coat them evenly. I smelled the toasty buttery coconut almost immediately. It’s one of my very favorite things. And the butter and oil really bring out the sugars in the coconut.

My coconut started to caramelize quickly, so I watched it like a hawk. Once it all was a deep golden brown color, I poured in my coconut milk, straight out the can, which bubbled and steamed. Infusing with that rich toasted coconut flavor. I let it bubble away on a low heat for a few dozen minutes while I prepped my eggs. All I did was blanche egg yolks with sugar in a metal bowl. I added some vanilla and salt too. And I took out my best strainer to place on top. 

Toasted Coconut and Pineapple Custard

The toasted coconut-infused coconut milk was totally brown and rich with flavor. So I switched off the heat, mixed it a little bit, and poured some into the strainer over my bowl of eggs and sugar. Quickly I whisked the cream into the eggs, making sure not to let it scramble. And then I added the rest of the liquid until I had a thin creme anglaise.

I have to make straight up toasted coconut ice cream again. Because oh my god, the custard by itself was so good! I gave some to my dad, who loves coconut, and he nearly melted. So I felt a little conflicted adding my pineapple to it. But I knew it would complement the sweetness of the coconut. And I knew it would make the perfect pina colada ice cream. I thought about making two ice cream bases and swirling them but I just decided to blend them together.

Ice Cream Machine + Hot Days

I blended the coconut anglaise base with my caramelized pineapple. For a while, just to make sure the pineapple was all blended. I strained out my mixture, wiped out my pan, and turned the heat back on. And I poured my liquid in. Which I stirred and watched for about 10 minutes until it thickened into a custard consistency. Then, when I was satisfied with the texture, I strained it through my sieve one more time into a metal bowl and covered it with plastic wrap. After it chilled, of course. 

The next day was straight out of hell. It felt like 100 degrees. So the last thing I wanted to do was hang out in the hot kitchen. But thankfully I couldn’t wait to churn my pina colada ice cream and taste it. I snuck a taste of the delicious anglaise, but custards change taste a little when they churn. I dipped into the basement and took my ice cream machine bowl out, which felt so good in my arms. Normally it would nearly give me frostbite because it’s so shockingly cold (I keep it there 24/7) but it was just what I needed. 

Pina Colada Ice Cream with Toasted Coconut

I placed the bowl in my ice cream machine, put the cover on, and flipped the switch. Listening to the machine churn air until I poured my cold pina colada ice cream base in. Quickly it turned from a luscious pale yellow cream into a thick, buttercup yellow ice cream. I dipped my spoon in to taste some and it melted on my tongue. Like a hybrid of a pineapple sorbet and a rich coconut ice cream. I spread it into a metal baking pan to chill further in the fridge, scraping the bowl of the mixer for every bit of gold. Then I impatiently waited. 

I forgot to mention that I saved some of my delicious toasted coconut before adding my coconut milk the previous day. So I had a little plastic dish of toasted, buttery coconut ready to go. I went over and over in my head again, thinking of plating ideas, and ended up trying three different presentations. The first was a fancy quenelle, which is one of my least favorite things to do. Pretty much every time I try to make a quenelle and imitate a Michelin star dessert I just hate how it looks. So I ended up opting for my classic ice cream scoop. 

Plating My Ice Cream

I started by plating my toasted coconut in a ring mold, on my black plate, to make a perfect circle. Then, once my ice cream had thawed a little on the counter, I dipped my scoop in hot water and formed a gorgeous yellow ball of pina colada ice cream. I placed it on top of the coconut and garnished the dish with a pineapple leaf. I thought about making a coconut caramel, or a rum caramel to honor the alcohol flavor, but it was so hot out. And I didn’t want to overcomplicate the dish.

So I dug in. The ice cream was luscious and creamy. Packed with caramelized pineapple flavor. But it paired so well with the creamy, deep toasted coconut cream. I put in a little lime juice, too, and salt, which amped up the flavor. And because it was so hot, I couldn’t stop taking little bites to refresh myself. It was truly the perfect dessert for a super hot day. And while I don’t drink cocktails, or regularly drink pina coladas, this was so refreshing and delicious. 

The toasted coconut provided a great crunch and rich, almost salty-sweet flavor to complement the fresh ice cream. I loved the toasted coconut so much and couldn’t stop thinking about putting it on top of a savory curry. And throughout this insanely hot and uncomfortable week, I’ve had many bites of pina colada ice cream. Which is now one of my favorite flavors. I’m so glad I caramelized the pineapple, and so glad I toasted the coconut. This is such a delicious recipe, and if you have an ice cream machine it’s so easy to make!

Enjoying Summer in Maine

As I’m writing this, the weather has cooled off. We’re back to the dreaminess of summer in Maine (without the extreme heat) and I just got back from the farmers market. I’m dreaming of a new project and thinking about taking another taste of my ice cream. And I’m thinking up next week’s recipe! 

Thanks so much for reading, as always. Be sure to check out my shop or my Etsy page for 100’s of recipe cards and art prints! Use code THEFORKEDRING for 25% off on Etsy.

Print Pin

Pina Colada Ice Cream

A toasted coconut and caramelized pineapple ice cream with a touch of lime

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword coconut, ice cream cone cookies, pineapple

Prep Time 4 hours hours

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8

Author theforkedring

Ingredients

• 1 whole pineapple
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
• 14 oz can coconut milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp lime juice

Instructions

• Slice pineapple into thick discs, trimming the top and bottom. Grill on high heat with a little bit of oil until deeply caramelized on both sides.
• Let pineapple discs cool at room temperature. Meanwhile, heat butter and coconut oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
• Once melted and bubbly, add your shredded coconut and toss to coat evenly in butter and oil. Cook, stirring constantly, until deep golden brown and toasted. Remove 1/3 to 1/2 cup of coconut for plating later and transfer to leftover container.
• Pour in your coconut milk and heavy cream to deglaze the pan and stop cooking the toasted coconut. The mixture will bubble and thicken slightly, so stir it frequently until hot (3-5 minutes).
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy. Place a strainer over the top of the bowl and pour in your coconut cream mixture, straining out the toasted coconut. Save coconut for another recipe, or toast for extra garnish.
• Once your mixture is strained, wipe out your coconut pan with a paper towel and pour the mixture back into the clean pan. Heat over medium-high heat and whisk constantly for 5-10 minutes until thickened (mixture should coat the back of a spoon and have a custard consistency).
• Once thickened, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, cut up your cooled caramelized pineapple. Remove the core from the center with a cookie cutter or knife and remove outer hard skin. Place in the freezer to firm for about 10-30 minutes. It should be solid and cold but not fully frozen.
• In a large blender, combine your coconut anglaise, lime juice, and cold caramelized pineapple. Blend until silky and totally combined, for about 2-3 minutes. Stop and scrape sides if needed.
• Strain your anglaise into a clean bowl, removing any coarse pieces of pineapple. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.
• When ready to churn, pour your anglaise into a frozen ice cream machine and churn for 15 – 25 minutes. Be careful not to over-churn (the water content in the pineapple makes this more likely than other ice cream recipes).
• When the consistency is similar to a thick but pliable ice cream, remove from ice cream machine and spread into a metal dish. Cover and freeze for at least 30 minutes to firm.
• When ready to serve, place 1-2 tbsp toasted coconut on your plate in a ring mold. Then, scoop a ball of ice cream and place on top of the coconut. Garnish with a pineapple leaf.

Notes

• If your ice cream is too icy or coarse, you may have over-churned it. Don’t worry!
• To fix it, leave your ice cream out at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes and stir it all together, vigorously, with a spoon or chopstick. Then, put back in freezer for 20-30 minutes and thaw slightly before serving.
• To utilize the coconut you strain out of the anglaise, cook in a hot oven for 30-50 minutes until you cook out the cream / moisture. Then, cook in a pan with a little butter and coconut oil again to crisp it back up.