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Glass cup filled with strawberry puree and icy pineapple coconut mixture with red straw and pineapple wedge on rim of glass.

Lava Flow Hawaiian Tropical Drink {Non-Alcoholic}

Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 24 ounces frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed slightly (see note to use regular frozen strawberries)
  • ½ cup water
  • 3 ½ cups pineapple juice
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans cream of coconut (see note)
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • Ice
  • Fresh pineapple wedges for garnish (optional)

Instructions 

  • In a blender, puree the slightly thawed strawberries with 1/2 cup water. The mixture should be syrupy and thick. Transfer to a liquid measuring cup or bowl and chill in the refrigerator while prepping the other ingredients (it's important for the strawberry mixture to stay slushy and cold).
  • Rinse out the blender and set aside.
  • In a liquid measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the pineapple juice, cream of coconut and half-and-half.
  • Fill blender halfway with ice. Add the pineapple-coconut mixture until it comes up to an even height with the ice. Blend until thick and slushy (add more coconut/pineapple mixture if it is too thick to blend easily or more ice if it's too thin). Depending on how many drinks you are making, you may need to continue to repeat this step until all drinks are made/all the pineapple mixture is blended.
  • Add about an inch of the cold strawberry mixture into a 12- to 16-ounce cup. Pour the icy coconut/pineapple mixture into the center of the strawberry mixture in the cup until the cup is filled. If desired, gently swirl the mixture with a straw for the "lava" effect.
  • Garnish the rim of the glass with a wedge of fresh pineapple, if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

Cream of Coconut: this ingredient is often found in the mixed drinks aisle of the grocery store (the cream of coconut is non-alcoholic). I usually use the Coco Lopez brand in the blue can. 
Strawberries: thanks to feedback in the comments, I rarely buy sweetened frozen strawberries in favor of using whole frozen strawberries. To use whole frozen strawberries, weigh out 24 ounces of strawberries into a shallow bowl or dish. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you want the drink and how ripe and sweet the frozen strawberries are). Toss to combine. Let the strawberries thaw slightly until they are still a bit frozen but can be blended. They will be syrupy as they thaw and macerate with the sugar. Proceed with the recipe as written (still adding the water to the blender with the strawberry mixture). 
Make-ahead: I don't recommend blending the strawberry mixture or the pineapple-coconut mixture with the ice until ready to assemble. However, you can whisk together the pineapple juice, cream of coconut and half-and-half and store in the refrigerator for several days.