Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Quick and Easy Piña Colada Fudge

Quick and Easy Piña Colada Fudge

Make this booze-free, no-cook beauty in a mixer

Craving sweets but don’t want to turn on the oven during hot summer days? We have the answer!

You can make this addictive Piña Colada Fudge in mere minutes, using just a mixer.

Unlike a real Piña Colada, this one has no rum in it. But you can always accompany it with a tipple if you wish. Because summer.

Quick and Easy Piña Colada Fudge

Recipe: Quick and Easy Piña Colada Fudge

Mrs. Kitchen Riffs is the dessert maven in our household, and this is her creation. It was inspired by an aunt of hers who taught her this quick mixer method for making fudge decades ago. It’s not actually fudge in the classic sense, but something more like cake frosting with attitude. It looks like fudge and has the same consistency, though. So fudge, we say.

A Piña Colada cocktail is a delightful mixture of coconut, pineapple, and rum. We’re skipping the rum, but go heavy on coconut and pineapple extract to create a flavor that’s remarkably similar to the liquid version. And we’ve added some lime for interest.

This recipe requires about 15 minutes of active time. Then you need to cool the fudge in the refrigerator (so it can solidify) before you shape or cut it. That will take about two hours (though you can speed things up a bit by putting it in the freezer).  

Yield depends on how large you cut the pieces, but figure on about 3 dozen 1-inch squares.  

Leftovers keep for a week or so if refrigerated in an airtight container.

Ingredients

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
  • ~10 ounces sweetened coconut flakes
  • zest and juice of 2 to 3 limes 
  • ~1 teaspoon pineapple extract (or more to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ~5 cups powdered (confectioner’s) sugar

Procedure 

  1. Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment or waxed paper.
  2. Melt the butter in a microwave or in a saucepan over low stovetop heat. If using a microwave, cover the container with a lid. Microwave in increments of 30 seconds until the butter is fully melted.
  3. Pour the melted butter into the bowl of a stand mixer (or into a large mixing bowl, if using a hand mixer). Add the coconut and mix to combine. Add the lime zest and juice, along with the pineapple and vanilla extracts. Mix until well combined.
  4. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until well combined. 
  5. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and refrigerate until well chilled. Allow the mixture to chill completely (or even freeze it). Then cut the fudge into pieces of about 1 inch square. Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Piña Colada Fudge
Notes

  • Ingredient quantities in this recipe are flexible, so adjust to taste.
  • You can leave out the lime if you wish (many recipes for Piña Colada cocktails don’t include it). But it does cut the sweetness of the fudge and adds an interesting dimension to the flavor, so we recommend using it.
  • The easiest way to zest limes (i.e., grate their outer skins) is with a Microplane grater.
  • Be sure to use high quality (pure) vanilla extract. Its flavor is so much better than the imitation kind.
  • Pure vanilla extract is made by soaking vanilla beans in a mixture of water and alcohol for several months. BTW, the FDA requires that pure vanilla extract contain at least 35% alcohol. If the label doesn’t say “pure,” that means it’s made from synthetic vanilla. The artificial kind is usually derived from the sapwood of several species of conifers—or from coal extracts! How appetizing (not).
  • The flavor of some imitation vanillas can be nasty. You don’t have to spend a fortune on pure vanilla extract, but getting decent quality does mean spending a bit more for something that’s not loaded with sugar or imitation flavoring. Do yourself a favor and get the real stuff. 
  • The same goes for pineapple extract. Avoid the imitators and go for the real thing. You’ll really taste it in this recipe, so you want to use something high quality. If you can’t find it at the local grocery, it’s available online.
  • Want even more flavor? You could add some rum extract for extra fun.
  • Although you can get really awesome flavor by adding some chopped fresh pineapple to this dish, we don’t recommend it. Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that keeps the fudge from setting up.

Quick and Easy Piña Colada Fudge

Pineapple Expressed

“This really does taste a like a Piña Colada cocktail,” I said. “All it needs is a little umbrella.”

“It tastes like sunshine,” said Mrs. Kitchen Riffs. “Powerful UV rays coming off this fudge.”

“Now you’re making me thirsty,” I said. “Maybe we should mix ourselves an actual Piña Colada to accompany our fudge.”

“I’m all for double dipping,” said Mrs K R.

Not to mention double sipping.

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60 comments:

Angie's Recipes said...

What a beautiful recipe! I have never had a piña colada fudge and I am truly intrigued to give this a try. Can I use unsweetened coconut flakes and add some sugar to it?

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Angie, isn't it nice? And you certainly can use unsweetened coconut flakes -- just add additional sugar to taste. :-) Thanks for the comment.

savorthebest said...

Pina Colada and fudge sounds like a delightful match. I can never refuse a sweet dessert ;)

Gerlinde de Broekert said...

Cake frosting with an attitude, I like that John. Tell Mrs. Kitchen Riff thank you for sharing this recipe.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Pat and Dahn, you'll love this -- definitely on the sweet side. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Gerlinde, this is really worth making. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Terry at Blue Kitchen said...

John, tell Mrs. Kitchen Riffs that this sounds heavenly—including the no bake aspect. I'm assuming the leftovers keeping for up to a week or more is purely theoretical. I can't imagine leftovers surviving that long before being eaten.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Terry, yeah, that week is pretty theoretical. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Family Spice said...

Oh yes! You need to show off Mrs. Kitchen Riff's sweet creations more often. I'm definitely going to try this!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Laura, we do need more sweets on the blog, don't we? :-) Thanks for the comment.

Ben | Havocinthekitchen said...

Even though this fudge doesn't have rum in it (You should definitely come up with a boozy version, too!), it looks irresistibly delicious. Great flavours!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Ben, we are definitely thinking of a dessert with this flavor and rum. Because, rum. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Mae Travels said...

The destructive enzyme in pineapple causes all kinds of problems, but I thought it was denatured by the canning process, meaning you could use canned pineapple in a recipe like this (or in a jello mould if that's your thing). Looks delicious.

best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Mae, we thought so too -- until we tried it. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Anne in the kitchen said...

Making this for when Son3 and DIL3 come to visit. We were supposed to have a beach trip but we passed on it because fo covid. This will be a nice little summer treat with a tropical beach flavor.

Sippity Sup said...

Who needs the cake when you've got the attitude. I bet you could replace the vanilla with rum if you wanted to turn this fudge into a party. GREG

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Amme, a beach is better, but this is a close second. :-) Thanks foe the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Greg, we're all about attitude. :-) Thanks foe the comment.

Raymund said...

OMG that fudge is out of this world!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Raymund, it is! :-) Thanks foe the comment.

Chef Mimi said...

I’m not a fudge lover, but am quite intrigued by this! Or maybe I’m just craving a pina colada!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Mimi, it's a fun dish. As is the drink. :-) Thanks foe the comment.

mjskit said...

Well, you just blew my diet. This fudge look irresistibly delicious. Who doesn't love pina colada and who doesn't love fudge. It's not me. I just filed this under Sweet Things I Like. Hopefully I'll be brave enough to have it in the house and not eat the whole batch in one sitting. thanks John!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi MJ, I know, right? Fortunately this freezes well. But unfortunately it thaws quite quickly. So you're only minutes away from a piece. Or three. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Sherry's Pickings said...

pineapple and coconut and vanilla together? oooohh yes please!

Sherry's Pickings said...

i make my own vanilla extract and believe you me, it's 100% alcohol!! pure vodka plus vanilla beans. oh yeah!

Lea Ann said...

Very clever! Love this idea and it's a "must make" and soon. Thanks John.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Sherry, those two flavors just work, don't they? ;-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Sherry, sounds delish! We've never made our own -- should give it a try. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Lea Ann, you'll love the flavor of this! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Pam said...

SO tasty! This is my kind of dessert.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Pam, ours too. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes said...

My favorite drink turned into a fudge!? So excited to try this!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Ashley, bet you'll enjoy this. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Abbe@This is How I Cook said...

I'm getting an attitude real fast with this fudge on my screen. Count me in. After all, frosting is always my favorite part of the cake!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Abbe, ours too. Because we have attitude. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Balvinder said...

The fudge looks fantastic! How awesome for a summer backyard party!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Balvinder, it's really good stuff. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Evelyne CulturEatz said...

It's cliché but I love Piña Colada. I totally want to try this fudge!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Evelyne, it's a good drink. And this is good fudge. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Valentina said...

This is such a fun recipe, and "cake frosting with attitude" might be my favorite food description ever. :-) ~Valentina

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Valentina, isn't this nice? Really good. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Food Gal said...

"Cake frosting with attitude''??? I love it! I bet Milk Bar is going to steal that description because it's just too good. LOL

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Carolyn, Mrs KR came up with that one. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Marcelle said...

I love this recipe, John!! Not many folks think about making fudge during the summer months. Pineapple and coconut go so well together, I would definitely add a splash of rum for the adults. This would be such a hit a family bbq, thanks for sharing the recipe!!

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

I love trying new fudge recipes, and your delicious version is at the top of my list!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Marcelle, this is such an easy fudge and it doesn't heat up the kitchen, so we make it (or variations of it) throughout the year. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Liz, you need to get this off the top of your list and into your mouth. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Cocoa and Lavender said...

I love the creativity Mrs. KR shows here! I can only imagine how good this tastes. I’ve never seen pineapple extract… Is that a common thing that I’ve been missing? Also, for some reason I am getting Cook’s Country — I didn’t pay for it, but it’s at my door monthly anyway. I dislike the magazine quite a bit, but this month they took the cake. They actually stated that imitation vanilla is as good as — if not better than — the real thing. I was appalled. I will stick to real extracts every day.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi David, we had to order pineapple extract online -- not something our usual grocery store carries. Worth getting, though, for this recipe if for no other. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Frank said...

Did you know that I've never made fudge? As unconventional as this one is, it sounds like a good place to start. Love that mix of flavors, especially for the summer.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Frank, this is really a nice, easy recipe. And really good! :-) Well worth making. Thanks for the comment.

Jeff the Chef said...

Years ago, I began making my own vanilla. It's so easy. I just split vanilla beans and steep them in vodka. I always have two: one that I'm using, and another one that's steeping. It never ocurred to me, though, to use a mixture of vodka and water. I'll have to look into that.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Jeff, we've made our own vanilla, too. These days we just buy good quality extract -- easier, and it's good. But making your own is fun! Thanks for the comment.

Inger @ Art of Natural Living said...

I'm good with tropical cake frosting ;-)

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Inger, yup. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Healthy World Cuisine said...

Just those handful ingredients? Wow! This sounds so delicious and love how easy it is to come together.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Bobbi, it's the ease of prep that's really nice about this recipe. Well, and the flavor too, of course. :-) Thanks for the comment.

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

I've loved fudge since I was young when I used to buy little bags of scraps at a discount in the Atlantic City fudge stores on the boardwalk. We live an hour an half away and frequently vacationed there even if it were for the day. Your fudge looks fabulous - love the flavors.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Judee, we used to vacation on Long Beach Island, just north of Atlantic City, so I know those fudge shops! My favorite shop was Mr. Peanut -- long gone, alas. Thanks for the comment.