This pineapple agua fresca recipe is the best way to cool down during the hot summer months. Blend up sweet pineapple with water and sugar, garnish with lime slices, and you have a pitcher of agua fresca de piña perfect for all your summertime family gatherings.
Recently my watermelon agua fresca post got an amazing and much needed upgrade, but when a friend of ours from South Florida came to DC to visit with some of her own home-grown pineapples last week I couldn't help myself.
The pineapple version has to be made. Both the nonalcoholic drink and a few glasses with a shot of rum (delish, by the way! Definitely recommend.) along with some amazing fish tacos and grilled fajitas for dinner. Ugh, so good!
If you haven't made your own agua de piña, or pineapple water, you're definitely going to want to get into this refreshing summer drink. Garnish with lime slices and take it all in, honey.
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What is an agua fresca?
Aguas Frescas (translates to 'fresh water') are Mexican drinks that are incredibly popular across latin america. It's made with fresh fruit, cold water, and sweetener like sugar or agave syrup blended together.
This results in a refreshing, fruity drink served iced cold. It's one of the most delicious ways to enjoy fruit juice.
Ingredients
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Ripe Pineapple - a really ripe pineapple is full of natural sugars, so we don't have to use as much sugar.
- Granulated Sugar - this has a very neutral taste so it will only give sweetness, leaving only pure sweet pineapple flavor in our drink.
- Cold Water - a given!
- Fresh Lime Juice - this gives a bit of complexity, giving acidic and tart flavors to compliment the sweet pineapple.
- Mint Sprigs - for garnish! I love a mint sprig for a little kiss of mocktail vibes.
How to Make Pineapple Agua Fresca
Step 1 | Place the pieces of pineapple into your blender. Add the sugar, lime juice, and water.
Step 2 | Blend until everything is nice and smooth, give it a taste. The sugar dissolves as it blends so if it's a little gritty, keep blending.
Once everything is smooth, pour into a pitcher and give it a quick stir. I don't like straining the agua fresca as the pineapple gives a creamy, refreshing mouthfeel.
Variations and Substitutions
- Pineapple juice: Swap the water for pineapple juice for an even more intensely pineapple-y drink
- Make it bubbly: Top off your pineapple agua fresca with a little club soda for a tall glass of sparkling fruit water!
- Swap the sweeteners: use agave nectar, raw sugar, or even coconut sugar for a big of subtle flavors in your drink.
- Turn it into a slushy by blending everything together with a cup or two of ice!
- If you've found perfectly green leaves on your ripe pineapple, use them for a beautiful garnish!
How do I pick a ripe pineapple?
Finding a ripe pineapple is easier than you think. Here are a few tips:
First, pull a green leaf. If the leaves in the crown can be easily pulled out, and I mean easy not a struggle in sight, it's ripe.
Second, smell it. Just like ripe mangoes, a ripe pineapple should have a strong, sweet smell. Unripe pineapples do not have a smell!
Third, a ripe pineapple is golden in color. It's not ripe until it's lost almost all of its green color.
If you find all these put together, you have yourself a ripe pineapple!
7 Delicious Ways to Jazz up Your Pineapple Agua Fresca
You can add a variety of fruits and herbs to your pineapple drink to give it even more oomph, adjust the amount of sugar you use as needed.
- Strawberries: Add a handful of fresh ripe strawberries to the blender for a sweet and tangy drink.
- Cucumber: Blend in some fresh cucumber to add a crisp and refreshing flavor.
- Basil: Muddle fresh basil leaves at the bottom of tall glasses before pouring in the pineapple agua fresca for a hint of herbaceous flavor.
- Coconut Water: Substitute 1-2 cups of the water in the recipe with coconut water, which is full of fantastic health benefits, and gives us even more tropical vibes for these hot days.
- Jalapeño: Add a seeded and diced jalapeño to the blender for a spicy kick. Make sure to strain before serving; be careful touching the leftover pulp since jalapeno in the eye is not fun.
- Mango: Blend in 1 cup of fresh or frozen mango chunks for a delicious tropical drink.
- Hibiscus: Replace the lime juice in the recipe with hibiscus tea for a unique and floral addition.
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
Keep the agua fresca in the fridge in a pitcher with a lid for up to 2-3 days before serving.
Equipment I Used
- Large Pitcher - This is a recipe for sharing, sugar. I suggest using plastic pitchers if you're having a little backyard fiesta.
- A Blender - you don't need a high end blender for this recipe, especially if the fruit is really ripe!
Before serving, give it a good quick stir with a spoon to mix the water and the pineapple back together.
FAQs
If you don't want to use/ can't find fresh pineapple (even the fresh pineapple chunks in the store). You can totally use frozen and thawed pineapple or canned and drained pineapple chunks in this pineapple agua fresca!
More Delicious Drinks
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Pineapple Agua Fresca (Pineapple Water)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 cups ripe fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
- 4 cups cold water
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Juice of 2-3 limes
- Ice, for serving
- Lime slices, for garnish
- Mint sprigs, for garnish
Instructions
- Place the pineapple chunks, cold water, granulated sugar, and lime juice into a blender.6 cups ripe fresh pineapple, 4 cups cold water, ¼ cup granulated sugar, Juice of 2-3 limes
- Blend on high until completely smooth.
- Optionally, strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Pour into a pitcher and serve cold in tall glasses over ice.Ice
- Garnish with lime wedges and mint sprigs.Lime slices, Mint sprigs
Recipe Notes
Can I use frozen or canned pineapple in this recipe?
Yes, you can use frozen (and thawed) or canned and drained pineapple in this recipe!Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
Keep the agua fresca in the fridge in a pitcher with a lid for up to 2-3 days before serving. Before serving, give it a good quick stir with a spoon to mix the water and the pineapple back together.Variations and Substitutions
- Pineapple juice: Swap the water for pineapple juice for an even more intensely pineapple-y drink
- Make it bubbly: Top off your pineapple agua fresca with a little club soda for a tall glass of sparkling fruit water!
- Swap the sweeteners: use agave nectar, raw sugar, or even coconut sugar for a big of subtle flavors in your drink.
- Turn it into a slushy by blending everything together with a cup or two of ice!
- If you've found perfectly green leaves on your ripe pineapple, use them for a beautiful garnish!
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