Winter Sunshine Coconut Rum Cocktail
A sunny winter rum cocktail to brighten up the winter blahs! Made with Malibu Rum, Coconut Milk and Orange Juice. A refreshing twist on a Piña Colada.

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Do you ever wish you could just make your own sunshine? Like on those drab, dreary days and weeks during the winter? With this delicious and lively coconut rum cocktail recipe, you will feel like you are being transported straight to a tropical beach!
I am not sure how you feel about winter, but for me, living in Canada and being a non-skier, I can do without it. Don’t get me wrong, I like a white Christmas like everyone else, but then I fully expect the snow to melt the very next morning! Scram!
I would much rather be beachside, slurping tropical drinks like this Skinny Strawberry Mojito or a tangy salt-rimmed Paloma.

This coconut rum cocktail recipe is just as misleading as it sounds… It looks snowy and cold, but is brimming with the summer flavors of coconut and orange juice.
I would describe this Malibu rum drink as a little bit like a traditional Piña Colada. Lighter because it uses coconut milk instead of the heavy coconut cream and with orange juice, which, let’s face it, is much easier to find than pineapple!
A Quick Peek At The Ingredients
Get the full list of ingredients and amounts needed for this recipe in the recipe card below.

Step-By-Step Made Simple
Moisten the rim of the glass with some orange juice and rim with shredded coconut. Add the wet ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Pour into the rimmed glass.
What if you don’t have Coconut Rum?
If you don’t have coconut rum or Malibu liquor on hand, you can easily replace this ingredient with any white rum. The cocktail may have a little less coconut flavour, but it will still be delicious.
Can you make this cocktail ahead of time?
I wouldn’t recommend doing so. When left to sit, I find the coconut milk separates over time and rises to the top of the drink. If this happens before you are finished with your cocktail, simply use a cocktail mixer or straw to remix in the glass.

Winter Sunshine Rum Cocktail
Equipment
- Blender
- Measuring Cups
- Martini Glasses
Ingredients
- 8 ice cubes
- 3 oz canned coconut milk
- 2 oz pulp-free orange juice
- 2 oz Malibu or Coconut Rum
- Coconut Flakes
Instructions
- Rim the edge of a martini glass with orange juice and coat rim with coconut flakes
- In a blender combine ice, orange juice, rum and coconut milk.
- Blend until a slushy texture.
- Pour blended drink into a prepared martini glass and serve immediately
Nutrition
Notes
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Fairly flat tasting, I will not be making this again
I am sorry this cocktail isn’t for you.
It looks wonderful, but I’ve tried every way I can think of and it’s just not very good. I tried it frozen with coconut rum and with Malibu and it tasted watered down. I tried it on the rocks and the OJ overpowers the coconut. It needs to be a little thicker and a little sweeter. I used unsweetened coconut milk, but maybe sweetened vanilla coconut milk would be better. Or go all the way to cream of coconut.
Hi Becky, regular coconut milk from a carton does not work and will result in a watered down drink. Canned coconut(see ingredient list) is what you need to use. It is much thicker and can be found in the International Section of most grocery stores.
I used canned coconut milk and got the same watered down flavour. Second attempt I used less orange juice but it still dominates in flavour
Hi Rose, This cocktail is one of the most popular and loved recipes on my blog so perhaps this recipe just isn’t for you. Everyone likes something different in a cocktail and we never know until we try but I am going to keep the recipe as it is. I love it and so do many others. Thanks so much for your feedback and I hope you try some of my other cocktails.
I totally agree. Disappointed. I’m going to try it with pineapple juice when I go to grocery store
The nastiest drink I have tried from Pinterest. No flavor at all! It’s pretty though
Hi Krystal, I am so sorry you didn’t like it. This recipe has been very popular and is my most popular cocktail recipe. Do you mind me asking what type of coconut milk you used? Was it canned coconut milk or from a carton?
That’s really refreshing! I didn’t have orange juice but had cranberry juice cocktail and it turned out great. I did add a splash of diet 7-up for a little sweetness and a bit more sparkle, and even without coconut rum (just regular Bacardi), it was just coconut-y enough.
I made my own sunshine! Ha! Everything that I love is in this drink. It was so delicious. I’m such a sucker for anything with coconut, so I couldn’t pass it up. Thank you!