This is my version of the famous Dole Whip, but the original was introduced in 1986 by the Dole Food Company. Soon after, they started selling it at Disney World, and now there is quite a cult following. The lines literally wrap around the Dole Whip stands, I've heard!

Currently, there are six flavors: orange, strawberry, lemon, raspberry, and mango. The best one of all, and the original flavor?
Pineapple, of course.

So this is the flavor I chose to make here at home, far, far away from all things Disney, where I will always prefer to be. Sorry, Disney fanatics. I remember every word of The Little Mermaid and a myriad of other Disney movies from my childhood, but I draw the line at long lines in sweaty weather with a bunch of screaming, cranky kids.

Before you go calling CPS on me or anything, I DO hope to get my bunch there with us (and some volunteer extra adults, probably, so I don't lose my actual mind), I just can't say with much certainty that I'll enjoy it all that much.  😉

You might want to try a different flavor, and you can do that really easily by just adding more frozen fruit. I love keeping the summer harvest or farmer's market score in the freezer to pull out all year long. I really love the sound of the mango one, myself. So tropical!

I also chose to adult it up a little, too. I used coconut rum because what goes best with pineapple?

Coconut. Hands down.

If I were to try my hand at an orange or lemon one and needed to add a little kick I would probably use regular rum or vodka.

You can easily make this recipe kid-friendly by leaving out the booze because I know your kids will love this just as much as my kids did.

While one of those fancy pineapple corers is the easiest way to go, they aren't totally necessary if you want to serve your tropical drink in a tropical cup.
First, just cut off the top of the pineapple. Then you take an extra-sharp knife and stick it down the side of the pineapple, about ½ inch from the outside edge. Gently cut around the pineapple.

Next, use a large spoon to scoop out the fruit. Be careful not to nick the edges! We definitely don’t want a leaky cup.

Don’t worry though, you won’t be wasting that pineapple you dig out because you’ll need it for the drink.

Place all the pineapple in the freezer, along with the coconut cream. Put that in popsicle molds or in ice cube trays for the best effect.

Before you pull it out, make sure it is frozen really good and solid because you need it to be in order to make this a true frozen drink. Once it has been frozen long enough, take it all out and place it in the blender, and blend it really well. This would be a good time to take some out for your kids before you add the coconut rum.

Add some coconut rum and give it a few swirls around in the blender, and you are all set! Pour into your pineapple and enjoy!

Does that sound like a lot of work? You can also buy a tool here!