This Piña Colada Sauce recipe is made with Greek or plain yogurt, crushed pineapple, and shredded coconut. It makes the perfect fried coconut shrimp dip, can be added to burgers, or even used as a sauce for tacos!
Piña Colada Dipping Sauce for Coconut Shrimp
When I first created this healthier version of Red Lobster’s Coconut Shrimp, there was one thing they were missing…
A creamy and delicious pineapple and coconut sauce to dip them into!
If you have ever frequented Red Lobster on the reg, you know their fried coconut shrimp platter is not complete without the piña colada sauce that accompanies it.
It’s like you’re drinking a Frozen Piña Colada alongside your shrimp!
After making quite a few batches of this dipping sauce, I realized it is also a great addition to a TON of other dishes, too.
From adding it as a spread to your favorite burgers, as a topping to some seafood or chicken tacos, or as an addition to a burrito or buddha bowl.
This piña colada sauce goes much further than just being a dip for your coconut shrimp!
Ingredients
One of the best things about this quick and easy dipping sauce is that you only need a few very simple ingredients.
- Yogurt – A plain, unflavored yogurt is best. Feel free to use a Greek yogurt for a bit more tang or a vegan variety if you’re dairy-free or avoiding animal products.
- Crushed Pineapple – Crushed or cubed, in juice or in syrup can all be purchased and used. Read more below about how to tweak the recipe to use what you have on hand.
- Coconut – Finely shredded and unsweetened coconut flakes are preferred. Once again, if you can only find the sweetened kind you’ll want to adjust the amount of additional sugar you use.
- Sugar – Plain white granulated sugar gives just the right amount of sweetness to counteract the bite of the yogurt. If you like a more tangy dip, leave it out. You can also try mixing in some coconut sugar or honey for a refined sugar-free version.
- Salt – Just a pinch balances out the sweetness and really brings out the flavors of the fruit.
Crushed Pineapple
When shopping for the crushed pineapple, you will normally find TWO different kinds: Pineapple in Juice, and Pineapple in Syrup.
The JUICE kind does not have any added sugar and is what I used in this recipe. If you can only find the SYRUP kind, make sure to leave out the additional sugar in the recipe.
If you’re having trouble locating CRUSHED pineapple, you can always buy the pineapple chunks or the whole pineapple. Before adding it to the dip, finely chop and dice it until it is crushed.
How to Make
There is not much to making this creamy piña colada sauce.
All you need to do is add all of the ingredients to a medium-sized bowl.
Whisk or stir together until smooth and well incorporated.
Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to serve it chilled.
Storing
This pineapple coconut sauce will last for up to a week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Since yogurt is being used, it will tend to separate while storing.
Before serving, make sure you give it another good stir so all of the ingredients are well mixed.
I would not recommend freezing this yogurt dip since the texture will change quite drastically.
Serving
As mentioned previously, there are SO many different ways you can enjoy this piña colada dipping sauce.
A few of my favorites include:
- With a batch of these Coconut Shrimp.
- Alongside these Roasted Cauliflower Tacos.
- As an accompaniment to these Garlic Parmesan Baked Chicken Wings.
- On top of these Shredded Chicken Tacos.
Piña Colada Sauce for Coconut Shrimp
This Piña Colada Sauce recipe is made with Greek or plain yogurt, crushed pineapple, and shredded coconut. It makes the perfect fried coconut shrimp dip, can be added to burgers, or even used as a sauce for tacos!
Ingredients
- 5.3 oz. yogurt plain, Greek, or dairy-free
- ¼ cup crushed pineapple canned, in pineapple juice
- 2 Tbsp. unsweetened coconut finely shredded
- 1-2 tsp. sugar or coconut sugar
- ⅛ - ¼ salt to taste
Instructions
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Combine all sauce ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.
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Whisk or stir with a spoon until smooth and combined.
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Serve immediately or place in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to serve chilled.
Recipe Notes
- Sauce will keep for up to a week when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- A serving size is ~2 tablespoons of sauce.
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Deb says
Can this sauce be frozen
London Brazil says
I wouldn’t recommend it, Deb, since it’s made primarily of yogurt. Yogurt tends to separate if frozen and then thawed.