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This easy, light and refreshing pineapple agua fresca is made from blended pineapple, water and sugar! It’s the perfect non-alcoholic tropical drink to cool down with! Serve with fresh mint leaves and a squeeze of fresh lime.
Do you love Mexican aguas frescas? Interested in trying other fruit flavors? Check out my 3 favorite flavors here!
What is agua fresca and what is it made of?
Agua fresca simply means ‘fresh water’ in Spanish. It’s a light and refreshing drink from Mexico that can be made in many flavors. It’s made by blending fresh fruit and water together, and straining the juice to remove any pulp. Sugar is optional.
This version, agua fresca de piña is made from pineapple. The taste is light, and sweet, but certainly not as concentrated as juice.
More commonly asked questions
Agua fresca is a great way to stay hydrated and because water is added, it doesn’t contain as much sugar per serving as juice does! You can omit the sugar for an even healthier version of agua fresca!
A golden yellow exterior is a good sign of a ripe pineapple. Also, if you notice some give when you tug at the crown of the pineapple, that’s another good indicator of ripeness.
The concept of agua fresca is very similar to lemonade. Key differences are that agua fresca uses blended fruit and don’t require as much sugar.
Mexican Horchata is actually a type of agua fresca that’s extracted from rice rather than fruit. It’s also referred to as ‘agua de horchata‘. Other versions of horchata are made from tiger nuts or sesame seeds.
It would be very difficult to break down the pineapple without a blender. For this reason, I absolutely recommend a blender.
Suggested tools
- Sharp kitchen knife – for carving the pineapple
- High-powered blender – for blending the ingredients together
- Mesh strainer – for extracting the juice from the pulp
- Pitcher – for combining all of the ingredients
Ingredients
Everything you’ll need to make this recipe is listed here. See recipe card for quantities.
- Fresh pineapple – about 6 cups. There are other recipes that call for less but I found during testing that using 6 full cups yields the most flavor. You may need more than 1 pineapple to get 6 cups of fruit.
- Water – filtered tap water is recommended
- Sugar – depending on how ripe/sweet your pineapple is, you may be able to omit or use less than what the recipe calls for.
- Lime and fresh mint leaves for garnish
How to make pineapple agua fresca
Step 1: Prepare the simple syrup
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and ¼ cup of water. Stir and bring to a boil. Let the simple syrup boil for 1-2 minutes and then let it cool.
Step 2: Blend the fruit and water
Using a high-powered blender, pulse the fresh pineapple and water on high speed for 1 full minute.
Step 3: Extract the juice with a strainer
Extract the juice by straining the liquid through a mesh strainer into a pitcher. Discard any leftover pulp.
Step 4: Taste and sweeten
Taste the agua fresca and add 1-2 tablespoons of the simple syrup at a time, until you’ve reached your desired sweetness.
Step 5: Chill and serve
Chill the agua fresca for 2 hours in the refrigerator or serve immediately over ice. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime and garnish with fresh mint leaves.
Substitutions and variations
Here are some other ideas you can try!
- Melon agua fresca – watermelon and cantaloupe are very popular choices for making agua fresca! You can get away with using slightly less fruit (about 4 cups) because more juice can be extracted since the water content is higher. These versions also require very little or no added sugar.
- Other flavors: mango,strawberry, peach, hibiscus, and cucumber are other variations of aguas frescas. Add sugar as needed.
- Experiment with other fresh herbs like basil, cilantro or ginger!
Check out my other flavors of aguas frescas pictured above!
Chilling and storing leftovers
Store agua fresca in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It will also keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.
If you don’t want to wait for it to chill, you can serve it immediately over ice.
You’ll love these other drink recipes!
- Agua de Horchata – Easy Recipe
- Easy Morir Soñando Recipe with Lime (Dominican Drink)
- Quick and Easy Coquito Recipe
- Ponche de Coco – Cape Verdean Coconut Cocktail
Pineapple Agua Fresca (How to make Agua Fresca de Piña)
This light, refreshing pineapple agua fresca is made from blended pineapple, water and sugar! It’s the perfect tropical drink to cool down with! Serve with fresh mint leaves and a squeeze of fresh lime.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Chill time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Drinks
- Cuisine: Latin American
Ingredients
- 6 cups of fresh diced pineapple
- 4 cups water
- ¼ cup sugar*
- squeeze of fresh lime plus a few wedges for garnish
- mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the simple syrup by dissolving the sugar in ¼ cup water and bringing it to a boil in a small saucepan. Boil for 1-2 minutes then let cool.*
- Using a blender, pulse the fresh pineapple and water on high speed for 1 minute.
- Strain the liquid using a mesh strainer into a pitcher. Discard any leftover pulp.
- Taste and add 1-2 tablespoons of simple syrup or sugar at a time, until you’ve reached your desired sweetness.
- Chill for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator or serve immediately over ice. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime and garnish with fresh mint leaves.
Notes
- *Dissolving the sugar in water first is optional. You can add it in granulated form to step 4 if you’d like.
- Ripe pineapple = golden yellow in color, slight give when you tug on the crown.
- Adjust the amount of sugar as needed, or omit completely depending on your taste.
- Chill and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
Keywords: agua fresca, aguas frescas, pineapple, ripe, fresh fruit, fruity, tropical, Mexican, Latin
Safety tips
- Wash your hands with soap and warm water when juicing fresh fruit. Bacteria on the outside of the fruit can contaminate the juice.
- Do not let agua fresca sit at room temperature for a prolonged period of time.
- Do not store in the refrigerator for more than 3 days! Transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 6 months.
- Fresh and cold-pressed juice can pose a risk to high-risk individuals. Always consult with your doctor first!
Read here for more info on raw juice.
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