Are you looking for a sweet taste of paradise? This delicious and easy-to-make Dole Whip recipe hits the spot! With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a creamy and tropical treat that will transport your taste buds straight to the world-renowned Disney parks.
If you’re a fan of this recipe, you might also like to try my tasty pineapple smoothie or pineapple popsicles.
Recipe Science
- Blending frozen pineapple chunks with pineapple juice and vanilla ice cream creates a smooth, creamy texture by incorporating air and maintaining small ice crystals.
- The acidity and natural sugars in pineapple juice enhance the flavor and sweetness of the dole whip, while also helping to prevent large ice crystals from forming.
- Vanilla ice cream provides a rich, creamy base, with its fat content ensuring a soft-serve consistency that balances the tartness of the pineapple.
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Why It Works
My family loves this pineapple treat to cool off on a hot day. When visiting Disneyland, our closest park, we sit in the Enchanted Tiki Room and let the birds serenade us with a bowl and spoon in hand. Now, we can skip the lines anytime and enjoy the classic Disney dole whip recipe at home.
This iconic pineapple soft-serve ice cream uses just three simple ingredients. The sweet and tangy base comprises pineapple chunks, juice, and ice cream. That’s it! Grab a blender, and this tropical treat can be ready within 5 minutes. Plus, I’ll share different tasty ways to switch up the flavor.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Frozen Pineapples: The achieve a thick, soft serve consistency that doesn’t immediately melt, use frozen pineapple chunks.
- Pineapple Juice: The juice will help process the ingredients in a blender, adding a more robust, sweet, tangy pineapple flavor.
- Ice Cream: Use dairy or dairy-free vanilla ice cream to add a richer consistency, sweetness, and hint of vanilla flavor. Use a denser premium ice cream for a thicker texture, or try my 3 ingredients’ homemade no-churn ice cream.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
There are various ways to flavor the pineapple dole whip recipe, just like at Disneyland Park! Try these tasty ways to switch up the base:
- Fruit: Use frozen raspberries, strawberries, watermelon, mango, banana, cherry, or blueberries. Substitute it entirely for the pineapple, add a mix, or make two flavors to swirl!
- Juice: Instead of pineapple, try orange, lemonade, pomegranate, cranberry, cherry, guava, or POG (passion fruit, orange, and guava juice).
- Citrus: For a tangier taste, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of lime juice, lemon juice, or orange juice.
- Extracts: Add ½ to 1 teaspoon of vanilla, coconut, or banana extract for a bump in flavor.
- Sweetener: If you like your dole, whip even sweeter and 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
- Ice Cream: Instead of vanilla, add strawberry or mixed berries. Add a pineapple, mango, strawberry, or raspberry sorbet. It will be less creamy, but add in a few tablespoons of coconut milk for richness.
- Make it Dairy-Free and Vegan: Add your favorite dairy-free vanilla ice cream like soy, almond, or cashew-based ice creams.
- Using Coconut Milk: The ice cream can be substituted with ¼ to ⅓ cup of canned unsweetened coconut milk. The thick and creamy texture will make the consistency smooth. Add more sweetener to taste.
- Dole Whip Float: If you’d rather make it into a beverage like at Disneyland, add some pineapple juice to a tall cup, then top it with the Dole whip. Serve with whipped cream or maraschino cherry to garnish.
- Toppings: Chop up fresh pineapples, mango, or strawberries. Tangy Tajín seasoning and Chamoy syrup. Add raspberry or strawberry syrup or sauce.
- Shortcake: This was a seasonal special at Disneyland that you can make at home. Add layers of cake pieces, strawberries, whipped cream, and dole whip for a strawberry shortcake-inspired treat.
- Alcohol: For an adult-flavored dole whip, add 1 to 2 ounces of rum, vodka, or blanco tequila.
How to Make Dole Whip
Step 1: Add the Ingredients
It’s important to layer the ingredients into the blender in a particular order. Add the pineapple juice, frozen pineapple, and then the ice cream. The liquid will help process the solid pieces of fruit. The soft and creamy ice cream gets incorporated last, whipping in extra air pockets for a smooth soft-serve consistency.
Step 2: Blend the Ingredients
The high-speed blender, like a Vitamix, does the best job of breaking down the hard fruit into a velvety texture. The process takes about 2 minutes.
Step 3: Ready to Serve
Add the dole whip straight to serving bowls and enjoy right away. To achieve the classic swirl look, use a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Add the soft serve to the bag, close the end, and freeze for about 30 minutes. This will firm up the mixture to hold the design when piped.
Don’t freeze for too long, or it will be too thick to pipe out. You can even pipe it into a disposable cup, freeze it until ready to serve, then defrost it slightly. This is a great way to serve dole whips at a party!
Pair the dole whip with other Disney-inspired treats, like homemade churros, or have a luau-themed dinner. Guests will be thrilled to enjoy the pineapple treat for dessert!
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s Disneyland’s iconic pineapple-flavored, dairy-free, and vegan soft-serve treat. The Dole Food Company created the original DOLE pineapple whip recipe, which was first served at the Aloha Isle at Disneyland in 1984. Enjoy one at Disneylands Enchanted Tiki Rook, the Tropical Hideaway, Walt Disney World, the Hawaiian Aulani resort, and many other locations worldwide.
This homemade version is made with frozen pineapple, pineapple juice, and vanilla ice cream. The key is pureeing the ingredients to recreate a smooth and scoopable texture. It won’t be exactly the same as the dole whips sold at the Disneyland parks. Those are made from a rehydrated powder mixture of sweeteners like sugar and dextrose, flavors, citric acid for tanginess, stabilizers, and gums to thicken the texture for a smooth, frozen, soft serve.
For convenience, grab a few bags of frozen pineapple chunks. If they are in season and you have a ripe one, this will give the pineapple dole whip the sweetest taste and a more vibrant yellow hue. Cut the pineapple into about 3/4-inch pieces. Place them in a single layer on a parchment paper lined sheet tray or in a large resealable plastic bag in the freezer until hardened, about 4 to 6 hours.
Yes, but it will be denser. Air is lost as it melts slightly as it freezes. Freeze it inside a piping bag fitted with a star piping tip or in a container. Defrost for about 20 to 30 minutes to make it easier to pipe or scoop. Alternatively, scoop or pipe the dole whip into individual portions into a disposable cup. Freeze on a sheet pan until ready to serve. Cover the cups if not serving within one day.
Add more frozen fruit for a thicker texture. The solid particles will help make the consistency stiffer without melting too quickly, like ice. Adding in some whipping cream, coconut milk, coconut cream, or more ice cream will add extra richness. If too thick, add in more pineapple juice, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to thin out the consistency.
More Hawaiian Favorites
If you tried this Dole Whip recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Dole Whip (Disney Copycat)
Ingredients
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- 2 cups frozen pineapple chunks, 10 ounces
- 1 cup vanilla ice cream, dairy or dairy-free
Instructions
- Add the Ingredients – In a high-speed blender, add the pineapple juice, frozen pineapple, and ice cream.
- Blend – Cover and process on medium speed for about 1 ½ to 2 ½ minutes, until thick and smooth. If needed, add more pineapple juice, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- To Serve – Immediately scoop and add to a cup or bowl. Alternatively, transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Close the end of the bag and freeze for about 30 minutes to firm up but not harden. Trim off the end of the bag and pipe it into the desired serving dish.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Recipe Yield: About 2 cups
- Serving Size: About ½ cup
- Using Coconut Milk: Substitute ice cream with ¼ to ⅓ cup unsweetened canned coconut milk or coconut cream. Adjust the consistency with pineapple juice.
- Freezing: Store in an airtight container or piping bag for up to 2 weeks. Defrost 20 to 30 minutes before serving, making it easier to scoop or pipe. Individual portions can be added to a disposable cup and frozen until ready to serve. Cover if not enjoying within 1 day.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Nabon says
I think next time I may add a banana to make it a bit smoother/sweeter.
Jessica Gavin says
Great idea to add the banana! I recommend freezing the slices for a thicker dole whip.