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I make this Dole Whip recipe whenever my family wants the cold, creamy pineapple treat from Disney without a trip to the parks. It is thick and bright with real pineapple, somewhere between pineapple sorbet and soft-serve ice cream, and it tastes like the swirl you wait in line for.
Getting a Dole Whip was never optional on our Disney trips. It was part of the tradition. When we got home I wanted that same cold, creamy pineapple treat without waiting for the next vacation, so I kept making it until it tasted right. Now I blend one up any time the craving hits, and it still takes me straight back to the parks even when I am standing in my own kitchen.
This is the version I come back to because three small additions, a little sugar, fresh lemon juice, and a pinch of salt, are what turn it from a pineapple smoothie into real Dole Whip. It is one of my favorite Disney copycat recipes to make at home, and it comes together in one blender in about five minutes.
Disney Copycat
Why I Went Back In and Retested the Flavor Balance
I went back in because the original three-ingredient version tasted good but came out a little too tart from the pineapple. I made it again with a tablespoon of sugar, a half teaspoon of fresh lemon juice, and a pinch of salt, and that version balanced the tartness and tasted like the real thing. Adding acid to something already tangy sounds backward, but a small amount rounds the flavor out instead of sharpening it. Once I tasted the two side by side, the plain version lost its appeal.
What You’ll Need
- Frozen pineapple chunks: Use frozen, not fresh. The frozen chunks are what give you that thick soft-serve texture instead of a drink. Brands vary in how sweet they are, so taste and add a little more sugar if yours is on the tart side.
- Vanilla ice cream: This is the creaminess. Scoop it straight from the freezer while it is still firm. If the ice cream has softened, the whole mixture blends up thinner and does not hold the swirl as well.
- Pineapple juice: Enough to get everything moving in the blender, and no more. Too much and you slide into smoothie territory, so stick to the amount in the recipe card.
- Sugar, fresh lemon juice, and salt: These three are the difference between a pineapple smoothie and real Dole Whip. The sugar sweetens, and the lemon and salt balance the tartness of the pineapple instead of amplifying it. A little goes a long way here.
How to Make Dole Whip
Step 1: Add Everything to the Blender Add the frozen pineapple, pineapple juice, vanilla ice cream, sugar, lemon juice, and salt to the blender. A high-powered blender handles the frozen fruit best.
Step 2: Blend Until Thick and Creamy Blend until completely smooth, pushing the pineapple down if it needs it. You are looking for a thick, creamy soft-serve texture that holds its shape, not a pourable drink.
Step 3: Pipe the Swirl Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip, or a large Ziploc bag with a corner trimmed off, and pipe a swirl into a cup. Use a big nozzle since the mixture is thick.
How to Store Dole Whip
This one does not keep in the fridge. It needs to stay frozen to hold that soft-serve texture. Store any leftovers in an airtight container or bag in the freezer. This recipe makes a single serving, so there is usually not much left to put away.
More Disney Treats to Make
Dole Whip Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large scoop of vanilla ice cream (approximately 1 cup)
- 4 ounces pineapple juice
- 2 cups frozen pineapple chunks
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to your blender.1 large scoop of vanilla ice cream, 4 ounces pineapple juice, 2 cups frozen pineapple chunks, 1 tablespoon white sugar, ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice, Pinch of salt
- Blend until smooth. The Dole Whip should have a thick and creamy consistency.
- Using an icing piping bag or Ziploc bag with a corner trimmed off, pipe your Dole Whip in a swirl into a cup.
Jenn’s Notes
How to Make Disney Dole Whip Dairy Free
- 1 cup pineapple juice (make sure to freeze in an ice cube tray)
- 1 Banana, peeled and frozen
- 2 1/2 teaspoons powdered sugar
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk beverage
- Combine the pineapple juice, banana, and powdered sugar in the blender.
- Cover and blend until smooth, gradually adding coconut milk and scraping down sides if necessary.
- Serve immediately.
Thank you for sharing this official Disney recipe with us Jenn!! I appreciate the fact that you gave us their original Dairy-Free, as well as version that’s not Dairy-Free. If those that ae easy to jump on and criticize you would actually read your entire post/recipe, they would see that you do indeed give Disney credit for this recipe, and you do indeed also include the Dairy-Free version as well. These people are extremely rude, and have no business even being on your blog if they don’t have somethin positive to say. I love all of your recipes!! And quite honestly, they probably do as well~ otherwise, they wouldn’t be on your page. Continue doing what you’re dong, because you do an amaZing job! And again, thank you for this recipe. I’m making it for my daughter as we speak.
I apologize for the punctuation errors in my post/comment. I was talk texting my comment, and couldn’t proof-read until I stopped. Lol I’m sure it will only take someone a split second to figure out exactly what I meant/was saying.
This means the world to me! Thank you so much! ❤️
Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Wow, some of the comments here are unbelievable. Even in my very advanced years and with declining cognitive abilities, I saw that it was a Disney recipe and that a dairy-free version of the recipe followed your original recipe post. I cannot buy frozen pineapple so will freeze Dole Chunks but am very much looking forward to trying. Thank you for posting.
Thank you for your recipe. Get a lot of information from your post.
can you add alcohol to this? and when would it go in?
I loved the flavor. Delicious! One question though…did you get a slight stringiness from the pineapple? Seems like my Ninja whipped it so good that it sort of extracted strings from the pineapple and ended up in my mouth.
You may want to give offical credit to Disney for this recipe and to their blog page. Seems like you’re trying to use their recipe for your own blog advantage.
As mentioned by others it’s not the actual recipe used in the parks. It’s an at home variation. What is used in the parks is a mix that is dairy free. Which yes, you can make this homemade variation dairy free.
Anne thank you so much! Did you get a chance to read the article where I mention multiple times that this is from Disney (hence giving them credit.) I also mention in the article that about the dairy free factor. So appreciate your time reading the article.
I love your snark 😂
Can’t wait to try this!
Great comeback. People need to read!
Are you even reading the right blog post? Apparently not since you want to call her out for stuff she actually DID include. Rude.
Hey stupid recipe troll stop disrespecting people that are legitimate and giving credit where it is due! Lean how to F-ing read dumb ass! You feel better B**** feeling like your a tattle tale?!
Sounds awesome can’t wait to try it.
do you use fresh pineapple or canned that has been frozen?
You can use either!
This is NOT the Disney recipe. Dole Whip is dairy free and definitely does not include ice cream!
Christy – this is actually the OFFICIAL Disney recipe that they put out! Now….. I agree, it isn’t exactly what you get in the park due to the ice cream and the parks is dairy free. BUT, this is the exact recipe that they published. ALSO, you will notice in the post there is a way to make it DAIRY FREE. So if you are looking for that, it is in the post above.
you’re right! neither recipe is a Disneyland recipe…it might be what they published, but a real Dole Whip doesn’t have banana or coconut milk either…a real Dole Whip is really a sorbet