Dole’s New Pineapple Tastes Just Like My Favorite Cocktail (It’ll Transport You to a Tropical Vacation)

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, Dole recently launched the Colada Royale, a new pineapple variety that supposedly tastes like a piña colada. I thought it was too good to be true, until I got a sample for myself. 

Turns out, piña colada pineapples don’t just grow on trees. It took the team 15 years to bring Dole’s Colada Royale from concept to reality. The pineapple was created by Roberto Young, Ph.D, who’s been the director of pineapple breeding at a pineapple farm, in La Ceiba, Honduras, one of Dole’s oldest in Latin America. The idea to create a coconut-tasting pineapple was first introduced in the early 2000s, and the team had hoped to release something special in 2026 — marking Dole’s 125th anniversary — which eventually evolved in the Colada Royale. 

No artificial flavors here: The Dole Colada Royale Pineapple is conventionally bred and non-GMO. What finally resulted was a pineapple with a greenish golden exterior and borderline white, pale yellow interior. The Colada Royale also has 2.5x more vitamin B6 per cup than Dole’s other pineapples (which supports brain health and immune function) and a smaller core (so there’s more fruit for snacking). 

The Colada Royale made its official debut on October 16 at the IFPA Global Produce and Floral Show in Anaheim, California, before rolling out to select retailers across North America through the end of the year, including HEB and Walmart. If you spot one on shelves, grab it. This limited-edition pineapple is only available (prices vary depending on the retailer and size of the fruit). Dole is also planning to reinvest a portion of every box of Colada Royale sold into building a community center in Honduras that provides farm workers and families with healthcare, vocational training, and language classes. 

Dole has plans to increase its acreage and plant more of the fruit to boost production in 2026 and 2027 for national distribution. Germany and other regions in the E.U. will also get limited quantities in 2026. 

Even before I sliced into the pineapple, it smelled floral, tropical, and sweet, like I had just been handed a welcome drink at a fancy resort in Hawaii. The exterior of the pineapple had a golden hue to it, with specks of sunset blush pink, especially at the top where the green frows stick out. As I cut into it, I was surprised to see the flesh was a pale, pastel yellow (similar to that of a banana) rather than a sunshiny color I associate with a standard pineapple. 

But WOW was I impressed by the flavor. The pineapple is sweet and juicy with notes of tropical coconut running throughout it. It tastes like a chilled piña colada — obviously not as sweet or creamy (because there’s no cream of coconut), but the essence is spot-on. All that’s missing is rum. I hope it rolls out to more stores soon so more people can get a taste of this heavenly fruit. 

Find it in stores: Dole Colada Royale Pineapple 

Have you tried the Colada Royale? Let us know in the comments.