There’s one Disney World treat that we all know and love, and for my family, it’s the quintessential Disney snack: Dole Whips. So it only makes sense to try and make them at home. But what recipe to use?
There are many different ideas for how to make Dole Whips out there on the internet. But one recipe has to be the best. I set out to find out which of these recipes was the tastiest and most authentic to our favorite park treat.
Several years ago, I tried out a Dole Whip recipe for my family, and let’s just say we never tried it again. I don’t remember what was in it or anything, but it was not awesome. I was really hoping for some redemption with these recipes!
The Recipes
Thankfully, Disney themselves has recently released their own Dole Whip recipe! It’s available on the My Disney Experience app, but I’ve added a screenshot of the recipe below.
App Screenshot Courtesy of Disney
I also found a recipe from the Dole company. For those who don’t know, if you visit the Dole Plantation in Hawaii, you can enjoy a Dole Whip while surrounded by pineapples!
Blending up some Dole Whips! Photo by Leah Sikes
The other two I choose were from various bloggers making their own variations.
The Picky Palate’s recipe is the exact same as the Disney one, with a couple additions the author said made it even better (sugar and vanilla).
Then, this recipe from Bigger Bolder Baking is a really simple take on the treat, though a little more similar to the Dole recipe.
I even found a recipe that was literally just pineapples blended with water. But I decided to skip out on that one and go with the four I listed above.
Taste Testing
I got my family together to try out the Dole Whips. We’ve all been to Disney World (though one has only been to the Magic Kingdom…) and have all had many, many Dole Whips. My parents even had one on the Dole plantation!
After making the different Dole Whip recipes, I portioned out seven servings into small cups (one for each person). Each recipe was labeled A, B, C, or D.
The four contenders, lined up and ready. Photo by Leah Sikes
- A was Disney’s recipe
- B was The Picky Palate
- C was Dole’s recipe
- D was Bigger Bolder Baking
No one knew what recipes I had chosen, so there was no trying to figure things out as they went along.
Based on the recipes, my prediction was that the Dole recipe would be the favorite. It felt like the most authentic recipe, as Dole Whips are dairy free, and Disney’s recipe is not, but Dole’s is.
Disney’s Dole Whip
See how deliciously creamy it looks? It was. Photo by Leah Sikes
This recipe was ice cream, pineapple juice, and pineapple. What could go wrong with that?
It’s not dairy-free, so we know it’s not the really real Dole Whip, but it’s still incredibly tasty, creamy, and pineapple-y.
This is a great recipe for a warm summer day, and will definitely take you back to Disney World.
The Picky Palate Dole Whip
The Picky Palate added vanilla and sugar to Disney’s base recipe.
A couple of people really enjoyed this, but most of us agreed that it was too sweet overall, and for sure too sweet to be a real Dole Whip.
The sugar and vanilla brought out the flavor of the pineapple, but the ice cream was already sweet, so I don’t know if 1/4 cup was necessary. Maybe a pinch of sugar instead!
One of the professional testers (my dad) enjoying his Dole Whip. Photo by Leah Sikes
Dole’s Dole Whip
By looking at the recipe, this was my pick for winner. It has pineapple, banana, coconut milk, powdered sugar, and lime juice in it.
But, interestingly, the addition of the banana was incredibly overpowering and made for a banana frozen snack instead. Our banana was super ripe, and I do wonder if that added to the strong flavor.
I will give this recipe another try, and add in another cup of pineapple and choose a slightly less ripe banana.
This recipe was really enjoyable, but not the real thing. But if you’re looking for a tropical snack, you can’t go wrong with Dole’s recipe, especially if you like banana!
Bigger Bolder Baking Dole Whip
This recipe was the most simple. The two ingredients are: pineapple and coconut milk. So this is also dairy free!
I thought this was the most bland of the four, and one tester even commented that it was almost watery.
However, someone else picked this as a personal favorite (though not the most authentic). It was much less sweet than the others, so if you just want the fruity flavor with no added sweetness, give it a try!
The Winner
All in all, none of the recipes resulted in bad Dole Whips. Everyone enjoyed eating the four different treats, and each one had its pros and cons. But there had to be a winner!
Here’s the winner! Photo by Leah Sikes
My prediction was incorrect! The overall favorite, as well as the one all of us agreed was most authentic to the parks, was recipe A: Disney’s Dole Whip!
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