Favorite Tropical Smoothie
Take an island-style staycation in the comfort of your home, in your pjs with this DIY tropical smoothie that you can enjoy year round! It’s a tempting homemade treat and I think it’s even better than those you get at Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Jamba Juice. This is one of the best things you can enjoy on a hot summer day and you’ll love it for breakfast or a healthy midday snack. It’s ice cold, creamy and thick and even filling since it’s jam packed with fruit. Plus it’s easy to customize and add other fruits or juices you have on hand. That’s the beauty of a smoothie! This is a family favorite and I think you’ll love it too!
Tropical Smoothie Ingredients
How to Make a Tropical Smoothie
Making a homemade tropical smoothie at home is unbelievably easy. You’ll need a decent high speed blender (I recommend a Vitamix or Blendtec, they are worth the investment and you can wait and watch they sometimes go on sale). Just add all the fruit, coconut water and coconut extract to a blender. Cover then blend away until smooth. I start on a medium speed and move up to a higher speed. It should only take about 30 seconds of blending.
Tips
Use pre-frozen fruit: Frozen mangos and pineapple make for a thicker, more refreshing smoothie. Freeze fresh fruit yourself: To freeze your own pineapple or mango – cut away peel, dice, then spread out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover and freeze, then use in the smoothie and transfer remaining to airtight freezer bag and keep frozen. Use best quality ingredients: For the best tasting smoothie, use the best tasting fruit. It will only taste as good as the fruit that goes into it. Go for the ripe and sweet stuff. Thin as needed: Every blender is different, if you need you can thin with more coconut water to get it to blend up. Serve quickly: Serve right after preparing, smoothies melt quickly.
Variations
For a creamier option use 1/2 canned coconut milk and 1/2 cup coconut water or water. We love this option too!
Make a green tropical smoothie. Add a few large handfuls of fresh spinach and more coconut water to thin. You can’t even taste the spinach! If you want a heartier smoothie add oats, or unsalted cashews or macadamia nuts. Use pineapple juice or papaya/guava nectar in place of coconut water. If you don’t have coconut extract, you can omit but it just won’t have as much coconut flavor. You can also pour the smoothie mixture into popsicle molds. I just let it thaw a little first so it’s not too thick for pouring and sweeten with a little honey or sugar (things don’t taste as sweet once frozen).
More Tempting Smoothie Recipes to Try
Banana Almond Flax Smoothie Green Smoothie Mango Peach Strawberry Smoothie Strawberry Banana Oat Smoothie Strawberry Colada Smoothie Tropical Avocado Smoothies
