This refreshing tropical smoothie recipe is sweet and hydrating thanks to tropical fruit like mango, pineapple, banana, and papaya! Ready in less than 5 minutes, this delicious and healthy treat is the perfect way to start your morning! Makes 2 tropical smoothies, but can easily be double or tripled as needed!
Tropical Smoothie Recipe
Who’s ready for a tropical vacation? Imagine white sand beaches, swim-up bars, clear pools, and tropical drinks whenever you want! Doesn’t that scenario just sound dreamy?!
To be honest, I’ve never actually taken that kind of vacation! But I dream about them often. I wanted to bring a taste of the tropics to you with this fun and fruity smoothie. Made with pineapple juice, coconut milk, and lots of tropical fruit, it’s a taste of the tropics without leaving home.
I’ve been whipping one up for breakfast every morning and enjoying it out on the patio!
What Makes this Tropical Smoothie So Good?!
- thick, creamy, and utterly refreshing
- loaded with tropical fruit flavor thanks to mango, pineapple, papaya, banana, and coconut
- even kids and picky toddlers love this delicious smoothie treat
- ready in less than 5 minutes and minimal clean up required
- perfect for breakfast, lunch, or as an afternoon snack
- adaptable and easy to use substitutions as needed
- vegan and dairy free and loaded with nutrients
Ingredients for Tropical Smoothie (And what you can sub!)
- Frozen Mango: LOADED with vitamin C and so good for your immune system, it’s insanely delicious in smoothies! Finding ripe mangos can be hard, and peeling them can be time consuming, so you can use frozen mango! If you have fresh mango, feel free to use it.
- Frozen Pineapple: Loaded with enzymes and nutrients, this sweet tropical fruit is a MUST use for your smoothie! I prefer using the frozen variety, but you can use fresh. And fresh pineapple wedges make a lovely garnish! And definitely amp up the overall “tropical” vibe.
- Papaya: Loaded with nutrients and so delicious, I cannot tell you how much I LOVE papaya! It can be hard to find, so you can omit this ingredient if needed. Just add in a handful of orange or extra pineapple in its place!
- Ripe Banana: Since we’re using so much frozen tropical fruit, I suggest using very ripe bananas! This will help your blender have an easier job getting everything smooth and creamy! And will yield a smoothie that’s cold and creamy, but not so thick you have to eat it with a spoon.
- Coconut Milk: I love “in the can” coconut milk, the kind you have to stir well to get it evenly combined. But any variety will work! If you’re looking to make this smoothie lighter without sacrificing the “tropical flavor”, I suggest using coconut water!
- Orange Juice: A splash of OJ enhances the sweetness of this smoothie and all the fruit flavors! I love using fresh-squeezed OJ, but use what you can find. And if you don’t like OJ, you can use feel free to use pineapple juice instead, this smoothie is flexible!
- Lime Juice: Just a tablespoon wakes up all the flavors in this tropical smoothie and adds balance and brightness. But it’s not a deal breaker, so if you don’t have it, just omit!
How to Make a Tropical Smoothie
- It’s so easy to make a homemade tropical smoothie – no cafe stop required!!!
- You’re literally just going to toss all of your ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth and creamy!
- If the mixture seems too thick, turn the blender off and use a spatula to mix the ingredients, then blend again. Or add a little more liquid!!!
- If the mixture seems too thin, add more frozen fruit and keep blending until you’ve reached your desired texture.
Best Blender to Make a Tropical Smoothie?
Making smoothies couldn’t be easier! But you will be a strong blender to help you get them smooth and creamy! If you’re in the market, these are the blenders we use and love (and yes… we really have 3 blenders):
- Ninja Professional Countertop Blender
- Vitamix (This is an INVESTMENT, but I’ve had mine for 10 years!)
- Breville
Are Tropical Smoothies Healthy?
- To me, yes! But what I consider healthy for my lifestyle may not align with your goals and beliefs.
- But in general, smoothies are a great way to stay hydrated and load up on vitamins and antioxidants!
- I’m not a doctor or health expert, and this recipe is in no way meant to cure anything! In fact, there’s a reason I don’t include calories or nutrition content here.
- My recipes are meant to be a delicious treat, not a diet treatment or health cure. But you can always type the ingredients into an app like MyFitnessPal and get all the nutrition information.
- And you can use the substitutions listed above in case you want/need to make any adjustments!
More Smoothie Recipes:
- Glowing Skin Smoothie
- Strawberry Mango Smoothie
- An Actually Delicious Tropical Green Smoothie
- Healthy Banana Cream Pie Smoothie
- Berry Pie Smoothie
Tropical Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen mango
- 1 cup frozen pineapple
- 1/2 cup papaya fresh or frozen
- 2 large bananas cut into pieces
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in blender and mix until completely smooth.
- Pour into glasses, sip, enjoy.
Amanda says
Wow this was good. Really easy and refreshing. A new favorite for quick summer breakfast!
erica@fashionmeetsfood says
Oh my word!!!! This smoothie looks absolutely amazing. I definitely need to make this asap today.
xo
Mary says
What a lovely way to start the morning. The color of your smoothie would brighten any day. I hope you have a great weekend. Blessings…Mary
Caroline says
Sorry about the humidity! Hopefully that smoothie helped a bit–it looks so delicious and refreshing. Gorgeous photos as well!
iga@thedelishdishblog says
this smoothie looks heavenly & so refreshing!! We’re headed to NYC this weekend so I really hope the weather cools off a bit by then!
Grace @ Balancing Me says
Mmmm! Your pictures look incredible, all the time. It makes me automatically begin drooling for whatever it is you have posted.
Sincerely,
Fellow Humidity Hater in NYC
yummychunklet says
Humidity is the worst! It makes everything pleasant become absolutely unbearable. This smoothie looks like a great pick-me-up! And I even like the color. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I’ve added yours to my Google Reader and look forward to reading your future posts!
Maggie @ A Bitchin' Kitchen says
I hear ya on the humidity. It’s awful down here in DC too. This smoothie looks delicious, and is exactly the kind of thing I crave once warm weather hits!
natalie (the sweets life) says
thanks for the comment! glad to be introduced to your blog! 🙂 this smoothie looks great–I have a hard time finding papaya but I’m going to be on the hunt!