Coconut Smoothie

This plant based smoothie is incredibly refreshing and tastes just like a vegan pina colada!

This coconut smoothie bowl is perfect for an easy vegan breakfast, a tropical vegan drink, or a refreshing dessert.

I love making pina colada smoothies because they remind me of a warm, sunny, summer day, even in the middle of winter.

This recipe is great for families. Kids will love the creamy, frozen, ice cream-like consistency, and adults will love all of the nourishing ingredients.

Ingredients

Coconut: I used fresh coconut "meat" from the refrigerated section of my grocery store. I found this to be a much easier method than extracting fresh coconut.

Pineapple: The pineapple in this pineapple coconut smoothie is a great way to add more of a tropical flavor and feel to this smoothie. I recommend buying frozen pineapple when its on sale and tucking it away in your freezer so you can make smoothies anytime.

Mango: Another important tropical ingredient. Just like the pineapple, I recommend finding frozen mango and keeping it on hand in your freezer.

Banana: This is a crucial ingredient in this banana coconut smoothie. The frozen banana makes things super creamy and gives a great texture, but also adds tropical flavor and a bunch of yummy sweetness.

Coconut Water: Making smoothies with coconut water is one of my favorite smoothie tricks! Coconut water smoothies are naturally super refreshing and light. It's a great liquid base, and

If you're in the market for a new brand of coconut water or don't know where to start, check out this article all about the best coconut water brands.

Almond Milk: I don't usually do this, but I actually used two liquid bases in this smoothie. I chose to add almond milk in addition to the coconut water smoothie base, to add extra creaminess and flavor.

See recipe card below for quantities.

Instructions

This is a really simple smoothie recipe. Simply add all ingredients to a blender, then proceed to blend until everything is nice and creamy.

You can make some easy adjustments to make things exactly how you like them.

If you're looking for how to make your smoothie less thick or how to make a smoothie thinner, just add a little bit more of the liquid base (coconut water and/or almond milk in this recipe) until you reach the desired consistency.

If you're wondering how to make a thick smoothie or how to make a thick smoothie bowl, be sure that all of the fruit you are adding is frozen, and add just slightly less of your liquid base.

Substitutions and Additions

If you don't have either the frozen banana, pineapple, or mango, simply add a little extra of the other two.

If you want to make a smoothie without banana, be sure to add ½ cup of ice to the blender.

Another option is to make a coconut milk smoothie. If you're going to use coconut milk in smoothies, be sure to use the light coconut milk that comes in a carton, not the can. They are actually quite different and will give you different tastes and textures.

I love making smoothies with coconut milk! Just be sure to swap it in place of the almond milk so that you don't make the smoothie too thin.

All of my smoothies are all naturally gluten free smoothies and vegan smoothies, but feel free to make any necessary adjustments if you cannot have one of the ingredients. I do recommend that if you take something out, you add something in its place.

Top Tip

Always, always, always freeze the fruit for your smoothies ahead of time.

You will literally always find a bag of frozen bananas, and several bags of frozen berries, and tropical fruit in my freezer. This allows me the flexibility to make a smoothie anytime without having to worry about whether or not I have the necessary ingredients on hand.

Make sure you peel and slice your fruit before placing it in the freezer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, place into an airtight bag or container, and it can remain in your freezer for several months (though mine usually only lasts a week or two before I eat it!).

This recipe is a great part of a balanced diet, check out this article about some of the best lifestyle changes for weight loss.

If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to try these next:

• Pineapple Smoothie
• Green Spinach Smoothie
• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Raspberry Oatmeal