8 Tropical Smoothie Recipes That Will Brighten Your Day
If you’re a big fan of Tropical Smoothie Cafe and their delicious smoothie flavors, you may have been wondering if you can replicate them and make super healthy versions yourself at home.
Maybe you visited a location on vacation, but there isn’t one nearby to satisfy your cravings.
Or maybe you just want to save money by making them at home and being in control of the ingredients.
Whatever the reason, there’s a lot of interest in making copycat versions - so much so that we put this article together to help you to make some of them for yourself!
It’s a lot easier than you might think and you don’t need a lot of ingredients either.
All the Tropical Smoothie recipes are all based on popular smoothies from the Cafe but with sugar from natural sources, such as fruits or honey.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe Recipes
Want to replicate some of your favorite Tropical Smoothie Cafe recipes at home and make them really healthy into the bargain?
We’ve got you covered!
This tropical smoothie is based on the popular Island Green tropical smoothie from Tropical Smoothie Cafe but with a few additions to make it even better.
It is deliciously thick and creamy thanks to the coconut milk, and you’ll barely notice that it’s technically a green tropical smoothie.
With a touch of added lime juice, it has even more “zing.” If you love the idea of a creamy green tropical smoothie, this one is for you! See the tropical smoothie ingredients below.
Servings: 1 smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 banana (peeled and sliced)
- ½ cup mango
- ½ cup pineapple
- 1 cup spinach
- Large handful of kale leaves
- 8 ounces of coconut milk
- Juice from a lime
Instructions
- Peel and chop the banana into pieces
- Add all of the ingredients to your blender and combine until smooth and creamy
- Serve and enjoy!
If you have never previously considered using banana and peanut butter together in your smoothies, you have been missing out on a delicious combination that works really well together.
If you want to give this smoothie a bit of a tropical vibe, you can also add in papaya or mango, both of which go great with the nutty taste of the peanut butter.
These fruits are naturally sweet, so you can expect them to give the smoothie a slightly sweeter edge than the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Peanut Paradise version.
Servings: 1 smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 banana (peeled and chopped)
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 2 tbsp nonfat yogurt
- 6 ounces almond milk (or another nut milk)
Instructions
- Peel the banana and chop into pieces
- Add all of the ingredients to the blender and combine until smooth and creamy
- Serve and enjoy!
The sweet and sour combination of this smoothie is so refreshing. The ingredients make it naturally sweet.
And with the coconut, it’s got a huge summer vibe. Perfect for recreating that summer feeling all year long!
The original Tropical Smoothie Cafe Bahama Mama smoothie also uses white chocolate (which is why it’s so sweet), and you can include this if you like.
If you’re going for a healthier version, you’re probably going to want to leave this out.
Still want to sweeten things up naturally? Try a bit of agave nectar or honey or honey instead.
Servings: 1 smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 banana (peeled and chopped)
- 1 cup pineapple (chopped)
- 1 cup strawberry (hulled and chopped)
- 1 tsp shredded coconut
- 8 ounces of coconut milk
- Optional - 2 squares of white chocolate (if you’re replicating the Tropical Smoothie Cafe version)
- Optional - 1 tsp honey or agave nectar (for a more natural sweetener)
Instructions
- Peel and chop the banana. Chop the pineapple into chunks. Hull strawberries and chop into pieces
- Add all of the ingredients to your blender and combine until smooth
- Serve and enjoy!
This is another smoothie that just screams “summer,” and it’s hard not to be swept away by summer vibes when you drink this!
This recipe might seem like it’s not got much liquid included, but don’t forget that the fruit brings plenty of liquid to the party, especially the orange.
It’s a great source of vitamin C thanks to the pineapple, oranges, and mango - perfect for boosting your immunity, whatever the season!
Servings: 1 smoothie
Ingredients
- ½ mango (peeled and chopped)
- 1 cup pineapple (chopped)
- 1 cup strawberries (hulled and chopped)
- 1 ½ oranges (peeled and chopped)
- 3 tbsp orange juice
Instructions
- Peel and chop the mango. Chop the pineapple into chunks. Hull the strawberries and chop into pieces. Peel the orange and chop into pieces
- Add all of the ingredients to your blender and combine until smooth
- Serve and enjoy!
This is another smoothie that is super refreshing. If you can find kiwis that are really ripe and fresh, it adds an extra taste dimension.
It’s naturally sweet thanks to the strawberries and pineapple and very creamy as a result of the Greek yogurt.
It’s a totally guilt-free smoothie (despite the taste!) and highly nutritious. Kiwis are a great source of vitamin C, E and K, and potassium, and also contains powerful antioxidants.
Servings: 1 smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 ½ kiwi (skin removed and chopped)
- 1 cup strawberries (hulled and chopped)
- ¾ cup pineapple (chopped)
- 6 ounces nonfat Greek yogurt
- 4 ounces almond milk
- Optional - 1 to 2 ice cubes
Instructions
- Remove the skin from the kiwi fruits and chop them into pieces. Chop the pineapple. Hull and chop the strawberries
- Add all of the ingredients to your blender and combine until smooth and creamy
- If you’re using ice cubes, add these last and continue blending
- Serve and enjoy!
This smoothie flavor comes from the combination of leafy greens, pineapple, coconut, avocado, and lime.
Related: 10 Avocado Smoothie Recipes That Will Leave You Feeling Satisfied
The end result? A delicious and creamy tropical green smoothie that is pretty addictive.
You won’t even notice the greens (other than the color, of course!) because this smoothie is so creamy.
Servings: 1 smoothie
Ingredients
- ½ ripe avocado (pitted and peeled)
- 1 cup pineapple (diced)
- ½ cup spinach
- Generous handful of kale
- 4 ounces of coconut water
- 1 tsp lime juice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pit and peel the avocado. Dice the pineapple
- Add all of the ingredients to your blender and mix until smooth
- Serve and enjoy!
There aren’t a lot of ingredients in this smoothie – just pineapple, strawberries, and banana.
It’s very simple to make, but you can choose to make it super creamy by adding in some yogurt as well.
Servings: 1 smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 banana (peeled and chopped)
- 4 strawberries (hulled and chopped)
- 6 pineapple pieces
- 4 ounces of coconut water
- 4 ounces nonfat yogurt
Instructions
- Peel and chop the banana. Hull the strawberries and chop them into pieces
- Chop the pineapple into pieces (if you’re not using pre-chopped pieces)
- Add all of the ingredients to your blender and combine until smooth and creamy
- Serve and enjoy!
You can’t get much quicker and easier than just a smoothie, which only uses strawberries and banana at its simplest.
If you want to make it a bit thicker, you can add a bit of ice. And while the fruits are pretty sweet on their own, you can add some natural sweetness with agave nectar or honey.
Servings: 1 smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 banana (peeled and chopped)
- 10 strawberries (hulled and chopped)
- Optional - 1 tsp agave nectar or honey
- Optional - 1 to 2 ice cubes
Instructions
- Peel and chop the banana. Hull and chop up the strawberries
- Add all of the ingredients to your blender and combine until smooth and creamy
- Serve and enjoy!
Brighten Up Your Mornings
Smoothies are a good way to start following a much healthier diet. All of the smoothie recipes we have included above are a good first place to start when you are looking for a good and nutritional breakfast that will keep you full until lunch and provide you with that energy boost you need in the morning.
Is time your excuse for skipping breakfast? Well, smoothies are quick and convenient and are perfect for on the go.
To make things even easier, you can prep all of your ingredients ahead of time and store them in freezer bags or freezer-safe containers for up to nine months.
You can also make the smoothie ahead of time and add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the smoothie before you put in in the refrigerator. The splash of lemon juice helps to prevent oxidization from occurring.
Tropical Smoothie Bowl
Would you rather have your smoothie in a bowl? If so, you can also add more toppings. You can top your smoothie off with chopped almonds, shredded coconut, fresh fruits like kiwi, mango, and blueberries and enjoy it with a spoon instead of drinking it out of a glass. This is also a good way to get that extra protein and fresh fruit in the mix as well.
So, mix your smoothie as you typically would in your blender with a sliced, frozen banana, frozen mango chunks, frozen pineapple chunks, and a cup of almond milk.
Blend it well and then divide it into bowls and add all the fresh and delicious toppings you want. For each serving, you will find around 180 calories, 3 grams of protein, and 5 grams of dietary fiber.
Vegan Tropical Smoothies
Are you a vegan and want to enjoy a delicious tropical smoothie? You can still have all these delicious tropical flavors without having to use dairy. Add banana, pineapple, mango, and ginger. For some added texture for the smoothie, throw in some chia seeds.
For the liquid, you can go with full-fat coconut milk. It is also a low-calorie option as well as vegan. You can also use coconut water instead of coconut milk if you prefer.
Tropical Smoothie Recipe FAQs
What is Tropical Smoothie Cafe?
They don’t just do smoothies (despite the name!). They also offer wraps, sandwiches, flatbreads and chicken and veggie bowls. They have a strong commitment to using healthy ingredients, whatever the order.
Does Tropical Smoothie put milk in their smoothies?
Most of their smoothies are actually dairy-free. Instead, water is used to thin out the smoothie.
What kind of yogurt do Tropical Smoothies use?
Nonfat or very low-fat yogurt works best for replicating Tropical Smoothie Cafe smoothies.
This can be plain or Greek yogurt, but either way, it’s best to use unflavored versions, so they don’t affect the overall taste of the smoothie.
What blender does Tropical Smoothies use?
For some of these smoothies, it helps to have a blender that can handle ice or frozen ingredients as this will give the right kind of consistency and truly mimic the kind of smoothies you’ll find in Tropical Smoothie Cafe.
If your blender isn’t powerful enough for this, you can try defrosting frozen fruit a fair bit before you use it.
What are some Tropical Smoothie ingredients?
Many tropical smoothies will include oranges, bananas, coconut water, mango chunks, pineapple chunks, and sometimes chia seed or ground flax seed.
Does Tropical Smoothie use real fruit?
Many of the smoothies at Tropical Smoothie are made with real, fresh fruit.
Can you control the sugar content at Tropical Smoothie?
At Tropical Smoothie, you have some control over your intake of sugar. At the bottom of their menu, they said that each 24 ounce smoothie is made with turbinado sugar unless otherwise noted or requested. This means you can also substitute for spends instead of sugar or ask them to minimize the amount of sugar they add into your smoothie.
Which Recipes Were Your Favorite?
As you can see, it’s actually really easy to make delicious and super healthy smoothies that are just like the ones you’ll find in Tropical Smoothie Cafe.
I really hope you have enjoyed reading this article and are excited about making your own versions of some of the most popular Tropical Smoothie recipes.
Let me know what you think of them and which recipes you’re planning to try out first!
As always, feel free to share this piece with your friends and family so they can start creating their own versions too.
