Easy Pitaya Smoothie

Learn how to make a delicious homemade Pitaya Smoothie with fruit and coconut milk in just 5 minutes from a dietitian!

You know the saying, "you eat with your eyes?" Well, it couldn't be truer than when you see the bright pink color of this pitaya smoothie.

And what makes it even better is that it's super easy. I should say, it's easy as long as you use frozen pitaya. 😉

What is Pitaya?

No, this is not an ad.😉 This just happens to be the brand and type of frozen dragon fruit that my local grocery store carries.

Pitaya is also known as Dragon Fruit. It is part of the cactus family and is native to South America and Central America.

Pitaya has either white flesh or a bright magenta-colored flesh and has black seeds. In my observations, the magenta-fleshed pitaya is what is most commonly used to make pitaya smoothies and smoothie bowls.

And it just so happens that magenta-fleshed pitaya contains more phenols and has a higher antioxidant capacity than white-fleshed pitaya. This is a good thing. 🤩

Additionally, pitaya has a mild taste and, as the package in the picture above states, it's a good source of fiber, magnesium, and vitamin C. I've also learned that pitaya is a good source of lycopene as well!

You can often find either packages of frozen bite-sized pieces or dragon fruit smoothie packs in the freezer section in the grocery store. Both options contain unsweetened dragon fruit (chunks or puree).

😍Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Kid-Approved You can't go wrong with the combination of tropical fruit and coconut milk! It has natural sweetness, incredible flavor, and a super fun, vibrant color. Coconut milk helps to give smoothies without yogurt a nice creamy texture that kids love.
• Simple Ingredients A combination of frozen and fresh fruit and coconut milk. I'd say that's pretty simple!
• Easy Recipe If you are looking for an easy pink smoothie recipe, this is it! You need a blender, 4 ingredients, and 5 minutes. That's it!
• Dairy-Free This is made without cow's milk, so it's safe for kids who are allergic or intolerant to dairy.

🙋‍♀️Dietitian Tip

Smoothies are such an easy and convenient way to serve fruits and veggies!

Still, when serving smoothies made with very little protein for a quick breakfast, consider serving it with something that contains protein, like eggs, so kids meet their protein needs for growth and development and feel full longer.

If you don't have time to serve something with the smoothie, you can always add something to the smoothie to give it a boost of protein.

🏖️How to Add Protein to a Pitaya Smoothie

First, I should say that adding or substituting ingredients will change the taste and texture of the smoothie. I also want to add that while it helps to have some protein at meals, there's no reason to get excessive with it, especially for kids.

• Hemp Seeds Contain 10 grams of protein in 3 tablespoons. Hemp seeds to blend right in but they can affect the taste and texture, so you might want to start with one or two tablespoons the first time you add them to a smoothie.
• Chia Seeds Contain 5 grams of protein in 2 tablespoons. Chia seeds help to thicken smoothies and they can also affect the color, especially of lighter colored smoothies. In my opinion, as long as you blend the smoothie well, you can't taste the chia seeds.
• Protein Powder I have yet to try a protein powder that I can't taste in a smoothie, lol. Protein powders are convenient, and they are easy to mix in to smoothies. Still, as with the other options, if you choose to add protein powder, start by blending a small amount in and taste it before adding more.
• Yogurt or Milk Of all the plant-based milks that I'm familiar with, I'm pretty sure that homemade cashew milk and soy milk contain the most protein. So, you can either sub some or all of the coconut milk for a higher protein milk or, if you don't have a dairy allergy, try adding yogurt for a boost of protein.

🥭Ingredient Notes

• Frozen Pitaya Also known as dragon fruit. Found in the frozen fruit section in grocery stores. I use the frozen bite size pieces, but the freezer packs of organic dragon fruit puree can also be used.
• Coconut Milk Adds to the tropical flavor and creamy texture of this smoothie.
• Banana High in potassium and fiber. Creamy banana is a 'must' in a lot of smoothies. It's also relatively inexpensive, which helps to balance the cost of frozen dragon fruit.
• Mango Frozen mango also adds to the creamy texture and adds even more sweetness to this smoothie.

👩‍🍳How to Make a Pitaya Smoothie

Here is a summary of how to make this dragon fruit smoothie recipe. For a complete list of ingredients and instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.

1. Place all ingredients in a blender.
2. Blend until a smooth consistency is reached.

⭐Helpful Tips

• Place the fresh ripe banana in before the frozen fruit, so it's closer to the blades.
• If you choose to use fresh dragon fruit or mango instead of frozen, use a frozen banana instead of fresh. Frozen fruit helps to give smoothies a creamy texture.
• If you don't have coconut milk, you can use a different plant-based milk like almond milk, cashew milk, or oat milk. The taste will change, though.
• If you substitute the type of milk, you will probably want to add a splash of orange juice or something else sweet since coconut milk tends to be sweeter than other milks.
• For even more of a tropical flare, try adding a squeeze of fresh lime juice and, if you like coconut, add a sprinkle of coconut flakes to the top when serving the smoothie.

❓Questions You May Have