Tropical Island Green Smoothie

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This delicious tropical island green smoothie is simple, delicious, quick and super nutritious. Perfect light meal or snack for breakfast or anytime of the day when you feel like a sweet treat that makes you dream of a sunny beach! This smoothie also is naturally vegan and gluten-free.

View on a tall glass of a tropical island green smoothie with more fresh fruit in the background.

When you need a speedy breakfast or an afternoon pick me up, then what's better than making a smoothie? And this tropical island green smoothie is going to be perfect to also boost your mood since you might feel like you are on the beach!

We make smoothies regularly, but more often for breakfast with our all time favorite being this delicious avocado green smoothie. I wanted to make another green smoothie for the blog, but lighter and more fruity this time, so I came up with this tropical fruit green smoothie version and we are loving it so much!

It carries such an amazing tropical vibe and is so deliciously refreshing, thanks to the combination of pineapple, banana, mango and coconut water. This smoothie is made without milk or plant milk, but still is super creamy from blending frozen fruits. Plus, the coconut water adds such an extra island flavor to your drink!

As a side note, I also included some almond butter for added creaminess and to help the smoothie feel more satisfying, especially if enjoyed as a small meal. But you can omit if you prefer!

And to turn the smoothie to a beautiful green, I added a generous handful of baby spinach to the blender with the tropical fruits. And you know what? You won't even taste it, but you will add an extra heaping serving of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and some iron to your healthy drink.

Let me know how you liked it! ❤️

Close up on the top fruit garnishing over a tropical island green smoothie.

Highlights of this recipe

Naturally very sweet (no refined sugar!), thanks to all the tropical fruits!
Rich in fiber, vitamin C and antioxidants
Easy and quick to prepare
Kid-approved!
Perfect recipe to customize to your taste
Perfect light meal for breakfast or to enjoy as a snack
Great recipe to help you eat more greens!
Naturally vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free

What you will need

Pineapple: use fresh pineapple if possible. You can also use frozen pineapple, although you will have to add more coconut water to help the smoothie blend. Canned pineapple can work in a pinch if that's all you have, although the flavor won't be as "fresh".
Frozen mango: using frozen instead of fresh helps make the smoothie super creamy and thicker. If you have fresh, then try to plan ahead and chop/freeze the mango the night before.
Frozen banana: often a must in smoothies for an added natural sweet flavor and more creaminess. Try to buy more bananas than you need when grocery shopping, let them ripen on the counter and then peel/chop/freeze when they are ripe. Then, you will always have some ready to go for smoothie, smoothie bowls or nice cream!
Coconut water: used instead of plant milk. It adds a nice island-ish flavor that goes well with the tropical fruits here and coconut water is packed with healthy electrolytes, such as potassium, a bonus for your drink! Also, the mild saltiness helps balance out the ultra sweet tropical fruit used in the smoothie. Choose unsweetened coconut water.
Almond butter: adds more creaminess and makes the smoothie more filling and substantial, but you can omit if you prefer. Peanut butter would work too, although would add a stronger flavor.

Showing are the ingredients needed to make this recipe.

How to make a tropical island green smoothie

Combine

Pour the coconut water to your blender and then, add the pineapple, frozen banana, frozen mango, almond butter and top it off with the baby spinach.

Blend

Cover and blend on high until very smooth. You may want to use a spatula to check on texture and ensure that there is no almond butter stuck on the walls of the blender.

Divide in 2 serving glasses and enjoy!

Helpful tips

As for the green, I usually prefer baby spinach to kale because it is mostly taste-free. But, feel-free to swap for kale if you have it! Baby kale is usually less bitter than let's say large leaf of dinosaur kale and might be a better choice if you are just starting with green smoothies.
I recommend to add your coconut water first in the blender, then the juicy unfrozen fruit (pineapple in this case) and finally, the frozen fruits and greens. This help blending the smoothie!
Using frozen fruits here is important to create a creamy, frosty and thick consistency. If using only fresh fruits, then you will end up with a juicy thin texture, which is less appetizing.
A high-speed blender works amazingly in making green smoothies and is recommended for this recipe.
If using only frozen fruits, then add an extra splash of coconut water to get the blender going.

View on a blender with unblended ingredients to make a smoothie.

View on a blender with a green smoothie.

Make the BEST green smoothie!

Smoothies are an amazing intuitive snack recipe anyone can make at home. Plus, they are so versatile and easy to experiment with, meaning it can be a great place to start if you are not familiar with cooking.

If you are new at making smoothies, then here are a few ways to improve taste and texture:

Why is my smoothie lacking flavor?

First: avoid using ice cubes to make smoothies thick and frosty as much as possible. Ice cubes will dilute the flavors and can make your smoothie bland. Instead, make your smoothies with frozen fruit! The trick is to always have them ready to-go in your freezer so you can make amazing smoothies anytime. In this case, I used fresh pineapple, but both the bananas and mango are frozen, making this smoothie amazingly icy and tasty.
Second: the choice of fruit matters for flavors. Especially for green smoothies, you want to use super sweet and very flavorful fruits that will counterbalance the mild bitterness from the leafy greens. Great choices are tropical fruits: they are usually sweeter than other fruits, such as berries, which can sometimes lack sweet flavor. So, pineapple, mango, bananas, oranges, etc are perfect to ensure your smoothies are very tasty!
Third: add a flavor-booster! Taste your smoothie right into the blender before serving and add lime juice, peanut butter, medjool dates, vanilla extract, cinnamon, etc to boost the overall taste of your drink if needed.

My smoothie is too thick

If using tons of frozen fruits, then your smoothie can turn a little on the thick side. This is great if your are looking to make a smoothie bowl, but for a drinkable smoothie, then you will have to include a little more liquid.

My smoothie is too thin

This can happen if you used fresh fruits or added too much liquid. If you must make smoothie without frozen fruits, then blend first without any added liquid and add some more as you go. If you end up with a juicy smoothie, then you can add some frozen fruits or more banana to try make it thicker.

My smoothie is not smooth

This can be related to the blender you are using. Blending leafy greens and harder frozen fruits can be difficult for the everyday blender, meaning that you might end up with a smoothie that still has some pieces of fruit intact. So, if you are into smoothies (or any blend-able recipes), then I highly recommend investing in a high-speed blender of a good quality, if possible. Vitamix is a great brand and they often have refurbished blenders that can be more accessible.

Tall glass of green smoothie made with tropical island ingredients like banana, pineapple and mango.

Serving suggestions

This smoothie is great as is or served as a light side meal, especially for breakfast. It pairs well with toasts, high-protein pancakes, overnight oats, berry muffins, etc. This delicious smoothie can help you boost your breakfast meal with more healthy fruits!

But also, I like to turn smoothies into smoothie bowls! To make it that way, then omit the coconut water (or add a small amount only) and use only frozen fruits, including the pineapple. Then, use a high-speed blender to create a creamy frozen mixture. Scoop in a bowl and top with granola, chia seeds, more fruit, coconut, etc, and enjoy with a spoon! You can check out my strawberry banana smoothie bowl for more inspiration!

Variations to this recipe

The beauty of smoothies is that there are no solid rules on how to make them. Here are a few adds-on ideas:

Cacao powder: for a chocolatey flavor and more antioxidant. Use a less processed raw cacao powder to get the most of the health benefits!
Seeds: add some chia, hemp or flax seeds for more fiber and healthy omega-3 fats.
Citrusy: add a squeeze of lemon, lime or orange juice to brighten up the flavor and intensify the tropical flavor.
Ginger: fresh ginger would go well with the tropical fruits and adds more nutrients to your smoothie. Be sure to grate the ginger before adding it to the blender!
Oats: you can add a small handful of rolled oats to your smoothie to make it more filling, especially if enjoying this smoothie as a full meal. Just like I show in my banana chai smoothie, add the oats and liquid to your blender, then let them soak for 10-15 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients and blending. This will ensure a super smooth texture.
Vegan yogurt: adds extra creaminess and a mild tangy taste, but also some gut-friendly probiotics.
Coconut milk: similarly to my piña colada mocktail, you can use coconut milk instead of coconut water (or do half-half) for a very tropical-ish and creamy smoothie.

Overhead view on a glass of tropical island green smoothie garnished with sliced bananas and pineapple.

FAQ's

What are the best vegetables to make green smoothies?

Baby spinach is my favorite addition to smoothies to make them green and ultra healthy. It is mostly taste-less and easy to blend to super smooth. But, you can also use kale or baby kale: your smoothie will turn to a darker green and have a mild bitter flavor, which should easily be well balanced by the super sweet fruits in the recipe. Other leafy green vegetables to try are chard or collard green, although I would recommend adding a little less at first to check out on flavor so it is not too overpowering.

I don't have a high-speed blender. Can I still make this recipe?

Yes! In that case, you might have to blend for a little longer and also, you might see specks of green in your drink + have tiny chunks of frozen fruit left unblended, but your smoothie will still be delicious!

I don't have coconut water. What else can I use?

Feel-free to make this recipe using plant-based milk instead of coconut water. In a pinch, you can also make smoothie with tap water!

More smoothie recipes you might like

I hope you like this tropical island green smoothie recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

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