Posted Jan 22, 2020, Updated Apr 29, 2024 When I am seriously jonesing for warm sandy beaches and calming ocean tides, I head into the kitchen and make this Pineapple Smoothie! It tastes like a healthy, kid-friendly pina colada and it’s like a beach vacation in a glass! It’s easy to make with only 5 ingredients in 5 minutes! One sip of this pineapple banana smoothie will make you feel like you’re on a tropical island! Plus it’s dairy-free!
Pineapple Smoothie: Ingredients & Substitutions
The first step to making any recipe is to make sure you have all the ingredients on hand! So let’s chat about the ingredients in this pineapple banana smoothie, as well as possible substitutions!
Lite Coconut milk. regular coconut milk and almond milk are great substitutes. You can also chill the can of coconut milk before using in this recipe for a thicker smoothie. Frozen Banana. Adding frozen banana to smoothies is my favorite way to sweeten a recipe and impart an irresistibly creamy texture. Using frozen banana means that you don’t need to add ice to make it thick and cold. Frozen Pineapple. I always keep frozen pineapple on hand in the freezer (to make this green smoothie recipe and of course, this pineapple banana smoothie). It’s convenient (like the canned coconut milk), and frozen fruit is always picked and frozen at the peak of ripeness, so it’s very sweet and full of nutrients. You can use fresh pineapple if you have it on hand. Or you can buy fresh pineapple, cut it up, and freeze it. Honey. This is optional but recommend for the best flavor. You can also use pure maple syrup to keep this recipe vegan. Vanilla extract. The addition of pure vanilla extract takes this pineapple smoothie recipe to the next level. The rich vanilla flavor makes the flavor of the pineapple pop.
How to Make a Pineapple Smoothie
Let’s discuss how to make a pineapple smoothie – and don’t forget to watch the video. Begin by adding all the ingredients in the order listed in the pineapple smoothie recipe to the container of a Vitamix blender (or another high-powered blender). It’s important to add the coconut milk first, then add the frozen fruit, for easy blending. I like to add the honey on top of the frozen fruit to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the blending container. Next, secure the lid and blend the pineapple smoothie until it’s smooth and uniform throughout. As you can see in the video, I used tamper to press the ingredients to the blades, which I recommend doing if you’re using a Vitamix.
Pineapple banana smoothie add-ins
If you’d like to add some nutrition boosters to this pineapple smoothie, here are some suggestions!
Spinach. As mentioned above, adding 1-2 cups of spinach won’t effect the taste or texture of this pineapple smoothie at all. It will change the color, but it’ll taste great AND have a bonus serving of veggies! Kale. If you’d like to add kale, I recommend adding 1 cup. Kale has a stronger flavor than spinach and could effect the taste! Protein powder. Adding a scoop of vanilla protein powder will both enhance the flavor AND give you a healthy dose of protein! I love adding protein powder to my smoothies and do it all the time. This Vanilla Protein Powder is my favorite (and it’s plant-based)! Chia seeds. Chia seeds are a nutritional powerhouse that can be added to this pineapple smoothie. I recommend adding 1-2 TBS and drinking the smoothie immediately.
Serve
Pour into two to four glasses and enjoy!
Store/Freeze
You can store this pineapple smoothie in a glass jar with a lid for up to 2 days in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
