PINA COLADA SMOOTHIE
Refreshing, Pina Colada Smoothie. Packed with pineapple, toasted coconut, banana, oats, and sunflower seeds.
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Summer is almost here! And I have all of the refreshing, summer drinks on my mind. Since it’s not the best idea to sit around drinking Pina Coladas and Mojitos all day, I love turning them into smoothies!
Since I am a sucker for everything coconut, creating a Pina Colada Smoothie was a must. Made with fresh pineapple, toasted coconut, bananas, oats, and sunflower seeds…this smoothie hits all the right notes.
ABOUT THE COCONUT
To really nail the coconut aspect of this smoothie, I came at it from several angles. I started the smoothie with coconut milk as the base. Then I toasted shredded coconut on the stove. Toasting coconut makes it incredibly more flavorful. And finally I added a touch of coconut liquid stevia. This step is completely optional, but it does really punch of the coconut flavor. You can find coconut liquid stevia at most grocery stores or online. I purchased mine from Amazon.
If you skip the liquid stevia, you might want to add more banana or dates to help bring the sweetness to the right level.
FREEZE YOUR FRUIT
Freezing the fruit ahead of time can make a huge difference for a smoothie. Peel and freeze your bananas. This makes your smoothie colder (obviously) and creamier. I usually have a freezer bag full of them at all times for easy access. I also like to have my other fruits frozen, in this case pineapple. Again, it makes your smoothies colder of course. But it also makes them thicker and creamier.
If you are toasting the coconut right before you make the smoothie, pop that in the freezer for a few minutes as well. You don’t want hot coconut ruining the party.
MAKE IT PALEO
This smoothie can easily be made Paleo by leaving out the oats and liquid stevia. You can also add spinach to the smoothie for a bit of extra nutrients without affecting the flavor.
PINA COLADA SMOOTHIE
Ingredients
- 6 oz Coconut Milk From refrigerated section, not full fat canned coconut milk
- 1/2 banana, frozen
- 1 cup pineapple, frozen
- 2 tbsp shredded coconut, toasted
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 2 tbsp oats leave out for Paleo version
- 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract leave out for Paleo version
- 4 drops of coconut liquid stevia Leave out for Paleo version. Adjust to taste
- 4 ice cubes
Instructions
TOAST THE COCONUT
- Add coconut to a pan and cook over medium heat until toasted
- Place in freezer for several minutes to cool
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
- Place all of the ingredients in the blender
- **If you are making a Paleo version, leave out oats, vanilla extract, and stevia. Add an extra half of banana or dates to bring sweetness level up if desired.
- Blend until smooth
- Serve and enjoy!
