No this hot pink drink is not artificially colored. It is a Dragon Fruit Smoothie and I have the simple recipe for you today.
Dragon Fruit Smoothie
Pink dragon fruit not only gives this smoothie it's delightfully vibrant color but it's delicious too. I kept the dragon fruit smoothie recipe to 3 ingredients so you can really taste the dragon fruit and get familiar with it. The recipe is also dairy free and vegan.
Dragon Fruit
Dragon Fruit is also known as pitaya or pitahaya and is the fruit of a cactus. The exotic fruit comes in both sweet and sour varieties, though the sweet is much more popular and easier to find. The tropical fruit is popular in South America, Central America and Asia, but is being discovered by more and more Americans.
Sweet dragon fruit comes in three different color combinations:
- pink-skinned fruit with white flesh
- pink skin with deep pink flesh (used in this smoothie recipe)
- yellow-skinned fruit with white flesh
The fruit has tiny black seeds scattered throughout the flesh, which are eaten, as you would with a kiwi. The vibrant pink dragon fruit I used in this recipe is high in betanin , the same thing that colors beets. It is a great was to color foods and beverages without artificial dyes.
What does Dragon Fruit Taste Like?
The fruit is mildly sweet and the seeds have a slightly nutty taste. It has been described as having a strawberry pear flavor, but texture is more like the seedy part of a kiwi.
Dragon Fruit Benefits
The benefits of eating dragon fruit are numerous. Dragon fruit is low in calories and packed with nutrients. 100 grams of the fruit (3.5 ounces) has just 58 calories. It is an excellent source of vitamin C (34% RDA per 3 ½ ounce serving), Iron (11% RDA), and a good amount of fiber (3 grams per serving). Iron is not always easy for non red meat eaters to get enough of, so this fruit will be particularly appealing to vegans. All that vitamin C is great for the immune system too.
Antioxidants
Those beautiful pigments that draw us to use this colorful fruit are among many free radical busting antioxidants in this tropical fruit. The deep pink betanin from the pinkish red flesh of the fruit, helps prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. The antioxidants in dragon fruit can help reduce your risk of heart disease and may even assist in warding off cancer. Sounds good to me.
Where to buy dragon fruit?
Fresh dragon fruit
is increasingly available in grocery markets here in the U.S. I prefer to purchase frozen fruit myself, as I find it convenient and consistent in quality. Many local Target stores carry it, that is where I bought mine.
Here is what the bag I buy looks like. The cubes of frozen dragon fruit flesh blend very easily perfect for making a smoothie.
Making the Smoothie
Here is the very simple process of making the bright pink smoothie.
Just add the three ingredients to a blender cup (red dragon fruit, coconut milk and pineapple juice) and pulse until smooth.
Not in the mood for a smoothie? This amazing fruit is also great in fruit salads! It teams really well with berries and melon.
If you are a fan of healthy vibrant drinks try my fruity beet juice recipe with mango!
Dragon Fruit Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen pink dragon fruit
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- ½ cup almond milk or coconut milk
Instructions
- Add ingredients to your blender cup.
- Pulse until smooth. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Cheryl says
I have that exact Ninja blender and I Love it! Will have to visit Target this weekend and pick up the frozen-cut dragon fruit. This smoothie looks great. Smoothies are a great way to add more fruits/veggies in your diet and the pink color is fun. Thanks. Love your posts!!
Robin Gagnon says
I was pretty surprised to find the dragon fruit there. I have to hide it.. my daughter will scoff down the whole bag.
Amazingly, the big hot pink juice stain she left on my quilt washed right out... lol
Courtney says
I LOVE the color of this smoothie - so fun and delicious!
Ana Maria Rios says
Hi Robin, I just have a quick question. I always have cans of pineapple in juice in my pantry so if I were to open one to use the juice...is it possible to add some of the pineapple as well to make the smoothie?? Please let me know! Thank you!
Robin Gagnon says
Sure. Smoothies are super flexible.
Savanah says
This dragon fruit drink recipe was so easy and my kids loved it. I might add a banana next time to thicken it up.
Kathy Niesen says
Sometimes the Grocery Outlet sells a frozen mix of dragon fruit, mango and banana. It's very good and the price is reasonable. I used this to make your dragon fruit smoothie and it was so good. Thankyou for your recipe. I've used it as a basic recipe for using other fruit too.