What’s Dragon Fruit?
Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit growing on a variety of cactus plants. It’s native in Mexico and South America. It’s a fruit with many health benefits, and that’s why people love to add it to smoothies and smoothie bowls. Dragon fruit’s main benefits are:
High in Antioxidants. High in Iron – 100 grams of fruit contain 4% of the Daily Value. Low-carb with only 10 grams of net carbs per 100 grams. It’s less than blueberries, meaning it’s diabetes-friendly, and it won’t spike blood sugar levels as quickly as other fruits like bananas. It contains prebiotics good for gut health. Low in calories but high in fiber, so it’s fulfilling and refreshing.
How Does Dragon Fruit Taste?
Dragon fruit flavor varies based on the color of its flesh. Overall, it has a soft, melt-in-your-mouth flesh very similar to kiwi but more like a pear in flavor. Some dragon fruits have white flesh with a mild taste, while others have reddish, vibrant purple flesh with dark seeds with a more robust flavor.
Is Pitaya The Same As Dragon Fruit?
Yes, they are the same fruit. Depending on where you live, it can be called Pitaya, like in New Zealand, Australia, or Asia. But in the US, it’s called dragon fruit or pitahaya.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A dragon smoothie is a refreshing, easy pink smoothie loaded with nutrients. It’s very easy to make with a bunch of simple ingredients, including:
Frozen Dragon Fruit – of course, you can use fresh dragon fruit, cut, scoop, and fresh the flesh or use it raw if in season. But I personally prefer the frozen dragon fruits because it makes your pitaya smoothie so creamy. You can use any dragon fruit color: red, white, or yellow. Frozen Mango – the dragon fruit mango smoothie combination is heavenly delicious! Plus mango has a frothy creamy texture to the drink too. If you are not a fan of mango, try frozen pineapple or frozen banana. Banana – fresh, small. Coconut Milk or almond milk. Ice Cubes – for a frothy texture. Lime Juice – or lime juice.
How To Make A Dragon Fruit Smoothie
Serving Pitaya Smoothie
You can serve this pitaya smoothie plain or with some toppings that add texture and pop out all its flavors like:
Dried goji berries Freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries Toasted coconut Sliced almonds
Allergy Swaps
Below I listed some options to make this smoothie if you have some food allergy or ingredients you dislike
Mango-Free – you can use any other frozen tropical fruits like frozen pineapple, frozen banana, or frozen kiwi. Coconut-Free – use almond milk or oat milk. Nut-Free – use hemp milk or oat milk, or soy milk. Banana-Free – if you don’t enjoy the banana flavor in your smoothie, you can use frozen zucchini slices or more frozen mango or the same 1/3 cup yogurt. Protein Powder-Free – just skip it and thicken up the smoothie with high-protein seeds like chia seeds or hemp seeds.
Add-Ons
Like any other smoothie recipe, you can play with flavor by adding some ingredients to the smoothie to boost its creamy texture or flavor.
Peanut Butter – 1 tablespoon adds protein and creamy texture. Almond Butter – 1 tablespoon adds creaminess. Freshly squeeze Orange Juice to skip the lime juice.
Below I listed the answers to your most frequent questions about this dragon fruit smoothie recipe.
Replace 1/3 cup of coconut milk with high-protein plant-based yogurt. Then, add one tablespoon of super seeds high in proteins like hemp seeds, chia seeds, or flax meal. Increase vanilla protein powder – but this thickens the drink consequently, and you may need more plant-based milk to balance the texture.
More Smoothie Recipes
Below I listed some more healthy smoothie recipes for you to try:
