As I explore the world of cooking, ingredient by ingredient, I’m realizing that coconut is one of the most underrated ingredients of them all. You can whip the cream into mousse, drink the water for a refreshing boost, and mix it with just about any tropical fruit for an instant island getaway. But until I made this smoothie, I’d mostly just been pairing coconut with other tropical ingredients. You know, pineapple, mango, the like. But I had a carton full of coconut milk, a pantry stocked with shaved coconut, and a strong craving for a richly sweet smoothie, so I began throwing things in the blender until I arrived at this seriously SO GOOD Not-So-Tropical Coconut Smoothie. It has the creaminess of coconut, the rich sweetness of brown sugar, and the zing of freshly grated ginger.

Now for a fun fact! In my sensory sciences class yesterday we learned about food texture and how it effects the way we eat and enjoy food. I learned that we actually detect more flavor in liquids than we do in solids. So if we drink a glass of juice with about 10% sugar, we find it tasty. But add a lot of sugar to that juice to make it 50% sugar and we find it way too sweet. But if you go one step further and turn that 50% sugar juice into gummy candy, it becomes tasty again. Both have the same perceived sweetness, but very different amounts of actual sweetness. Cool right? So basically it’s us and smoothies always and forever.

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Not-So-Tropical Coconut Smoothie

This Not-So-Tropical Coconut Smoothie blends brown sugar, ginger, vanilla, and coconut into a decadent and deliciously refreshing smoothie!

Course Beverages (Non-Alcoholic), Breakfasts, Smoothies

Diet Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Raw, Vegan, Vegetarian

Time 15 minutes or less

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 1 smoothie

Calories 251 kcal

Author Live Eat Learn

Ingredients

• 1 banana sliced and frozen
• 1/2 cup refrigerated coconut milk
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded or shaved coconut
• 1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth, topping with additional shredded coconut and brown sugar if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Not-So-Tropical Coconut Smoothie

Amount Per Serving (1 smoothie)

Calories 251 Calories from Fat 96

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 10.7g 16%

Sodium 10mg 0%

Total Carbohydrates 40g 13%

Dietary Fiber 5.3g 21%

Protein 2.4g 5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Helpful products for this Coconut Smoothie

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you buy something from that link I may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting Live Eat Learn and for making these recipes possible! I first published this recipe on Amanda’s Cookin’, where I’m a contributor.