This Not So Tropical Coconut Smoothie blends brown sugar, ginger, vanilla, and coconut into a decadent and deliciously refreshing smoothie!
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.
And 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.
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
- Blend all ingredients until smooth, topping with additional shredded coconut and brown sugar if desired.
Nutrition Information
I first published this recipe on Amanda’s Cookin’, where I’m a contributor.
DM says
Can you use ginger as the spice from the container instead of freshly grated ginger? If so, would you use the same amount?
Sarah says
Dried ginger is pretty different from fresh ginger. It doesn’t have the same zing or acidity, so the flavor will be a bit different. If you do substitute it, use half the amount in the recipe 🙂
DM says
Thanks! Can’t wait to try it!