Smoothie King Pineapple Surf Copycat
This pineapple surf Smoothie King recipe is a mixture of pineapple, strawberries, apple juice, and vanilla protein! It’s budget-friendly to make at home and tastes refreshingly sweet.
Why You’ll Love it:
My kiddos love a trip to Smoothie King, but it’s not cheap! One smoothie costs 7 to 10 bucks, and my kids rarely want the same one. Thankfully, they’re easy to make at home.
Smoothie King’s pineapple surf sports tropical vibes! It features strawberries, pineapple, juice, and vanilla protein. To achieve the exact flavor of Smoothie King, I add turbinado.
Turbinado is a minimally processed brown sugar crystal that still contain molasses in it. I honestly don’t think it needs it, but if you like Smoothie King’s extra sweet flavor, you can use it.
Key Ingredients:
Frozen strawberries – Be sure to use frozen strawberries to achieve a thick smoothie consistency! I buy big bags of frozen fruit at Costco so I never run out. Strawberries taste good in ALL kinds of smoothies – chocolate, fruit, peanut butter, and green.
Frozen pineapple – For tangy tropical vibes! Pineapple is a great one for green smoothies. It overpowers the flavor of the greens with its acidic sweetness.
Juice – Smoothie King uses a kiwi apple juice blend. I couldn’t find anything like this, so I used half apple and half pineapple juice. The flavor was on point.
Protein powder – Vanilla protein adds a boost of protein, but it’s also crucial to achieve the same flavor as Smoothie King.
Turbinado – Personally, I prefer to avoid added sugar in smoothies. BUT, Smoothie King adds turbinado and this is a copycat recipe! You can add it, change the amount, or omit it. It’s completely up to you.
How to Make a Pineapple Surf Smoothie:
This pineapple surf smoothie is easy-breezy to make!
Combine ingredients: In the pitcher of your blender, combine the vanilla protein, turbinado, frozen pineapple, frozen strawberries, and juice. Place the protein and turbinado closest to the blades so it doesn’t stick to the sides of the pitcher.
Blend: Start your blender on low speed for 15 seconds or so, then increase the speed to high. Blend until smooth. I prefer a thick smoothie. If it’s too thick for you, add a splash more juice and blend to incorporate.
Serve: Pour into glasses and enjoy immediately!
Recipe Tips:
- Order matters. When you make a smoothie, place the softest ingredients closest to the blades. This ensures the blades can catch the ingredients and get moving right away.
- Add the vanilla protein first. If you add it last, it shoots up and gets stuck on the sides of the pitcher.
- Adjust the consistency to your liking. Personally, I think smoothies should be thick! If you like a thinner smoothie, add more juice, a little bit at a time, until you reach the desired thickness.
Variations:
- Yogurt – Add a scoop of Greek yogurt for extra protein/creaminess.
- Banana – For an ultra-creamy smoothie, add a banana.
- Sweetener – For a less sweet smoothie, omit the turbinado. Or you can swap it with your sweetener of choice – maple syrup, honey, etc.
- Fruit – Try swapping the pineapple with frozen mango.
- Greens – Add a handful of baby spinach for a boost of nutrients.
- Less sugar – To reduce the sugar content, omit the turbinado and swap regular protein powder with a low-sugar version. They have stevia-sweetened options.
Is Pineapple Surf good for you?
Smoothie King’s pineapple surf contains plenty of antioxidants, including vitamin C and polyphenols. It’s also low in fat, with 6 grams of protein.
That being said, it does contain a lot of added sugar! You can reduce the sugar content by asking for no turbinado or make it at home. When you make it at home, you control the amount of sugar that goes into it.
Does Smoothie King use real pineapple?
Yes! Unlike other fast food joints, Smoothie King uses real frozen fruit that’s not presweetened. A lot of fast food restaurants use sweetened purees in their smoothies.
Smoothie King Recipes:
Pineapple Surf Recipe
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vanilla protein powder
- 2 teaspoons turbinado optional
- 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- ½ cup apple juice
- ½ cup pineapple juice
Instructions
- In the pitcher of a blender, combine the vanilla protein powder, turbinado, frozen pineapple, frozen strawberries, apple juice, and pineapple juice.
- Blend on low speed, then increase to high and blend until smooth.
- Pour into glasses and enjoy!
