Tropical Smoothie Sunrise Sunset Recipe
Make Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s Sunrise Sunset smoothie at home for a fraction of the price! It’s a refreshingly sweet combination of strawberries, pineapple, and mango. Ready in less than 5 minutes.
Why you’ll love it:
Tropical Smoothie’s Sunrise Sunset is a blend of strawberries, pineapple, mango, and orange juice. It’s a tropical treat with a sweet zip!
- Cost effective to make at home! Takeout smoothies cost anywhere from 5 to 10 dollars. I bought three smoothies and spent 21 bucks!
- Easy to customize. I’ve included an entire list of add-ins and variations! You can reduce the sugar, add protein, or jazz it up with other fruits.
- Quick and easy! Smoothies take less than 5 minutes to make. Most blender pitchers are dishwasher safe, making cleanup a breeze.
Enjoy this sunrise sunset tropical smoothie recipe with brunch, breakfast, or as an afternoon pick-me-up! Or try another Tropical Smoothie Copycat like Jetty Punch or Mango Magic.
Key Ingredients:
Frozen fruit – Tropical Smoothie’s Sunrise Sunset is a mixture of strawberries, mango, and pineapple. All three boast plenty of immune-boosting vitamin C and antioxidants! I prefer to buy my frozen fruit at Costco. The quality is great and you can buy them in bulk.
Orange juice – For sweet and citrusy vibes! I only used 1/2 cup, because when I used more the smoothie tasted too tangy.
Water – Most of Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s smoothies contain water as part of the liquid base.
Ice – While I don’t typically use ice, to get the same texture as Tropical Smoothie Café, its necessary. It’s a smooth but slushier texture than one without.
Turbinado – Although this ingredient isn’t listed under Tropical Smoothie’s menu items, almost all of their smoothies contain it. Turbinado is a less processed version of sugar cane. It’s still NOT healthy for you. I prefer to leave it out, but you can add it if you like the extra sweetness.
How to Make a Sunrise Sunset Smoothie:
Smoothies are a breeze to make! One of the many reasons I love them. It’s basically just a dump, blend, pour scenario. However, there are a few tricks to give you a smoother blend!
- Combine ingredients: Dump the ingredients into your blender. Normally, I would say to start with the soft ingredients. Since there’s only frozen ingredients, that’s not necessary. The liquid sinks to the bottom no matter when you add it!
- Blend: Start on low speed, then increase to high. This reduces stalling. It creates a smooth texture in the end.
- Adjust: Check the consistency and taste the smoothie. If it’s too thick, add a splash more liquid and blend to incorporate.
- Pour: Pour the smoothie into glasses and enjoy immediately!
Smoothie Making Tips:
- If possible, use a high-speed blender. The better your blender, the better the consistency! If you make smoothies daily, buying a high-speed blender with at least 900 watts is a worthy investment. I highly recommend a Vitamix, but a Ninja is a good budget-friendly option.
- If the smoothie is stalling, add a splash more liquid. Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s smoothies are on the thicker side. If the smoothie is too thick, just add a little bit at a time until it gets moving.
Is Tropical Smoothie healthy?
A smoothie is only as healthy as the ingredients it contains. This is true of Tropical Smoothie too! Almost all of their smoothies contain added sugar. Even though it’s not listed on the menu, they add turbinado sugar. Most of their smoothies contain at least 70 grams of sugar, some up to 100!
If you want a healthy option, opt for their detox island green. It’s only 29 grams of sugar with no added sugar. Or you can ask them to not add turbinado to any of their smoothies.
Variations & Substitutions:
Smoothies are easy to customize! Try one of these simple variations:
- Fruit – Switch things up and try peaches, bananas, blueberries, mixed berries, or a tropical fruit blend.
- Yogurt – Add 1/3 cup of Greek yogurt for a boost of high-quality protein and creaminess.
- Liquid – You can swap the liquid with your favorite liquid base. Try apple juice, white grape juice, almond milk, cashew milk, or a combination.
- Sweetener – For a sweeter smoothie, try swapping the water with apple juice. Or add honey, maple syrup, or turbinado.
- Protein powder – Add a scoop of protein powder. I recommend a protein blend or plant-based protein. In my experience, 100% whey protein makes a smoothie too foamy.
Storage:
I recommend enjoying smoothies fresh! They taste the best immediately.
If you want to make the smoothie ahead of time, pour it into a vacuum insulated cup, and refrigerate until ready to drink.
Or you can make leftover smoothie into smoothie pops! My kiddos love these! Pour it into popsicle molds, add popsicle sticks, and freeze overnight.
Tropical Smoothie Café Recipes:
- Detox Island Green Copycat Recipe
- Bahama Mama Tropical Smoothie Copycat
- Avocolada Smoothie Recipe
- Tropical Smoothie Peanut Paradise Recipe
- Chia Banana Boost Recipe
Sunrise Sunset Smoothie Recipe
Equipment
- high-speed blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 1 cup frozen mango chunks
- ½ cup frozen pineapple chunks
- 1 cup ice cubes
- ½ cup orange juice
- ¾ cup cold water
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar optional
Instructions
- In the pitcher of a high-speed blender, combine the frozen strawberries, frozen mango, frozen pineapple, orange juice, water, and turbinado.
- Blend until smooth. If needed, add more water, a little bit at a time, until you reach a thick but pourable consistency.
- Pour into glasses and enjoy immediately!
