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Home | Recipes | Drinks

Published: Jun 5, 2022 · Modified: Mar 15, 2023 This post may contain affiliate links.

Bahama Mama Tropical Smoothie

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Tropical smoothies are an essential summer drink. There's just something about having a cold, refreshing drink that slightly resembles a milkshake on a hot summer day! This Bahama Mama Tropical Smoothie recipe is our version of the popular Tropical Smoothie Cafe drink. It has sweet strawberries, tart pineapple, creamy coconut, and delicious white chocolate. With real fruit and white chocolate, it's easy to see why everyone wants this copycat recipe!

A red smoothie with a strawberry and pineapple leaf on top.

Imagine you're sitting under a cabana, by the ocean, with a cold smoothie full of tropical flavors in your hand, complete with a little colorful umbrella. The breeze is warm and the ocean waves can be heard in the background and you just got a massive brain freeze from chugging this delicious smoothie. Quick - put your tongue to the roof of your mouth!

Ok, now that the brain freeze is gone and you are home from this slice of paradise, you are thinking it would be awfully great to have a smoothie made with tropical fruits at home. That is where this smoothie comes in! With some frozen fruit, coconut milk, and the secret ingredient: white chocolate, you'll feel like you are back on an island in the middle of the ocean.

Not only does this smoothie transport you back to island time, but it is so easy to make and everyone loves it! So, let’s get you on Island time!

Need more recipes to keep you on Island time? Try one of these!

Thai Bowl

Thai Chicken Burger

Roasted Pineapple Habanero Salsa

Jump to:
  • What is a Bahama Mama Smoothie?
  • Ingredients and Substitutions
  • Recipe Testing Notes
  • How to Make this - Step by Step
  • Watch How to Make This - Step by Step
  • Joy Tip!
  • Facts and Common Questions
  • Want to Save it for Later?  Here’s how!
  • Fun Fact
  • More Joyful Recipes!
  • Recipe

What is a Bahama Mama Smoothie?

The Bahama Mama Smoothie is one of the most popular drinks at the Tropical Smoothie Cafe. It's a delicious blend of strawberries, pineapple, coconut, and white chocolate. While white chocolate may seem a bit much for a smoothie, but it really is why this smoothie is so addicting!

Ingredients and Substitutions

An overhead view of smoothie ingredients in separate bowls.

All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.

Coconut Milk: Coconut milk is a no-brainer for a tropical smoothie! It's sweet, without added sugar, hydrating for hot days in the sun, and gives this smoothie a super-smooth texture.

Substitutions: Any milk can be used, plant-based or dairy. You can also use a more water-based liquid, like orange juice, pineapple juice, or coconut water, but the texture will be less creamy.

Strawberry and Pineapple: We use frozen strawberries and pineapple to help thicken the smoothie and keep the ingredient cost a little lower.

Substitutions: Fresh strawberries or pineapple can be used but I recommend using frozen fruit for one of the fruits (pineapple OR strawberries) to ensure the smoothie is cold. If using fresh fruit for both, add a cup of ice cubes to the smoothie.

White Chocolate: White chocolate is what sets this smoothie apart! We use Lily’s white chocolate chips to keep the sugar lower.

Substitutions: White chocolate syrup, cacao butter mixed with agave, or vegan white chocolate can be used. You could also try using vanilla protein powder or white chocolate protein powder, but it would likely change the consistency. It would make a great protein shake, though!

Coconut Chunks: Coconut chunks can be kind of hard to find but they amp up the coconut flavor of this smoothie! They can typically be found in the cold produce section. You can find them at Amazon here!

Substitutions: Coconut powder (unsweetened) or shredded coconut can be used.

Add-Ins: You can add a few different items to your smoothie if you want to switch it up. Some ideas include low-fat yogurt, greek yogurt, chia seeds, and vanilla protein powder.

Recipe Testing Notes

Throughout our testing of this Bahama Mama Smoothie, we learned some key things that worked and didn't work. Here are the key takeaways!

The type of coconut matters: We tried shredded coconut, coconut chunks, coconut flakes, and not including raw or dried coconut in the smoothie. The raw coconut chunks were far and above the best addition in flavor and texture. This is likely because the other coconut options are dried so they add grittiness and not using any extra coconut makes the smoothie slightly bland.

A note about white chocolate: We tried white chocolate syrup and white chocolate chips for this smoothie. Both produced delicious flavor and texture. But, we felt white chocolate chips would be more likely to already be in your pantry, thus making it easier to make the smoothie.

How to Make this - Step by Step

Step one: Add the coconut milk, coconut chunks, and white chocolate chips to a high-speed blender and blend for 30 seconds. This is just to pulverize the harder ingredients to ensure they are fully incorporated into the smoothie.

Dropping coconut chunks into a plastic cup.

Step two: Add the remaining ingredients to the blender and blend on high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds to a minute.

Step three: Enjoy with a colorful umbrella in a fun glass!

Pouring a pink colored smoothie into a glass with a straw.

Watch How to Make This - Step by Step

Joy Tip!

Using frozen ingredients is a great way to incorporate fruit that has as much or more nutritional value than fresh fruit but is typically cheaper and available year round. Win win!

Facts and Common Questions

Is a Bahama Mama Smoothie healthy?

Totally! It has large portion of your daily values of Vitamin C and A from the strawberries and pineapple and it has healthy fats from the coconut chunks and coconut milk.

Is this smoothie vegan?

No it is not vegan because it uses white chocolate chips. To make it vegan, simply swap out the white chocolate for vegan white chocolate or use equal parts cacao butter and agave to make your own white chocolate.

What is the secret to a good smoothie?

It’s a secret so I can’t tell you. Just kidding! The secret to a great smoothie is having an ingredient that is fibrous or frozen. This can be a banana, an avocado, coconut chunks, or any frozen fruit.

A red smoothie with a strawberry and pineapple leaf on top.

Want to Save it for Later?  Here’s how!

Saving a smoothie can be tricky. The liquid and solids tend to separate as it thaws in the fridge, so here is the best way to store any leftovers!

Storage: To keep any leftovers, we recommend keeping the smoothie in the fridge, in the blender.

To Enjoy: When you are ready to enjoy it, re-blend until smooth. You may need to add ice to thicken it again.

How long it will keep: This smoothie will keep for 2 days in the fridge.

Fun Fact

Pineapples are a very cool fruit! First off, they are packed with vitamins and antioxidants. Next, they are regenerative, meaning you can grow a new pineapple from the leaf of one that has already been cut up. But one plant only produces one pineapple and they take nearly two years to grow, so there is a lot of patience required. It also contains an enzyme that can break down proteins, which is why it is in many marinades for meat - it flavors the meat and tenderizes it! (source)

More Joyful Recipes!

Try these other delicious smoothies for a quick breakfast!

Peanut Butter Avocado Smoothie

Strawberry Matcha Smoothie

Black Raspberry Lemonade Smoothie

Did you try this and love it? Leave us a review, we would love to hear from you!

Recipe

A red smoothie with a strawberry and pineapple leaf on top.

Bahama Mama Tropical Smoothie

Servings: 1
Total Time: 5 minutes
Tropical smoothies are an essential summer drink! There is just something about having a cold, refreshing drink that slightly resembles a milkshake on a hot summer day!
5 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bahama, mama, pineapple, smoothie, strawberry, tropical
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Calories: 578 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups coconut milk unsweetened
  • 1 tablespoon white chocolate chips sugar free
  • 3 tablespoon coconut chunks or shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 1 cup frozen strawberries
  • 1 cup frozen pineapple

Instructions

  • Add the coconut milk, white chocolate chips, and coconut chunks to the blender. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.
  • Add the pineapple and strawberry to this mixture and blend another 1 minute.
  • Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.

Nutrition

Calories: 578kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 38g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 27mg | Potassium: 807mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 113IU | Vitamin C: 166mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 7mg
Did you try this? We'd love to hear how it went. Please leave a review below! Or, follow and tag us on Instagram!Mention @_Joytothefood_ or tag #joytothefood!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Viking says

    August 14, 2022 at 5:11 pm

    5 stars
    Excellent!!

    Reply
  2. Kelly says

    August 14, 2022 at 5:31 pm

    5 stars
    This is SO good and easy! Makes me feel like I'm in the tropics!

    Reply
  3. Sheila says

    August 15, 2022 at 2:27 pm

    5 stars
    The white chocolate makes it especially good !

    Reply
  4. Andrea says

    August 15, 2022 at 3:31 pm

    5 stars
    This is soooo yummy! The white chocolate is a game changer!

    Reply
  5. Morgan says

    August 24, 2022 at 10:34 pm

    5 stars
    I thought this would be too sweet with white chocolate but it was well balanced!

    Reply
  6. Lin says

    August 26, 2022 at 2:07 am

    5 stars
    White chocolate in a smoothie? That sounds a little more like a milkshake and I am about it!! Sounds so good!

    Reply
  7. KW says

    December 04, 2022 at 8:26 pm

    This is terrific! Thank you!

    Reply

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