This Vegan Tropical Smoothie is a nourishing and refreshing blend of pineapple, banana, spinach and coconut milk. It’s not only easy and delicious but it’s supercharged with 21g of plant-based protein and 14g of fiber per serving. Meal prep several of them ahead of time and keep them stored in your freezer for an easy breakfast!
There’s nothing worse than buying a big pineapple and only using a small portion of it for a recipe. So a few weeks ago when I made these Honey Lime Salmon Bowls with Pineapple Cucumber Salsa, I knew I had to transform the leftover pineapple into something else. And that’s how this Vegan Tropical Smoothie was born!
I’ve also been really into meal prep breakfasts lately. Even though I work from home, it’s been nice to have something ready to go since I get hungry first thing in the morning. And for some reason I’ve really been sleeping on the fact that you can actually meal prep smoothies. Not that smoothies are super hard to make, but to be able to avoid pulling out 10 different ingredients in the morning is kinda nice.
Whether you’re meal prepping this Vegan Tropical Smoothie or just enjoying it fresh, you can’t go wrong! This is a delicious sweet breakfast that tastes like a little tropical vacation in your mouth. It’s tangy, creamy, coconut-y and the perfect level of sweet. Plus, it’s filled with veggies, protein and fiber to balance it out. Hope you love!
Why You’ll Love this Vegan Tropical Smoothie
- This is an easy breakfast that you can enjoy fresh or meal prep ahead of time.
- It’s full of tropical flavors like pineapple, banana and coconut.
- This green smoothie sneaks in 2 vegetables and plenty of fiber.
- This is dairy free/vegan and gluten free.
- It’s loaded with 21g of plant-based protein and 14g of fiber.
What You Need to Make this Vegan Tropical Smoothie
- Banana: Banana is always the base of my smoothie recipes because it adds creaminess and a hint of sweetness.
- Pineapple: If you have leftover pineapple from another recipe, this is a great way to use it up! Otherwise, you can substitute pre-chopped frozen pineapple from the store.
- Frozen Spinach: I always have frozen spinach on hand so that’s what I used in this recipe but fresh totally works too.
- Frozen Cauliflower Rice: This adds additional nutrients and volume to the smoothie without really changing the flavor.
- Chia Seeds: Chia seeds are a great source of plant-based protein, fiber and antioxidants. But, they’re optional if you don’t have them on hand.
- Ground Flaxseed: Another optional ingredient but a great way to add further fiber.
- Vanilla Protein Powder: I always use Wellious vegan vanilla protein powder which is my fav because it’s not chalky and it’s sweetened with monkfruit. If you make this with an unsweetened protein powder, I would recommend adding more banana and/or 1-2 pitted medjool dates for more sweetness.
- Light Canned Coconut Milk: To give this more tropical flavor I like to blend it with light canned coconut milk. You can of course substitute with it’s full-fat counterpart.
- Water or Almond Milk: To thin the smoothie out further, I like using water or almond milk. You can also use more of the light canned coconut milk but the nutrition info will change.
How To Make this Vegan Tropical Smoothie
When making this vegan tropical smoothie you have two options…1) meal prep it ahead of time or 2) enjoy it fresh. I like meal prepping several of these at once and keeping them in my freezer to expedite breakfast.
To Meal Prep Ahead of Time:
First, add all of the vegan tropical smoothie ingredients, except for the milk & water, to a large freezer-safe bag (plastic or reusable) or jar/container. Seal it up and place in the freezer until you’re ready to enjoy.
If the contents of the package are stuck together in one big clump, try breaking it apart into smaller chunks before adding it to a high-speed blender (a Vitamix is really good for this!)
Then, add the milk and water and blend until smooth. Since all the ingredients are frozen, it’s helpful to use the tamper stick. Feel free to add more liquid if it seems too thick and/or isn’t blending!
To Enjoy Fresh:
If you are making this smoothie fresh instead of meal-prepping it, you may want to decrease the amount of milk/water since the banana and pineapple will not be frozen. Another option is to add some ice cubes, or even use store-bought frozen fruit instead of fresh.
Which Protein Powder Should I Use?
Although protein powder is technically option in this vegan tropical smoothie, I always aim to balance out my sweet breakfasts’ with some protein and healthy fats to keep me fuller for longer. So, I chose to add some vegan vanilla protein powder.
My personal favorite is the Wellious vegan vanilla protein powder. The texture isn’t chalky like most plant-based proteins and it’s also sweetened naturally with monkfruit which adds some sweetness to the smoothie. But, if your protein powder is not sweetened at all, I would recommending adding an additional 1/2 banana or 1-2 pitted medjool dates.
Looking to Increase the Protein Content Further? Try This!
Here are a few easy ways to increase the protein content of this tropical green smoothie. These recommendations are not all vegan-inclusive, so keep that in mind.
- Greek Yogurt: Adding a few scoops of plain greek yogurt when you’re ready to blend is a great way to increase the protein content without changing the taste. If anything, it’ll just make it more creamy and delicious.
- Cottage Cheese: Similar to greek yogurt, I’ve heard people have great success adding cottage cheese to their smoothies. Blending it like this is a great option if you don’t normally care for the texture of cottage cheese.
- Dairy Milk: By swapping in dairy milk, you can also increase the protein content further. However, some of that tropical coconut-y flavor will be lost.
- Silken Tofu: This is a really soft variety of tofu that is super sneaky…you won’t even know it’s in there! A great vegan/vegetarian option.
- Collagen: Unflavored collagen peptides dissolve in anything and don’t change the taste. This is a good addition (or replacement) to the vanilla protein powder.
Topping Ideas:
- Fresh Fruit: Add a few more chunks of pineapple or banana slices on top!
- Granola: This adds a great crunch factor! Recently I’ve been loving this new grain free granola from Three Wishes. Another favorite is Purely Elizabeth granola.
- Nut Butter: Peanut butter, almond butter, granola butter…anything goes!
- Shredded Coconut: For even more tropical flare, top with some shredded coconut.
Equipment Recommendations:
- Vitamix Blender: It’s important to use a powerful, high-speed blender with a tamper stick for this recipe. I love my Vitamix E310…it’s an investment but will last forever.
- Stasher Bags: If you are meal prepping this smoothie, these reusable silicone storage bags are a great sustainable alternative to plastic bags.
Can I Meal Prep this Vegan Tropical Smoothie?
Yes! Meal prepping smoothies may sound silly but it makes it so much easier on busy mornings. All you need to do is add everything to a freezer-safe bag, pop it in the freezer, and the next morning(s) you can add it to the blender with your liquid.
Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.
Looking for more Meal Prep Breakfast Recipes?
- High-Protein Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats
- Cookies and Cream Overnight Oats
- Brownie Baked Oatmeal
- Meal Prep Chipotle Egg Bake
- Gluten Free Gingerbread Blender Pancakes
Vegan Tropical Smoothie
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ large banana
- ½ cup chopped pineapple
- ½ cup frozen chopped spinach (or fresh)
- ½ cup frozen cauliflower rice
- 1 tsp chia seeds (optional)
- 1 tsp ground flaxseed (optional)
- 1 large scoop vegan vanilla protein powder *
- ⅓ cup light canned coconut milk
- ½ cup water (or additional milk of choice)**
Instructions
To Meal Prep Ahead of Time:
- Add all of the ingredients, except for the milk & water, to a large freezer-safe bag (plastic or reusable) or jar/container. Seal it up and place in the freezer until you're ready to enjoy.½ large banana, ½ cup chopped pineapple, ½ cup frozen chopped spinach, ½ cup frozen cauliflower rice, 1 tsp chia seeds, 1 tsp ground flaxseed, 1 large scoop vegan vanilla protein powder
- If the contents of the package are stuck together in one big clump, try breaking it apart into smaller chunks before adding it to a high-speed blender (a Vitamix is really good for this!) Then, add the milk and water and blend until smooth. Since all the ingredients are frozen, it's helpful to use the tamper stick. Feel free to add more liquid if it seems too thick and/or isn't blending!⅓ cup light canned coconut milk, ½ cup water
To Enjoy Fresh:
- If you are making this smoothie fresh instead of meal-prepping it, you may want to decrease the amount of milk/water since the banana and pineapple will not be frozen. Another option is to add some ice cubes, or even use store-bought frozen fruit instead of fresh.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @munchinwithmaddie_ on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.