Coconut Water Smoothie

Name: Coconut Water Smoothie
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: ½ cup frozen strawberries or raspberries; ½ cup frozen diced mango; ½ cup sliced frozen banana; ½ cup fresh spinach leaves, optional; ½ cup coconut water, more as needed; ½ teaspoon minced ginger root, optional

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: With mango, banana, berries, and a hint of spicy ginger, this refreshing coconut water smoothie will hydrate and energize you. It’s super easy to make, with only 166 calories per serving.

How long it takes: 5 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: blender
Servings: 1

Two coconut water smoothies, with individual ingredients scattered around.

When you want a smoothie that’s a refresher and not a filling meal, turn to coconut water. It doesn’t make your smoothie creamy or rich; instead, it makes it super hydrating because: electrolytes!

This coconut water smoothie is packed full of crisp and bright flavors, thanks mainly to berries and mango. Fresh ginger adds a little zing and warmth. I, of course, sneak in a little spinach to get in that extra handful of greens for the day. Again: totally optional.

This smoothie recipe would be perfect after a long day in the hot sun but it is also great for people like me who are just pretending they are on a tropical beach somewhere.

Reasons To Love This Smoothie

Refreshing, not filling. Some days you want a protein smoothie, like my mocha protein shake or peach banana smoothie. Other days, you want something that falls on the lighter side. This coconut water smoothie is ideal when you want a smoothie as a snack or drink.
Easy to make. Because this recipe relies upon frozen fruit, there’s not a lot of peeling and chopping happening here. You can easily make this smoothie post work-out.
No added sugar. Between the fruit and the coconut water, this smoothie doesn’t need any added sweeteners. It’s perfect as is!

Coconut Water vs Coconut Milk

You’ll find coconut water on grocery store shelves. It is shelf-stable but should be refrigerated after opening. Coconut water is not the same as canned coconut milk. If you ever use the top layer of cream from a can of coconut milk, what’s left at the bottom is coconut water.

Overhead view of two coconut water smoothies with raspberries.

Smoothie Ingredient Notes

Frozen Strawberries or Raspberries: It’s your choice of berries but keep in mind that if you don’t have a high-speed blender, you may notice a few more seeds with raspberries.
Frozen Diced Mango: Mango adds sweetness and that signature tropical flavor.
Frozen Banana: If you want the creaminess banana adds but you’re not a fan of the flavor, use an unripe banana. Here’s how to freeze bananas.
Fresh Spinach: Greens are optional but they add a boost of nutrition without changing the overall flavor of your coconut water smoothie. Greens do change the color a bit.
Coconut Water: Start with ½ cup, then stream in more as needed.
Ginger: Fresh ginger packs a punch and it’s fantastic in a smoothie! Although ginger is optional, it really livens things up and it has plenty of health benefits, too.

Overhead view of ingredients needed for the recipe.

How To Make A Coconut Water Smoothie

Add all of the ingredients to a blender. Blend on high speed until smooth.

Ingredients in a blender before blending.

Smoothie in blender after being blended.

Adjust consistency as needed; if the smoothie is too thick, add a little more coconut water, if it’s too thin, add a few ice cubes and blend again.

FAQs

What is the benefit of drinking coconut water?

Coconut water is an excellent source of electrolytes, including potassium, sodium, and manganese. It is 94% water, with very little fat, and contains 60 calories per cup (Healthline).

Is pink or clear coconut water better?

Pink coconut water is less processed and it has a more robust flavor, so many people prefer it to the clear varieties. It’s up to you!

Change It Up

Try other fruits: As long as the total volume of frozen fruit equals 1 ½ cups, you can switch out the berries, mango, and banana with whatever you like or have on hand.
Make it without banana: You can add creaminess with plain Greek yogurt instead of banana if you’d like.
Give it a superfood boost: Chia seeds, flax seeds, MCT oil, and hemp hearts will all add extra nutrition to your coconut water smoothie.

Smoothie being poured into a mason jar style glass.

Make Ahead Ideas

Divvy up frozen fruit and spinach into small freezer bags and store them in the freezer. Then, when you’re ready for a smoothie, you’ll just need to add the coconut water to your blender and dump in the frozen fruit and spinach. Easy peasy!

Storage Tips

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. The smoothie may separate a bit after storage; just stir it before enjoying.

Leftover Love

Freeze leftover coconut water smoothie in popsicle molds for a refreshing frozen treat!

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