Sunshine Tropical Turmeric Smoothie | Ambitious Kitchen

Back in May we hosted our amazing AK Smoothie Series and we LOVED seeing all of your delicious smoothie creations all month long. I get requests for smoothie recipes almost daily, and for good reason! There’s nothing better than a cold, refreshing, super flavorful smoothie for breakfast or an afternoon snack when it’s hot outside.

This tropical turmeric smoothie is truly sunshine in a glass. It’s packed with nourishing ingredients you’ll feel good about like 3 types of fruit, creamy coconut milk, and of course, antioxidant-rich turmeric. The flavor is like your favorite piña colada and delicious mango sorbet had a baby, so you’ll basically be on vacation when you drink it.

I’ve included tons of easy add-ins to really make this smoothie your own and to boost the nutrition even more! Stock up on some tropical fruit and enjoy this beautiful smoothie all summer long.

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Fall in love with turmeric

Yes, we’re adding beautiful turmeric to this smoothie and yes, you’re going to love it! Turmeric has tons of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which can help with everything from joint pain to potential heart health. This turmeric smoothie is the perfect way to add this golden superfood to your diet.

Everything you’ll need to make this tropical turmeric smoothie

You’re going to LOVE all of the simple, delicious ingredients in this turmeric smoothie. It’s bright, fresh and packed with tropical flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Fruit: this turmeric smoothie gets its natural sweetness and flavor from frozen banana, mango and pineapple.
• Milk: we’re using light coconut milk for that true tropical flavor! Piña colada, anyone?!
• Turmeric: you won’t be able to taste the turmeric in this smoothie (it has a pretty “earthy” taste to it) but you’ll get all of those wonderful health benefits.
• Lemon: add a little extra brightness with fresh lemon juice and zest.
• Extras: I like to add a little freshly grated ginger for tummy soothing properties and spinach for a boost of veggies as well. You won’t be able to taste the spinach at all!

Simple ingredient swaps & substitutions

Like many smoothie recipes, this turmeric smoothie is easy to customize with what you have on hand. Here’s what I can recommend

• For the fruit: feel free to use more or less of any of these fruits! For example: if you only have a banana and some frozen mango, you can simply use double the amount of mango in place of the pineapple.
• For the milk: I love the flavor that coconut milk gives this smoothie, but you can use any milk you’d like.
• For the turmeric: you can use ground turmeric in place of freshly grated turmeric if you’d like.

Our favorite nutritional boosters

This turmeric smoothie is easy to customize with even more boosts of nutrition! Try adding any of the following, and remember to blend in a little more coconut milk along with any of these additions.

• Flaxseed meal: this is one of my favorite ingredients to add to smoothies for a boost of fiber and minerals, and is especially great for nursing mamas as flaxseed can help increase milk supply. Usually, a tablespoon is plenty! Here’s a brand I love.
• Chia seeds: try adding in a tablespoon of chia seeds for a boost of healthy fats and fiber.
• Hemp seeds: feel free to throw in some hemp seeds for another boost of healthy fats, omegas and minerals.
• Avocado: add healthy fats and extra creaminess by adding ripe avocado. Usually 1/4 or 1/2 of an avocado will be sufficient and also help to keep you satisfied thanks to those healthy fats.
• Protein: Easily add more protein to this turmeric smoothie by adding 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder (vanilla would be delicious!) I recommend Vital Protein collagen peptides or Four Sigmatic Plant-Based Protein Powder.

Don’t forget these smoothie-making tips

With a few tips and tricks you’ll have the best, creamy tropical turmeric smoothie every time:

1. Use frozen fruit. This will help keep the smoothie cold and thick. Sometimes ice doesn’t blend as well, so it’s best to skip it unless absolutely necessary. If you only have fresh fruit, try adding 1 cup of frozen cauliflower.
2. Add liquid. Don’t be afraid to add more liquid if your smoothie is too thick or won’t fully blend. High powered blenders tend to blend frozen fruit much better, so if you have a regular or personal size blender, you may need to add more coconut milk.
3. Start low, go high. Start the blender on low speed, then gradually increase to high to help blend all ingredients. Finally, end with the blender on low speed.

Make it ahead of time

Yes, you can even make this turmeric smoothie ahead of time! Make it as-is or even double it and then try one of my three amazing ways to prep and store smoothies right in your freezer.

More smoothie recipes you’ll love

Get all of my smoothie recipes here!

I hope you love this tropical turmeric smoothie! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!