Make a pineapple coconut smoothie with turmeric, ginger, and coconut milk for a healthy, vegan smoothie that makes you feel like you’re on a beach vacation! This dairy-free, gluten-free, vitamin-packed smoothie is delicious and nutritious! 

What Makes This Recipe Great

Bright, vibrant, and nutrient-rich–this Pineapple Coconut Smoothie, or as I like to call it, a healthy piña colada smoothie, is a must-try! It’s easy to make, packed with anti-inflammatory ingredients, tropical flavors, and a boost of turmeric and ginger. 

It comes together in 5 minutes in a blender and is delicious as a breakfast smoothie and pre or post-workout fuel. It’s vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, paleo, and banana-free as well! You can turn it into a thick smoothie bowl or enjoy it as a sippable smoothie.

How to Make a Pineapple Coconut Smoothie

This pineapple coconut milk smoothie requires very little hands-on time, but I do recommend taking one prep step: freezing your coconut milk! Instead of using bananas, we’re using frozen coconut milk cubes to add both thick texture and creaminess. I recommend reserving a little bit of additional coconut milk to blend or using another plant milk to help it along.

Ingredient Notes

• frozen pineapple chunks: If you only have fresh pineapple, simply cut it into chunks and freeze. Since we don’t want to water down the smoothie with ice, the frozen fruit helps get this smoothie cold! 
• frozen coconut milk cubes: Use a can of full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk. Same as above, freezing the coconut milk in an ice cube tray helps get the creamy texture we’re looking for. 
• grated fresh ginger
• ground turmeric
• black pepper: I know this sounds crazy, but it’s just a pinch, and it helps to enhance turmeric absorption. 
• unflavoured plant protein: You can add a scoop of your favorite vegan protein powder if desired. If not, omit this. 
• additional plant milk or coconut water to blend

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. To prepare your frozen coconut milk cubes, simply shake up a can of full-fat coconut milk, pour it into an ice tray of choice, and freeze until solid.
2. When ready to enjoy your pineapple coconut smoothie, add all ingredients to a blender with additional plant milk as needed and blend until the desired consistency is achieved. Enjoy immediately.

How Much Turmeric in a Smoothie?

Adding turmeric to a smoothie is a wonderful way to give it an extra health boost, as turmeric has been linked to supporting healthy inflammation. It also adds a beautiful colour, and is easily hidden among the pineapple and coconut flavours. You can use either fresh or ground turmeric, which is typically easier to find.

• Fresh turmeric root resembles ginger root, but with an almost neon orange interior. It has a deep earthy, bitter flavour and is much more potent in flavour when used in place of ground turmeric. I recommend grating if using in this smoothie, to make blending easier, and using roughly 2 teaspoons.
• Ground turmeric is much easier to find in the spice section of most grocery stores. It’s milder in flavour and very easy to use! I’d recommend using about a teaspoon of ground turmeric to start, and you can always adjust to taste as you go.

An optional but highly recommended tip: add a pinch of ground black pepper! You won’t taste it in this Pineapple Coconut Smoothie, but adding it will maximize the absorption of the curcumin in the turmeric. As a rule of thumb, I almost always pair turmeric with a secret pinch of pepper for this reason.

Benefits of Ginger in a Smoothie

• Ginger contains gingerol, which has incredible medicinal qualities! It has anti-inflammatory properties and may also reduce pain.
• For the digestive system, ginger can do wonders. It can help to improve digestion and is also wonderful for treating nausea or an upset stomach.
• When blended into a smoothie, you can easily reap the benefits, and it adds a nice spicy kick, too. It balances out the sweetness of the pineapple and the creaminess of the coconut milk.
• Fresh ginger is highly recommended when preparing this smoothie.

Secrets to Success

• Variations: The best thing about smoothies is that you can play around with ingredients to customize them to your tastes, preferences, and dietary needs. Need more sweetener? Add some maple syrup! Want a creamier version? Add some vegan vanilla yogurt! More fruit? Try mangoes! Need some greens? Throw in a handful of spinach or kale. There are endless options!
• Texture: For a thicker texture, don’t use additional plant milk or coconut water. If the smoothie is still too thin, add more fruit. For a thinner texture, add additional liquid until your desired consistency is reached. 

Storage Tips

• I recommend enjoying the smoothie immediately. However, you can prepare and store the coconut milk ice cubes and frozen fruit ahead of time, so it’s easy to grab and make in a pinch! 

Recipe FAQs

  

More Healthy Vegan Smoothie Recipes

Red Velvet Smoothie

Spiced Persimmon Smoothie

Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie Bowl (No bananas)

Almond Joy Smoothie Bowl

Pitaya Smoothie with Protein

If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know what you think with a comment below! Follow me on Instagram for more delicious recipes!