As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
A cool, creamy, and beautiful tropical smoothie bowl made with coconut milk, berries, and tropical fruits. This dragon fruit smoothie bowl is a refreshing and beautiful way to start your day.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
Have you seen dragon fruit in your supermarket? It’s one of those produce items that you pick up, maybe sniff, and wonder what in the world it is. As a result, you wander around for the next five minutes wondering what that is and what it tastes like.
The dragon fruit doesn’t really resemble anything else in the produce aisle, but if you’ve traveled to South America or Asia, you’ve definitely sampled this gorgeous, sweet fruit in either a fruit salad, juice, or smoothie.
I am a bit obsessed with this fruit. It’s mild in flavor, and when ripe, it’s so sweet. The flavor of the fruit also seems to compliment most other fruits, from pineapple, melons, bananas, and berries. Because of that, I love tossing chunks of the fruit into salads, salsas, or smoothies whenever I can get my hands on whole dragon fruit.
Speaking of smoothies, don’t you love a smoothie in the morning? It’s such an easy breakfast idea that’s quick, yet full of nutrition. Drinking a smoothie makes me feel like I’m flooding my body with vitamins and minerals. So healthy, but some days drinking a smoothie just doesn’t feel hearty enough.
Enter the smoothie bowl! It’s the best of all worlds. It’s literally a smoothie served in a bowl but topped with delicious things like sliced fruit, nuts, granola, or even chocolate chips. The simple addition of delicious, fresh, crunchy things to chew transforms the meager smoothie into a hearty, filling breakfast. Yum!
Now let’s talk about this gorgeous fruit. Dragon fruit, also called Pitaya, is believed to have originated in Central America. Vietnam was a major cultivator of the fruit also, which spread the fruit to South East Asia. Today, it is widely popular in Asia, Hawaii, Central, and South America.
The dragon fruit is a member of the cactus family. It comes with a bright pink or yellow rind that has large scales on the outside. Elliptical or pear-shaped, the flesh on the inside is either a bright magenta or a white, with edible, tiny, black seeds.
The fruit can be cut in half and the flesh scooped out like an avocado. The flavor is mild, sweet and similar to kiwi fruit.
Health Benefits of Dragon Fruit
- The dragon fruit is low in calories and high in fiber.
- It is rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, carotenoids, iron, and magnesium.
- The flesh is loaded with B-vitamins and is a good source of prebiotics.
- The seeds are rich in omega 3’s.
The Asian cultures believe that dragon fruit improves eyesight, lowers blood pressure and aids in digestion. They also believe that the seeds help control blood glucose levels.
How To Pick a Dragon Fruit
- Look for a fruit that is evenly bright pink or yellow. It should have little to no blemishes or dark spots.
- Notice the scales or wings. Are they also pink or yellow? If so, the fruit is not ripe. If they look a little withered, dry or browned, then the fruit is ripe and ready to be eaten.
- Press the fruit with your fingertips. If it is slightly soft, it is ripe enough to enjoy. If it is very soft, it’s overripe. If there is no give at all, it isn’t ripe and will have no flavor or sweetness.
- The inner flesh should be bright pink or white. If it is overly ripe, the flesh will brown, much like a banana. Discard the fruit at this stage.
- If you purchase a dragon fruit that is underripe, simply leave it out on your kitchen counter for a few days to ripen.
- If your grocer does not sell the whole fruit, you can often find pulp puree in the freezer section.
DRAGON FRUIT SMOOTHIE BOWL
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2
Description
Gorgeous to look at and delicious to eat, this easy dragon fruit smoothie bowl recipe is a nutritious and filling start to your day. Can’t find fresh dragon fruit in your grocery? Look for dragon fruit puree in your freezer section.
Ingredients
For the smoothie:
- 1 large banana, peeled, sliced and frozen
- 1 cup dragon fruit chunks (about 1 large fruit), frozen
- 1 cup sliced strawberries, frozen
- ½ cup coconut milk (can substitute any other milk that you like)
- Sweetener to taste (honey, agave syrup, stevia, etc.), you often will not need sweetener
- Juice of ½ lime
For the toppings:
- 1 cup cubed dragon fruit
- 1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 cup grapes, sliced in half
- ½ cup whole raw almonds
- ¼ cup granola
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor or blender, place all of the frozen fruit and ¼ cup of the milk. Process until the fruit is smooth. Add enough of the milk so that the mixture resembles soft serve ice cream.
- Taste the mixture and adjust for sweetness. Add the sweetener by the teaspoonful, one at a time until you reach your desired sweetness.
- Pour the smoothie mixture into 2 bowls. Add half of the lime juice to each bowl.
- Arrange your toppings on top of the smoothie.
- Serve immediately.
- Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
Looking for more recipes to make a brunch buffet? How about this recipe for Crispy, Creamy Egg Boats, or this Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart. Need something a little sweet? Check out this Super Moist Lemon Loaf, or this Luxurious Brioche French Toast.
Send me an invite to your brunch. It’s going to be amazing!
