3-Ingredient Dragon Fruit Smoothie

This gorgeous red dragon fruit smoothie is naturally sweet, creamy, and vibrant! Made with frozen dragon fruit (a.k.a. pitaya), yogurt, and milk, it tastes like a pink kiwi creamsicle. Perfect for sipping, served as a dragon fruit smoothie bowl, or frozen into breakfast popsicles! A simple 3-ingredient breakfast smoothie that’s great for meal prep, and easy to customize with any fruits you like.

Learn how to meal prep smoothies in advance so they’re ready-to-drink in the morning!

If you can find it, red dragon fruit is a great healthy smoothie base because of its sweet flavor and mesmerizing magenta color. Paired with creamy yogurt and milk, this pitaya smoothie looks almost neon! Flavor-wise, red dragon fruit is velvety, tangy, and sweet—making this simple smoothie totally tasty with no added sugars or sweeteners.

But, don’t feel limited to following this dragon fruit smoothie recipe too strictly. Think of this like a customizable base recipe for a fruit and yogurt smoothie, with room for endless variation. Instead of making your smoothie with dragon fruit, use your favorite frozen fruit + yogurt + milk to make your ultimate breakfast smoothie. Quick & easy enough to throw together in the morning, prep it as a make ahead smoothie, or freeze it into popsicle molds!

What is dragon fruit & how does it taste?

Dragon fruit, or pitaya, is sweet and creamy with a mild flavor, sort of like a mix between a ripe kiwi and a melon. It’s an oval-shaped fruit—some are reddish-pink, some are yellow—with scaly, green, ribbon-like spikes on its skin that look like dragon scales. There are several different types of dragon fruit, and each variety tastes a bit different from the others:

• Yellow dragon fruit: yellow skin / white flesh, moderately sweet & very juicy.
• White dragon fruit: red skin / white flesh, mildest flavor & subtly sweet.
• Red dragon fruit: red skin / red flesh, sweetest & most flavorful.

I think pitaya is scrumptious on its own or in a dragon fruit salad, and you don’t need to dress it up much to make a satisfying breakfast smoothie! Besides the eye-catching purple color of an acai smoothie, no fruit can compare to the vibrance in this pink dragon fruit smoothie. But it’s not just beautiful to look at—that bright color comes from powerful plant compounds and antioxidants in dragon fruit, making this nutritious smoothie even more satisfying to sip.

Dragon Fruit Smoothie Ingredients

When it’s in season or if it’s available at your grocery store, grab some dragon fruit for smoothies and see how you like it! I found frozen dragon fruit at Sprouts Farmers Market which was super convenient, but you can also make this recipe with fresh dragon fruit if you come across it. Simply blend the fruit with your choice of yogurt and milk, and you’ve got a yummy dragon fruit shake that tastes like a sweet creamsicle!

Smoothie with Frozen Dragon Fruit vs. Fresh

I like to use frozen dragon fruit for smoothies because I can keep it stored in my freezer, and frozen fruit gives smoothies a thicker, creamier texture. But fresh pitaya is quite a beautiful fruit to see, and it’s easy to prep when it’s ripe: just cut the fruit in half lengthwise, peel the outer skin, and cut it into cubes. If you’re making a smoothie with fresh dragon fruit, you can thicken up the texture by blending in a few ice cubes or some extra yogurt. Creamy whole milk yogurt, protein-rich Greek yogurt, or a nondairy yogurt for a vegan smoothie—use whatever you like.

Customize: How to Make a Smoothie with Frozen Fruit and Yogurt

If you don’t want to make a yogurt smoothie with dragon fruit, have fun trying out different ingredients in this customizable recipe. Use it as a meal prep smoothie base and change up the flavors with different fruits!

1. To start, base the smoothie around whichever fruit(s) you like, frozen or fresh. You can combine pitaya with additional fruits, or skip the dragon fruit altogether and make a new flavor! Frozen blueberries and strawberries are a classic choice. Or you can slice and freeze bananas, mango—really any fruit that you like to keep on hand in your freezer. (A simple 4-ingredient mango banana smoothie with yogurt & milk is amazingly good.)
2. Then, all you need is some yogurt and milk! I like to make my dragon fruit smoothie with whole milk yogurt for a probiotic boost, and because the dietary fat makes my breakfast smoothies more filling and satisfying. Milk-wise, I prefer an unsweetened option like almond milk, so I’m not adding any unnecessary sugars. Of course, feel free to sweeten your fruit and yogurt smoothie if desired.
3. To make a vegan smoothie, simply use any non-dairy yogurt & milk you like. Keep things simple with almond milk or oat milk. Add a bit of sweetness and protein with soy milk or soy yogurt. Or add some sweet, tropical flavor and nourishing fats with coconut milk and/or coconut milk yogurt!
4. Feel free to add other nutritious ingredients as well, like chia seeds or flax, oats, nut butter, leafy greens, or other veggies.

How to Meal Prep a Fruit and Yogurt Smoothie

Instead of making smoothie freezer packs, the best way to meal prep frozen fruit and yogurt smoothies like this is to blend and store them in the fridge or freezer. To prep this dragon fruit smoothie in advance, simply blend until smooth, pour it into a mason jar, and seal it up. If you’re prepping a smoothie the night before or just 1-2 days in advance, you can store them in the fridge. Then, in the morning, just shake it up well before sipping and enjoying!

If you’re meal prepping yogurt smoothies for the week (or longer), it’s best to freeze them. Make sure your jars or containers are freezer safe, and your frozen smoothies will last up to 1 month. Before enjoying your frozen meal prep smoothie, transfer it to the fridge to thaw overnight, or let it thaw at room temperature for an hour.

Dragon Fruit Smoothie Bowls

As fun as a pitaya smoothie is to sip, it’s even more fun served as a thick, spoonable dragon fruit smoothie bowl! If you love a stunning purple acai bowl, a bright magenta dragon fruit bowl is a must-see and a must-eat. Personally, I love the bright pink color of red dragon fruit, and I enjoy its sweet flavor much more than the flavor of acai. Use extra yogurt and/or ice as needed to help thicken up the texture of your smoothie, then serve it in a bowl with toppings like fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, granola—whatever you like!

Breakfast Smoothie to Breakfast Popsicles

To elevate your breakfast another level, try freezing this dragon fruit smoothie into breakfast popsicles! Just blend your 3 ingredient smoothie as you would normally, then pour the mixture into popsicle molds and freeze for up to a month. Whether it’s during summer or just when you’re craving a fun breakfast-on-a-stick, frozen fruit smoothie popsicles are a great way to change up a breakfast routine!

 

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