Starbucks Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher
How to make the Starbucks Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher at home with only 4 ingredients: pineapple juice, passionfruit juice, green tea, & freeze-dried pineapple! A simplified copycat recipe with no added sugar. Add lemonade to make it a Lemonade Refresher, or add coconut milk to make the Paradise Drink!
Starbucks’ Pineapple Refresher is sweet, tangy, & tropical. It tastes like piña colada juice! It’s served over ice, and I love the chewy pieces of freeze-dried pineapple in it. But strangely, the Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher at Starbucks has no passionfruit or pineapple juice in it—only “natural flavors,” and it’s sweetened with sugar.
Usually, fruit-flavored summer Starbucks drinks just aren’t worth the $5 for me. I’d rather mix some actual fruit juices together—which is basically what I did to make my homemade Pineapple Refresher. This homemade version is sugar-free, with plenty of natural sweetness from the pineapple & passionfruit juice. And I think that real-fruit flavor makes the drink taste even more refreshing!
How much sugar is in the Pineapple Refresher?
A grande (16oz) Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher from Starbucks has 19g sugar—from added sugars & grape juice concentrate. This copycat Refresher also has 19g sugar—but entirely from fruit juice, with no added sugar. Both drinks are deliciously sweet, but the natural sugars in fruit juice are (somewhat) less-processed than added sugars (and you sip up some nutrients from the juice). And I just think real juices taste so much better than flavorings or syrups!
Homemade Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher Ingredients
Brewed Green Tea
The Starbucks Pineapple Refresher is made with green coffee extract for flavor, so I made my own simplified version with brewed & cooled green tea instead. It gives the drink a subtle earthy flavor, and it adds a caffeine boost! If you don’t want the flavor or the caffeine, you can also make this Refresher without tea and just use water instead.
Pineapple & Passionfruit Juice
For natural sweetness & fruit flavor, I made my own DIY Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher with 100% fruit juice with no added sugar in it. If you can’t find passionfruit juice, try substituting with guava juice, mango juice, orange juice, or pear juice instead. The drink turned out plenty sweet for me, but you can always add sugar or simple syrup to make it as sweet as you’d like.
Freeze-Dried Pineapple
The diced pineapple is the best part of this Starbucks Refresher for me! It adds fun texture & color, and you only need a few tablespoons per drink. But of course, you can also serve & enjoy the drink without the dried pineapple if you don’t have any.
Ice
Don’t forget to serve your homemade Pineapple Refresher over ice for maximum refreshment!
Does the Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher have caffeine?
A grande (16oz) Pineapple Passionfruit Starbucks Refresher has around 45mg of caffeine from the green coffee extract. (And you actually can’t order the drink without caffeine.) This homemade recipe has 30-50mg caffeine per drink, depending on the tea you use. Or you can make a caffeine-free Refresher with water & skip the green tea bag!
How to Make Starbucks Pineapple Refresher at Home
- Optional: Brew Green Tea. First, boil water and steep a green tea bag for 5 minutes, then allow to cool. (Skip this step if you don’t want to use green tea and use plain water instead.)
- Combine Refresher Ingredients. Next, whisk together pineapple juice, passionfruit juice, and cooled green tea in a jar or measuring cup, until well-integrated.
- Chill in the Fridge. Transfer your Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher mixture to the refrigerator to chill for at least 20-30 minutes before serving.
- Serve. Add freeze-dried pineapple pieces and ice into a serving glass, then pour your Pineapple Refresher mixture on top, and serve with a straw!
3 DIY Starbucks Refresher Variations
Using this same 4-ingredient Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher base mixture, you can actually make 3 different copycat Starbucks Refresher drinks! Here’s how:
- Classic Refresher: Serve Pineapple Refresher base mixture over ice & dried pineapple in a glass.
- Pineapple Passionfruit Lemonade Refresher: Combine base mixture + 1 cup lemonade, then serve in 2 glasses.
- Paradise Drink Refresher: Combine base mixture + 1 cup coconut milk, then serve in 2 glasses.
For more homemade summer Starbucks drinks:
Try my homemade Strawberry Acai Refresher, which you can also use to make a Lemonade Refresher or the Pink Drink!
Starbucks Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher Copycat
Ingredients
Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher
- 1 green tea bag, (optional)
- ⅔ cup water
- ⅓ cup pineapple juice
- ⅓ cup passionfruit juice
- 2-3 Tbsp freeze-dried pineapple, chopped (for serving)
- ½ cup iced, (for serving)
For a Pineapple Passionfruit Lemonade Refresher:
- 1 cup lemonade, and split drink into 2 servings
For a Paradise Drink Refresher:
- 1 cup coconut milk, and split drink into 2 servings
Instructions
- Steep green tea in boiling water for 5 minutes, then remove tea bags & allow to cool. (Option: You can omit the green tea bag & use plain water instead.)
- In a jar or measuring cup, whisk together pineapple juice, passionfruit juice, and cooled green tea.
- Chill mixture in the fridge for 20-30 minutes, or until ready to serve.
- To serve, add freeze-dried pineapple and ice into a serving glass, then pour in Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher mixture. Serve with a straw & enjoy!
To make a Pineapple Passionfruit Lemonade Refresher:
- Combine Refresher mixture with 1 cup of lemonade and serve in 2 glasses.
To make a Paradise Drink Refresher:
- Combine Refresher mixture with 1 cup of coconut milk and serve in 2 glasses.
