Creamy Pink Smoothie (w/ Protein!)
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Dec 30, 2021 (last updated Dec 17, 2024) 
This creamy, fruit pink smoothie is made with raspberries, pitaya or strawberries, and lemon juice. It has a naturally vibrant bright pink color and makes for a delicious, easy + vibrant breakfast smoothie!
A Pink Smoothie Boosted w/ Protein!
I don’t know about you, but I love starting my day with a wholesome smoothie. They make a super quick breakfast and are a great way to fit extra protein and veggies into my day. This particular fruity smoothie is lightly inspired by Jamba Juice’s Pink Starburst Smoothie, but my version is made without any ice cream or sorbet.
The vibrant bright pink color is totally natural and comes from a combination of the raspberries and pitaya (also called dragon fruit). You can usually find pitaya in the frozen fruit section of the grocery store, but if you can’t find it (or don’t want to use it), don’t worry! Strawberries work great as a substitute for pitaya in this recipe and they’ll still give you a beautiful, pink-hued result.
Making a Creamy Pink Smoothie
All you need to do is add all your ingredients to a blender and let it work it’s magic. Before you know it you’ll be sipping on a delicious, nourishing smoothie! It’s got plenty of plant-power in the form of cauliflower (trust me, you can’t taste it), fruit, almonds, chia seeds, almonds, and almond milk, and also protein from the protein powder.
Wait, What’s with the Frozen Cauliflower?!?
Don’t be afraid of the frozen cauliflower rice! If you’ve never used it before it might sound like a strange ingredient. But it adds a nice creaminess without adding extra banana and is a great low-sugar substitute. It also adds some great plant-power (without adding any cauliflower flavor) to the final smoothie!
Make it a Pink Smoothie Bowl
You can also turn this recipe into a smoothie bowl by making the smoothie thicker using only 1 cup milk. Also, make sure to use frozen berries, frozen pitaya, frozen cauliflower rice and frozen banana to help you get that thick consistency. Once blended, pour into a bowl and add your choice of smoothie bowl toppings.
Some fun topping ideas would be nuts, seeds, sliced fresh fruit, granola, honey, cacao nibs and a drizzle of almond butter.
Swaps & Subs
- Frozen banana: You can also use fresh banana in place of frozen banana in this recipe. The banana adds some natural sweetness to the smoothie.
- Frozen raspberries: Fresh or frozen raspberries work in this recipe. You can also substitute any berries you like in their place.
- Frozen pitaya: Pitaya is also called dragonfruit. Look for it in the frozen aisle by the other fruits and veggies. You can also use fresh dragonfruit or frozen strawberries in its place.
- Protein powder: You can use any protein powder you like the taste of. To keep this recipe vegan friendly, be sure to use a plant-based protein powder. To keep this recipe paleo friendly, be sure to use a grain-free and dairy-free protein powder.
- Frozen riced cauliflower: Riced cauliflower is one of the most underrated & easy ways to add a boost of veggies to your smoothies. The smaller riced size makes it easier to blend. Look for riced cauliflower in the fresh or frozen section of your store.
- Chia seeds: The chia seeds really help to thicken up this smoothie. If you don’t have them or don’t like them, you can skip them in this recipe.
- Almond milk: Any non-dairy milk will work great in this recipe, so if you don’t prefer almond milk you can use cashew milk, hemp milk, or oat milk instead. If you like a thinner consistency in your smoothies, add more milk.
- Lemon juice: The lemon juice adds some nice tartness to balance out the sweet flavors of this smoothie. You can also use lime juice in its place.
- Slivered almonds: The almonds help add extra creaminess. You can also use raw cashews or almond butter in its place. For a nut-free option, you can omit them or use sunflower seeds or sunbutter in its place.
Tip: If using fresh fruit and fresh cauliflower rice in place of frozen, be sure to add extra ice to the blender for better texture.
This Recipe Is…
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreePaleoVeganVegetarian
Creamy Pink Smoothie (w/ Protein!)
Ingredients
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 1/4 cup frozen raspberries
- 1/4 cup frozen pitaya, or frozen strawberries
- 1/4 cup frozen cauliflower rice
- Juice of 1 fresh lemon
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, plus more to blend as needed
- 1 serving vanilla protein powder of choice
Equipment
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender. Blend on high until smooth.
Notes
- Nutrition information calculated using pitaya, almond milk and protein powder. Nutrition information will depend on the type of protein powder you use.
- If using fresh fruit and veggies instead of frozen, add ice for the best, thickest texture.
- For a thinner consistency, add more milk.
- For nut-free be sure to use a nut-free milk like oat milk, coconut milk or hemp milk.
- For vegan, be sure to use a plant-based protein powder.
- For paleo, be sure to use a paleo-friendly protein powder.
- For more ingredients & substitutions, see blog post above.
