Blue Coconut Piña Colada Smoothies

Piña Coladas hold a special place in my heart. It was the first alcoholic drink I ever consumed. I can actually remember when I got certified in scuba diving, we went to Mexico and I drank them every single day. We stayed at this all-inclusive hotel and I couldn’t stop ordering them, seriously it was bad. That’s when I knew my love for coconut was real. I mean is there anything better than coconut and pineapple together?! Aside from peanut butter and chocolate, of course…

The idea for this came to me when I was thinking about fun summer content to share. I really wanted to make something unique. When I was a teenager I lived about a mile from Sonic. It’s this drive-in fast-food restaurant that’s known for it’s drinks. Long story short, I would ride my bike there after school every day. I always got a blue coconut slushy – again, coconut obsessed. I thought it would be fun to share a version that’s actually good for you. No artificial colors or flavors included. I even snuck in a veggie – cauliflower! Remember when I did that in those healthy pb shakes? As you can see, I’m in love with enjoying yummy things in the healthiest way possible.

If you can’t get your hands on blue spirulina, I recommend using anything you have on hand. However I used this Color Kitchen Real Food Colors – it’s the perfect amount for two servings! But you could always use beet juice powder, turmeric or dehydrated blueberries to add a bit of color. It might be cool to do a combo and layer a few colors too if you’re really keen on making something special. Rainbow Piña Colada Smoothies? How cool would that be?!

I kept it simple and used Kroger’s canned pineapple tidbits, packed with juice – not water or syrup. That way I could use the juice too without having to purchase that separately. Kroger also offers frozen veggies super cheap, so the bag of cauliflower florets was less than $1 and already ready to go in frozen form. Making it simple to open and pour right into your blender without any prep work. Depending on the thickness of smoothie you prefer, you can add more pineapple juice or freeze your pineapple tidbits for a thicker consistency. As mentioned in the notes below, you can also substitute cauliflower for banana or any other fruit you’d like best. Making fruit flavored pina coladas – like mango or strawberry! Or use silken tofu for a super creamy smoothie option that’s twice as filling.

I added the strawberry slices to the glass to simulate a red, white and blue theme. Making these an option for your fourth of July celebrations. of course they’re perfect all year round, I wanted them to have an extra special touch for the holidays. Let me know if you give these a try! If you snap a photo feel free to tag me @PlantPhilosophy on Instagram. Using the hashtag #PlantPhilosophy so I don’t miss seeing your post. It always warms my heart when you guys reach out to me and let me know you love a recipe from the site. I truly appreciate all of you that take the time to recreate my recipes and snap photos of the final product. Thank you for being awesome and forever supportive!

PIN IT FOR LATER!

Blue Coconut Piña Colada Smoothies | Vegan, Gluten-Free & Kid-Friendly | The Plant Philosophy

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kroger/Fred Meyer. The opinions and text are all mine.