Blue Cloud Pineapple Coconut Smoothie with Spirulina and Whipped Cream

A glass of blue-green smoothie looks almost unreal until the first sip. Fresh pineapple, ripe banana and grated coconut blend into a cold, creamy drink with a bright tropical flavor. A swirl of whipped cream and coconut curls turns it into a showpiece for a warm afternoon or a party table.

This blue cloud smoothie is built on fresh fruit and fresh coconut, blended with coconut milk and ice until frosty. The spirulina powder gives it its vivid turquoise color without changing the fruit flavor much. The whipped cream and coconut curls on top make it look like a finished dessert drink.

Everything comes together in one blender jar, so the work is mostly in preparing the fruit and coconut before blending. Plan about twenty minutes of preparation, with the blending itself taking under a minute. The recipe makes two generous glasses, and you can scale the amounts up for a group.

Ingredients

Why this recipe works

Blending fresh pineapple, banana and coconut meat with ice creates a thick, cold base that holds the cream on top without sinking. The ice keeps the drink frosty from the first sip to the last, while the banana adds body and natural sweetness. Grating a little fresh coconut directly into the blender adds fine texture and a fresh coconut aroma that bottled flakes cannot match.

The coconut milk gives the smoothie a rich, smooth mouthfeel and helps the spirulina distribute evenly through the blend. Spirulina is a powder with a mild, grassy flavor, so only a small amount is needed to achieve the blue-green color.

Blending until the mixture is uniform in color is the sign that the powder is fully incorporated and the texture is smooth. Adding the cream last keeps the topping light and clean on top of the cold drink.

Notes and substitutions

Choose a ripe pineapple that smells sweet at the base and a banana with a few brown speckles for the best sweetness. Fresh coconut gives the most flavor, but frozen unsweetened coconut chunks, thawed, work well in the blender.

Use full-fat coconut milk from a can, shaken well before opening, for a creamy result. Spirulina powder is sold as a fine blue-green powder in most supermarkets and health food sections; use it sparingly because it has a strong color.

You need a sturdy blender with a glass jar, a sharp chef's knife, a cutting board, and a box grater for the coconut. A piping bag with a star tip makes the whipped cream swirl neat and even, though a spoon will also work. A crystal-cut glass shows the color well and keeps the drink cold.

If you do not have spirulina, substitutions such as matcha or a little blue food coloring will change the color and taste, so expect a different result. Store-bought whipped topping can replace homemade cream when time is short.

• spirulina powder: matcha powder for green, or a few drops of blue food coloring; the color and flavor will differ
• heavy cream, whipped: store-bought whipped topping
• fresh coconut meat: frozen unsweetened coconut chunks, thawed

Equipment

• Cutting board
• Chef's knife
• Box grater
• Glass blender jar
• Piping bag with star tip
• Crystal-cut glass