Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade

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MIf you have ever ordered a mango dragon fruit refresher at Starbucks, you know exactly what I mean when I say this is a great drink.

The unique balance between mango juice, white grape juice, and dragon fruit powder makes this drink a perfect summer refreshing drink that will have you coming back for more.

If that is the case, I have some great news for you. You can now make your very own Starbucks mango dragonfruit refresher in the comfort of your home. This mango dragonfruit lemonade recipe is surprisingly easy to make and only needs a few ingredients.

The eye-catching magenta color is perfect for a night out with the girls, so whipping this out the next time you host your friends is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Rather than spend about $5 buying this drink, why not just make it at home using this simple mango dragonfruit lemonade recipe?

About Dragon Fruit

Dragon Fruit, also known as Pitaya is a tropical fruit that is indigenous to South America where it can be found growing on the cactus plant. Its awesome nutrient density and high content of antioxidants have earned the dragon fruit the title of super fruit. In terms of taste, dragon fruit is very similar to passion fruit, kiwi, or pear.

Also, dragon fruit comes in many different varieties but the common ones are white and red dragon fruit. The fruit is named after the dragon due to the covering of light green scales that are quite similar to dragon scales.

White dragon fruit has white flesh while the other has pink. Both varieties contain a lot of seeds inside and can be a bit intimidating to anyone who has never tried the sweet fruit before.

Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Refresher – What is It?

The mango dragonfruit lemonade is an iced and caffeinated drink that is sold at Starbucks, where it has since become a huge hit. This tropical caffeine boost is a tropical drink with a unique balance of dragon fruit, sweet mango juice, and vibrant lemonade/lemon juice.

What Does It Taste Like?

This drink is a bit tart but at the same time sweet and fruity. The result of mixing all these flavors makes it very refreshing. Adding the dragon fruit powder makes the drink have a vibrant pink color that is easily recognizable.

When making this drink at home, I do not add a lot of sweeteners because I find the original mango dragon fruit refresher to be on the sweet side. Adding some simple syrup or mango syrup is a good idea if you happen to have a sweet tooth.

Mango Juice is a Key Ingredient

While the most easily recognizable ingredient in the mango dragonfruit lemonade refresher copycat recipe is the dragon fruit powder, mango juice is also a key ingredient. It is the mango juice that gives this drink its tropical sweetness.

However, to avoid making the drink too sweet I always use 100% mango juice rather than mango nectar, and I advise you to do the same. 100% mango fruit juice is easily available at any local grocery store.

Three Forms of Dragon Fruit You Can Use

The great thing about this recipe is that you can use any type of dragon fruit you have ready access to. The following are the three common types of dragon fruit that you can choose from for your mango dragonfruit lemonade refresher:

• Frozen Bite-Sized Cubes of Dragon Fruit – found in the frozen fruit isle, frozen dragon fruit is more readily available than I would have guessed
• Dried Red Dragon Fruit Chips – You will need to break these chips into bite-sized dragon fruit pieces that work very well after being allowed to rehydrate. This is also the better option in terms of long-term storage of your dragon fruit pieces
• Freeze-Dried Dragon Fruit Powder (Pitaya Powder) – Made using the red variety of dragon fruit, pitaya powdered dragonfruit is a deep pink colored powder. If you happen to be located in an area where it is difficult to get your hands on fresh or frozen dragon fruit chips you can opt for dragon fruit powder as the next best alternative

Why You Will Love This Mango Dragonfruit Refresher

This mango dragon fruit lemonade has a lot of admirable qualities that you will appreciate, such as:

• It is easy to make this recipe
• Improves metabolic health
• Helps reduce insulin resistance
• Rich in vitamin C, minerals, and antioxidants
• The recipe is flexible enough to play around with some interesting ingredients, such as apple juice, coconut milk, or even green coffee extract for a natural green coffee flavor

Starbucks Mango Dragonfruit Refresher Tips

If you want to make this mango dragon fruit lemonade even easier, here are a few helpful tips:

• To make sure the dragon fruit powder dissolves very well, mix it with a little bit of liquid first until you have a paste-like consistency
• The drink will have a few black particles in it from the dragon fruit and you can remove these by straining
• Follow this 1 gallon lemonade recipe to have fresh lemonade on hand to make this delicious refresher
• Play around with the balance of mango juice and dragon fruit until you achieve the desired color

Ingredient Substitutions

Your mango dragonfruit lemonade refresher will work with a variety of substitutions, such as:

Dragon Fruit

Use any of the three forms of dragon fruit and this Starbucks copycat mango dragonfruit lemonade will come out just as great. Just remember that when you use the dried pieces you will need to allow them time to rehydrate first.

White Grape Juice

Although not an exact substitute for white grape juice, you can use apple juice to give your drink a different flavor. I have even tried using white wine and got an amazing cocktail out of it.

Sugar-free Version

The sweetness of this drink will have a lot of people worried about the high sugar intake, which is very understandable.

However, you can significantly lower the total amount of sugar in your Starbucks copycat mango dragonfruit lemonade refresher by using sugar-free mango syrup or sugar-free lemonade instead of the normal varieties. If you choose this route, you can also use the sugar-free lemonade to create this strawberry acai lemonade!

Dragon Fruit Powder

If you do not have access to powdered dragonfruit, you can leave it out and use food coloring instead. Although you will not get such a vibrant pink color as the one you get from the powder, the drink will still taste good.

Coconut Milk

Some people may have a coconut allergy which will make using coconut milk impossible. In that case, you can use either half-and-half or a mixture of milk and heavy cream to achieve great results.

The downside of this choice is that the calories will be a lot higher in this version of your Starbucks copycat mango dragonfruit refresher

Caffeine Boost

Adding a little bit of green coffee extract (or even green tea if you wish) will add that little bit of caffeine that is missing in your homemade mango dragonfruit lemonade refresher compared to the original Starbucks version.

Freeze-dried vs. Fresh Dragonfruit

It’s shocking just how many varieties of freeze-dried fruits we have out there, of which freeze-dried dragon fruit is just one of them.

In terms of the overall taste, color, and texture of your drink, there is no difference whether you use fresh dragon fruit or freeze-dried dragon fruit. All you have to do is alter the recipe a bit to allow your dried fruit to rehydrate.

Buying freeze-dried dragonfruit pieces is the better option considering how much easier the storage will be. You can find fresh dragonfruit in many grocery shops in the produce section, whereas the best place to get freeze-dried dragonfruit pieces is usually online.

Final Word

If you want to give your guests something a bit different that will be a pleasant shock to the senses, try whipping up a pitcher of mango dragonfruit lemonade refresher for your next get-together.

The drink is easy to make and flexible enough for you to switch things up every time you make it. Try something delicious and healthy that is just as good, if not better, than the Starbucks mango dragonfruit refresher.