Copycat Starbucks Mango Dragonfruit Refresher

ICYMI over on my instagram stories last weekend I made this copycat version of that delish hot pink drink at Starbucks. The Mango Dragonfuit refresher is one of my faves this summer. And probably half the reason I love it is the hot pink colour!

I managed to find dragonfruit powder on amazon (also called ‘pink pittaya powder‘). The powder by itself in water doesnt have much of a taste, it is just a bit sweet and has a slight tropical flavour. But add in a splash of mango pulp and it takes the drink to the next level.

I skipped on the caffine in my version so could share it with my niece and nephew, but you could easily sub green or white tea for water to give yourself a caffeine boost like the Starbucks version. The flavour is light and refreshing, perfect for summer.

My How to Train Your Dragon obsessed nephew loved this drink. Just because it has the name ‘dragon’ in it. Personally, I could not wait to dig in after I shot this drink.

One of my favourite perks of being a food photographer is getting to eat/drink my subjects afterwards. It did not take long for this drink to disappear. I also added my homemade boba to turn this into bubble tea! Yum!

Will you give this a try? What do you think of the Starbucks version? Let me know!

Copycat Mango Dragonfruit Refresher

A light refreshing drink reminiscent of the 'bucks version of the same. Only this one has much less sugar and artificial flavourings.
Prep Time5 minutes
Course: Drinks
Keyword: gluten free, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mango pulp
  • 1 cup unsweetened apple juice (or grape juice)
  • 4 cups water (sub with brewed green or white tea for a caffeinated version)
  • 2 tbsp freeze dried dragon fruit powder (also called pink pittaya powder*)

Instructions

  • In a small cup dissolve the dragonfruit powder into about half a cup of water. Once dissolved, mix in all the other ingredients. Taste and adjust for desired sweetness.
  • Serve cold over a tall glass of ice.

Notes

*I found dragonfruit (pink pitayya) powder on Amazon.
The mango pulp might settle a bit if you are making this ahead of time. Just give it a stir before serving and it will be fine.
Pro tip: Turn this into bubble tea with some homemade boba!

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