Dragon fruit, or pitaya, is as colourfully wild as it sounds. While there are two different types of dragon fruit, one with red-pink flesh and one with white flesh, they both have a vibrant red-pink scaley skin, hence their anglicised name of “dragon fruit”.
Both the red-pink flesh variety (Hylocereus costaricensis) and the white flesh variety (Hylocereus undatus) are great in recipes and either can be used in this dragon fruit smoothie chia pudding recipe. That being said, if you want to achieve that instagrammable pink hue, the pink-red flesh version is the one to go for.
Despite dragon fruit’s vibrant looks, the taste itself is actually relatively mild. A lot of people describe it as tasting like a less sweet kiwi but that makes it perfect for a smoothie where you’ll be adding lots of different ingredients and flavours.
This recipe uses a smoothie base, mixed in with chia pudding, for a tasty and satisfying treat where the whey protein and fruits can boost your daily nutrient intake. All that and it’s beautiful!
Ingredients
For the dragon fruit smoothie
1 sachet Whey Protein Isolate Mixed Strawberry
1 cup frozen raspberries
½ frozen dragon fruit*
2 tsp natural sweetener **
For the chia pudding
1 cup water ½ cup coconut yoghurt
¼ cup chia seeds
2tsp natural sweetener
*Cut dragon fruit into half and pop it into the fridge for an hour. You can use white flesh dragon fruit instead of the pink one. If you use the white flesh fruit you can add 1 tsp of beetroot powder to get a nice, vibrant pink colour.
**I used powdered monk fruit but feel free to use anything here 2 tbsp maple/agave syrup, honey
Method
- First, make the chia pudding: In a glass, gently whisk the water, coconut yoghurt and natural sweetener until just blended.
- Then whisk in the chia seeds and let it stand 15 minutes. Stir to distribute the seeds if they have settled.
- For the smoothie: In a blender, blend together all the ingredients until well combined and smooth.
- To assemble: Layer half of the pink smoothie in a bottom of a jar, top with the chia pudding and then add the remaining dragon fruit mixture on the top of the chia pudding.
- Serve with peanut butter & shredded coconut.
Enjoy! We hope you enjoy making this dragon fruit smoothie chia pudding as much as we do! Be sure to share your vibrant photos of your creations with us on Twitter and Instagram with #ExploreSomethingNew!
