Tropical Smoothie Cafe's Bahama Mama Copycat Recipe You Can Make From Home

Tropical Smoothie Cafe's Bahama Mama smoothie is marked as a "fan fave" on their online menu, and with the juicy flavors of strawberries and pineapple and the creaminess of coconut and white chocolate, it's easy to see why. It's named after the Bahama Mama cocktail made with coconut rum, pineapple juice, and grenadine. The smoothie version keeps the tropical theme and adds strawberries for a rosy pink color. Whether it's for budget reasons or to have more control over the ingredients, it's always fun to make a homemade version of a popular recipe.

Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a copycat version of the Bahama Mama smoothie that's lightened up and improved. This version is made with frozen strawberries and pineapple, which add the same fruity flavor without the need for ice. It's also rich and creamy from fresh coconut chunks, white chocolate chips, and coconut milk. While the original is delicious, it contains a lot of turbinado sugar, more than the daily recommended amount. This recipe calls for a smaller quantity of optional sugar, with more sweetening tips below. Garnished with fresh strawberry slices and a sprinkling of coconut flakes, it's as beautiful as it is delicious, and it only takes five minutes to make. The result is an ice-cold, refreshing, fruity, and rich treat you don't need to leave home to enjoy. Close your eyes and take a sip and you'll be transported to a tropical island in no time.

For this recipe, you will first need coconut chunks. These can be found fresh in the produce section of grocery stores or in the frozen aisle. You'll also need white chocolate chips, but you can chop a bar of white chocolate instead if desired. The recipe calls for unsweetened coconut milk, and we used the kind that comes in a carton. Canned coconut milk is thicker, so you may need to dilute it with water, remove the coconut cream, or add ice to the smoothie to reach the desired consistency. Finally, you'll need frozen strawberries and frozen pineapple. If you don't have a high-speed blender, let the frozen fruit sit out for 10 minutes to defrost slightly. Optional ingredients are turbinado sugar, fresh strawberry slices, and shredded unsweetened coconut flakes for garnish.

Add the coconut chunks, white chocolate chips, and 1 cup of the coconut milk to a blender.

Blend on high until there are no chunks of chocolate or coconut left.

Add the fruit and optional sugar and blend again until smooth. Add the rest of the milk, if needed, until the consistency is thick but pourable, and blend again. Taste and add more chocolate chips or sugar if you like it sweeter.

Pour the smoothie into a tall glass. Garnish with fresh strawberry slices and shredded coconut flakes if desired.

Serve immediately.

Our improved version of the Bahama Mama smoothie keeps the same flavors as the original while lightening it up. The first difference is we've made a 16-ounce serving instead of the 24-ounce smoothie offered at the store. The amount of sugar and fat is reduced simply because it's smaller. The original Bahama Mama at Tropical Smoothie Cafe has a distinctive taste and texture from turbinado sugar — and a lot of it — each 24-ounce smoothie contains a quarter cup. Turbinado sugar is less processed than white sugar, has a light brown color, and adds a subtle caramel taste (but don't confuse turbinado sugar with brown sugar). Keeping the same proportions, this recipe's 16-ounce smoothie should have 2 ½ tablespoons of turbinado sugar, but we've reduced it to 1 tablespoon because, well, it's still sugar. We've also made it optional because the fruit will be sweet enough for some people.

The original Bahama Mama includes a lot of ice. We've only included frozen fruit, so the ice isn't necessary. We've used coconut milk and real coconut chunks for a pure coconut flavor, and the coconut milk also creates a more pourable consistency without ice (some recipes use the coconut cream, which is thicker). The original reportedly uses white chocolate powder, which is harder to find, so we've opted for white chocolate chips, which get blended until as smooth as possible and add the same flavor.

There are many ways you can modify this smoothie. The first is to use coconut cream instead of coconut milk (follow this simple trick to get coconut cream from canned coconut milk). You'll want the equivalent of 1 ½ cups of coconut milk, so measure the cream from one can and use ice for the rest. If you like your smoothie sweeter, you can add up to 1 ½ more tablespoons of turbinado sugar, or add a little honey or agave instead. If white chocolate chips aren't a part of your diet, you could thicken the smoothie with a little chopped avocado or even oats, though this will change the color and texture a little.

If you can't get your hands on frozen strawberries and pineapple or don't have time to freeze your own, you can use fresh strawberries and fresh or canned pineapple. Reduce the amount of coconut milk and add ice because you'll need a frozen element for the smoothie to turn out correctly. Of course, you can substitute other kinds of milk, but you'll lose a little of the coconut flavor. Instead of coconut chunks, you can opt to use unsweetened coconut flakes and blend them finely at the beginning with the chocolate chips. Finally, white chocolate sauce is sold in the coffee aisle of some grocery stores and can be used instead of chips for a smoother result if desired.