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This tropical smoothie recipe is a vegan papaya smoothie filled with delicious tropical flavors that will start your day off right. It’s packed with papaya, banana, coconut milk and some oats for extra power! Fantastic for a nutritious breakfast on the go, or an afternoon pick-me-up.
Oi gente!
This easy tropical smoothie recipe has been in my life for as long as I can remember.
Vitamina de mamão com aveia, which translates from Portuguese to English as papaya smoothie with oats, has been my dad’s go-to breakfast for forever. He not only swears by all its benefits, but he’s reached a point where he can’t really live without it.
It’s ingrained in his morning routine. Except, of course, when he sneaks in an occasional bowl of Açai here and there to switch things up.
I mean, he’s a healthy 78-year-old dude who hardly ever gets a little seasonal cold. And he’s just as sassy as he is healthy, doing things we really wish he wouldn’t really do anymore. Like, climbing up our coconut trees!! Bless him!
This smoothie mix is very nutritious. Papaya is an excellent fruit that is high in fiber. It also helps lower cholesterol, boosts your immunity, improves digestion and has so many other great aspects.
Papaya is also good for weight loss. And since it helps you absorb protein, when you combine it with fiber and protein-rich oats, it’s a powerhouse combo!!
Lucky for us that all this nutritious goodness also tastes great!
Papaya and banana are a delicious match made in heaven. When you add coconut milk to mix, it’s just too great to say no to.
This quick and healthy breakfast that’s naturally dairy free AND vegan is a family favorite. We love that we can take it anywhere, which means it’s perfect for mornings on the go.
I hope you love this tropical papaya smoothie recipe as much as we do!
Bom Apetite!
Looking for other healthy smoothies to try? We love this delicious green smoothie from my friend Darcey over at Foodie and Wine!
Tropical Smoothie Ingredients
- Papaya — this sweet tropical fruit isn’t as easy to find and, sadly, when you do find it outside of the tropics it can be… not as wonderful as they normally are. It’s hit or miss when I purchase it here in the U.S.
- Banana — banana and papaya taste so great together and make it for a perfect naturally sweet flavor combination.
- Rolled oats — when I was a kid, I used to hate oats in my smoothie. Now I love it, but if that weirds you out, you can definitely omit them or substitute with a tablespoon or two of psyllium husks, ground flax seeds or a scoop of your favorite vanilla protein powder!
- Coconut Milk — this makes it for the most tropical flavor combination. This is not the same thing as coconut cream or coconut water. If you don’t have any coconut milk on hand, you can use any other non-dairy milk, like soy, oat, almond milk, etc. You can make it with cow’s milk, as well.
Equipment:
- Blender
- Liquid measuring cup
How to make this tropical smoothie recipe
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Peel the bananas and break them into smaller chunks using your hands. Place them in a blender cup.
Cut the papaya in half. Scoop out the seeds and discard them. Scoop the flesh into the blender along with the bananas.
Add in the milk and rolled oats.
Blend until smooth. This might take a few moments, depending on the strength of your blender.
Serve. Pour your tropical smoothie into cups and top with flax seeds or shaved coconut, both or neither.
That’s it! Your delicious tropical smoothie recipe is all done!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is papaya smoothie good for weight loss?
There are studies that show that, overall, papaya can help with weight loss since it helps the body absorb protein, and it’s full of fiber and antioxidants to help the body detox and burn fats.
Additionally, there are other great health benefits from papaya. Papaya is high in fiber, helps lower cholesterol, boosts immunity, improves digestion and more.
What other fruit goes with papaya?
Adding some mango or a little orange juice into your tropical smoothie recipe could be a great way to add even more tropical flavors to this recipe. Fresh or frozen pineapple would also be wonderful.
Can I use frozen papaya if I can’t find fresh fruit?
Frozen fruits typically work in smoothies. If you can find frozen papaya, I say give it a try and see what happens! The texture of your smoothie will be different since it will be frozen (and you might need a little more liquid or additional time to let the papaya blend in well), but I bet it would be tasty.
Other Tropical Breakfast Recipes to try!
- Brazilian Açaí Bowl
- Brazilian Tapioca
- Pão de Queijo – Brazilian Cheese Bread Recipe
- Check out our full Brazilian Breakfast list!
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5 from 31 votes
Tropical Smoothie Recipe
This tropical smoothie recipe is filled with delicious tropical flavors that will start your day off right. It's packed with coconut milk, banana, papaya, and some oats for extra power!
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Author: Aline Shaw
Ingredients
- 1 papaya
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 2 cups coconut milk, cold
Optional Toppings
- 1 tsp unsweetened coconut
- 1 tsp flax seeds
Instructions
Peel the bananas, then, break them up into chunks with your hands, and place them in a blender.
Cut the papaya in half, then scoop out the seeds and discard. Then, scoop the papaya flesh into the blender along with the bananas.
Add the milk, and the rolled oats, then blend until smooth.
Serve and top with flax seeds and shaved coconut.
Bom Apetite!
Did you make this recipe? Show me how it turned out! Snap a photo and share with me on Instagram tagging @aline_shaw!
Video
Notes
*I don’t add in any sweeteners to this recipe as this smoothie is pretty sweet naturally thanks to the banana and the papaya. But, if you’d like, you can always add in some honey, coconut sugar, or agave depending on how sweet you like.
