In the mood for something cool, tropical, and refreshing? As the name suggests, this Bahama mama tropical smoothie is a more heart-healthy, non-alcoholic version of the tropical drink. The flavors are based off of the popular cafe’s smoothie, however this Bahama mama smoothie is thinner and dare-I-say more refreshing.
I’m a firm believer in enjoying the foods you love without any guilt. This belief inspired me to come up with a healthier version that you can make in the comfort of your own home with a quick push of a blender button. While it has only 133 calories total, it does NOT skimp on Bahama mama flavor!
Try it for yourself and don’t forget to leave a comment and recipe rating below!
Looking for more fruity recipes? Try my Beet Smoothie for High Blood Pressure or Green Passion Smoothie (COPYCAT)
What Is a Bahama Mama?
According to the Tropical Smoothie Café website, a Bahama Mama Tropical Smoothie contains strawberries, pineapple, coconut, and white chocolate. Their website also mentions that it contains milk, soy, and tree nuts and is sweetened with turbinado sugar.
The nutritional information of Tropical Smoothie Cafe Bahama Mama smoothie (in a 24-ounce size) contains:
- 510 calories
- 4 gm total fat
- 4 gm saturated fat
- 117 gm carbohydrates
- 3 gm protein
- 3 gm fiber
- 0 mg cholesterol
- 50 mg sodium
Looking at these numbers, you can see there is definite room for improvement. This version of a Bahama mama tropical smoothie can be considered a meal with that many calories and carbohydrates. And all 4 grams of fat are in the form of unhealthy saturated fats.
A Healthier Smoothie Recipe
According to the American Heart Association’s guidelines, a heart healthy diet consists of “non-tropical vegetable oils”. This leaves coconut and coconut oil out of the picture due to the high saturated fat content. You can view the brief list of guidelines on my Home Page.
Because of this, the coconut in this recipe is where I first decided to make some change. Real coconut largely contains saturated fat. In one 2 inch by 2 inch piece of coconut, there are 15 grams of total fat, of which 13 grams are saturated fats.
So instead of real coconut, I substitute coconut water. This gives that wonderful coconutty flavor without any saturated fat and the added benefit of potassium to support healthy arteries and blood pressure.
I also eliminated the need for turbinado sugar by using sugar-free pudding mix.
I am not sure if the original recipe uses unsweetened strawberries and pineapple however that’s what I use in this Bahama mama tropical smoothie. Although not listed in the nutritional information, this gives a great nutrient boost of fiver, vitamin C, and potassium.
And unlike the chain smoothie restaurant’s version, this one does not contain any soy or nut ingredients. It does contain milk ingredients from the pudding mix however.
Bahama Mama Smoothie Comparison
Overall, this version is phenomenal when it comes to reducing the amount of calories and carbohydrates compared to the original version.
My heart-healthy Bahama mama tropical smoothie makes one (~10 ounce) smoothie per recipe. So if you compare a 24-ounce size of my recipe to Tropical Smoothie’s version, that’s 37% less calories and 32% less carbohydrates than the original!
Here’s the breakdown of my new and improved Bahama mama tropical smoothie recipe (10-ounce size):
- 133 calories
- 0.4 gm total fat
- 0 gm saturated fat
- 33 gm carbohydrate
- 1 gm protein
- 2.6 gm fiber
- 0 mg cholesterol
- 188 mg sodium
The only thing that needs improvement is the amount of sodium- which almost 80% of it comes from the pudding mix. Still, 188 milligrams can easily be included in a heart-healthy meal pattern.
I hope you enjoy this Bahama mama tropical smoothie. Feel free to let me know you’re thoughts and suggestions in the comments!
Ingredients
Here are all the ingredients you’ll need to make this Bahama mama virgin drink recipe.
Frozen Strawberries– You use fresh or frozen strawberries in this recipe however using frozen fruit will help give your smoothie that perfect “frozen drink” consistency.
Fresh Pineapple– I happened to have fresh pineapple, however you can also use canned and drained pineapple or frozen pineapple.
Sugar-Free White Chocolate Pudding Mix– To get that white chocolate flavor like they use in the popular smoothie chain version, pudding mix works well in place of real white chocolate which is high in saturated fat.
Coconut Water-I updated this recipe post in August 2023. In the previous post of this recipe I used lite coconut milk however, to reduce the amount of saturated fat further I switched to coconut water. The results were delicious and I’m so glad I was able to improve the nutritional analysis as well.
Vanilla Extract– Just a smidge of vanilla extract helps add more flavor and goes well with the white chocolate flavoring.
Ice– I use about half a cup of crushed ice to add a little frosty slush to this Bahama mama tropical smoothie. This is completely optional.
How To Make a Bahama Mama Smoothie
With only 5 ingredients and 1 piece of equipment to prepare it, you’ve got a refreshing beverage in 5 minutes flat. Follow these simple steps and get swept away by the tropical flavors.
Step 1: Add All Ingredients
After gathering all five ingredients, put them into your blender. Most blender instructions will tell you to add liquids to your blender first so the liquid is at the bottom where the blades are. This is to help protect the blades from damage.
Step 2: Blend Until Smooth
Next, blend your smoothie ingredients until they are fully combined and a smooth consistency. I have a smoothie setting on my blender that times this for me. Overall, you should blend for about 45-60 seconds. Then site down, relax, and enjoy your tropical paradise of a smoothie!
Other Smoothie Recipes to Try
- Strawberry Matcha Smoothie (Easy Vegan Recipe)
- Avocado Peanut Butter Smoothie
- Beet Smoothie for High Blood Pressure
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie [Vegan]
- Seriously Delicious Cranberry Lemonade Smoothie
- Green Passion Smoothie (COPYCAT)
Bahama Mama Tropical Smoothie
Equipment
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 6 ounces coconut water I used Vita Coco brand
- ½ cup fresh pineapple chunks
- ½ cup frozen strawberries
- 1 Tbsp sugar-free Jell-O white chocolate instant pudding mix dry powder
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup ice cubes
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to your blender.
- Blend for about 60 seconds or until smooth. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- All blenders will vary so continue blending until all ingredients are combined and you have a smooth consistency without any chunks of fruit remaining. Â
- Add more strawberries or pineapple to make your smoothie thicker!Â
Share with me: Did you try this tropical smoothie Bahama mama recipe? I’d love to get your opinion on the flavors! Did you love it as much as I did? Leave me a comment to let me know.
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Kiran Campbell is a registered dietitian and entrepreneur with 13 years of experience. She has a degree in psychology as well as dietetics. She is also a proud member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ and its Cardiovascular Health and Well-being Dietetics Practice Group among others. Kiran proudly presents and promotes the most up-to-date, science-based nutrition information on all things heart-related. She aims to serve not only individuals with heart disease, but also those wanting to protect against it. Learn more about Kiran by visiting her About Page.