Monkeylada Smoothie
A raw vegan smoothie inspired by the flavors of a piña colada with banana in it, also known as a monkeylada. It’s refreshing, delicious, and will fulfill all your piña colada cravings without the headache or guilt!
Table of contents
Why We Love This Recipe For Monkeylada Smoothie
I truly can’t say enough about this smoothie. It is the perfect summer breakfast, snack and maybe even dessert (is that a stretch?) It’s loaded with that yummy fresh tropical fruit, and it tastes just like a pool-side piña colada but with banana in it–giving it the name Monkeylada.
Since it doesn’t have any alcohol in it, you can drink it any time, day or night. Plus, it’s totally raw, vegan and gluten-free.
One unusual thing about this recipe is that I added coconut meat, also known as coconut manna or coconut meat butter. A second curveball ingredient is cashews. They both help to make this smoothie incredibly creamy and unique.
For the base of the smoothie, you blend cashews with coconut water to make coconut-cashew cream. If you haven’t used cashew cream before, it is a great alternative to heavy cream in vegan recipes. I’ve also made an almond cream variation which I used in this Swiss Chard Tart with Chevre and Leeks. IT’s a great healthy hack!
If you’re loving this piña colada theme as much as I am, definitely try my Pineapple Coconut Sorbet. I won’t judge if you want to have the Monkeylada Smoothie for breakfast, and the sorbet for dessert in the same day!
Key Ingredients For This Raw Vegan Smoothie
Cashews
Cashews are an amazing and under appreciated ingredient that can turn into the best vegan cream. The trick is to refrigerate and soak them for at least four hours or overnight. If you have time, I would recommend soaking them overnight as I tried it recently and the texture was super smooth and less grainy.
Coconut water
Coconut water is a great form of liquid to add to smoothies. I love it in a recovery smoothie to help aid muscle recovery after a workout. It has a pretty subtle flavor on it’s own, but pairs really well with all fruits. You can find it at most local grocery stores, but a good alternative would be water, almond milk or coconut milk (the boxed kind, not canned).
Coconut meat butter
Coconut meat butter, such as Nutiva Coconut Manna, really gives the smoothie richness and strong coconut flavor. A little goes a long way, so 1 tablespoon is all you need for one batch of this smoothie. You can find it at the health food store with the coconut oil, or a lot of times it will be stocked with the peanut butters. It is thick like peanut butter, and it is great in vegan ice cream too. It is solid below 80 degrees (because some of the fats are saturated).
Banana
I used fresh bananas in this recipe but if you want the consistency even thicker, freeze your bananas ahead of time. Split bananas into pieces and place in a sealable bag. Freeze for at least 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how much time you have.
Pineapple chunks
Just like banana, you can use either frozen or fresh pineapple chunks in this smoothie. Since you can buy frozen pineapple, I find it both cheaper and easier than purchasing a whole pineapple and slicing it up. Frozen pineapple will also help to add thickness and iciness, giving it that real piña colada feel.
Ice
Add more or less ice depending on how thick and chilled you want the smoothie.
Step-by-Step Instructions to Make This Recipe
Drain and rinse the cashews. Purée cashews and coconut water in a blender until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Add banana, pineapple, ice, coconut meat butter and purée until smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into glasses and serve.
FAQs and Expert Tips
A smoothie will technically last a day or two in the fridge, but I absolutely recommend making this right before serving. However, you can take certain steps to prepare in advance. Make the cashew-coconut cream up to 4-5 days in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use. Freeze bananas and/or pineapple up to 2 months in advance.
Although it was developed as a healthy breakfast smoothie, the answer is yes, you technically could add alcohol. Dark rum, white rum or coconut rum would be good. In that case though, add more ice.
As mentioned above, I would recommend soaking the cashews for at least four hours to overnight to achieve the creamiest texture. However, I wouldn’t soak them any longer than that as they can start to become slimy and gel-like.
Additional Smoothie Recipes to Try
- This Healthy Green Smoothie has Swiss chard, cucumber, celery, avocado, pineapple, ginger, coconut milk and no added sugar!
- This 5-minute recipe for Strawberry Peanut Butter Smoothie needs to be a part of your healthy breakfast routine.
- In the wintertime I like a healthy drinkable breakfast or snack like this Beet Juice Recipe or Green Apple Smoothie with kale and coconut milk.
- I am obsessed with this Pear, Honey, and Avocado Smoothie. It’s different from my usual smoothie recipes!
- If you like green smoothies, this Super Green Tea Smoothie comes in at only 200 calories or try a Green Goddess Smoothie sometime.
- Our Peach Cobbler Smoothie is made with oats for an additional nutritional boost.
- These Vanilla Protein Smoothies are a favorite after the gym or for a light breakfast.
At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie
PrintMonkeylada Smoothie
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
Raw, vegan and gluten-free smoothie recipe inspired by the flavors of a pina colada with banana in it, also known as a monkeylada.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup raw cashews, refrigerated and soaked for four hours or overnight
- 1 cup coconut water
- 1 banana
- 1 cup pineapple chunks, frozen if desired
- 1 cup ice
- 1 tablespoon coconut meat butter, such as Nutiva Coconut Manna
Instructions
- Drain and rinse cashews. Puree cashews and coconut water in a blender until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Add banana, pineapple, ice, coconut meat butter and puree until smooth, 30 to 45 seconds.
Notes
Cashew Cream Tip:
As mentioned above, I would recommend soaking the cashews for at least four hours to overnight to achieve the creamiest texture. However, I wouldn’t soak them any longer than that as they can start to become slimy and gel-like.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: smoothie
- Method: blender
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cup each
- Calories: 215
- Sugar: 21 g
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
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So creamy and delicious and I didn’t miss the alcohol either! Makes me think of holidays and sunny days.
Made this smoothie a couple of times now, and my husband cannot get enough! This is his favourite smoothie of all time! Takes us right back to the Caribbean holidays!
Love the combinations and I enjoy pina colada too. Weekend sounds good to try making this amazing smoothie recipe
My first time hearing of a monkeylada – and I am hooked! Love the banana twist to a pina colada. And love that this is dairy-free!
I made this today. It was so refreshing and delicious. I felt like I was on a tropical vacation in my own home.
Hi Katie,
What’s the link to the “swiss chard tart with chevre and leeks” recipe mentioned in your post above, as both links point to the same Thai green curry marinated lamb.
Thanks,
Stef
Just updated the link. Thank you Stef!
Thank you Katie!
Just to be 100% sure: you blend the cashews with (fresh?) coconutwater (since you mentioned Cayman Islands) and not with (canned?) coconutmilk?
Reason I ask: once I have fresh coconutwater -and not having coconut meat butter available- it feels logical to just blend the fresh coconutmeat that comes with the fresh coconut as well 🙂
I think I understand your question. I made this stateside with health food store ingredients. So I used the coconut water that you buy in the refrigerated section with other drinks. Vita Coco is a popular one. And I used Nutivia Coconut Manna which is like the texture of peanut butter. I think you’re asking if you could substitute an actual fresh coconut (the water inside and the white flesh inside the hard brown shell) for these two ingredients. My guess is yes, but you’d have to play with the portion of the coconut and you’d need a Vitamix to make it smooth enough. The water from inside would be a 1:1 ratio. Please let me know if I have misunderstood what you mean.
Thanks Katie,
You understood my question well 🙂
I reside in Malaysia, so we actually have the fresh green coconuts you most likely have seen (or drank!) in the Caribbean. Its flesh is thin and can easily be scraped out with a spoon, as well as easily blended with a “simple” blender (all in all far less creamy than a blend from an old/brown coconut.)
So yes, I now know what to do to make a monkeylada smoothie… now for the infinity pool part… 🙂
Great i loved it! definitely try in the next holiday.
It is not difficult to maintain your good health. After reading this blog, I am getting new ideas for a smoothie.
Really.. I loved it.. I will make smoothie for my kids.
I am seriously going to be craving this all day! This going up on my Facebook page today.
Really? Thank you so much Dara!
Love the looks of this smoothie recipe! Can’t wait to try it. I have been to the Cayman Islands several times. It’s one of my favorite places in the world!! So Jealous!! Glad you had a get away, so relaxing there.
I really enjoyed it, and will be dreaming of going back until I get to some time. Thanks for coming by and leaving a comment Bonnie.
OMG, Christine, Lol! You crack me up! Thank you.
DO NOT SHOW ME PRETTY PICTURES WHEN IM STUCK IN THE SNOW.
I can be the jealous type, ya know?
honestly Pina Coladas are my favorite vacation splurge,I can’t get enough!! so this “Monkeylada” is definitely right up my alley. Oh, and your family is beautiful 🙂 lovely post!
Oh, Katie – this smoothie is beautiful, and the flavors sound rich and creamy and delicious, just my kinda drink. I love the idea of adding coconut meat butter to smoothies, and soaked cashews, and coconut water. I will definitely be trying that!
Thanks so much Alanna. I have a hard time shooting smoothies, so I will take that as a big compliment coming from you:)
Really?! You made it look to effortlessly pro. Thanks, though! 🙂
Ok, I’m officially jealous now. You were out running around the Bahamas while the rest of us were shoveling snow. Glad you had fun! And I bet that scorpion never saw you coming…
Ha ha! Too true:) This has been quite the wintery winter here in the NE. But, it wasn’t my intention to make anyone jealous, I just thought it would seem out of left field if I suddenly shared such a tropical recipe without any explanation. lol! That scorpion didn’t see me coming, thank goodness, if it had been brandishing its tail I may not have been so brave;)