Coconut Mango Peach Smoothie

Vacation in the tropics without even leaving your house. All you need is a blender and a few key ingredients for a coconut mango peach smoothie holiday!

The best thing about smoothies is the way they make you feel like you’re indulging, but (most of the time), you’re treating yourself to a big dose of nutritious ingredients, giving quick energy without leaving you feeling bloated.

Peaches, mango, and banana enhance the tropical vibe of the coconut in this recipe, resulting in layers of flavor notes. To make sure you’re getting the most sweetness out of your bananas, be sure to use them when they’re ripe—the riper they are, the more sugars will be broken down and released into the fruit. Fresh produce is always preferable, but you can enjoy your tropical treat even when the ingredients are out of season by snagging frozen mangoes and peaches.

The most intimidating part of this recipe is opening the coconut, and that’s not even as hard as it seems!

Here’s how it goes:

Select a young Thai coconut that is white, with the least amount of blemishes. Especially inspect the bottom, and pick one without mold or cracks.

Turn the coconut on its side and begin slicing off the husk from the pointed part of the coconut. Use a sharp knife with a 90-degree corner edge and slice until you see the nut crowning (it’ll be browner than the husk)

Stand your coconut right side up and chop—swiftly and firmly—into the base of one of the spines (the edge of the nut you just revealed) using the bottom corner edge of the knife. This should result in a cut that penetrates all the way through the shell

Repeat the previous step if needed to allow you to pry the top off with your fingers

If you’re still intimidated by the whole knife-hacking process, there is a tool called a Coco Jack® that takes some of the mystery out of coconut opening. Check it out!