Pineapple Passionfruit Refreshers, 3 Ways!
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Make Starbucks Pineapple Passionfruit Refreshers at home for a fraction of the price! All three drinks are delicious, but the paradise drink stands out as the most tropical. Next time you want Starbucks’ newest drink, skip the line and make it home with this copycat recipe.
“Sunshine in a cup” is how Starbucks describes their Pineapple Passionfruit Refreshers. I have to admit; this drink is all that! The color is a vibrant yellow with a fruity and tropical flavor reminiscent of beach vacations!
Like the Mango Dragonfruit and Summer-Berry Starbucks Refreshers, the new pineapple drinks are truly refreshing! It was so good that I kept driving back to Starbucks for “testing” reasons.
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What are the New Starbucks Pineapple Drinks?
In June 2022, Starbucks released their Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher line nicknamed “Sunshine in a cup.” As with previous refreshers, all three variations use the same base.
Starbucks describes the overall flavor as “tropical flavors of pineapple and passionfruit, hand-shaken by Starbucks baristas with real diced pineapple pieces and ice to create a delicious island escape that is 100 calories for a Grande.”
What Do the Drinks Taste Like?
There are three drinks, all sweet with a slightly tart finish. However, depending on the variation, the refresher could be sweet, tart, or tropical.
Ingredients
- White Sugar – Use equal parts white sugar and water to create a simple syrup. For a vegan drink, use organic or vegan sugar.
- Pineapple Juice – I tried several different types of pineapple juice and even pineapple powder during testing. Hands down, fresh pineapple or canned pineapple tasted like Starbucks. The other products have too many additional flavors that complicate the flavor (and not in a good way!)
- Passionfruit Powder – I ordered passionfruit powder on Amazon and found it works perfectly with this recipe. My only caution is that the powder is clumpy. I found that adding passionfruit powder while making the base on the stove worked the best in dissolving the powder.
- Citric Acid – Adds zip to the drink. Only a tiny amount of citric acid is needed.
- Freeze-Dried Pineapple– – I found freeze-dried pineapple on Amazon. The pieces are a little larger than the pineapple at Starbucks. If you prefer a smaller size, break the chunks down. That’s if you still have some because I cannot stop eating the pineapple while making my drinks;)
Starbucks Ingredients Not Used in My Recipe
The Starbucks ingredients list includes white grape juice and green coffee bean powder. During testing, I felt that adding both ingredients altered the overall flavor too much rather than recreating it. Below are more details about the omissions.
- White Grape Juice – This is a popular juice in many Starbucks refreshers. However, the flavor changed significantly even with a slight amount (1/4 teaspoon) during testing, so I omitted it.
- Green Coffee Bean Powder – Starbucks uses “natural green coffee flavor” in its base. I find the smell and flavor overpowering. If you want to add caffeine to this drink, I recommend brewing one white tea bag. Once cooled, use the tea in place of water. The subtle flavor does not change the overall taste of the drink.
Frequently Asked Questions
I used fresh sugar, pineapple juice, passionfruit powder, citric acid, and freeze-dried pineapple for my recipe. The grape juice and green coffee extract changed the flavor too much to recreate a similar recipe at home.
This recipe is caffeine-free. However, all of the Starbucks refreshers have caffeine in their base.
This drink is vegan if you use organic or vegan white sugar.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment or take a picture and tag me on social media.
Paradise Drink – Starbucks DIY Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
Base
- ½ cup (60g) water
- ½ cup (50g) white sugar
- 1 cup (120g) pineapple juice
- ½ teaspoon passionfruit powder
- ⅛ teaspoon citric acid
Refreshers (Pineapple Passionfruit, Pineapple Passionfruit Lemonade and Paradise Drink)
- ½ cup (118g) ice cubes
- 1 cup (475g) water
- 1 cup (236g) lemonade (use for the lemonade version only)
- 1 cup (226g) coconut milk (use for the paradise drink only) Use the coconut milk found in the diary section next to other kinds of non-dairy milk
Instructions
Base
- In a small saucepan over low heat, combine water, white sugar, pineapple juice, and passionfruit powder. Gently stir to help facilitate incorporating the ingredients and passionfruit powder. Once the sugar has dissolved into a liquid remove it from heat. Allow the base to cool before adding the citric acid.
Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher
- Mix one cup of the base with one cup of water. Pour over ice and top with freeze-dried pineapple.
Pineapple Passionfruit Lemonade
- Mix one cup of the base with one cup of lemonade. Pour over ice and top with freeze-dried pineapple.
Paradise Drink
- Mix one cup of the base with one cup of coconut milk. Pour over ice and top with freeze-dried pineapple. * use coconut milk found in the dairy section next to other types of non-dairy milks.
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Should it be sweet on unsweetened coconut milk ? Mine was in a can
Hello, I used sweet coconut milk from the carton. If using coconut milk from the, can it will need to be diluted with water.
I deeply apologize if you used coconut milk from a can. I did not think to specify the difference, and I understand the confusion. I will update my post to clear up any future confusion.