Thai Breakfast Smoothie with Mango, Banana and Coconut Milk Recipe
This thick smoothie with mango, banana and coconut milk tastes like a Thai dessert in a glass, yet it’s a quick breakfast. In Thailand, tropical fruit is an everyday staple – here you can capture that feeling without leaving home.
In Thailand, thick mango and banana smoothies are sold in small juice bars along streets and markets, often blended right in front of the customer with coconut milk and ice as a quick breakfast or snack in the heat.
This smoothie combines the flavour of a Thai dessert with a practical breakfast you can make in 5 minutes before leaving home. It has a short ingredient list, with no flavoured yogurts or ready-made mixes, and all the sweetness comes from very ripe fruit. By adjusting the amount of milk you can turn it into a thick bowl or a drink for a travel mug.
Why this version works
- Very ripe mango and banana give a creamy texture and sweetness without adding sugar.
- Carton coconut milk or diluted canned coconut milk makes it velvety but not as heavy as cream.
- Lime balances the coconut and mango so the smoothie isn’t cloying and still tastes great well chilled.
- Simple ratios are easy to thicken into a smoothie bowl or thin into a drinkable bottle smoothie.
Chef's tips
If you see a thin, oily layer from the coconut milk on the surface after blending, turn the blender to a higher speed for another 10–15 seconds until the smoothie is perfectly uniform. A common mistake is using fruit that is too firm – then the drink turns out watery and you can feel mango fibres in your mouth, so it’s better to wait a day until the fruit softens. When I make the “for the tram” version, I thin it with a splash of water, because after an hour in the fridge it will thicken even more anyway.
How to serve
Serve in a tall glass with a wide straw as a quick breakfast, or pour into a thermos bottle if you’re drinking it on the way to work. At the weekend turn it into a smoothie bowl: pour into a bowl, add granola, banana slices, coconut flakes and a few cubes of mango. After a workout, add a spoonful of protein powder and a few ice cubes for a more filling, cooling smoothie.
Watch out for
- Underripe mango will leave tough fibres in the smoothie and a sour aftertaste, even if you add more honey.
- Don’t add a lot of ice at once – it will dilute the flavour; it’s better to add cubes gradually.
- Too much lime juice can completely drown out the mango flavour; add it a teaspoon at a time and keep tasting.
Substitutions
- You can replace fresh mango with frozen mango chunks; don’t thaw them completely, and the smoothie will be more refreshing.
- Swap the honey for maple or date syrup if you need a fully vegan version.
- Replace part of the coconut milk with almond drink if you want a lighter, less rich smoothie.
Ingredients
- ripe mango - 1 piece
- ripe banana - 1 piece
- coconut milk kokosowe z kartonu (do picia) lub rozcieńczone z puszki - 250 ml
- lime juice - 1 tablespoon
- honey or maple syrup - 1 tablespoon
- ice cubes - 6 pieces
- desiccated coconut - 1 tablespoon
Preparation
- Peel the mango, cut the flesh away from the stone and dice it. Peel the banana and break it into pieces. The fruit should be soft to the touch and very fragrant – that way the smoothie will be sweeter and free of tough mango fibres.
- Put the mango, banana, coconut milk, lime juice and honey or maple syrup into a blender jug. Start with about 1 teaspoon of sweetener, as the sweetness of the fruit will become more pronounced after chilling.
- If you want a colder, thicker smoothie, add ice cubes or partially thawed pieces of mango. Blend on medium speed; if the mixture stalls, stop blending, stir down the sides with a spoon and keep blending.
- Blend for 30–60 seconds, until the drink is completely smooth, with no mango chunks or visible fruit fibres. The consistency should resemble a thick drinking yogurt – it should pour off a spoon easily, but not like water.
- If the smoothie is too thick and barely pours, add 2–3 tablespoons of coconut milk or cold water and blend briefly. If it seems too thin, add a few cubes of frozen mango and blend again to a creamy, uniform texture.
- Taste the smoothie. If it’s bland, add lime juice 1 teaspoon at a time until you get a distinct but not overpowering citrus note. If it’s not sweet enough, add a little more honey, blend for a few seconds and taste again.
- Pour the smoothie into well-chilled glasses or takeaway bottles. Sprinkle the top with desiccated coconut just before serving so it stays light and slightly crunchy on the surface of the smooth drink.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
I most often make this smoothie on Mondays and take it in a thermos mug – drunk on the tram it really feels like a quick trip to a Thai juice bar.
