I DIY'ed the Coconut Cloud Smoothie Dupe at Home & Saved $15
Have you heard the expression “You eat with your eyes first”? As in, if you see something truly beautiful plated up before you, your brain gets going and it’s most likely going to taste even better (because, you know, science). A presentation can make or break a meal. And TikTokers lately are recreating the gorgeous Coconut Cloud Smoothie, which at full price is (checks notes) $18 at celeb-fav Los Angeles-based market Erewhon.
In case you think that’s a misprint, it’s not; the trendy chain also has “Hailey Bieber's Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie” for the same price, so this is nothing new. But for just a few dollars plus a blender, you can be in smoothie-making heaven at home all summer long. We’re going to show you how with a copycat version that is just as dreamy as the original.
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What is the Coconut Cloud Smoothie?
The Coconut Cloud Smoothie, officially the “Marianna’s Coconut Cloud Smoothie” (named after super influencer and Summer Fridays co-founder Marianna Hewitt) is possibly one of the most beautiful smoothies you’ll ever see, and this is due to the addition of blue spirulina.
This bright powder is a blue-green algae that grows in the ocean and can be used in everything from acai bowls to energy bars. It’s one of the coolest superfoods out there. It boasts a decent amount of protein, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, vitamin E, B-complex vitamins and minerals, like zinc, iron, manganese and selenium. When combined with the coconut and other ingredients, it becomes a swirly, jewel-toned smoothie that’s almost too artistic to drink. After gaining notoriety for being on Erewhon’s menu (probably due more to the price than the taste), TikTokers began making their versions at home for much less—without the branded cups and lofty palm trees in the background, unfortunately.
Related: Does Spirulina Live Up to its Superfood Reputation? Here Are 11 Health Benefits of Spirulina
What’s in the Coconut Cloud Smoothie?
The original at Erewhon has Malk brand almond milk, organic pineapple, organic banana, organic avocado, organic almond butter, organic vanilla collagen, vanilla stevia, Blue Majik spirulina and organic coconut cream. While recipes differ from account to account online, the classic base is the fruit, avocado, Blue Majik spirulina and some sort of thicker coconut base, like yogurt or coconut cream. Chobani and TikToker Alexa Santos (@alexawhatsfordinner) have an easily attainable and customizable recipe that Santos shares on her TikTok and Instagram pages.
Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
Ingredients (makes 2 servings)
1 frozen banana
1 avocado frozen (or 1 cup of frozen avocado chunks)
½ cup frozen pineapple chunks
1 tablespoon almond butter
2 teaspoons blue spirulina powder
2 (5.3-ounce) containers of Chobani Coconut Greek Yogurt
Drizzle of honey (optional)
How To Make a Coconut Cloud Smoothie
1. In a blender, add the oat milk, banana, avocado, pineapple, almond butter, 1 teaspoon of blue spirulina powder and 1 container of yogurt. Blend until smooth—it should be very thick and creamy. Taste for sweetness, and add in some honey if you’d like it sweeter.
2. Spread a heaping spoonful of the remaining yogurt on the bottom of two serving glasses, reserving at least two tablespoons. Carefully sprinkle the remaining spirulina powder along the inner side of the two glasses. Pour the blended smoothie into the glasses. Top each glass with another heaping spoonful of yogurt. Drink with a straw and enjoy!
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What does the Coconut Cloud Smoothie taste like?
As stated above, we are eating with our eyes first here and this is one. dreamy. smoothie. The bright colors mingling together in the tall glass evoke memories of a grade school marble painting project. The blue spirulina, in all its pool-blue glory, makes for perfect patio summer sipping. The dominant flavors are definitely coconut and banana. It’s very tropical and you could add in more or less of these depending on your preferences.
Aside from the spirulina, the ingredients are nothing special in terms of smoothie-making. If you know your way around a blender, chances are, you have some bananas and avocado in your freezer and almond butter in your kitchen cabinet. The coconut Greek yogurt makes it super thick and decadent—on one of my versions, I tried using regular yogurt over Greek, and it just wasn’t the same.
The addition of the extra creamy oat milk helps with thickness as well. The almond butter is good as it gives the smoothie a bit of heft but you can always skip it if you’re not into it, or sub out another nut butter. The next time I make it, I’ll definitely add in some vanilla and collagen, à la Erewhon.
How much does it cost to make the Erewhon Coconut Cloud Smoothie at home?
The total amount it costs to make one serving at home is only $3.47—a savings of $14.53!
Related: 18 Keto Smoothie Recipes To Fill You up on the Run
Tips for getting your smoothie Insta-worthy
I will admit, it took me a couple of tries to get this smoothie the way I wanted. And after round two, I realized that it was because of the addition of the avocado (green) and pineapple (yellow), my smoothie was a bit more on the mint green side after adding the spirulina. Which was fine, but I wanted the all-blue color I saw online. Until I realized that a lot of others were getting that color too and it was in the actual pouring of the smoothie that you can play around with the shades and gradient of blues and greens.
The trick is to add some plain yogurt and spirulina along the sides and bottom of the glass before you pour in your smoothie. You can also top it with a bit more (maybe to look like a cloud?) and add in the layering of the yogurt between pours of the smoothie.
Swirling it around with a spoon, chopstick or straw will also give you a neat dreamy marbled effect. The other tip that’s important to remember is the version of spirulina you pick up. I got the full background on blue versus green spirulina when I inquired about it at my local Whole Foods. Apparently, the green version is less expensive, and more abundant, but has a slightly fishy aftertaste (remember, it grows in the ocean) while the blue is odorless, tasteless, and a bit more of a rare find.
A bag at Whole Foods (under the brand KOS) will run you about $40 but less expensive options are available on Amazon (which will cost about half that, giving you 100 servings of the blue stuff for around 18 cents per serving).
Organic Blue Spirulina Powder - 100% Pure Superfood from Blue-Green Algae, Natural Food Coloring for Smoothies & Protein Drinks - Non GMO, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan + USDA Certified, 30 Servings
