Pina Colada Smoothie – Gluten Free

Spring is in the air, and summer is right around the corner. This is the time of year that I start craving smoothies and popsicles, and the abundance of fresh fruit at the farmer’s market makes it easy to indulge those cravings.

If you’ve spent any time on Pinterest lately, you may have noticed that coconut milk seems to be all the rage these days. I’m not complaining – I love coconut milk – it’s great in curries, Thai soup, and even whipped into coconut whipped cream. But one of my favorite ways to use coconut milk is in this Pina Colada Smoothie. This recipe is an adaptation of a Paula Deen recipe – I’ve added pineapple juice and increased the amount of ice to make it a bit more like a pina colada in texture. Be sure to use a nice, ripe banana – it adds some extra sweetness and creaminess that you’ll miss if you use a less ripe banana.  This is also a great treat for our gluten free friends!

Pina Colada Smoothie – with Coconut Milk

• 1 C pineapple chunks
• 1 C coconut milk
• 1/2 C pineapple juice
• 1 ripe banana
• 1/2 – 3/4 C ice cubes
• 2 tsp honey

In a blender, combine the pineapple chunks, coconut milk, banana, ice and honey. Puree until smooth. Pour into 2 large glasses. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry, if desired.

For more great gluten free support & recipes visit the Udi’s Gluten Free Community!  (I love it there!)