Copycat Smoothie King Recipe: Pineapple Surf

Name: Copycat Smoothie King Recipe: Pineapple Surf
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 cup strawberries (frozen); ½ cup pineapple chunks (frozen); ½ cup apple or orange juice; 2 tbsp vanilla protein powder; 1 tbsp sugar (optional)

This pineapple surf copycat smoothie king recipe is super easy to make and tastes just like the real thing.

The Best Pineapple and Strawberry Smoothie

For all of you Smoothie King enthusiasts out there, this Smoothie King Pineapple Surf copycat recipe is a huge game changer! With this recipe, you can enjoy the sweet refreshing taste of a Pineapple Surf smoothie in just 5 minutes without even leaving your house (and for a fraction of the cost).

I absolutely love this copycat recipe because it literally tastes EXACTLY like the smoothie you’d get from the restaurant. You can also easily customize it any way you’d like with ingredient swaps and add-ins. Whether you’re wanting a quick breakfast or brunch or just a sweet treat, this smoothie is what you need!

What Is a Pineapple Surf Smoothie?

If you aren’t familiar with this particular smoothie, it is the perfect blend of strawberries and pineapple with a little bit of fruit juice, sweetener, and protein powder. The combination of tropical pineapple and sweet summer strawberries makes for a classic smoothie that everyone can enjoy.

This smoothie recipe is packed with whey protein along with a variety of vitamins and minerals, making it a great on-the-go snack or meal that is super tasty and nutritious. Another great thing about this Pineapple Surf copycat is that you can use whatever fruit you have on hand – you can easily throw some fresh strawberries or canned pineapple chunks in the freezer to use in your smoothie.

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Apple Juice VS Orange Juice

If you’ve been a fan of Smoothie King’s Pineapple Surf smoothie for as long as I have, you may have noticed that this recipe got a makeover a while back when they switched from using orange juice to a kiwi apple juice blend. You can decide which flavor of juice you prefer in your copycat recipe. Either way you make it, this is hands down the best smoothie on the menu.

I really enjoy making this smoothie the traditional way (with orange juice) because the citrus adds a bit more tartness. Using apple juice or an apple juice blend will make your smoothie taste slightly sweeter.

Although Smoothie King uses a kiwi apple juice blend in their smoothie, I haven’t found any grocery stores that sell it locally. That being said, I tested this copycat recipe with plain apple juice and the flavor was still spot on!

Ingredients & Substitutions

The great thing about this pineapple surf copycat recipe is that it’s made with just 5 simple ingredients, many of which can easily be swapped out if desired. Here’s what you’ll need:

Strawberries – The quickest option is to buy frozen strawberries, however, if you have fresh strawberries on hand you can easily freeze them before you are ready to make your smoothie.

Pineapple chunks – Your pineapple should be frozen as well. Like the strawberries, you can purchase frozen pineapple chunks or freeze them yourself.

Fruit juice – Apple juice and orange juice are both great options for the perfect pineapple surf copycat smoothie. Other flavors of juice may work in this recipe, however, they may alter the taste of the smoothie.

Vanilla protein powder – I recommend using vanilla whey protein powder because it has more of a neutral flavor (Smoothie King uses a dairy whey blend). You can substitute your preferred protein powder if desired, just keep in mind that it may affect the flavor.

Sweetener (optional) – There are a variety of sweeteners that work very well in this copycat recipe without sacrificing flavor – white granulated sugar, turbinado sugar, or brown sugar are all good options. Sugar-free alternatives such as splenda or monk fruit also work well.

The sweetener in this recipe is optional and can be added in if you want a sweeter tasting smoothie. The fruit and the juice add just the right amount of sweetness for me, so I usually opt to leave out the extra sweetener.

How to Make This Recipe

This copycat smoothie king recipe can be whipped up in just a few minutes using a blender or food processor. Follow these steps for the best pineapple surf smoothie.

Freeze the fruit – If you want to use fresh fruit for your smoothie, make sure you let it freeze for a couple of hours beforehand or freeze it overnight. I like to buy my strawberries and pineapple chunks already frozen so they are already ready to use.

Blend it all together – Add the strawberries, pineapple, fruit juice, protein powder, and sweetener (if desired) to the blender. Blend everything together until it’s smooth with no lumps.

Garnish and serve – If you’re making this smoothie for a party or even if you’re just feeling fancy, you can garnish your smoothie glass with fresh strawberries and/ or pineapple before serving.

Smoothie Tools You Need: Click to View

For this recipe, you’ll need a few simple tools including a blender and a few optional items to garnish your smoothie. We’ve included some of our favorites below. Click the images to view on amazon.

Tips & Tricks

Use frozen fruit – This copycat smoothie King recipe uses frozen fruit so no ice cubes are required. This keeps the consistency thick and smooth instead of icey.
Use cold fruit juice – Using cold juice in your smoothie will help keep the frozen fruit from thawing too quickly and will keep your smoothie cold for longer.
Save it for later – You can easily store leftovers in the freezer until you are ready to enjoy your smoothie again. Take it out of the freezer and let it thaw for about 5 minutes. Then, blend it in the blender until smooth.

Smoothie Add-In Ideas

Just like when you order from Smoothie King, you can customize your copycat Pineapple Surf smoothie with any of your favorite add-ins. Here are some great add-in ideas for you to try:

Juices

Apple pineapple juice
Papaya juice
Coconut water

Dairy

Greek nonfat yogurt
Vanilla frozen yogurt
Nonfat milk

Fruits & Vegetables

Bananas
Mangoes
Blueberries
Raspberries
Tart cherries
Spinach
Kale

Spices

Ginger
Cinnamon

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Recipe FAQ’s

What protein powder does Smoothie King use?

Smoothie King offers a variety of protein powder options. In their Pineapple Surf smoothie, they use a dairy whey protein. You can use any vanilla protein powder in this copycat smoothie recipe.

Is Smoothie King’s Pineapple Surf smoothie healthy?

This Pineapple Surf copycat is a source of protein as well as vitamins and mineral from the fruit. There are various health benefits you can get from consuming the recommended servings of fruits and protein. One way to make this smoothie healthier is to leave out the extra sugar (you can replace it with a sugar free sweetener if desired).

Can I make this a green smoothie?

Absolutely! Adding spinach or kale (or any of your favorite greens) to your smoothie is a great way to get in some extra nutrients.

How much sugar is in a Pineapple Surf?

This Smoothie King copycat recipe contains 39 grams of sugar (this may vary depending on the type of juice and protein powder you choose to use). If you decide to leave out the added sugar in this recipe, it has 28 grams of sugar.

What is turbinado?

Turbinado is a sweetener used in a large number of Smoothie King recipes. It is a partially refined sugar that retains a portion of the molasses content during processing, giving it a slightly golden brown color. It is similar to white granulated sugar in taste and texture.