This Tropical Papaya Smoothie is made with ripe, juicy papaya and blended with frozen mango, pineapple, coconut shavings, and turmeric powder. It’s a delicious antioxidant-rich smoothie that’s vegan and naturally gluten-free! Papaya offers a wide range of health benefits, including naturally detoxing the body as it is high in fiber! Enjoy this smoothie first thing in the morning or after a workout for a sweet nutrient boost!
I am a huge fan of papaya! This papaya smoothie and my easy Papaya Juice recipe are my absolute favorite! I love to start my day with a papaya drink because it’s packed with nutrients that help my skin, hair, and gut health!
What is Papaya?
Papaya, also known as pawpaw in some areas of the world, is a tropical fruit apart of the Caricaceae plant family. The outside of papaya is green when unripe and turns yellowish-red when ripe and ready to be eaten. It is important to note that unripe papaya should not be consumed raw and is best used for cooking.
Papaya offers a wide range of nutrients and health benefits!
- Aids Digestion. Papaya contains an enzyme called papain, which helps your body digest food better. Papaya is also full of fiber and water, which can keep you from getting constipated and help your digestive system stay healthy.
- Reduces Inflammation. Papaya contains choline, which is a nutrient that not only helps our bodies in sleep, muscle movement, learning, and memory, but also helps reduce chronic inflammation.
- Helps Immune System. Papaya is high in vitamins A, K, and C. Vitamin C in particular is great for the immune system. Eating a serving of papaya gives you over half of the amount of vitamin C you need each day. For women, that’s about 75 milligrams, and for men, it’s around 90 milligrams
Papaya Nutrition
A 1-cup (145-gram) serving of raw papaya contains, per the USDA:
- Calories: 43
- Protein: 0.5 grams
- Fat: 0.3 grams
- Carbohydrate: 11 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Vitamin C: 61 milligrams
- Potassium: 182 milligrams
BENEFITS OF THIS PAPAYA SMOOTHIE
Papaya has numerous health benefits. Not only is it juicy and delicious, but it is incredibly nutritious as well. Paired with pineapple, mango, turmeric, and dates, this smoothie is packed with nutrients!
- PAPAYA: An antioxidant powerhouse! It helps to reduce oxidative stress, reduce inflammation, lower disease risk in the body, and lower LDL “bad” cholesterol levels.
- PAPAYA: Loaded with Vitamin C and Lycopene, which help improve heart health, boost the immune system, and is also amazing for your skin, reducing signs of aging.
- PAPAYA: High in Fiber and helps to improve digestion and relieve constipation.
- PINEAPPLE: Pineapple has bromelain, which is a digestive enzyme that helps improve gut health. It helps break down proteins and aids in absorbing nutrients in the small intestine.
- MANGO: Mango is high in fiber, which helps reduce bloating and constipation, and helps you feel full for longer.
- TURMERIC: Turmeric has incredibly high nutritional value! It helps reduce oxidative stress, improves brain function, lowers the risk of heart disease, and reduces inflammation.
When is a Papaya Ripe?
Remember, when eating papaya raw you want to make sure it is ripe. You can tell it is ripe when the green flesh of the papaya has turned yellowish, orange or red, and soft to touch.
How Do I Pick Out My Papayas?
When I pick out papaya I choose one that is green and let it sit on my countertop for a few days. It’s easy to notice the change in color, which indicates when you can cut into this beautiful fruit! Once the outside of the papaya turns yellow it is ready to eat! When papaya is ripe, it is sweet and enjoyable!
How to Cut a Papaya
1. Cut the papaya in half, lengthwise
2. Using a spoon, scoop the seeds out of the papaya and discard them (or save your papaya seeds for later use!)
3. To cut cubes: cut a grid pattern into the papaya. Then using a spoon, scoop out the papaya cubes.
How To Make A Papaya Smoothie
- Start by scooping out the papaya, excluding the seeds and skin. Then add the papaya along with all your smoothie ingredients to a blender.
- Blend until smooth, adding more liquid as desired to reach your preferred texture.
What goes well with papaya in a smoothie?
When papaya is blended it becomes naturally creamy and smooth. The flavor of papaya is subtle which makes it perfect for blending with many different fruits, superfood powders, and veggies. Here are just a few:
- Mango, Oranges, Strawberries, Pineapple, Coconut, Peaches, Passion fruit, Banana
- Greek Yogurt or Non-Dairy Yogurt
- Canned Coconut Milk, Regular Milk, or Non-Dairy Milk of Choice
- Fresh Ginger, Fresh Turmeric
- Superfoods like Hemp seeds, moringa powder, maca powder
Tips for Making this Tropical Papaya Smoothie
- If you are new to using turmeric in drinks, use less until you become more accustomed to the flavor. Start with ¼ tsp for the first time. The next time you make this smoothie add ½ tsp and see if you enjoy the difference.
- Coconut Milk tastes perfect in this smoothie, but Almond Milk or Oat Milk is a great substitute if you do not have coconut milk on hand. (To note: the coconut milk used for this recipe is not the canned version. It is Coconutmilk Beverage, but canned coconut milk would also taste great and give you a creamy coconut papaya smoothie with more intense coconut flavor)
- You can store this smoothie in an airtight mason jar and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Smoothies are best when you drink immediately after preparing.
I hope you enjoy this Tropical Papaya Detox Smoothie Recipe!
If you try the recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know what you think in the comments below! If you love papaya, you’ll definitely want to check out my Moringa Papaya Smoothie or No-Churn Papaya Ice Cream next! For more health-enhancing drinks try this Spirulina Smoothie or Adrenal Boosting Drink next!
More Healthy Smoothies and Drinks To Try!
- Chocolate Raspberry Sea Moss Smoothie
- 16 Healthy Superfood Smoothies To Jumpstart Your Day
- Beet Ginger Smoothie
- Hydrating Apricot Smoothie
- Watermelon Chocolate Smoothie
- Tropical Guava Smoothie Recipe
- Easy Frosé Recipe (Frozen Rosé)
Tropical Papaya Detox Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Non-Dairy Milk of Choice, plus more as needed (I like to use Coconut Milk or Oat Milk)
- 1/2 Large Papaya, cut into cubes (about 2 1/4 cups)
- 1.5 cups Frozen Mango
- 1 cup Frozen Pineapple
- 2 tbsp Unsweetened Coconut Shavings plus more as desired
- 2 Medjool Dates, pits removed (or 1 tbsp maple syrup/agave) optional
- 1/2 tsp Ground Turmeric, optional
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
- If your smoothie is thicker than you’d like, add more non-dairy milk. If you would like your smoothie thicker, add more frozen fruit or ice and blend until you reach your desired consistency.
I make this smoothie at least twice a week! I love having it first thing in the morning. It keeps me full until lunch. I add fresh turmeric and ginger to it too. Delish!
Hi Sarah! I am so glad you like. Fresh ginger is a great addition 🙂
I’d recommend less coconut milk and I didn’t need to add any dates or maple syrup, it was already sweet with just the mangoes, papaya, and pineapple.
Made a whole blender of smoothie.
Hi Lauren, thanks for the feedback! The recipe card does say that it makes 2 16-ounce smoothies, which is 32oz- a whole blender’s worth. With any smoothie recipe, you should always adjust the size, sweetness, liquid (to reach your preferred consistency), and any other factor to your desired tastes and preference. Thanks for trying the recipe.