Last Updated on February 22, 2023 by Karen
Featuring bold tropical flavors, this Starbucks Copycat Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Refresher is a refreshing drink that you can make at home and enjoy all year round!
Few things are nicer on a hot day than a cold, icy drink! If you loved this drink, try our Starbucks Copycat Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher or Starbucks Copycat Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher
Thanks to this recipe, you can skip the line at Starbucks and make your own Starbucks Copycat Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Refresher in the comfort of your own home. This refreshing and sweet drink is a copycat of the Starbucks’ favorite, and tastes just like the real thing. And it only takes a few minutes to make with simple ingredients!
The best part about making these copycat Starbucks drinks at home is you can customize it to your liking and find the right sweetness balance for your personal taste. I also love that this drink does not contain artificial flavors and colors – that vibrant, stunning pink color is completely natural!
What is Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Refresher?
Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Refresher is a caffeinated iced beverage at Starbucks. It’s described on Starbucks’ website as “a tropical-inspired pick-me-up crafted with a clever combination of vibrant lemonade, sweet mango and refreshing dragonfruit flavors, then handshaken with ice and a scoop of real diced dragon fruit.”
What does it taste like?
It tastes sweet, fruity, a bit tart, and super refreshing. It has a beautiful, vibrant pink color from the dragon fruit. The original drink is a bit on the sweet side, so when I make it at home, I don’t like to add too much sweetener. If want it sweeter, you can add more mango syrup, simple syrup (which is equal parts water and sugar), or Stevia for a healthy drink.
What is dragon fruit?
Dragon fruit, also called pitaya, is a tropical fruit that grows on cactus. Dragon fruit comes in a few varieties, two common ones are: white and red. Both varieties have bright pink skin and light green scales (which resemble a dragon), but one variety has white flesh, and the other has deep pink flesh. We’re using the ones with pink flesh in this recipe to make a pink drink.
This fruit can seem a bit intimidating at first with its unique look. It has a mild and slightly sweet taste, with lots of tiny seeds interspersed, and texture similar to kiwi.
Is dragon fruit good for you?
Dragon fruit is low in calories, rich in antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. Studies have shown that dragon fruit may provide various health benefits, such as reducing insulin resistance and improving metabolic health. Therefore, dragon fruit is considered by many to be a super food. Dragon fruit can be eaten as a snack or added to fruit salads, smoothie, smoothie bowls (pitaya bowls), desserts and more.
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Refresher:
Mango juice: Mango adds a tropical sweetness to this drink. Look for 100% mango juice, and try to avoid mango nectar, which is usually heavily sweetened with sugar. You can buy it at your local grocery store or order online from Amazon.
Lemon: Fresh squeezed lemon juice adds a nice brightness to this drink.
White grape juice: You can also substitute with apple juice.
Green tea: Instead of using green coffee extract in the refresher, I use green tea for the caffeine. Either green tea bags or loose tea leaves work, just make sure you brew it at the proper temperature. Green tea is best brewed with 175F water and steeped for 1-5 minutes, depending on how strong you like it. The longer you steep it, the stronger the flavor. Just be careful about leaving the tea leaves in the water for too long, as it will develop bitter flavors.
Diced dragon fruit: You can use fresh or frozen dragon fruit (thawed). Fresh ones can usually be found in the tropical fruit section of the grocery store. We like to get the frozen organic dragon fruit bite-sized cubes from Pitaya Foods (it costs under $10 for a bulk 3-pound bag at Costco)
How to make Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Refresher from scratch
1. Brew and chill some green tea until very cold.
2. Make mango syrup. Simmer mango juice in a saucepan over low heat, until the liquid has reduced by half and the mixture turns syrupy. This will essentially become the sweetener for the drink.
3. Add dragon fruit pieces to a pitcher or individual glasses, and muddle with a mortar. Add ice cubes, white grape juice, green tea, mango syrup to taste, and stir well.
Can I make this Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Refresher ahead of time?
Yes. You can make a large pitcher of this refresher and keep it chilled in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also make the mango syrup ahead of time, and mix it with the rest of the ingredients right before serving.
How long does the mango syrup last?
You can store the mango syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Make sure to give it a good stir before using since the concentrate tends to settle on the bottom.
Is Starbucks Refresher caffeinated?
Yes, the original Starbucks Refresher drink contains green coffee extract so it is caffeinated. My copycat version uses green tea which also contains caffeine. If you want to make this decaf, you can follow the recipe as is and just substitute with decaffeinated green tea or sparkling water instead of tea.
Can you use green coffee extract instead of green tea?
Yes, instead of using green tea, you can substitute with the same amount of water or sparkling water, and add 1/2 teaspoon of powdered green coffee extract to each drink for a caffeine boost. Green coffee is coffee beans that have not been roasted and does not taste like traditional coffee at all. The extract is made by soaking arabica beans and extracting the caffeine during the process.
Is this drink vegan?
Yes, all the ingredients in this drink are vegan.
What are some variations to this drink?
Starbucks Mango Dragonfruit Refresher: Omit lemon juice from the recipe
Dragon Pink Drink: Substitute 1/2 cup of green tea with 1/2 cup of coconut milk for a creamy version with soft pink color.
No caffeine: Use decaf green tea or sparkling water instead of tea
Sugar free version: Use sugar-free mango syrup (such as the one made by Torani), and sugar-free lemonade in place of the white grape juice. This would turn this Refresher into a low calorie Starbucks drink.
Starbucks Copycat Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Refresher
Ingredients
For the tea:
- 2 green tea teabags or 2 teaspoons loose green tea leaves
- 2 cups boiling water
For the mango syrup:
- 1 1/4 cup mango juice
For serving:
- 1/3 cup fresh or frozen dragonfruit diced
- 2 cups green tea
- 1/2 cup white grape juice
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- Ice
- Lemon slices for garnish
Instructions
To make the tea:
- Add tea bags to a glass pitcher with boiling water and let them steep for about five minutes. Remove the tea bags and let the tea cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
To make the mango syrup:
- Add mango juice to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer on low heat, until the liquid has reduced by half, about 8-10 minutes. Let the syrup cool to room temperature.
To serve:
- Add dragon fruit pieces to a pitcher or tall glasses and muddle with a mortar.
- Add green tea, white grape juice, and lemon juice, and stir well. Add mango syrup to taste.
- Top with ice cubes and serve cold.
Loved this recipe? Try these refreshing drinks next:
Easiest Overnight Cold Brew Coffee: Learn how to make the best overnight cold brew coffee at home. It’s easy, inexpensive, and no special equipment needed! The end result is delicious smooth coffee with less acidity than regular coffee.
Starbucks Copycat Chocolate Cream Cold Brew: Turn your iced cold brew coffee into a rich and creamy treat with chocolate cream cold foam. This Starbucks copycat tastes really similar to the real thing and you can make it at home with just a few ingredients!
Peach and Ginger Iced Tea: For this recipe, all you really need to do is make up a quick syrup with fresh peaches, ginger, and sugar. Once that’s done, mix it up with chilled green tea for the perfect warm weather sipper.
