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A Mango Julius: the perfect marriage of a mango smoothie and a mango milkshake. It’s not quite one or the other; it’s the perfect combination of both!
Last summer my family and I went to Palm Springs for vacation. While we were there we stayed one night at a Marriott Vacation Club so we could experience a mini “resort” vacation, complete with repetitive use of the water slide, poolside lounging, and fruity cocktails. It was on that trip I was introduced to a Mango Smoothie.
Jordan, who was jealous of my “adult” lemonade that came with an umbrella, wanted to order a poolside drink too, so we got her a mango smoothie. What was delivered to our lounge chairs was not what I deem a smoothie (it was more like dessert for 4)…but it was so delicious.
Can you believe that, before that day, I’d never had mango anything? (Of course you believe it, this is me we’re talking about.)
I think they called it a smoothie because it wasn’t quite a milkshake, but that’s what it tasted like. It was sweet and rich and I probably drank way more of it than Jordan did. She liked the idea of lounging with mom poolside drinking a cocktail but soon the lure of the water slide pulled her away. Unattended, the mango smoothie looked so forlorn and melty that I couldn’t help but finish it.
{At least that’s the excuse I used when she came back and shrieked, “WHERE’S MY SMOOTHIE??”}
I’ve been thinking of that smoothie for almost an entire year now. In fact, we are staying at another Marriott Vacation Club next month when we go to Hawaii and I’m sort of hoping they have the same menu. Fortunately for me, even if they don’t, I can make it at home because I’ve recreated that amazingness for all of you!
Also, I’m calling it what it really is: a Mango Julius. That’s exactly what it tasted like: not a milkshake, not a smoothie but sweet and creamy like a Julius!
To recreate this mango goodness, I started with one of my favorite smoothie bases: Almond Milk. Do you use almond milk for anything? I use it for everything, seriously. I almost never drink cow’s milk at all – it’s always almond.
If you’ve never tried substituting almond milk for regular, you should give it a try. I started out by using it in smoothies, then I advanced to cereal. I actually love it on cereal way more than cow’s milk. Once I realized how close almond milk is (in performance) to regular, I started substituting it in anything that requires milk, like coffee cake, muffins, pancakes and cupcakes. You can use it one for one in almost any recipe.
My favorite brand of almond milk has always been Almond Breeze, made by the good folks at Blue Diamond. I’ve been using their almond milk for years, even before I started working with them.
Normally, in every day life, I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk. This month I got to try their Almond Breeze Almondmilk Hint of Honey Vanilla and you guys, it’s really good, even plain. If you want to add a little sweetness to anything – from baked goods to cereal to coffee – you’ve gotta try it.
I thought the Hint of Honey Vanilla would go perfectly in this Mango Julius, and I was right!
This Mango Julius (Smoothie, Milkshake, whatever you want to call it) is super easy. It actually has only 3 ingredients: almond milk, a frozen banana, and mango sorbet. Blend, drink, done.
The frozen banana adds some extra sweetness and doesn’t water the drink down like ice would, and the mango sorbet adds so much flavor. You can also use mango ice cream if you can’t find sorbet, or use frozen mango chunks.
{BTW, can someone tell me how to cut a mango? OMG. I should have googled it. I was going to cut it all pretty for the pictures. If you look close you can see it’s cut in half and smooshed back together because I almost cut my hand off trying to cut it in half. I’m guessing that’s NOT how you cut a mango?}
Anyway, the point is, use mango sorbet or ice cream, or frozen mango chunks if you know how to cut a mango. If you use the frozen chunks you’ll probably need more liquid and you might want to add some honey or sweetener to taste. That’ll make it more healthy, like a smoothie, for breakfast.
The way I made this drink it’s dessert all the way. #howIroll
A note on blenders: I use a Blendtec blender, which is a very powerful one. The super duper blenders like that need less liquid to perform than a regular basic blender. If you’re using a regular blender, you’ll most likely need more liquid. Pay attention to the notes in the directions so you don’t burn out your motor!
Now that I’ve made this Mango Julius I’m dreaming of poolside cocktails and “smoothies” that taste like milkshakes.
I’m thinking that, on the off chance Maui has the same menu, I need to bring some rum to the pool. Because that would be fabulous in this drink!
Mango Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280g) frozen mango chunks
- 1 ripe banana
- 2 tablespoons honey (to taste)
- 1½ cups nondairy milk (or regular milk)
Instructions
- Place frozen mango and banana in a blender. Add honey and milk. Blend until smooth.
- Taste and add more honey as needed for sweetness desired. Pour into glasses.
Recipe Notes
- Want this to be a pineapple mango smoothie? Replace 1 cup of the mango with frozen pineapple chunks or reduce milk to 1 cup and use 1/2 cup pineapple juice.
- You can also use orange juice in place of some of the milk for a mango orange smoothie.
- Swap agave or maple syrup for the honey, or omit if desired.
- Add a scoop of vanilla protein powder to make this a higher protein smoothie.
- Add rum to make a boozy smoothie!
Recipe Nutrition
Chocolate Root Beer Float Milkshake
Sweets from friends:
Peach Julius by Around my Family Table
Copycat Orange Julius by Mom on Timeout
Pineapple Orange Julius by I Wash You Dry
This post has been sponsored by Almond Breeze. All opinions are 100% my own.
Last Updated on May 15, 2019
Yum. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was light and the perfect amount of sweet.
Can’t wait to try this. I love mangoes!
I recommend that you purchase an
oxo brand mango splitter.
Just a tip since you are new to mangoes.
The lndian mangoes that are smaller are the best. The peel is the same color as the inside fruit. The fibers tend not to be as fibrous, don’t get stuck in your teeth when you eat them.
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