Mango Passion Fruit Smoothie

I recently visited The Sleepy Lizard Avocado Farm in The Redlands, a farming community north of Key Largo. I came home with a big bag of fruit that I picked right off the trees.

Tom Siddons, the farm's owner, was a very gracious host and gave me a grand tour. The avocados the farm is known for weren't ready to be picked, but the mangoes were ripe and juicy!

Tom runs a wildly successful YouTube channel where you can learn everything about growing avocados and mangoes at home.

Did you ever have fresh mangoes? What about fresh bananas?

You might buy mangoes and bananas from the supermarket, but when they ripen on the tree, they're warm, sweet, and have a creamy texture, quite different than store-bought fruit.

Fresh Mangoes and Avocados

You can order fresh mangoes and avocados from Tom. He ships on Mondays and Tuesdays. Visit The Sleepy Lizard Avocado Farm for more information.

Once you have fresh mangoes, you'll think twice before buying another one at the grocery store.

If you're visiting the Upper Keys, you can find Sleeping Lizard and other local fruits at Robert is Here, a produce market in Homestead.

Mango Banana Smoothie with Passion Fruit

• The Mango in this recipe is tree-ripened and so sweet. It's the kind of fruit you can't take one bite of.
• Passion Fruit looks like a wrinkled plum and tastes a little like Hawaiian Punch.
• Fresh Manzano Bananas, tiny in size, are available year-round and ripened on the tree. They're sweet and custardy. 
• Key Limes from Mexico. Actually, Publix. I can't have everything (shrug).

I blended all these fruits with a little honey, thick Greek yogurt, and a cup of ice.

The resulting smoothie was fruity, creamy, and refreshing.

Substitutions

• Mango: You can get frozen mango chunks if you don't have fresh mango.
• Bananas: I used a few fresh Manzano bananas, which are little tiny bananas you see at farmers’ markets and grocery stores. You can use one ripe banana in its place.
• Passion Fruit: Short on passion fruit? Add another piece of mango, a few chunks of pineapple, or half of a ripe peach.
• Key Limes: 5 key limes equal 1 lime.
• Yogurt: You can create dairy-free smoothies using almond milk yogurt, coconut yogurt, goat's milk yogurt, or kefir, which is a drinkable yogurt. The choice is yours. I enjoy using Cabot 10% Greek yogurt. I used plain yogurt, but vanilla would also be a great option. And there’s ice cream too!
• Honey: I like to eat a little local honey every day. I use Keez Beez local raw honey or Wedderspoon Manuka Honey.

How To Cube a Mango

There's no doubt that smoothies are super easy to pull together. The hardest part is peeling and cutting the mango. 

Make sure you have a sharp knife and a clean cutting board.

1. Slice the mango cheeks off the two sides of the pit.
2. Score the flesh in a checkerboard pattern without cutting through the skin.
3. Fold the fruit backward and cut the fruit off, making an incision between the flesh and skin.

Banana Mango Smoothie

Making a fruit smoothie is really easy! Measure out all of your ingredients, dump them in a blender, and whirl on high speed for 30 to 60 seconds. 

Serving Suggestions

• Pour into a chilled glass
• Garnish with fresh fruit slices or mint leaves
• Serve with a colorful straw or an umbrella for a tropical touch

This mango passion fruit smoothie is sweetened with local honey and makes a healthy breakfast with tropical flavors.

Between the fiber in the mangoes and the probiotics in the yogurt, your day will be off to a great start with this homemade smoothie.

A whirl in the blender and all of these fresh and locally grown fruits made the best mango smoothie ever!