DIY Starbucks Dragon Drink Recipe: Everything you need to know
Table of Contents
Skip on the tiering line at your local Starbucks and enjoy the tropical flavor right at the comfort of your home with this copycat Starbucks dragon drink recipe. By using only three easy ingredients, this refreshing combination of mango flavor and creamy coconut brings the delightful experience of the original drink to your kitchen.
What is the Dragon Drink?
The Dragon Drink is a beloved iced beverage featured on the Starbucks menu. As noted on the Starbucks website, this tropical-inspired drink blends refreshing sweet mango and dragonfruit flavors, hand-shaken with creamy coconut milk, ice, and a scoop of real diced dragonfruit. Inspired by this, we’ve crafted our own homemade version.
It’s remarkably simple to prepare and tastes fantastic, making it one of the easiest Starbucks drinks to replicate at home. A refreshing combination of mango and creamy coconut that’s sure to hit the spot!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Ingredients
To achieve a Mango Dragonfruit Refresher that closely mimics the original, you’ll need a few special ingredients. Once obtained, these ingredients will allow you to make several Dragon Drinks. If you’re unable to purchase or find all the ingredients, I’ve shared some modifications later in this post.
To make the Dragon Drink, you’ll need:
- Water
- Dragon fruit powder and/or fresh dragonfruit OR dragon fruit syrup
- Granulated sugar (if making your own syrup)
- Mango nectar (or mango puree or mango juice)
- Citric acid
- Green coffee bean extract powder (optional for caffeine)
- Freeze-dried dragonfruit pieces
- Sweetened coconut milk (carton, e.g., Silk Coconut Milk or SO Delicious Coconut Milk)
EQUIPMENT
To make this drink you’ll need a cocktail shaker or a mason jar with a tight fitting lid.
How to make dragon fruit syrup
Creating the Refresher base is quite simple, but it begins with preparing a dragon fruit syrup. If you prefer to skip this step, you can easily purchase a bottle of ready-made syrup and proceed directly to blending the remaining base ingredients. Although I haven’t personally tested the store-bought syrup, it should still yield a delicious drink.
Using Fresh Dragon Fruit and Dragon Fruit Powder:
1. Blend Ingredients:
• Combine fresh dragon fruit and dragon fruit powder. This is to achieve a vibrant pink hue, especially if you have white-fleshed dragon fruit.
2. Prepare the Mixture:
• In a medium-sized saucepan, combine water, sugar, and diced fresh dragon fruit.
• Bring the mixture to a boil.
3. Simmer the Mixture:
• Once boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly and the dragon fruit softens.
4. Add Dragon Fruit Powder (Optional):
• If using white-fleshed dragon fruit and desiring a pink syrup, add the dragon fruit powder during the simmering process.
• Stir well until the powder is fully dissolved.
5. Strain and Cool:
• Strain the mixture into a bowl, pressing down on the dragon fruit to extract as much juice as possible.
• Transfer the syrup to a mason jar or keep it in the bowl.
• Place it in the fridge to cool completely, allowing it to thicken further as it chills.
Using Only Dragon Fruit Powder:
1. Prepare the Base:
• In a medium-sized saucepan, combine water and sugar.
• Bring the mixture to a boil.
2. Add Dragon Fruit Powder:
• Once boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
• Stir in 2 teaspoons of dragon fruit powder.
3. Simmer Further:
• Continue simmering for another 5 minutes until the powder is fully dissolved and the syrup has thickened slightly.
4. Cool the Syrup:
• Transfer the syrup to a mason jar or bowl.
• Place it in the fridge to cool completely, allowing it to thicken further as it chills.
How to make Dragonfruit base
Now that your syrup is prepared, you’re ready to create the base for the Dragon Drink. This base is identical to the one used for the Mango Dragonfruit Refresher, but instead of mixing it with water, you’ll use coconut milk. To make the base, combine ½ cup of dragon fruit syrup with 1 ¼ cups of water, ½ cup of mango nectar, ¾ teaspoon of citric acid, and ½ teaspoon of green coffee extract powder (if desired).
Shake or mix to combine and store in the fridge until ready to use. This Dragon Drink base should keep in your fridge for about a week, allowing you to enjoy a drink anytime you feel like it. It will make about 4 grande drinks. See below for details!
How to make the Dragon Drink
Now that the hard part is over, it’s time to mix up the rest of the Dragon Drink!
1. Combine Ingredients:
• Add ½ cup of the Refresher base and ½ cup of coconut milk to an ice-filled cocktail shaker.
• If using clear syrup, the mixture will be clear at this point.
• Add ¼ cup of freeze-dried dragon fruit pieces.
2. Shake Well:
• Shake everything thoroughly until well mixed.
• The drink will transform into a beautiful bright pink color.
3. Pour into Glass:
• Pour the entire contents of the shaker into a glass.
4. Add More Ice (Optional):
• Add more ice if desired.
5. Top with Dragon Fruit:
• Top off with additional freeze-dried dragon fruit pieces.
Enjoy your stunning and delicious Dragon Drink, which tastes just like the one from Starbucks!
EXPERT TIPS
• To achieve optimal results, prepare and consume this drink right away.
• It’s normal for the coconut milk to seem curdled when mixed with the juice; shaking will resolve this.
• The intensity of the drink’s color depends on how much you shake it: a light pink hue with minimal shaking, and a deep violet color with more vigorous shaking, replicating the authentic experience.
Modifications
When it comes to the Starbucks dragonfruit drink, many might think it has a lot of special ingredients that are hard to find. Trust me, I understand! The combination of these ingredients makes the most authentic Dragon Drink. However, there are several shortcuts using simple ingredients that won’t alter the flavor drastically.
Here are a few ideas:
- If you don’t want having caffeine in your Refresher, you can leave out the green coffee extract powder. That’s one less product you need to buy.
- Many Dragon Drink copycat recipes online suggest using white grape juice since Starbucks uses white grape juice concentrate in their mixture. After experimenting with grape juice, I found it difficult to get the flavor balance right, but as an easy shortcut, you can use it instead of dragon fruit syrup and water. Alternatively, you can try apple juice or another fruit juice. The freeze-dried dragon fruit will add the color.
- I highly recommend using freeze-dried dragon fruit for its beautiful pink color and flavor. If you don’t have it, you can mix in a scoop of actual dragon fruit or use dragon fruit powder for a similar effect.
Calories and Nutrition
| Nutrient | Value |
| Calories | 121.00 |
| Carbohydrates | 22.00 |
| Protein | 0.10 |
| Fat | 3.00 |
| Saturated Fat | 2.00 |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.04 |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 0.01 |
| Sodium | 46.00 |
| Potassium | 115.00 |
| Fiber | 1.00 |
| Sugar | 19.00 |
| Vitamin A | 1.00 |
| Vitamin C | 1.00 |
| Calcium | 60.00 |
| Iron | 1.00 |
Does the Dragon Drink have caffeine?
Many people assume that the Refreshers and their associated drinks don’t contain caffeine, but due to the green coffee bean extract, they do. A grande Dragon Drink has about 45 mg of caffeine, while a grande coffee from Starbucks contains around 260-360 mg of caffeine depending on the roast.
For this homemade version, you can leave out the coffee extract to eliminate the caffeine content.
More ways to use base
Once you have the base for this drink, you can create several other Starbucks copycat drinks. In this post, I show you how to mix the base with coconut milk for the Dragon Drink.
You can also mix the base with water for a Mango Dragonfruit Refresher. Starbucks mixes the base with lemonade for a Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade, which is a bit sweeter than the other two drinks
STORAGE
Refrigeration: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To prevent the dragon fruit pieces from becoming slimy, keep them separate from the drink.
Freezing: You can easily make popsicles from this dragon fruit drink by pouring the liquid into popsicle molds, adding popsicle sticks, and freezing. Dragon fruit popsicles can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months!
Can I use unsweetened coconut milk?
For this drink, I recommend using sweetened coconut milk to match Starbucks’ version as closely as possible. However, if you prefer less sugar or can’t find it, you’ll still have a tasty drink with unsweetened coconut milk.
Dietary Adaptations
Allergy-Friendly Adaptations: For those with tree nut allergies, substitute coconut milk with any other type of milk, such as skim milk, whole milk, or half and half. Keep in mind that using these alternatives will increase the calorie count compared to using unsweetened light coconut milk from a box.
Low Sugar Version: To lower the sugar content further, use sugar-free apple juice and mango juice. Alternatively, you can make a completely refined sugar-free version of this mango dragon drink by blending whole apple and mango with coconut milk, and adding a dash of stevia or monk fruit for a sweeter taste if desired.
Video Recipe of Starbucks Dragon Drink
Final Thoughts
The Starbucks Dragon Drink recipe offers a delightful and refreshing way to enjoy a tropical-inspired beverage at home. With its vibrant combination of mango dragonfruit refresher, creamy coconut milk, and real dragonfruit pieces, this drink not only satisfies your taste buds but also brings a burst of color and flavor to your day. Whether you’re looking to replicate your favorite Starbucks experience or simply explore new and exciting drinks, the Dragon Drink is a perfect choice. Enjoy crafting this delicious beverage and share the joy with friends and family, making every sip a memorable moment.
MORE STARBUCKS COPYCAT RECIPES
FAQs
- What is in a dragon drink at Starbucks?
A Dragon Drink at Starbucks contains mango dragonfruit refresher, coconut milk, and real dragonfruit pieces.
- Is Starbucks dragon drink healthy?
The Starbucks Dragon Drink can be considered moderately healthy, as it contains fruit juice and coconut milk, but it also has added sugars.
- What is a pink dragon drink?
A Pink Dragon Drink is a variation of the Dragon Drink with a pink hue, made by adding coconut milk to the mango dragonfruit refresher.
- How much is a dragon fruit drink from Starbucks?
The price of a Dragon Drink at Starbucks typically ranges from $3.95 to $5.25, depending on the size and location.
- Does dragon drink have alcohol?
No, the Dragon Drink from Starbucks does not contain alcohol.
- What alcohol is in dragon?
The Dragon Drink from Starbucks does not contain any alcohol.
