Starbucks Dragon Drink Recipe (Copycat!)
Spend enough time on Instagram, and you’ll see a curiously hot pink Starbucks drink. With a scoop of tropical fruit and coconut milk, everyone’s urging their followers to order this for the perfect summer refresher.
But what is it and how can you make it home? Keep reading to learn more about it and get a full Starbucks Dragon drink recipe.
What Is the Dragon Drink?
Dragon Drink is one of the best coffee drinks to unwind with, along with our chestnut praline latte recipe. Like Starbucks’ strawberry acai Refresher, this is a tropically-inspired refresher made with the Mango Dragonfruit Refreshers base, coconut milk, ice, and diced dragon fruit.
As with many beverages on our list of best Starbucks drinks like the honey citrus mint tea, this drink found its way onto the permanent menu after becoming an Instagram favorite.
The Dragon Drink vs. the Mango Dragon Fruit Refresher
If Starbucks is as much of a guilty pleasure for you as it is for us—on occasion, of course—then you’ll notice there are two dragon-inspired drinks. One is the Mango Dragonfruit Refresher, and the other is the Dragon Drink. But how do you tell the two apart? According to Starbucks, the Mango Dragonfruit Refresher has (1):
…a deep magenta color…Its vibrant hue comes from pieces of real red-fleshed dragon fruit, hand-shaken in with no artificial colors or sweeteners.
But once they added coconut milk, it transformed the Mango Dragonfruit Refresher into the Dragon Drink that set Instagram feeds ablaze. The best part is that both of these refreshers contain green coffee, which gives it the caffeinated kick we’re all after.
What Is Dragon Fruit?
Dragon fruit, a.k.a. Pitaya, is a pink fruit with green scales and white flesh.
Indigenous to Mexico, this alien-looking fruit tastes like a kiwi and a pear.
As a rich source of fiber, vitamin C, carotenoids, lycopene, iron, and magnesium, the fruit also comes in several varieties. Each variety tastes slightly different than its relatives, but the sweetest and least common variety has a yellow exterior and white interior (2).
WHAT YOU NEED
- 1 cup mango juice
- 1 cup white grape juice
- 1 tablespoon dragon fruit powder
- 1 cup frozen dragon fruit, chopped
- 3 cups coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon green coffee extract
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Ice
- 28-ounce stainless cocktail shaker
- 22-ounce glass
At A Glance:
Brew Time:
5-10 minutes
Yield:
20 oz.
How to Make the Starbucks Dragon Drink (Starbucks Copycat)
If you want to avoid the lines at your nearest Starbucks, here are the steps to make your own.
1. Assemble the Dragon Drink
In a large 28-ounce cocktail shaker, combine your ice, mango juice, grape juice, coconut milk, dragon fruit powder, green coffee extract, and honey. Shake thoroughly to combine.
Pro Tip: To add even more flavor to this drink, pour equal parts of mango and white grape juices into a standard ice cube tray. Freeze overnight and use these mango-dragon fruit ice cubes to chill any fruity cocktail or refresher.
2. Garnish with Frozen Dragon Fruit
Pour the shaken mixture into your glass and top with the frozen dragon fruit.
Pro Tip: If you need a visual demonstration, this TikTok barista’s got you.
Final Thoughts
This vibrant, pink Starbucks Dragon Drink copycat is a delightful departure from your standard Starbucks fare. It’s caffeinated, chock full of vitamin C, and pretty. And if you want to make your own, follow our easy recipe above.
Have you made this? Drop us a comment below and let us know how it went.
FAQs
If you can’t find white grape juice, apples will do, too. Try juicing your own fruits and making this drink from scratch for an even healthier twist.
Yes, you can use any sugar substitute you’d prefer. However, since honey, and sweeteners like monk fruit, are much sweeter than regular sugar, it’s a good idea to start with ½ teaspoon and go up from there.
In Starbucks’ Dragon Drink, there are 130 calories in a standard grande, 16-ounce size (3). A 20-oz cup of this drink can contain as much as 190 calories. However, those calories will increase if you’re like us and add a dollop of cold foam.
References
- New Starbucks Refreshers beverage the perfect “pink me up.” (2019). Starbucks Stories. https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2018/mango-dragonfruit-starbucks-refreshers/
- Dragon Fruit: Nutrition Info and 3 Health Benefits. (2021, November 29). Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/get-to-know-the-incredible-edible-dragon-fruit/
- Starbucks®. (2022). @Starbucks; Starbucks. https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2122756/iced/nutrition
