Strawberry Acai Refresher Recipe (Starbucks Copycat)
If you like fresh strawberries, sweet treats, and sensationally-colored drinks, then you’ve got to try making this Strawberry Acai Refresher at home. Cut the Starbucks lines and cut some fresh fruit instead to add to this icy blend of various ingredients. This refresher and its fruity flavor live up to its name.
What Is A Starbucks Strawberry Acai Refresher?
Starbucks Strawberry Acai Refreshers are refreshingly cold beverages similar in taste and texture to lemonade slush. The fruit is tart, the sugar packs a punch, and the ice dilutes both intensities down to complimentary flavor profiles.
Now, here's how to make this drink at home.
What You Need
- Water
- Ice cubes
- 2 cups of strawberries
- 1 cup of white grape juice
- 1 tbsp of acai berry powder
- 1 tbsp of sweetener of choice
- 1 tsp of green coffee extract
AT A GLANCE
BREW TIME:
5-10 minutes
YIELD:
One drink (16 fluid oz.)
How To Make Strawberry Acai Refresher
If you find the ingredients too fruity for your taste then, peruse our list of specialty coffee drinks instead. But if you liked the Starbucks pink drink, then you would love this drink, too! Now, let's proceed to the steps!
1. Prepare The Strawberry Syrup
Wash and cut real or freeze-dried strawberries into halves. Blend them in a blender to a smooth consistency.
If you don’t have a blender, mash them by hand (this is quite therapeutic) or use an electric whisk.
Alternatively, combine strawberries, acai berry powder, water, and sweetener in a saucepan on low heat for about 10 minutes and then strain it through a fine mesh strainer.
Syrups make or break your brew.
When it comes to coffee syrups, the recipes are usually lower in high-sugar ingredients, to ensure that it complements the flavour of the coffee.
In the last 2.5 decades, Starbucks has offered dozens of “naturally flavored” syrups all year long (1). You could use them, but there is greater satisfaction in making your own. Depending on personal preference, play around with the ratios using more or fewer sweeteners.
2. Mix The Powders
If you skipped the saucepan route, combine acai berry powder with water until it fully dissolves. Also, in this step, use green coffee extract or prepare green tea with a tea bag or by using green tea powder. You can do this in advance, so it has time to chill in the fridge. Green tea and powders are used instead of green coffee beans to add caffeine. Skip this part if you want it caffeine-free.
3. Add It All Up
Add the acai berry mixture with white grape juice and chilled green tea to the strawberry blend.
4. Pour It Out And Drink It Up!
Pour everything into a tall glass with ice, add water and sweetener to taste, and enjoy! You can also try replacing the water with coconut milk for a more interesting taste!
For a visual walkthrough, watch this YouTube video.
Check out our other Starbucks copycat recipes here for more DIYs. Our favorites are the Starbucks Medicine Ball Tea, the Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, and the Chestnut Praline coffee.
Final Thoughts
This Starbucks Copycat recipe of the Strawberry Acai Refresher is great for when you want a chilled drink packed with strawberries, sugar, and some caffeine. There are many ways to prepare strawberry syrup, but the beauty is that you create and choose a perfectly tailored one just for you.
FAQs
Strawberry Acai Refresher contains ice, Strawberry Acai base (water, sugar, white grape juice concentrate, citric acid, natural flavors, natural green coffee flavor, fruit and vegetable juice, rebaudioside-a), and freeze-dried strawberry slices (2).
Yes, Strawberry Acai has caffeine. There is 45 mg of caffeine in a Grande size or 16 fluid oz. of this drink, which is the same amount as what’s in a dragon drink from Starbucks and 140 mg less than the caffeine in a similarly sized Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew coffee from Starbucks.
Starbucks Strawberry Refresher tastes like an icy blend of fruit and sweetness featuring strawberry flavors amongst notes of acai and passion fruit. There are even actual strawberry pieces floating throughout it, and the ice keeps the drink refreshingly cool, perfect for sipping.
References
- Mani SanMax, I. (2022, February 7). Exploring the syrups & flavourings market in the coffee sector. Retrieved November 13, 2022, from https://perfectdailygrind.com/2022/02/exploring-the-syrups-flavourings-market-in-the-coffee-sector/
- Starbucks. (2022). Strawberry Açaí Starbucks Refreshers® Beverage. Retrieved November 13, 2022, from https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2121342/iced/nutrition
