Starbucks Mango Dragonfruit Refresher

If you love the Mango Dragonfruit Refresher from Starbucks (and who doesn’t?), this homemade version is a cinch to make. And all you need are a few simple ingredients to make a delicious coffee-alternative drink!

Since I’m not a huge coffee drinker, I love Starbucks refreshers. I get a caffeine pick-me-up while I enjoy a fruity tastebud sensation.

They offer a few different flavors that seem to change a little with the seasons (or at least over time). The strawberry acai refresher was my introduction to the line, and it was my first love. 😍

And, I must admit that I love the Starbucks mango dragonfruit refresher as much as I love the Strawberry Acai refresher!

Now, if you know me, you know that I prefer making things at home when I can rather than spending an arm and a leg to buy them. And even though I love Starbucks, their items top the list of things I’d rather make than buy.

That way, I can enjoy my favorite cold drink on a hot summer day – every day.

While I was researching how to make this beverage, I found many recipes, but none of them contained green coffee bean extract.

And many of them used fresh dragonfruit. Unfortunately, even though I love using fresh ingredients, I don’t exactly have access to fresh dragonfruit all the time. But, thankfully, dried dragonfruit delivers that same amazing pink color to this dragon drink!

Dragonfruit, also called Pitaya, is a beautiful tropical fruit in the cactus family with dark red/purple flesh with small, edible crunchy seeds.

Some areas of the country may have an easier time finding the fruit than we do here in land-locked mountain Colorado.

I haven’t had any trouble finding mango juice so far, though!

If you love Starbucks copycat recipes, be sure to check out our Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte, Starbucks Butterbeer Latte, and Hocus Pocus Frappuccino Starbucks Copycat

Isn’t this bright pink color amazing? 👇

How To Make A Mango Dragonfruit Refresher Starbucks Copycat Recipe

This drink is mostly a mixture of different fruit juices to create a delicious fruity beverage that’s enjoyable all year long.

If you love the Starbucks Mango Dragonfruit Refresher, you’re going to love this copycat recipe because it tastes just like the real thing! You can find the ingredients on Amazon Prime, and it’s very budget-friendly!

You’ll be ready to enjoy a glass of this tasty deliciousness in less than 5 minutes!

Dragonfruit Refresher Ingredients

• 4 cups Lemonade
• 1/2 cup sweet Mango Juice or mango puree
• 1/2 cup Freeze-Dried Dragonfruit pieces – you can also use dried dragon fruit powder
• 1 tsp Green Coffee Bean Powder or Green tea extract (optional)
• Ice, as needed
• 1 1/2 cups Coconut Milk, optional, as needed

*For the full recipe, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post!

Mango Dragonfruit Refresher Directions

Follow these steps to make individual servings of this pink drink. See my notes below to learn how to make this drink in party-size quantities.

Step 1

In a large pitcher, combine the lemonade and mango juice.

Step 2

Fill serving glasses (or a mason jar) with ice and pour the lemonade mix into the glasses.

Step 3

Add 1 Tablespoon of dried dragonfruit pieces to each glass. (Or 1 teaspoon of dragonfruit powder or juice)

Step 4

If desired, fill glasses only 3/4 of the way full and top with 1/4 cup of coconut milk.

Makes 5-7 mango dragonfruit refresher servings – yum!

Notes And Ingredient Substitutions

• If you want to use fresh mango instead of mango juice, you may have to use more than the amount listed in the recipe. And, keep in mind, it won’t keep as long as the bottled juice.

• If you can’t find dried dragonfruit, you can buy frozen dragonfruit and puree it to make dragonfruit juice. Then use about 1/2 cup after you strain it. Starbucks uses freeze-dried dragonfruit in their mango dragonfruit refresher!

• If you want to round out the flavor a little more, you could add a splash of white grape juice.

• It’s ok to leave out the dragonfruit if you don’t like the flavor. If you do that, add two drops of red food coloring and one drop of blue food coloring to get a pink/purple hue.

• Leave out the coconut milk if you don’t like the flavor or have a coconut allergy. Replace it with white grape juice.

• Starbucks uses a blend of white grape juice and green coffee bean powder and white grape juice.

• If you want yours a little sweeter, add 1-2 Tablespoons of date syrup to your drink. Its low glycemic index won’t cause your blood sugar levels to spike.

• If you want to tone down the flavor of this drink, you can replace the lemonade with 4 cups of water instead and keep the rest of the ingredients the same.

Cost Difference Between Starbucks Mango Dragonfruit Refresher vs. Homemade Version

The cost of making refreshers at home versus buying them at Starbucks can vary quite a bit depending on how much Starbucks charges in your area (this isn’t the same across the board!) and the cost of the ingredients in your area.

From what I’ve seen, Starbucks charges roughly $3.95 to $5.50 for a 16-oz size Mango Dragonfruit Refresher (the grande size).

And, if I base the homemade drink prices on Amazon prices (which are a little less influenced by location), I estimate the cost of one of these drinks. at about $1.00-$1.50 depending on how many servings you get out of this drink.

Mango Dragonfruit Refresher FAQs

Options For Making Starbucks Dragonfruit Refresher

This mango dragon fruit refresher recipe makes approximately 50-52 oz (not counting the ice) of these refresher drinks, and there are two ways you can make it, depending on how you plan to enjoy this.

Make-ahead individual servings – If this is a drink you want to enjoy over the course of 3-4 days, it’s easier to make it ahead of time. If you do this, I recommend making the mango dragonfruit refresher base by mixing everything EXCEPT the mango puree in a large pitcher in the fridge.

Then add the appropriate amount of mango puree (1-2 Tbsp for 24 oz or 1/2 to 1 Tbsp for 16 oz)) to your glass and mix before drinking.

For a group – If you plan to serve this at a gathering, mix all the ingredients together in a pitcher, making sure all the ingredients dissolve. Then fill up ice-filled glasses for your guests.

I hope you love this special drink at first sip! Skip running out to your nearest Starbucks and save money by making it at home!

More Delicious Recipes

If you love this Mango Dragonfruit Starbucks Refresher, check out these recipes too!

• Valentine Cake Pops + How to Make Cake Pops
• St. Patrick’s Day Homemade Copycat Starbucks Cake Pops
• Christmas Cakesicles (Christmas Cake Popsicles)
• Easy S’mores Bars (Starbucks Copycat)