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Healthier pink starburst smoothie

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The pink starburst smoothie at jamba juice is a delicious drink that you can totally make at home with a few healthy boosts! Save yourself a trip and make this healthier pink starburst smoothie based of your favorite candy from the comfort of your own home! Let’s dive in!

​I think I was in high school when I first heard about the secret menu items at jamba juice, and man did I have fun feeling like I was part of that cult club. I remember hearing about the flavors, taking notes of the ones that sounded best and then nervously asking for a pink star or white gummi bear. 

pink star smoothie with yellow straw and raspberries in front on granite backdrop with window behind
Full blender with healtheir pink star smoothie with mason jar in front with smoothie

I thought I would get laughed at, but turns out the secrets were real! 

They have since added back the pink starburst to the real menu so it’s no longer a secret menu recipe which is slightly less fun, but no less delicious! 

The pink star and white gummi have long been my drinks of choice at jamba juice. However, since adding kids to the mix and the rising prices at jamba juice getting my smoothie fix doesn’t happen nearly as often as I would like it to. Plus, I also wanted a way to up the nutritional values just a bit while still enjoying the fruity goodness that is this tasty pink strawberry smoothie!

Healthier Pink Starburst Smoothie (at home)

So let’s jump in! I started with the basics that I found online here

6 ounces of Lemonade
6 ounces of Soy Milk
1 Scoop Raspberry Sherbet
1 Scoop Plain Sherbet
1 Scoop Frozen Yogurt
2 Scoops of Strawberries
Ice

I was left guessing about as to how big a scoop was, but this at least gave me the gist of things so I could be on my way to my favorite fruity beverage at home. 

Healthier swaps for a healthier pink starburst smoothie

healthier pink star smoothie in mason jar with yellow dot straw and raspberries in front

I knew I wanted to up the protein a bit so it was more filling and also decrease the sugars juuuust a tad. I would have loved to decrease them more, but I knew I wanted to keep that iconic pink starburst taste so some of these things were necessary. 

So the lemonade I knew was necessary because a starburst has that tartness to it (probably from citric acid). I used simply lemonade. This could be a way to decrease the sugars more if you wanted to. You could use a zero sugar lemonade, or a homemade lemonade to cut down on the sugar. 

Next came the soymilk. Soymilk isn’t something we keep on had regularly at our house, and everyone tolerates regular dairy milk so I decided to make a swap. I love using fairlife milk at our house to decrease sugar and increase protein so that’s what I used in this smoothie. 

The next step in the pink star smoothie is the sherbet. This was another ingredient that I knew was key to the flavor of this pink smoothie. I didn’t want to buy two containers of sherbet (raspberry and plain) so I just bought a container of rainbow and took the first scoop from the raspberry side and the second I got all 3 flavors in. I really think you could get by with just raspberry sherbet as well. 

Next is the frozen yogurt. This was an area that I knew I could easily make some swaps since vanilla is a pretty basic flavor. I swapped out the frozen yogurt with vanilla greek yogurt and I was thrilled with the results! I honestly thought it tasted so similar, and greek yogurt packs a protein punch that you wouldn’t get from froyo. It’s also lower in sugar. You could probably decrease the sugar even more by using plain greek yogurt in this recipe since there are so many other ingredients that add sweetness. 

​The last swap I made was really just an addition in that I added a scoop of vanilla protein powder. You could also use plain in this case as well if you would prefer! 

The last thing to do is to throw in a cup of strawberries, some ice and blend away in your favorite blender! You’ll be enjoying this delicious beverage in no time! …and while it’s still certainly an indulgent treat it also packs g protein per swerving which is certain to keep you full for awhile!

What else can I do with jamba juice’s pink starburst smoothie recipe?

I love the idea of switching up the flavors to make more of your favorite starburst flavors into smoothies! You could use lime sherbet or a few scoops of orange sherbert to mess with the flavor. You can also sub the sweet strawberries with raspberries or other fruit as well! 

Hand holding pink starburst smoothie with yellow straw in a mason jar with white background

You could also use this smoothie with a thick consistency to make a smoothie bowl topped with fresh fruit to add some texture and g fiber to your day! 

I hope you give this pink drink a try and I hope it hits the spot for your sweet tooth without you having to leave your house (or embarass yourself asking for a jamba juice secret menu item ;))

You may also like

Pair this with my high protein raspberry stuffed french toast for a fun red and pink breakfast all-around!

Or if you are looking for other fast breakfast options, try this make-ahead egg cups!

Health(ier) pink star smoothie (jamba juice copycat)

Health(ier) pink star smoothie (jamba juice copycat)

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

This version of the jamba juice smoothie is lightened up slightly, high in protein, and tastes just like the real thing! It comes together super fast and is so much cheaper than a smoothie run!

Ingredients

  • 8 oz simply lemonade
  • 8 oz fairlife 2% milk
  • 1/2 C raspberry sherbet
  • 1/4 C rainbow sherbet
  • 1/2 C vanilla greek yogurt
  • 1.5 C frozen strawberries
  • 1 scoop protein powder (vanilla or plain)

Instructions

  1. Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Pour into glasses and enjoy.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 268Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 82mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 2gSugar: 27gProtein: 13g

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