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Lychee Smoothie Recipe (Fresh or Canned) – Plus Banana, Mango and High-Protein Versions

By Updated 2 min read

Discover the exotic flavor of lychee in this creamy tropical smoothie. Uses fresh or canned lychees, coconut milk, and banana for a refreshing 5-minute treat.

At a glance

Blend 1 cup of lychees (fresh, peeled and pitted, or canned and drained), 1 frozen banana, 1 cup of coconut milk and a little ice until smooth – about five minutes. Add mango or strawberries for variety, or Greek yogurt or skyr for a high-protein version. A cup of raw lychees has about 136 mg of vitamin C.

  • Base: 1 cup lychees + 1 frozen banana + 1 cup coconut milk + ice.
  • Canned lychees work well – drain them and taste before sweetening.
  • 1 cup raw lychees: 135.8 mg vitamin C (about 150% DV) and 325 mg potassium (USDA).
  • High-protein version: swap half the milk for Greek yogurt or skyr.
  • Give young children lychees with a meal, not in large amounts on an empty stomach.

Recipe: Lychee Smoothie

Makes
1 large or 2 small smoothies
Hands-on
5 min
Difficulty
Easy

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (about 8–10 fresh) lychees (peeled and pitted, or canned and drained)
  • 1 frozen banana (in chunks)
  • 240 ml (1 cup) coconut milk (carton, or half canned and half water; or any milk)
  • ½ cup ice (optional)
  • ½ lime (juiced, optional)
  • 1 tsp honey or maple syrup (optional – only if needed)

Method

  1. Pour the coconut milk into the blender, then add the lychees, banana and ice.
  2. Blend on low, then high, for 45–60 seconds until completely smooth.
  3. Taste; add lime juice for brightness or a little honey if it needs sweetness, and blend briefly.
  4. Thin with more milk or thicken with more ice or frozen fruit, and serve straight away.

This lychee smoothie blends lychees with frozen banana and coconut milk into a creamy, floral, naturally sweet drink in about five minutes. It works with fresh lychees in season (early summer) or canned lychees year-round – drain them well and choose ones packed in juice or light syrup.

Tips for the Best Lychee Smoothie

  • Canned vs fresh: in a blended smoothie, canned lychees work almost as well as fresh and save peeling. Taste before adding any sweetener – canned lychees are often in syrup.
  • Peeling fresh lychees: nick the shell with a fingernail, peel it away, then squeeze out or cut around the glossy brown seed. Don’t blend the seed or skin.
  • Frozen banana makes it thick without much ice; a squeeze of lime lifts the floral flavor.

Variations

  • Banana lychee: the base recipe below.
  • Lychee mango: add ½ cup frozen mango – see more mango smoothies.
  • Strawberry lychee: add ½ cup frozen strawberries for a pink, berry-lychee blend.
  • Lychee coconut: use full-fat coconut milk and a few ice cubes; more in our coconut smoothies.
  • High-protein lychee: replace half the coconut milk with ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt or skyr (skyr has about 11 g protein per 100 g), or add a scoop of unflavored or vanilla protein powder.
  • Probiotic: use plain kefir instead of coconut milk – see our kefir smoothies.

Lychee Nutrition

According to USDA data, one cup of raw lychees (about 190 g) provides 135.8 mg of vitamin C – about 150% of the 90 mg daily value – and 325 mg of potassium (USDA vitamin C list; USDA potassium list), with 1.3 g of fiber per 100 g (USDA fiber list). Canned lychees lose some vitamin C in processing, and syrup adds sugar.

A Note on Lychees and Young Children

Lychees are safe for most people as part of a normal diet. But in Muzaffarpur, India – the country’s largest lychee-growing region – outbreaks of a serious illness with low blood sugar in young children were linked to eating lychees and skipping the evening meal; lychees contain natural compounds (hypoglycin A and MCPG) that can lower blood sugar (Shrivastava et al., 2017). The sensible takeaway: give young children lychees as part of a meal, not in large amounts on an empty stomach.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use canned lychees in a smoothie?

Yes. Drain them well and taste before adding sweetener, since they're often packed in syrup.

What goes well with lychee in a smoothie?

Banana, coconut milk, mango, strawberries, raspberries, lime and a little fresh mint.

How do I make a high-protein lychee smoothie?

Replace half the coconut milk with plain Greek yogurt or skyr, or add a scoop of unflavored or vanilla protein powder.

Is lychee healthy?

Lychees are rich in vitamin C – a cup of raw lychees has about 136 mg – and provide potassium and some fiber.

Do I need to remove the lychee seed?

Yes. Remove the shell and the large brown seed before blending; neither should be eaten.

Are lychees safe for children?

Yes as part of a normal meal. Illness outbreaks in India were linked to young children eating lychees and skipping meals, so don't give them large amounts on an empty stomach.

Sources

  1. USDA National Agricultural Library. Vitamin C content of selected foods per common measure (Litchis, raw). Link
  2. USDA National Agricultural Library. Potassium content of selected foods per common measure (Litchis, raw). Link
  3. USDA National Agricultural Library. Total dietary fiber content of selected foods per 100 g (Litchis, raw). Link
  4. Shrivastava A et al. (2017). Association of acute toxic encephalopathy with litchi consumption in an outbreak in Muzaffarpur, India, 2014: a case-control study. Lancet Glob Health 5(4):e458–e466. Link
#Fruit Smoothies #Quick Recipes #Smoothies
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