smoothiesBlend 5 min · Serves 45 min totalapprox. 180 kcal per serving · serves 4

Late Summer Dream

September 26, 2026

This one started as a note in my head — orange juice, banana, apple, lemon, pitaya, ginger. The kind of smoothie that sounds like it should be complicated but is not. Everything goes into the blender. One long blend. Pour into glasses.

The four teaspoons of pitaya is what makes it. Three gives you a soft rose. Four gives you something vivid and deep — the kind of colour that makes you want to photograph it before you drink it. The flowers on top are from the garden. Viola pansies and white alyssum. They are edible and they make it look exactly as beautiful as it tastes.

The protein and creatine are in there because this is also a training day smoothie. Two scoops of protein, one scoop of creatine, and it becomes something that carries you through a morning or a workout without needing anything else. The rapeseed oil is a teaspoon — you will not taste it, but it is there for the omega-3s and to help your body absorb everything else. Serves three to four. Drink it immediately.

The recipe, step by step

Blender with pink pitaya powder and banana ready to blend
Four teaspoons of pitaya — this is what gives it that colour
Two glasses of deep rose orange pitaya protein smoothie garnished with viola pansies and white alyssum
Viola pansies and white alyssum from the garden — edible and exactly right

What you'll need

  • 1 cup (240 ml) organic orange juice
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1 apple, cored and chopped — skin on
  • 1 whole seedless lemon — peel and all
  • 4 teaspoons pink pitaya (dragon fruit) powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • Pinch of Himalayan pink salt
  • 1 teaspoon raw honey
  • 1 teaspoon cold-pressed rapeseed oil
  • 2 scoops protein powder (vanilla whey or your preferred blend)
  • 1 scoop creatine powder
  • Ice — a small handful if you like it cold
  • Edible viola pansies and white alyssum florets, to garnish

How to make it

  1. 1

    Add the orange juice to the blender first — this gives the blades something to work with.

  2. 2

    Add the banana, chopped apple (skin on), and whole seedless lemon — peel, pith, and all. The peel is where the flavonoids and aromatic oils live.

  3. 3

    Add the pink pitaya powder, ground ginger, Himalayan pink salt, honey, rapeseed oil, protein powder, and creatine.

  4. 4

    Add ice if you want it cold. Blend on high for at least 60 seconds until completely smooth — the apple skin and lemon peel need a full blend to break down properly.

  5. 5

    Pour into glasses and garnish with fresh viola pansies and white alyssum florets. The flowers are edible and they make this look exactly as beautiful as it tastes.

  6. 6

    Serves 3–4. Drink immediately — the colour is most vivid right after blending.

Why it works

  • Pink pitaya powder: Four teaspoons of pink pitaya gives this smoothie its deep, vivid rose colour — no food colouring, no tricks. Pink pitaya is rich in betacyanins, the plant pigments responsible for that colour, which are potent antioxidants that help neutralise free radicals and reduce oxidative stress. It also provides vitamin C, prebiotic fibre for gut health, and iron — the absorption of which is significantly improved by the vitamin C in the lemon and orange juice.
  • Whole seedless lemon: Blending the whole lemon — peel, pith, and all — means you get the vitamin C from the juice and the flavonoids, limonene, and fibre concentrated in the peel and pith. The citric acid supports kidney health and the limonene in the zest has well-documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The vitamin C also significantly improves the absorption of iron from the pitaya powder.
  • Apple with skin: The skin is where most of the apple's polyphenols and quercetin live — anti-inflammatory compounds that support immune function and cardiovascular health. Keeping the skin on means you get the fibre and the phytonutrients together, which is how they work best.
  • Ground ginger: Ginger is one of the most well-studied anti-inflammatory ingredients in the kitchen. The gingerols and shogaols it contains inhibit inflammatory pathways, support digestion, and add a gentle warmth that lifts the whole smoothie without overpowering the fruit.
  • Protein powder: Two scoops of protein powder adds approximately 40–50 grams of protein to the full batch — around 12–16 grams per serving depending on your brand. Combined with the creatine, this makes the smoothie genuinely functional as a post-workout recovery drink or a high-protein breakfast that keeps you full.
  • Creatine: Creatine supports ATP regeneration in muscle cells, which means faster recovery and better performance in strength and endurance training. It is one of the most researched supplements in sports nutrition and it is completely tasteless in a smoothie — it disappears into the blend.
  • Cold-pressed rapeseed oil: One teaspoon of cold-pressed rapeseed oil blends in completely and adds meaningful nutritional value without changing the flavour. Rapeseed oil has one of the best omega-3 to omega-6 ratios of any oil, and the fat it provides helps your body absorb the fat-soluble vitamins and antioxidants from the fruit and pitaya powder.
  • Edible flowers: The viola pansies and white alyssum are not just decoration — both are edible and genuinely lovely. Viola pansies contain rutin and other flavonoids with mild anti-inflammatory properties. White alyssum has a delicate honey scent and adds a softness to the garnish that makes this smoothie feel finished rather than functional. Grown in the garden, cut fresh, placed on top.

Shop this recipe

Suncore Foods Pink Pitaya Powder

Suncore Foods Pink Pitaya Powder

Vibrant, naturally pink dragon fruit powder made from 100% pink pitaya — no fillers, no additives. A teaspoon or two turns any smoothie a stunning deep rose without artificial colouring.

Organic 100% Orange Juice

Organic 100% Orange Juice

Cold-pressed organic orange juice with a bright, fresh citrus flavor for smoothies and everyday sipping.

Organic Banana, 1 Each

Organic Banana, 1 Each

A ripe organic banana — the smoothie ingredient that adds natural creaminess, sweetness, and body without any dairy. Keep a few in the freezer for instant thick smoothies.

Organic Cosmic Crisp Apples

Organic Cosmic Crisp Apples

USDA Organic · Crisp, sweet-tart · Stays firm longer than most varieties

Naturally Seedless Lemons

Naturally Seedless Lemons

A bright, practical bag of seedless lemons to keep on hand for smoothies, dressings, and everyday kitchen cooking.

Clearspring Organic Rapeseed Oil 1 L

Clearspring Organic Rapeseed Oil 1 L

Cold pressed and unrefined — this is the oil I reach for when I want something lighter than olive oil but just as clean. Rich in Omega 3, beautiful golden colour, and a Great Taste Award winner. Wonderful for dressings, light sautéing, and baking.

Jacked Factory Creatine + Glutamine — Strength & Recovery Supplement

Jacked Factory Creatine + Glutamine — Strength & Recovery Supplement

5g creatine monohydrate and 5g L-glutamine per serving, unflavoured, 30 servings. Mixes cleanly into any liquid — or straight into an egg mix for a post-workout omelette.

Natural Force Organic Grass-Fed Whey Protein Powder, Vanilla Bean, 5 lb

Natural Force Organic Grass-Fed Whey Protein Powder, Vanilla Bean, 5 lb

USDA Organic · Grass-fed · Cold filtered · Hormone free · Non-GMO · Gluten free · Keto approved

Simply Organic Ground Ginger, 1.64 oz

Simply Organic Ground Ginger, 1.64 oz

A warm, gently spicy ginger for baking, tea, stir-fries, sauces, and the comforting recipes that bring a little brightness to the table.

REF Stockholm Sweden Mousse No. 435

REF Stockholm Sweden Mousse No. 435

A styling mousse made to add extra body and volume while helping hair hold its shape through the day.

Outsidepride Light Blue Viola Pansy Seeds for Planting

Outsidepride Light Blue Viola Pansy Seeds for Planting

Light blue viola pansy seeds (Viola x Wittrockiana Clear Crystals Light Blue) — a biennial that blooms spring and summer in USDA Zones 5–9. Grows 6–8 inches tall, perfect for borders, containers, and little indoor arrangements.

Sustainable Seed Co Organic White Alyssum Seeds

Sustainable Seed Co Organic White Alyssum Seeds

The white alyssum I grow every season — a low-growing, honey-scented ground cover that blooms from spring through autumn. Organic, open-pollinated, and endlessly rewarding.

HALM Glass Straws – 6x 9 inch Reusable Drinking Straws + Cleaning Brush

HALM Glass Straws – 6x 9 inch Reusable Drinking Straws + Cleaning Brush

Six 9-inch borosilicate glass straws with a plastic-free cleaning brush. Dishwasher safe, reusable, and genuinely beautiful on the table — the kind of small swap that makes a real difference.

SMEG Retro Style Blender

SMEG Retro Style Blender

The most beautiful blender on any countertop. Powerful, smooth, and built to last — SMEG's retro design means it earns its place out in the open rather than hidden in a cupboard.

PurePod Produce Cleaner & Vegetable Cleaner with Oh-Ion Technology

PurePod Produce Cleaner & Vegetable Cleaner with Oh-Ion Technology

A compact fruit and vegetable washing machine that uses Oh-Ion technology to clean produce without chemicals. Drop it in a bowl of water with your fruits or vegetables, press the button, and it neutralises pesticides, wax coatings, and surface bacteria in minutes. Rechargeable and easy to store.

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