Copycat Starbucks Strawberry Acai Refresher Recipe

If your go-to caffeine hit is something cold, fresh, and fruity, you're likely well-versed with Starbucks' range of refreshers. One of their most popular offerings is a pretty pink beverage that's wonderfully light and subtly sweet: the strawberry acai refresher. Though many of us are content with picking up one of these refreshers during a Starbucks run, this drink is totally possible to recreate at home. Recipe developer Catherine Brookes brings us her take on the Starbucks classic, using a unique combination of ingredients to create a vibrant chilled drink that's sure to satisfy your cravings without a trip to the coffee shop.

This refresher uses a mixture of unique, flavorful powders, which are first dissolved in a splash of boiling water to create a tangy, fruity base. Then, this is topped up with white grape juice, which adds a little natural sweetness. A squeeze of lemon juice brightens the mix, and the addition of cold water and ice keeps it light and perfectly chilled. And don't worry, like the Starbucks' version, our homemade strawberry acai refresher has caffeine thanks to green coffee bean extract, a powder that provides caffeine in lower doses than typical roasted coffee. 

To make the base of this copycat Starbucks strawberry acai refresher, you'll need a combination of powdered ingredients. These ingredients include freeze dried strawberry powder, passion fruit powder, acai powder, and green coffee bean extract powder. Whilst these powders might not be common store-cupboard ingredients, they can be purchased online or from speciality stores. Once you've combined your powders with a little hot water, you'll add fresh lemon juice and white grape juice, before topping everything off with water.

Add the strawberry, passion fruit, acai, and green coffee bean extract powders to a mixing bowl or jug.

Pour in roughly 2 tablespoons of boiling water and mix thoroughly with a spoon or mini electric whisk until no lumps remain.

Add the lemon juice, then gradually stir in the white grape juice.

Transfer the mixture to a pitcher and top it up with about 2 ½ cups of cold water.

Fill 2 glasses with ice.

Pour over the strawberry acai refresher and enjoy.

This strawberry acai refresher is great served alone as a fruity pick me up, but it'll also pair well with a range of different meals and snacks. A great way to enjoy it is alongside a sweet breakfast, such as granola, yogurt, and fruit, or perhaps some warming oatmeal. You could even stick with the acai theme and whip up a fruity acai bowl, topped with berries and a sprinkling of seeds or chopped nuts. The drink would also taste great alongside a refreshing salad. Try tossing mixed greens in a balsamic vinaigrette with a scattering of feta cheese, and adding some fruit for a pop of sweetness that will complement the acai refresher perfectly. Diced peaches, strawberries, oranges, or apples would all work brilliantly.

Of course, since this is a copycat Starbucks drink, you may also be so inclined as to pair the beverage with a copycat of your favorite Starbucks snack. Both a copycat Starbucks grilled cheese sandwich or a copycat cheese danish will make for delightful and reminiscent pairings alongside your refresher.

While the use of strawberry and passionfruit powders in this strawberry acai refresher makes it super quick and convenient to prepare, you can absolutely incorporate fresh versions of these fruits into the drink if desired. If you'd like to use fresh strawberries, simmer them in water or juice until broken down, then press them through a strainer to create a strawberry-infused syrup. You can then use a few tablespoons of the hot syrup to dissolve and mix the remaining powders in the recipe, before adding the remaining syrup and water. Note that you'll need to pop the drink in the fridge for an hour or so to get the ultimate chilled refresher experience.

The passion fruit powder in this recipe can also be substituted for passion fruit puree, which can be stirred through at the point of adding the lemon juice and grape juice. Start with a couple of teaspoons and adjust to taste if desired. Passion fruit puree can easily be made from whole, fresh passion fruits, by scooping out the pulp, blitzing it in a food processor, and straining out the seeds.