Skip The Line At Starbucks With A Fruity Trader Joe's Dupe
Sometimes the Starbucks craving hits hard, but your motivation to leave the house and stand in line ... not so much. Luckily, there's a way to still get your fruity Mango Dragonfruit Refresher without ever stepping outside or shelling out up to $6 a pop. Trader Joe's has a dupe that scratches the same itch, and the best part is you can keep it stocked in your fridge for whenever the craving strikes.
For just $3.99 a bottle, the Tropical Dragon Fruit Drink Concentrate at Trader Joe's offers a similarly refreshing drink with the same iconic pink color but at a fraction of the price. Plus, the Trader Joe's version is made with real dragon fruit purée and passion fruit juice (compared to the white grape juice concentrate found in the Starbucks drink), so the dragon fruit flavor is unmistakable.
Recreating the refresher at home couldn't be easier. Just mix the concentrate with water, serve over ice, and you're basically there. For the full dupe effect, toss in some freeze-dried dragon fruit or mango. If you want a dragon fruit copycat of Starbucks' Pink Drink, stir in a splash of coconut milk.
Get creative with your DIY drink making
The best part about Trader Joe's Tropical Dragon Fruit Drink Concentrate is that it doesn't have to stop at imitating a Starbucks drink. The bright, tangy flavor makes it a natural cocktail mixer — just add sparkling water and vodka for an instant spritz, mix with rum and pineapple juice for a tropical punch, or top off a glass of bubbly for a fuchsia mimosa (just be sure you pour your mimosa in the right order).
You can even blend it into a smoothie with frozen mango or strawberries for a café-style treat that doubles as breakfast. With 40g of caffeine per serving, it's also a great caffeinated ingredient to start adding to your smoothies in the morning. Be wary of using it in your nightcap cocktail, though.
If you're already in DIY-barista mode, Trader Joe's has plenty of other products that mimic your Starbucks favorites. For example, pair the brand's cold brew concentrate with oat milk and maple syrup for a Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso dupe, or use the Spiced Chai Black Tea Concentrate as the base of an iced chai latte.