Pink Drink

A social media darling, the luxurious Pink Drink deserves all the hype — but DIYing it is even more worth it. Make your own version of this Starbucks copycat drink with homemade strawberry syrup from fresh berries, white cranberry juice and coconut milk.

About this Copycat Starbucks Pink Drink recipe

It’s hard not to love all the trending drinks on the Starbucks menu. From the pumpkin spice latte to Irish cream cold brew, there are almost too many to list.

The Pink Drink might top the list, though! The drink was a fan-favorite secret menu item for years until Starbucks added it to the main menu. The original recipe took the tropical-flavored Strawberry Açaí Refresher and mixed it with creamy coconut milk.

And like many copycat Starbucks drinks, it’s actually pretty easy to replicate at home with a homemade strawberry simple syrup. Skip the drive-thru line and learn how to make the Pink Drink yourself!

More copycat recipes: Sugar Cookie Latte • Caramel Brûlée Latte • Iced Caramel Macchiato

What is the Starbucks Pink Drink?

Like the Medicine Ball drink, the Pink Drink was once a customer creation with a cult following. Though there is no official secret menu, Starbucks fans are known to take drinks already on the menu and ask the baristas to customize them.

In the case of the Pink Drink, loyalists would order the Strawberry Açaí Refresher with a few customizations, then they popularized the recipe on social media in 2016. Starbucks later adopted it as an official drink in 2017.

The Strawberry Açaí Refresher has flavors of strawberry, passion fruit and açaí. The line of Refresher drinks also contains green coffee extract, giving the drinks a boost of caffeine. The Pink Drink adds freeze-dried strawberries and coconut milk, all shaken together for a delicious fruity, creamy, yet dairy-free drink.

Tools & glassware

You don’t need anything special to make a Pink Drink at home! You can do it in a mason jar or a cocktail shaker.

You’ll also want to get out a knife and cutting board to slice some strawberries. A strawberry huller makes this easier!

For the syrup, you’ll also need a medium saucepan, some measuring cups, strainer and a jar or bottle to store it in. And to serve the drink, any 12-ounce cup will do.

pink drink essentials

strawberry huller

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glass coffee cups with straws & lids

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cocktail shaker

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Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to grab to make the Pink Drink at home:

• strawberry syrup: You can use a store-bought syrup, but it’s actually pretty easy and delicious to make it at home with fresh strawberries, water and sugar. It honestly has the best strawberry flavor!
• fresh strawberry slices: Throw a few in before you shake it to release some more fresh berry flavor. They also make a pretty garnish!
• white cranberry juice: The Starbucks version uses a prepared fruity mixer with passion fruit and açaí. White cranberry juice tastes pretty similar. There are some other combo flavors on the market, like white cran-strawberry juice, but plain white cran works well. (I used Ocean Spray.)
• unsweetened coconut milk: Be sure not to grab coconut cream or coconut water. This is the creamy milk-like product. If it’s sweetened, it will probably make the pink drink too sweet.

Substitutions & variations

Add açaí powder: If you want some of the açaí flavor, you can add a spoonful of açaí powder before you shake things up. It doesn’t need it, in my opinion — there is plenty of flavor in the fresh berries and juice!

No white cranberry juice? You can use white grape juice concentrate instead.

Add caffeine: This homemade version is caffeine-free (so it’s safe for kids!), but the original drink has green coffee flavor in the strawberry acai base. If you need this drink to give you a boost, you could add a serving of caffeine powder. If you prefer to add tea, you could infuse the syrup with a tea bag of an herbal tea.

Try other flavors: You could mix this up with other fresh berry syrups to make some unique and colorful drinks. Try it with peach, blackberry or blueberry syrup.

Instructions

Here’s how to make this homemade Pink Drink recipe in your own kitchen!

First, we need to make the strawberry syrup. Start by washing and hulling strawberries to remove stems, then quarter them. Add them to a medium saucepan and bring the water and strawberries to a boil. Lower the heat and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Pour through a fine mesh strainer to strain the hot liquid into a bowl or jar. Discard solids. While the syrup is still warm, add sugar and stir into the strawberry mixture until sugar dissolves. Let cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Once you have a cooled syrup, you can make your own Pink Drink! Get out a cocktail shaker and fill it with ice cubes, add strawberry syrup and white cranberry juice.

Next add strawberry slices, coconut milk and acai powder (if using). Shake well — if you don’t you won’t get that lovely, frothy cold foam on top.

Fill an 8-ounce glass with ice, and strain the Pink Drink mixture into the prepared glass. (Don’t strain it if you want the strawberry pieces in your drink.) If the drink separates, you can re-shake it or give it a good stir. This is normal though!

Tips & tricks

Food pairings

Pair your Pink Drink with any of your favorite homemade Starbucks treats, like a blueberry muffin, a fluffy madeleine or a slice of lemon loaf or pumpkin bread.

Extra strawberry syrup? Use it to make a strawberry martini, a strawberry daiquiri or a strawberry margarita on the rocks.

FAQ

More copycat drinks

• S’mores Frappuccino
• Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
• White Hot Chocolate