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Easy Strawberry Acai Refresher recipe – Starbucks copycat

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Here is an easy copycat Starbucks strawberry acai refresher recipe you can make in batches at home and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

It’s been several years since Starbucks introduced their line of caffeinated refreshers – with the first being the original Cool Lime Refresher. Now, Starbucks introduced a flavor with each new season, removing an old flavor to make room for the new. One of the most popular flavors is the Strawberry Acai Refresher which is still available in most markets.

The Starbucks copycat Straberry Acai Refresher recipe  - A red drink with ice in a Starbucks cup with a green straw on the wood walkway heading towards the beach. The beach grass and white sand is in the background

The Refresher Craze

Back in 2016, while I was trying to recreate the Pink Drink at home, I learned about one of the newer Refresher flavors. The Refresher craze started with the Cool Lime Refresher, then Starbucks introduced the Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher and the Valencia Orange Refresher. While new flavors are introduced seasonally, it seems the Strawberry Acai version is a mainstay on the Starbucks menu.

A light red iced drink in a Starbucks cup with a green straw on a white sandy beach with the blue green water in the background. Strawberry Acai Referesher recipe

Perfect for Summer

I love these Refreshers- they are just so perfect in the summer – icy, cold, and fruity. But I have a hard time ordering these at Starbucks because (a) they are fairly expensive and (b) I feel like they are just so watered down for the price. So what’s a girl to do? Make our own of course! So here is my version of the Strawberry Acai Refresher recipe.

A glass filled with a red iced drink and strawberries in the drink. A red and white polka dot straw is in the glass. In the background is a plate of fresh red strawberries. Strawberry Acai Refresher recipe

The Strawberry Acai Refresher basics

I already tackled the Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher, so now it is time to make another popular flavor- the Strawberry Acai version. It’s very easy to make at home, but not as convenient as one may think. Mainly just because you have to go on a bit of a hunt for the freeze-dried strawberries, green coffee bean powder, and Acai powder. However, once you find these, making the Strawberry Acai Refresher recipe is very simple. And once you buy these products, you will many uses out of them, or at least many glasses of this delicious and refreshing drink!

The Strawberry Acai Refresher Recipe

Beauty and the Beets Strawberry Acai Reresher recipe A red iced drink with strawberries and a red and white polka dotted straw on an outdoor table
An overhead shot of a red iced drink with a red and white polka dot straw on an outdoor table with a white plate of fresh red strawberries
Easy Starbucks Strawberry Acai Refresher recipe

Easy Starbucks Strawberry Acai Refresher recipe

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chill time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Make it at home - copycat Starbucks Strawberry Acai Refresher.

Ingredients

For the Strawberry Simple Syrup

For the Strawberry Refresher

  • 1 cup cold filtered water
  • 1 cup white grape juice
  • ice, for serving

For the Garnish

  • freeze-dried or fresh strawberries, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Add the freeze dried strawberries, sugar, 2 cups filtered water, the green coffee bean powder, and the Acai powder to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
  2. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes.
  3. Pour through a fine mesh strainer, pushing on the fruit with the back of a spoon to extract the liquid, capturing the syrup in a wide lipped cup or bowl.
  4. Allow the syrup to cool, 30-45 minutes. .
  5. To a large pitcher, add the strawberry syrup, 2 cups of cold filtered water, and white grape juice.
  6. To serve, add ice to a cocktail shaker and add enough refresher for one drink. Top with freeze dried or fresh strawberries.
  7. Shake vigorously and pour into serving glass.

Notes

* I prefer substituting filtered water for the grape juice as the juice makes the drink very sweet. 

Did you make this recipe?

Share it on Instagram and mention @beautyandthebeets or tag #beautyandthebeets. I would love to see what you made!

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Miriam

Tuesday 4th of April 2023

Ok waited over a week to get all the ingredients together. Was really excited to make this for strawberry refreshers are my favourite. Made it, it was a bit darker than Starbucks, it looked like tea, same colour. Ok I will try it. I drunk 1 tiny sip and throw it away. Will look for another copycat recipe for it. Hope the next recipe will use some of the ingredients that I wasted my money on. Oh the ripe directions was a bit confusing to me.

Jan

Sunday 13th of June 2021

When I last ordered this, they told me they were out of lemonade so made it without it. You use white grape juice. Does the ingredients change from state to state?

Anna-Marie

Monday 14th of June 2021

Hi Jan! I don't know if the ingredients change from state to state - I wouldn't think they would. This recipe was also written a few years ago so Starbucks may have tweaked their recipe a bit but white grape juice has always been the refreshers up to that point.

Karin

Monday 10th of May 2021

my favorite of all Starbucks drinks is the Strawberry refresher...so of course I tried it...I’m not sure if I have done something wrong...I bought all the ingredients, however, it is absolutely horrible and tastes nothing like the strawberry refresher I know and love at Starbucks...not even close...the drink is noticeably darker...extremely darker...maybe a video would help because I followed the directions to a T and can’t figure out what is wrong. I’m very disappointed because I waited to get all the ingredients and it just tastes horrible....any chance doing a video?

Amber

Monday 18th of May 2020

This recipe doesn’t even come close to tasting like Starbucks. It was very expensive to order all the ingredients just to be a nasty flop! I thought maybe it was me but my friend tried it as well and got the same result! Don’t waste your time or money! Just go to Starbucks and order a trenta with no water, no ice and no berries (they get nasty sitting in the base) I put mine in a mason jar once home and in the fridge. Add ice and water and it will make about 6 large drinks! Enjoy!

Joy

Sunday 24th of July 2022

@Amber, how much water do you add when remixing it for drinks?

Anna-Marie

Wednesday 20th of May 2020

I am sorry you didn't like the recipe. The ingredients are meant to be used for multiple recipes so you should easily get your money's worth!!

Jamie

Thursday 7th of March 2019

Starbucks version has stevia in it. That’s missing in the copycat recipe.

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